Navigating Long Travel Days

Long travel days with your RV can be exhausting and frustrating. In this video Lisa McEwen, an RV Lifestyle and Repair Contributor, talks about how her family handles longer travel days and gives some tips she’s learned along the way to make traveling more enjoyable and safe.

What’s the 3/3/3 rule?

Many of our viewers out there have heard about the 3/3/3 rule. If you follow the 3/3/3 rule, you:

- Limit driving to 300 miles a day
- Arrive at your destination by 3 p.m.
- Stay at that destination for 3 days

The McEwens have used that particular rule, and it really does keep stress levels down. But in truth, that rule really only works if you have a long period of time to take off when traveling. So it's not always realistic. Many RVers are trying to fit a trip or trips into a more confined schedule and don't necessarily have the flexibility to spend the longer amounts of time on their trips.

When you can’t incorporate the 3/3/3 rule into your trips, what should it look like to maximize your time safely? For starters, one of the things the McEwens have done as a family is set a limit on how long you want to be in the truck for travel days.

But what is safe for you to put on in terms of time while traveling on the road? This varies based on who the driver is and what happened the days before. You also need to consider the condition of your truck, the condition of your RV, the terrain and the weather.

Apps

There are some apps that Lisa uses that help make longer travel days easier.

I Exit: Gives you a look at all of the stops along the highway for hundreds of miles ahead. For each exit you can find things like gas, travel centers, restaurants, grocery stores, and even parks.

All Stays: Has a great map feature where you can drop a pin on where you are and the app will display gas stations and travel centers that are near you. You can filter what is shown on the map and if you get yourself in a jam, you're able to use that map feature to see other campgrounds that are around you. You can click on each one of those campgrounds and you’ll get access to phone numbers and websites.

Break it up

Earlier we talked about taking breaks. Usually the McEwens' breaks are quick 20 minute stops. Filling up on gas, stretching our legs, going to the bathroom, those kinds of things. But the McEwens always make sure that within the travel day that there is one really long break for about an hour.

Meals

Longer travel days will likely have you in the truck for at least breakfast and lunch. Reducing the overall travel time is the goal and when you bring these meals along with you, you save time. So try to bring those along with you. It can be as simple as sandwiches or snack lunches.

As you are designing your travel days, really think through your logistics and keep safety top of mind.