Jeepnfool wrote:
I guess I never did address the fact we did the trip really fast...
I re-read the entire post and thread and by all means, don't want to discourage you on anything. I think you'll find RV ownership, no matter which one you finally settle on, to be a great and exciting adventure for you. And it will give you nice options when you have the jeep to go to places and be able to camp and stay where the action is.
I think the one big thing that surprises us all, once we get that RV (of any type) is how much longer it seems to take to get from point A to point B. In an automobile, you can exceed the speed limit by 20 mph. Some Western states have 80 mph speed limits and autos go much faster than that. You can travel fast and far that way.
In an RV, life all of a sudden slows way down. You'll find the average miles per hour you actually drive every day will be around 50-55. As many others have testified on these forums, 50 mph is THE average speed traveled. Why?
Well, I suppose it's just the nature of the beast. First, trailer tiers are rated, mostly, at 60 mph. Some are now 80 mph. Exceeding 60 mph is a threat for sudden blow out. This in itself forces us to slow down. There are a few "crazies" out there that think they are invincible and nothing will ever happen to them, and no one can tell them any different. They are out there. But someday, the odds will catch up with them.
Another factor in slower driving is the shear bulkiness of an RV. Because they are much bigger and boxier than the normal sedan, they do require a LOT more attention to what's happening all around you.
Add the fact that a new truck and new trailer combination can cost you $100,000, plus the lives of all your family members in the vehicle makes you paranoid real fast about all the "crazies" out there who can cause you an accident and you loose it all in a moment's heartbeat. The average driver just doesn't understand it takes longer distances to stop an RV, longer distances to get an RV up to speed, take much more space to make a simple turn, and need space to maneuver at any fuel station. All these thoughts running through your head will cause you to just naturally be more careful, more alert, and a bit slower. (which is a good thing).
Here again, I think most of us have this initial idea that an RV is just as mobile as the family sedan and when we actually get one, we find out real fast they are worlds apart.
I say all this, simply to say, you will find RV driving, especially towing a car carrier with an addition few thousand dollars worth of equipment on top of that, will cause you to naturally slow down. Expect 50 miles an hour for your total average daily driving time. If you plan on driving 200 miles a day, plan actual driving time 4 hours, not 2 and 20 minutes if you were travel a steady 80. This is how you have to figure your travel time. Then you have the rest of the day to play with that jeep!
