Longest Trip in the Shortest Time?

[heathnlaura]

Hey All,

I'm the type that would prefer to push on a trip to get to the furthest point, then take it easy on the way back. We're kicking around the idea of Sacramento to South Carolina to dip our toes in the Atlantic and see the sun rise out of the water, Dollywood, Graceland and back. I know there's more to see in this great country than I'll ever know, and will see as much as we can of it in our later years. We're looking at about 3 weeks for this. We'll have plenty of nights in truck stops with KOA's sprinkled in for relief and laundry. Can we do it? Probably. Can we do it without being miserable? That is the dream.

What kind of trips have you taken in a short amount of time? Not to the grocery store, but, say a thousand mile or more.

[NowhereFast]

You could do it in 3 weeks without a problem!
I did FL to TX in my bus in 2 days. And then a week later did it all over again.
The trip was 18hrs driving time each way

[onenationundergoat]

We just did NC to PA to CA in 6 days driving time. Averaging 50mph and driving 12 hrs a day. We've also done I-10 from west end to Gainesville FL in about a week. Our first trip we drove 1500 miles from NC to ND (almost Canada) in 38 hours taking only a couple 2 hour breaks besides gas station stops.

[cadillackid]

had i not had my breakdown on my way back friom florida id have made it shorter.. but I ran 710 miles in a day to get hiome afyer my repairs.. and thats with an old bus that does 65 on flat ground.. slower in the hills.. ands I only have a 20-25 gallon fuel tank so i have to stop for fuel alot..
-Christopher

[RossAnabel]

June, 1996. My son graduated from HS & planned a trip for the family. MI to Grand Canyon, Vegas, LA, SF, then back to MI, all in 2 weeks. It was 4 of us in an old class C motor home. The marginal cab air died, the starter solenoid wouldn't work when hot. We were cramped, hot, and often rushed as the whole trip was planned to the minute, like Europe in 7 days . Every stop on the road was accompanied by a piece of carpet and a spray bottle of water to cool the starter solenoid. We all look back at that trip as one of greatest things we ever did as a family.

[cadillackid]

some of my best trips are no-planning ,marathon drive trips!... more than once ive said "im going on a trip" and a couple hours later im on the road rollin wheels for 1000 miles or booking flights on my phone sittin in the back of a cab heading to the airport.. because "im going SOMEWHERE today!"..

-Christopher

[Stu & Filo. T]

Where by Sac are you??

[Carytowncat]

I enjoy a less hectic vacation. Figure id prefer to not travel as far and have more time to breathe. But i do undestand the need for a determined long haul, it ignites something primal in the blood. I get it.

I can go fast and enjoy myself so long as i am not rushing. Speed can be fun but rushing for a motorcyclist equals danger.

Good luck!
I hear Nags Head is superb.

[cadillackid]

I just did an experiment yesterday... I wanted to run my bus on a 120 mile round trip to get some seats for it.. so instead of running it at its top stock speed of 65 MPH I decided to run it at 60 instead...

I know alot on here (includoing me) fretted at the idea of a bus that only runs 60-62 (like a lot of school busses do)..

it was really amazing how much better and how much less fuel I used .. I filled up before i left to the same point in the tank.. and then drove.. and then filled up to the same point when I got home.. and the difference was 7-8 MPG at 65 and I got 10.5 running at 60... and that was with the Air-conditioner Blasting and outside temp of 95 with dewpoint of 72... with the high temps my engine fan was running at high speed a good but of the time...

for me since i dont camp .. I could make the case that runing slower could cost me an extra hotel night on a really long trip... however most likely not..

ive always been a marathon driver.. (run at the highest speed and dont stop for nada) type of road-tripper.. getting the bus and driving it home in late may.. forcing me to stop often due to small fuel tank and just getting tired driving in blasting heat.. and then the breakdown I had forcing me to enjoy my surroundings.. has begun to change my whole philosphy on road-trips.. that ratheer than run it to the metal.. im thinking theres a lot i miss along the way!!..

-Christopher

[RC000E]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I just did an experiment yesterday... I wanted to run my bus on a 120 mile round trip to get some seats for it.. so instead of running it at its top stock speed of 65 MPH I decided to run it at 60 instead...

I know alot on here (includoing me) fretted at the idea of a bus that only runs 60-62 (like a lot of school busses do)..

it was really amazing how much better and how much less fuel I used .. I filled up before i left to the same point in the tank.. and then drove.. and then filled up to the same point when I got home.. and the difference was 7-8 MPG at 65 and I got 10.5 running at 60...

-Christopher

See...another guy gets it!

I Uship'd around the country last year for a couple of months...so I could travel and pull a stout income while doing it. I never took my box truck over 60...ever. Keep in mind, I race cars on road courses for decades, build race cars, and I've got more pics of being pulled over in some various sports car than most people have been stopped in their lives. There are times for speed, and times for just steady as she goes. The highway in a big truck/bus...60 is PLENTY.

As much highway as I did last year (70k miles in 6 or so months) I can't tell you how many times I'd get passed by someone, then 300 miles later, get passed by them again. All their speed, and they were still right where I was due to AVG speed more than anything. People make long stops, hit traffic on the highway, etc.

I said before...RV'ing isn't about hustling...if you can't afford to slow down 5 mph...lol...you're life is f*cked...

[BusFiend]

Above about 50 mph, aerodynamic drag becomes the largest factor in fuel economy. Driving 65, as opposed to 55, could require as much as 60-70 extra horsepower. The extra horsepower requires fuel. Skoolies, especially transit-style, are less aerodynamic than an OTR tractor.

https://cumminsengines.com/uploads/d...el_economy.pdf

My desire to easily run 65 has nothing to do with economy. If you spend any time on highly trafficked roads, you understand what I mean. Driving 10-15+ mph below the speed limit becomes a serious safety concern, as most traffic wants to travel 10-15+ mph over the speed limit. Since the 70s, we've known that differences in vehicle speeds are far more dangerous than overall speed. I'm not sure I'm ready to be "that guy", who always seems to be in the way. Of course, in the mid and southwest, outside of metro areas, 55 mph seems the best route.

Just my $.02

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by BusFiend

Above about 50 mph, aerodynamic drag becomes the largest factor in fuel economy. Driving 65, as opposed to 55, could require as much as 60-70 extra horsepower. The extra horsepower requires fuel. Skoolies, especially transit-style, are less aerodynamic than an OTR tractor.

https://cumminsengines.com/uploads/d...el_economy.pdf

My desire to easily run 65 has nothing to do with economy. If you spend any time on highly trafficked roads, you understand what I mean. Driving 10-15+ mph below the speed limit becomes a serious safety concern, as most traffic wants to travel 10-15+ mph over the speed limit. Since the 70s, we've known that differences in vehicle speeds are far more dangerous than overall speed. I'm not sure I'm ready to be "that guy", who always seems to be in the way. Of course, in the mid and southwest, outside of metro areas, 55 mph seems the best route.

Just my $.02

I beg to differ on the safety when it comes to large busses / trucks.
id say Yes in a car.. HOWEVER in a truck or bus people EXPECT it to be going slow... in fact people are startled when a Semi goes busting by... in any area of the country except the flat midwest and flat plains.. there are some time of hilly terrain even on the interstates... app. mountains, the smokeys.. the adirondacks, the rockies, and on and on .. trucks and busses are almost always varying speed and people are used to that..

now take a regular car and set him 55 in a 70 zone and yes I get why its a danger.. its small.. not visible if you are a couple cars back and unexpected for a car to be doing 55 in a 70...

-Christopher

[BusFiend]

I certainly agree that mountainous area residents are used to dealing with slow-moving "big rigs". There's little to be done about the hills. That's why many areas will add an additional lane for slow-moving vehicles. When traffic gets dense, any slow-moving vehicle in the right-hand lane pushes those doing around the speed limit into the center and left-hand lanes, causing the idiots, insisting on traveling 75-80 in a 65 zone, to weave through traffic. If American drivers had a bit more patience, sense and skill, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Buses and trucks, on densely trafficked roads, tend to travel the speed limit, if able, for a reason: safety. Otherwise, much fuel could be saved.

I am speaking directly to densely trafficked areas. An open, or nearly open, road can be driven safely at almost any reasonable speed. Also drivers' attitude and behavior seem to change as well. For instance: I've found if you start in New York City and travel due west, say I80, driver behavior noticeably changes after crossing the Alleghenies. The traffic density is also much less.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by BusFiend

I certainly agree that mountainous area residents are used to dealing with slow-moving "big rigs". There's little to be done about the hills. That's why many areas will add an additional lane for slow-moving vehicles. When traffic gets dense, any slow-moving vehicle in the right-hand lane pushes those doing around the speed limit into the center and left-hand lanes, causing the idiots, insisting on traveling 75-80 in a 65 zone, to weave through traffic. If American drivers had a bit more patience, sense and skill, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Buses and trucks, on densely trafficked roads, tend to travel the speed limit, if able, for a reason: safety. Otherwise, much fuel could be saved.

I am speaking directly to densely trafficked areas. An open, or nearly open, road can be driven safely at almost any reasonable speed. Also drivers' attitude and behavior seem to change as well. For instance: I've found if you start in New York City and travel due west, say I80, driver behavior noticeably changes after crossing the Alleghenies. The traffic density is also much less.

traffic in densely populated east amnd west coast cities.. and ill toss im chicago in the midwest.. is definitely extremely aggressive and they are also fast... personally I dont worry... if someone wants to slam into my bus let them... its well-insured and its pretty stout... likely their car will sustain much more damage than my bus...

obviously its a bit tough with a slow accelerating vehicle to merge onto the freeway ramps in dense cities.. but putting a nose out in a bus usually makes people let you in...

I aklso believe alot of this conversation revolves arounf the open road too as it started with how fast can you road trip across the country... which for me whe nI do marathon drive, i pick my "battles".. I time it so i hit the major cities in the middle of the night or midday between rush hours... and yes I'll run my bus 65 in the city until the speed limit drops to 55 then I'll run it 5 over and thats it..

-Christopher

[heathnlaura]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

Where by Sac are you??

We're actually in Elk Grove. No too far from you.

The goal is not to rush through the trip. There are separate trips we'll make to the Alamo, Mt Rushmore/Yellowstone and such in the future. This is probably the only time we'll have this amount of time off with decent weather to make this trip. In a couple years my kids will be going to different schools with different school schedules. On traditional and one will be year round. Right now looooong summer trips are not doable. You see, our bus has no AC. We've got 6:14 gears in the rear and it's governed at 2500 RPM. On flat ground, it'll run 60 all day. In Oregon on a downgrade on I-5 a couple weeks ago we finally made use of our G-suits when we hit a blistering 64.9. That's right...not 65, but 64.9. Graceland, Dollywood, and the Atlantic are the main goals. I just want to get there post haste to maximize our fun time on that side of the map.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by heathnlaura

Hey All,

I'm the type that would prefer to push on a trip to get to the furthest point, then take it easy on the way back. We're kicking around the idea of Sacramento to South Carolina to dip our toes in the Atlantic and see the sun rise out of the water, Dollywood, Graceland and back. I know there's more to see in this great country than I'll ever know, and will see as much as we can of it in our later years. We're looking at about 3 weeks for this. We'll have plenty of nights in truck stops with KOA's sprinkled in for relief and laundry. Can we do it? Probably. Can we do it without being miserable? That is the dream.

What kind of trips have you taken in a short amount of time? Not to the grocery store, but, say a thousand mile or more.

Charleston, SC to Irvine, CA in a bit over 40 hours... I don't recommend it.

I think that you could make the trip in three weeks but the portion of your trip spent behind the wheel will be rough. If you average 8 hours behind the wheel a (driving) day you will spend half of your trip on the highway.

[onenationundergoat]

Originally Posted by RC000E

I can't tell you how many times I'd get passed by someone, then 300 miles later, get passed by them again. All their speed, and they were still right where I was due to AVG speed more than anything. People make long stops, hit traffic on the highway, etc.

When we drove from PA to CA in five days we would get passed by the same vehicles over and over again. We were driving and driving and they would stop for dinner and we'd keep going. A couple hours later either they passed us again or we'd both end up at the same rest area.