Archives

alright, in 3 days i will be flying back to montana and doing the nice, 1800 mile drive over again.

but, instead of only doing 8 r so hours of the drive, ill be doing ALL 31 hours.(more since ill be doing 55-60, instead of 75+)

how do you decide when to stop for the day? i have two options, drive til i cant anymore n stop(then its either sleep in car, or hotel...leaning towards car), or stop in denver(~8 hrs @ 75), then dallas(~13hrs @ 75).

id almost prefer to drive til i cant, but my parents dislike the idea, stating the possibility of asleep at the wheel syndrome.

ill have tires at sidewall, but after 400 miles will the pressure be REALLY high? or do tires find a happy medium in pressure/temp, n stay there the majority of the drive?

im not the most experienced long hauler, cept 4 the 8 hrs of Montana to louisiana, most other "distance drives" are only 2-3 hrs.

any help is GREATLY appreciated.

If you don't have a time specific schedule, don't make one. The best advice I can give is don't be afraid to take a break for a nap if you are tired. Drink plenty of water (not pop) and stay away from sugary snacks to help keep blood sugar stable. Most people are OK with taking a break every 4 hours or so. I get really tired after driving about 16 hours, but I start feeling tired and distractible after about 12 hours, so when practical I call it a day in less than 12 hours. If you're having trouble concentrating on the road you need to take a break or call it a day. As far as my hand can tell tires inflated to normal pressures (e.g. max sidewall) reach a stable temperature and pressure after only a few miles.

I would probably spread the drive over 3 days or maybe 4 if I had people to visit along the way.

You don't want to do more than 8-9hrs in a day per driver if you can avoid it. I'd equalize the driving as much as possible, so maybe stop 1.5hrs or so out of Denver and then Dallas.

Also, stay at low altitude at night to be better rested.

Tires at sidewall will be fine at normal highway speeds for the distance. Low-pressure tires at 80mph+ become an issue due to heat.

well we leave tomorrow! wish us luck! see you guys in 3 days(or maybe tomorrow night, the hotel should have internet...)

You don't want to do more than 8-9hrs in a day per driver if you can avoid it. I'd equalize the driving as much as possible, so maybe stop 1.5hrs or so out of Denver and then Dallas.

Also, stay at low altitude at night to be better rested.

Tires at sidewall will be fine at normal highway speeds for the distance. Low-pressure tires at 80mph+ become an issue due to heat.

If your not use to long distance driving "don't" push your self. Take your time and do what ILAveo said. Not knowing your driving skills you should look at a three to four day drive.
Personally due to the distances involved I would bump your speed up to a maximum of 65 mph. The difference in added MPG's vs the time on the road has to be factored in.
65 mpg should work out around 62 mph with stops and traffic or 29 hours of driving a head of you. That is a minimum three 11 hour days of driving with stops.
You drive 55-60 mph add five hours to your trip. Now your looking at four nine hour days ahead of you.

well we leave tomorrow! wish us luck! see you guys in 3 days(or maybe tomorrow night, the hotel should have internet...)

Did you make it?

Did you make it?

His last post was 10-2-2008, he didn't "not make it". After the long trip he probably just forgot to update. - Dale