[Bill]

Kathy -

Late response. Forgive me if I repeat things you have already considered.

You sound like the purpose of your trip is to get somewhere as soon as possible, rather than having fun on the way. That’s OK, We’ve done a lot of it, and a TM is WAY BETTER than a hotel. But let me mention some things to consider - things we have found out the hard way.

DAILY DRIVE TIME: Will you be the only driver, or will you be traveling with another driver? How many days will you be on the road? I don’t know your age, but if you are younger (like I used to be), and you are the only driver, you can probably plan on 5-6 hours of driving. No more. If you are older (like I am now), and you have a co-driver, you can again plan on 5-6 hours, and add one hour to the plan if you really, really need to. But there are two things to remember about planned drive time. First, you will waste at least an hour stopping for gas, stretches, pit stops, and so forth. Allow for that. Second, it is possible to arrive at your planned campground and find that it is full, or it is closed, or it is no longer there. This happened to us once - the campground had a fire during the day, and the next campground was 2 hours beyond.

ROAD SERVICE: Do not leave home without membership in a road service. We have discussed them here on the Forum - look them up. I had Good Sam for years, and it was worse than terrible. I’ve graduated to AAA, and am much more satisfied. There are others, of course. A breakdown in the middle of nowhere is a lonely frightening desperate experience. Standing beside the road as darkness falls and traffic whizzes within 18 inches of you, wondering who to call and what to do, can be a panic situation, especially if the local service places are closed for the day or night - and especially if you have an animal with you. Do you know how to change a tire? Do you have the jack and tools?

CAMPGROUND BOOKS: I know you have a cell phone, and I know there are campground apps. If your phone dies, or there is no service when you need it, a paper copy of a Big Book of Campgrounds is a lifesaver, There used to be two of them - one from Good Sam, one from Trailer Life, both were good. They may have merged, and that’s OK. In my experience, they are much easier to use, and much more complete, than an app on your phone. Your choice.

RESERVING CAMPSITES: When my wife and I started TMing 20 years ago, we would start out in the morning, and drive until we felt we would be ready to stop in an hour. At that point, we would grab the campground book, find a campground an hour ahead, call them to confirm availability, and drive to it. This gave us the flexibility to stop for sightseeing, drive slower than we planned, get through traffic jams/construction, and so forth. This approach almost never failed, and it freed us from slavish devotion to a daily schedule. But it often doesn’t work today. It is amazing to me how many campgrounds are full these days, and how early they fill. We have learned to make advance reservations, usually a month in advance, to avoid the NO VACANCY signs. Yes, this includes campgrounds in the midwest and far west. And yes, it will cost you if you have a change of plan. But IMHO the risk is worth it. For this trip, your timing is good. Kids are back in school, so the demand is down.
Do I hear you mention an emergency stop in a WalMart parking lot? I’ve never stayed in one, and hope not to, though it is better than beside the road, or in a rest stop. If none is within driving distance, we have stayed in a nearby hotel, but the experience was bad in so many ways.

I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer here, and you will probably have no reason to worry about any of this stuff. But advance prep will make your confidence higher, and your long trip more bearable.

Bill