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Question What time do you typically depart a campground?

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Neal

Staff member
RVF Administrator
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Messages
11,477
Location
Midlothian, VA
RV Year
2017
RV Make
Newmar
RV Model
Ventana 4037
RV Length
40' 10"
Chassis
Freightliner XCR
Engine
Cummins 400 HP
TOW/TOAD
2017 Chevy Colorado
Fulltimer
No
I am a casual departer, I typically won't intentionally wake up early to depart. I'll get up, do my things, leave around 10'ish I'd say is the typical time. Recently due to this covid-19 virus stuff I had to long haul to avoid (go entirely through) Louisiana and get to Jackson MS, at least 8 hours driving then add fuel and rest stops (dog/lunch). I left prior to sunrise, 6 AM. I have to say this made the drive much better and seemingly less exhausting as I didn't get late into the day. Granted, I wouldn't do pre-sunrise departures unless necessary as we all want to avoid driving in the dark with poor headlights in these motorhomes. But I'd say getting up early and hitting the road by 8 AM may be in my future as I seemed to do better with the earlier drive.

What is your departure time preference? What works best for you?
 
Pre-stage everything possible that goes in the basement the night before. Up the next morning around 7AM for breakfast. I don't like starting the engine until least 8AM if I have neighbors. Air up pull the slides in and load the basement, do a walk around, hopefully everything goes as planned on the road by 9AM. I like to be at my next stop well before dark. I'm with you on driving in the dark, too many chances for things going wrong. Such as missing a corner and the toad takes out a post or rock, not seeing a low hanging limb or one cut right at the road edge.
 
Just before the campground's checkout time.
 
i follow the sun I am going when it rises and I’m down when it’s down. Just the way I’m wired
 
We shoot for a 9:30ish departure, but sometimes don't get on the road until about 10:00 am. And, we try to limit our drive time to 6-7 hours plus a couple of brief stops. That way, we get to our destination well before dark and in time for our regular dinner hour.

TJ
 
You will all recall I learned the hard way driving too many hours and having a minor fender bender in a parking lot in January.

I try and avoid driving in the dark if all possible. Leave by 7:30 am and try and stop after 6-7 hours. Doesn’t always work out that way.

I remember someone’s advice a while back, don’t navigate a campground at night especially one with tight turns and with a back in spot that you have never been to. You are asking for trouble.
 
10ish has always works for us. We almost never drive in the dark and thus never arrive at a park after dark. Not good for us, not the best for neighboring campers either.
 
Keeping our mileage to 300 or less, that's 6 hours ish. So we pull out by 9 and arrive at our destination around 3.
 
It depends on what I’m doing. If I’m traveling across the country trying to get somewhere on a tight schedule, I’ll sometimes leave before sunrise. My longest driving day was 12 hr. I won’t be repeating that.

If it’s a 5-6 hr trip to the beach or other point of interest, I’m lazy.
 
We shoot for a 9:30ish departure, but sometimes don't get on the road until about 10:00 am. And, we try to limit our drive time to 6-7 hours plus a couple of brief stops. That way, we get to our destination well before dark and in time for our regular dinner hour.

TJ

We generally do like TJ. There have been travel days come up that we needed to do 600+, so we have departed when it was still dark. Those types of runs only come around once or twice a year thank goodness.
 

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