We all do it when we hit the road in the morning in our RV.

We have a destination to reach so, as soon as we pull out onto the highway, we push the pedal down and drive all day, keeping right at, or even slightly over, the speed limit, often regardless of the weather and road conditions.

Because of the speed, you are probably drinking coffee to keep alert, and your eyes are glued to the road. You tense up with every gust of wind or bump in the road as you race to get to your destination.

And when you do get there, you are exhausted and worn out to the point that you just want to crash with your favorite beverage. And look, you got to your destination fifteen minutes early. Wow!

I suggest that you consider taking a safer and less stressful approach to your driving your Rig on our highways.

Many professionals and Fill-Timer Campers will tell you that you should slow down and drive your Rig at a speed about Five MPH below the speed limit while on the highways.

I finally changed my driving habits over and drove at this slower speed and the difference in my trip was impressive.

If you are on an Interstate and the speed limit is 70-MPH, just drop back to 65-mph and keep to the right lane and you will notice a number of things;

1. Your Rig will handle easier than it does at the higher speed, of course.
2. Even at this slower speed, and keeping to the right lane, you can even let your eyes leave the road occasionally and enjoy the scenery.
3. Everyone is passing you. Actually, this is a good thing because you will also notice that they are driving at a higher speed than you so they are always pulling away from you so you do not have vehicles right in front of your Rig.
4. You have more time to watch your GPS and pre-plan for the next exit or ramp you have to take.
5. When you get to your destination, you are more relaxed and ready to enjoy your stay.

But, you say, I took more time to make my trip, I was on the road much longer.

Well, if you do the math, the time difference is not all that much if you consider the fact that you made you a much safer trip and enjoyed the ride. Here are some calculations to prove my point.

Let’s say your destination is 300 miles away.

Option-1: If you drive straight through, with no stops at 70-MPH, this will take you 4.3 hours of tense driving ( 300 / 70 = 4.28)

Option-2: If you drive straight through, with no stops at 65-MPH, the same trip will take you 4.6 hours of relaxed and safer driving (300 / 65 = 4.61)/

The actual time difference is only 0.3 hours or just 18-minutes.

So, if you think about it, in the great scheme of things, is taking just a little more time to get to your destination really worth the stress and danger of “pushing the envelope”, or as I think about it, often when traveling, as in life, the trip is as important as the destination.

by Don Bobbitt

Copyright Don Bobbitt 2013, All Rights Reserved.