Hi There -
We're in the early stages of planning an RV trip from Calif. to Michigan to see family. Already the first leg of our trip seems daunting. Maybe any raod-tripping Fodorites out there have some perspective to add?

We're hoping to get from San Jose/Bay Area to Deer Valley, Utah (near SLC) in the first day, then from Deer Vally to Mt. Rushmore in day 2. The plan is to get some distance under our belts so we can spend a full day and night at Mt. Rushmore before hitting the road again.

From Mt. Rushmore, we hope to get as far as mid to eastern Wisconsin. We're trying to put a "buffer" day in the schedule which would cover us if we got tired and wanted to shorten driving hours en route.

Overly Ambitious? Any suggestions for charming towns along the way? Flyfishing spots? Antiqing towns?

Thanks for your insights!

Quite ambitious. San Jose - SLC is 766 miles, and SLC - Rapid City is 730 miles. You're not going to get very fast climbing Donner Pass on I-80 on the first day; the second day is a little better.

It's doable. Just expect 11-12 hours of DRIVING TIME each day.

Thanks RK -

We're very used to 9 to 11 hour drives to Oregon with dog in car, so 11 to 13 hours will be not much worse. Good input - Thanks!

Kris,

Are those 9 - 11 hours in an RV or an auto? My DH says driving an RV is much more tiring than driving a car.

Also two days in a row of this intense driving might be harder than just one day. We try to keep our driving mileage to 550 per day and those are long days.

Utahtea

A RV will be slower, but it doesn't have to be more tiring. I was a truck driver, and driving 10 hours a day, everyday, wasn't bad at all. [Especially in the West, where traffic is relatively light. It'd be different if it's in the Northeast, or in major cities.] The seats are more upright, so it's actually much more comfortable than driving a car.

Just guessing - but are you renting an RV? Or is it a new one you will be buying? Since you mention being used to distances in a car, if you are not familiar with RV, esepcially at first, that sounds like too many miles/day. For me, in a car, 700 miles is an awful lot in a car - and 2 days in a row would be awful on vacation.

I do not agree with those that say 700 miles is 10-12 hours. That is 60-70 mph average and is unrealistic with inevitable traffic, construction delays and, even in an RV, a need to stop every once and a while.

So forget about fly fiing and charming towns - with this schedule all you will be able to do is drive.

On the Mt. Rushmore to WI idea

While virtually all of this trip is on fast moving 4 lane highways, this too is ambitious. You would be doing very well to get to LaCrosse, WI. LaCrosse to Chicago is then another 5-ish hours via Madison and Rockford. Longer if you go to Milwaukee. For this portion of the trip, I highly recommend filling up the tank before you get to the Chicago area, preferably in WI. We are now above $2 a gallon and rising rapidly.

I did say 11-12 hours of DRIVING TIME. That does not include stopping for breaks, and I assume one's staying on the freeway or just a truckstop off the freeway. Does not include driving into town to look for a particular restaurant, etc...

Traffic is light in the west, and speed limit is 75MPH for most of the interstate section in AZ, UT and WY, so if they can keep the speed at 75-80MPH, those travel times is not unrealistic even with a few construction zones. The only "hard" part is climbing Donner Pass, which a RV may not be able to keep the speed. Once they're over it, it's fine.

To rkkwan,

The big rig trucks are one of the reasons that driving an RV can be tiring. We don't drive as fast as the trucks and they when they pass they push us around. DH prefers the Highways to the Interstates just for that reason.

We don't have any problem in climing Donner pass in our motorhome but when we were towing a trailer with our suburban we would slow down. It will depend on the size of the RV and it's engine.

If this is a first time experience with an RV then I would say it will take longer than you would expect.

When I was trucking, I did notice that RVs are usually the slowest vehicles on the interstates. However, that doesn't mean it has to be tiring. You don't need to worry about changing lanes and passing other vehicles (well, except for even slower RVs), and as long as you set your cruise, truckers know how to get around you. Just keep your vehicle on the right lane and enjoy the western scenery.

I have never driven an RV before, so I don't know how much the airflow from a big rig passing you can affect the handling.

Anyways, my point is that the route they're taking isn't bad at all in terms of traffic. Try going 750 miles on I-40/I-81 from Memphis to Virginia, or I-75/77 going north-south, or anywhere in the Northeast, then that's exhausting.

Hi Kris,

You will also find I80 between SLC and Park City very steep going.


Some reason for Deer Valley? Deer Valley & RVs don't exactly go together. Are you parking it and staying somewhere like a lodge/condo? The only camping area near Park City or Deer Valley is a dumpy place next to I80 in Kimball Junction. It would be OK just for overnight.

Much nicer camping is in the Uinta mountains east of Park City. Lots of campgrounds that are all full on the weekends, but open weekdays. Very much like the high Sierras.
Have fun!

Hi Dayle - Thanks for the SLC -> Park City tip. We have friends in Park City, recently relocated there, and won't be forgiven if we don't stop by for a visit.

Based on all the very good input from you all, we're adding more days to the trip, to avoid such long driving days. Thanks!

We use Yahoo maps to estimate driving time and find it reliable.

If you belong to AAA, go by and get a free triptik. It is an easy read booklet made just for you. It will tell you the best driving routes and times. You can get their books, too, which include information on the highlights and places to stay. They are also free with membership, or were last time we checked. We've gotten out use out of AAA over the years, especially with their free towing and roadside service. Also, AAA discounts are good at a lot of hotels and other places. They still provide a good service, even with our computers at our fingertips.

to rkkwan,

The airflow from big rigs as they pass our small 24 foot class A motorhome is so bad that, I, as just the passager can feel it. It's been our experiences that big rigs tend to go over the speed limit and we tend to go the speed limit or just below it. They pass us very often on the Interstates.

Also it can be very tiring if it's very windy. 50 MPH winds are hard on the driver!

to Kris,
I'm glad you added more time to your vacation.

Utahtea

My accuracy in estimating driving distances and driving time has improved greatly since I started using Yahoo Maps "driving directions" option.

This services shows the fastest route. If you want to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco on Highway 1, you need to find distances between towns on Highway 1: Santa Monica/Malibu, Malibu/Oxnard, Oxnard/Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara/San Luis Obispo, etc.