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02-18-2016, 10:51 AM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,377
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JStelly
...How do others find a place to overnight at the last minute? Head to a location and find spots via the map, Internet, etc? Do you call ahead or just show up? Do you generally find this a good experience?
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I generally just pull into a campground, however I do make plans as to where I want to stop for the night (usually the day before). If it is a weekend or holiday, I'll often call during the morning to see if there is space available for the night's stop. As I mentioned before, stopping by 1:00 - 2:00 makes a big difference. Many times I ended up in campgrounds that were full by 6:00 at night. My style of travel is to plan & enjoy the trip, not just the destination. I often change my plans along the way because of suggestions from other travelers, campground hosts, etc. Although I usually get to where I planed, the route I originally plan is rarely the one I end up following.
As to finding places, AllStays Camp & RV & The Ultimate Campground List (for non commercial campgrounds) are two apps I regularly use. Both are available for iOS & Android. The Ultimate Campground list is also available as a POI list that can be added to most GPSs. If I had to choose just one, it would be Allstars since it includes many other useful locations & can be filtered for specific types, but if you like non commercial sites, the Ultimate Campground List has more of them than AllStays.
As to a good experience, after almost 850 camping nights in the trailer over the last 5 years, I've never had to stay in a Walmart. A couple of times I've had to take second or third choice on a campground, but I always found one.
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02-18-2016, 01:46 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Friendswood, Texas
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19' (sold), Escape 5.0 as of August 2019 (sold)
Posts: 664
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Thanks Doug. I added the site to my reference list.
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02-18-2016, 01:48 PM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Friendswood, Texas
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19' (sold), Escape 5.0 as of August 2019 (sold)
Posts: 664
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Thanks Jon. I use Allstays for research and find it very helpful for the filtering you mentioned especially as I look for military campgrounds along the route. I will add the Ultimate Campground List to my folder as well. Thanks!
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02-18-2016, 03:08 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Sherburne, New York
Trailer: 2016 21 ft escape
Posts: 400
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Wife and I have 4pm as our cut off. At about 3pm we pull over and look for a campground by GPS and start calling. Any longer than 4pm and we tend to get scrapy with each other. So to preserve marital bliss its 4pm or sooner, if we find an interesting area.
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02-18-2016, 03:36 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Friendswood, Texas
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19' (sold), Escape 5.0 as of August 2019 (sold)
Posts: 664
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake930
Wife and I have 4pm as our cut off. At about 3pm we pull over and look for a campground by GPS and start calling. Any longer than 4pm and we tend to get scrapy with each other. So to preserve marital bliss its 4pm or sooner, if we find an interesting area.
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Ditto. Our cutoff is actually closer to 3. Any time later and things get tense.
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02-18-2016, 04:24 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Trailer: 2013 19' & 2013 15B
Posts: 2,636
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When my kids were small, I could always tell when the driving day was nearly at an end by the increasing numbers of toys that would fly past my head and hit the inside of the windshield. These days if we are not in a hurry to make time to a destination, I like to keep the driving to less than about 300 km per day (typically about 3 hrs). Of course, if time is short and there are miles to go before I sleep, it is not unusual to put in 1000 or 1200 kms (10-12 hrs) of driving before a stop. On those long days, it is nice to know in advance where you are going to be stopping for the night, so that you can minimize the time spent searching for a campground and the camper setup time. In those circumstances and especially if you are leaving again the following morning, a night staying in a WalMart parking lot often seems very convenient.
__________________
2013 19' \ 2013 15B, 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Offroad
"It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it." - 1907, Maurice Switzer
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02-18-2016, 04:34 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Jamestown, Colorado
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19
Posts: 232
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We still work and do the annual vacation negotiations with our employers. Every day of travel is one that we don't spend at our destination.
We tend to push things, and yes, we've been known to get a bit grumpy at the end of the day. Boulder to Chilliwack to pick up our trailer was 2900 miles in 5 days, we likely only drove 100 miles or so on the day of pickup.
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02-18-2016, 06:52 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Trailer: 2014 17b/ 2012 Chevy Colorado
Posts: 736
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Last year we averaged 675 miles per day for 4 days rushing back East from Utah to find winter. Tomorrow we take off from Vermont to Utah to (wait for it) find winter. Looking forward to the trip home in June when we can take our time.
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02-18-2016, 07:30 PM
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#29
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,064
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For me towing, it's not how far or now long but the roads themselves. It takes me 6+ hours to go from Portland to Bandon for the Oregon Gathering. About 1/2 of that is on I-5, the other half mountainous, curvy roads. That's about my limit for those conditions. All freeway... 8 hours is easy as long as it's not through Portland or Seattle during rush hour
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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02-19-2016, 04:19 PM
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#30
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
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300-350 a day when traveling a long ways. We are early risers so we are on the road by 7 or8 and stop early afternoon. As we look for public CG's, it's nice to get in early and do some walking around.
Just did 600 miles first day out this trip to get as far south as we could as fast as we could, will do another long day at the end of the return trip, but prefer the 300 milers.
All our trips so far have a destination that has required reservations, so we can only meander to a point.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
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02-19-2016, 04:50 PM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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If my plans come together, I'll be driving non-stop from Pennsylvania to Chilliwack,BC. There will be 3 drivers, rotating 8 hour shifts, leaving on a Friday night and arriving on a Sunday night. Mapquest states 2900 miles and 46 hours.
Return trip will be more leisurely and take about 5 days.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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02-19-2016, 05:02 PM
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#32
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 11,064
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
If my plans come together, I'll be driving non-stop from Pennsylvania to Chilliwack,BC. There will be 3 drivers, rotating 8 hour shifts, leaving on a Friday night and arriving on a Sunday night. Mapquest states 2900 miles and 46 hours.
Return trip will be more leisurely and take about 5 days.
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Makes my bottom hurt to even think about spending 24 hours sitting. I wouldn't be able to walk once I got to the destination.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward
2014 Escape 5.0TA
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02-19-2016, 05:39 PM
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#33
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fremont, California
Trailer: 2016 21/ '16 Tundra 4.6L Dbl. Cab
Posts: 1,564
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D.
Makes my bottom hurt to even think about spending 24 hours sitting. I wouldn't be able to walk once I got to the destination.
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I'm Bumsprung just thinking about it! I'll keep my fingers crossed that Jim's plans don't come together and he's forced to go slower both ways.....
__________________
Steve and Debbie
2016 - 21'
“Get out the map and lay your finger anywhere down” -Indigo Girls
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02-19-2016, 06:05 PM
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#34
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,234
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D.
Makes my bottom hurt to even think about spending 24 hours sitting. I wouldn't be able to walk once I got to the destination.
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My thoughts exactly. I used to do those kind of trips in my college days, but no way I could do it anymore.
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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02-19-2016, 06:58 PM
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#35
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Nanaimo Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Trailer: 2015 17b "Shelly"
Posts: 461
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008
If my plans come together, I'll be driving non-stop from Pennsylvania to Chilliwack,BC. There will be 3 drivers, rotating 8 hour shifts, leaving on a Friday night and arriving on a Sunday night. Mapquest states 2900 miles and 46 hours.
Return trip will be more leisurely and take about 5 days.
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If you really want to do that I would suggest you do it in rotating 4 hour shifts. 8 hours is too long, to easy for fatigue to set in.
__________________
Like a lot of fellows, I have a furniture problem. My chest has fallen into my drawers
"Billy Casper"
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02-19-2016, 07:11 PM
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#36
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker
If you really want to do that I would suggest you do it in rotating 4 hour shifts. 8 hours is too long, to easy for fatigue to set in.
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Also Jim not good for your legs . Hope you stop and get out every 3 hours and move around .Pat
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02-19-2016, 07:15 PM
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#37
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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We will have to stop every 3 hours anyway for gas so a 6 hour rotation will work. I'll set up a bed in the backseat so someone can sleep for 6, someone else drives and 3rd will help navigate and watch the driver. Should work.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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02-20-2016, 06:16 AM
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#38
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Flower Mound, Texas
Trailer: 21' Escape
Posts: 87
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Life is too short
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02-20-2016, 07:37 AM
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#39
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Quote:
Originally Posted by floorpanel
Life is too short
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and Chilliwack is too far away.......
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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02-20-2016, 08:18 AM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,276
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Jim
Was this plan perchance hatched at the weekly happy hour?
Dave
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