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Hi! We are going to go camping at Cheaha State Park with SouthEast family for 4 days in August and hope to take two different routes . . . a meandering 5 days there (hoping to see natural wonders, hike, swim, bike a bit) and a quick 3 days back. We will be pulling a small trailer as our lodging. And it's our first cross-country trip! Any ideas?
Hello and welcome to the RTA forums !
I think you are underestimating the travel time you already have. At 2600 miles it is a minimum of 5 days travel in each direction traveling 9-10 hours each day with time for short breaks. It's not what I would say is a "meandering pace" and although it will give you a bit of time each evening, your exploring, hiking and swimming will be limited. You really need to allow for 4 overnight stops on the way home as well so I would look at breaking the trip into equal segments and see where that will put you at the end of each day and then tweak it to end somewhere that appeals. Forget what an on-line mapping program may say about time, this is a trip that needs measuring in days not hours and those times are not 'real world' where we have to stop for fuel, food and rest or face the inconvenience of construction and congestion delays.
Welcome to the RTA Forum!
I'm sorry to tell you, but your timeline doesn't work - especially not while towing a trailer.
You need a full 5 days each way to get there and back - and that's driving 10+ hours a day. That means, you could get there in 5 days - it certainly wouldn't be the "meandering" trip that you're envisioning.
Coming back - 3 days just isn't possible, at least not without endangering yourselves and everyone else on the road. You would have to drive nearly 900 miles a day - which is about 16 hours on the road, in a car, more while towing - and that's just not possible to do safely, no matter how many drivers you have.
As I see it, you really only have 2 options right now - find more time for the trip, or find a destination closer to home.
Former RV'er here, having spent much of my life either in the family station wagon with parents towing our travel trailer, or towing one myself.
SWDave and MWMichael both are being upfront, honest, and forthcoming with you. When towing on interstates, we always estimated that we might make 50-55 mph. If on two-lane highways, we'd be lucky to do 45-50 mph, on average. That means a 10 hour day is 500 miles on the interstate, 450 miles on two lanes. If there were mountains involved (and you WILL have to cross the Rockies somewhere), estimate lower mileage for that day. So -- that said -- 2600 miles is five days in each direction using interstates, 6 days if you are taking 2-lanes.
Bear in mind, each day you have to set up camp at the end of the day - either pull/back in to a site, level the rig (not every campsite is going to be perfectly flat), then do whatever hookups you want. Some sites are going to demand that you unhitch, either because of the length of the site or because of the state of level. It takes time. Then in the morning, you'll have to reverse the process. It takes just a tad longer, in our experience, to set up a campsite than it does to haul suitcases into a motel room. Setting up or tearing down in the dark is NOT FUN. Oh, and this is all after you've actually located a place. It is rare to find a reasonably priced campground or RV park that is close to the highway, and definitely not if you are looking for something more fun like a state park or national forest where you might be able to bike or hike to work out the day's kinks.
Michael's right -- you either need less trip or more time.
Donna