ClitheroeWas just wandering if anybody has done this tow from Aberdeen or the NE of Scotland and has any advise, ie done in the same day or had a stop over. I'm towing a light weight 2 berth with a Honda CRV. Max I've done so far is 200 miles and that was ok but this is another 150 at least. Any advise would be most welcome.
This is a very difficult question to answer. Too many outside factors that would influence a general answer.
It depends on the mileages you are used to doing in your everyday life, your age, your experience in towing, weather conditions, traffic volume etc etc.
As I get older, I tend to not want to tow long distances although in the past I have towed over 450 miles in one go.
These day 150 miles is the absolute max. I want to get to where I am going with enough time to set up and then enjoy both the afternoon and the evening and the journey there should be as much a part of the holiday as the time on a site.
Then again, I am retired now and two week breaks can just as easily stretch a bit to enjoy 2 and 3 night stopovers along the way.
Err on the side of caution when setting your towing distance. Better to arrive relaxed than not to get there at all.
I'm planning on a trip to Sandhead, Dumfries & Galloway later on this year - all in a journey of 250 miles, two roads, the M6 and A75. The furthest I've towed my caravan is under 100 miles, so I was wondering the same thing. I wouldn't even bat an eyelid if I wasn't towing, as I got used to travelling to the highlands, a good 400 miles in a day. I thought if I took my time, had a few good stops to rest along the way, I would probably make it ok. However, if I get too tired, then I will just head for a campsite along the way and stay overnight. but I hate the thought of all that pitching and stuff just for a night!
<<< However, if I get too tired, then I will just head for a campsite along the way and stay overnight. but I hate the thought of all that pitching and stuff just for a night!>>>
Later in the year we will be towing our FC from Argyll to South Wales.
We need to do 3 stops on the way down because of the towing distances involved.
With it being a FC and therefore a bit more of a hassle to set up and fold up, we will make each stop a mini holiday in their own right and stay 2 or 3 nights at each halt.
These mini breaks give us the chance to explore odd places that we would not normally think of staying for holidays but that we may return to in the future to explore further.
Our holidays start when we first hitch up the FC, not when we arrive at our destination.
I have'nt done the Scottland trip but I'm going a simular distance in June - Nottingham to Cornwall. The most I've done in the past is 165miles last year when I went to Wales. As LobeyDosser says it depends on your age and so forth. I'm like my caravan an oldie so I have planned my route so I stop off at Cheddar for 3 days on the way there and 3 days at Longleat on the way back, makes it all part of the holiday. Also it is just me and my dog so no-one to share the driving with.
2 years ago when fuel was a better price. We started off at Banstead Surrey at 9.20am and got to Moffat (Scotland) in the borders of Scotland and pitched on site by 7.30pm having our dinner & cuppa by then. We went off the followinf morning at 9am and went to Dingwell just past Inverness and was pitched by between 3.30-4pm and was walking along the river at 5pm. Sat reading books in their natural light at 10.30pm.
Would I do it again, having judged well in timing of:kids going to school traffic, & office workers being at work by 10am. As long as we made getting through Manchester by 3.30pm to make Moffat. If the traffic had held us up at anytime it would of been a 2 night stops journey. But a perfect a run as could be, we have had, 4 times we have done the same run, same times.
So all in all. I would now make 2 overnight stops to really enjoy what is around you; as there is no guarantee of a good run. The driving and surounding countryside, even on the motorways can be enjoyed as it is ever changing, "and " your on your hols. Enjoy them all door to door and be safe always.
By the way we both drove also.When we have used a nightstop, Bob would be still be sleeping as I started driving off at about 5am.
That was the only time when we did it top to bottom to & from the same places and NEVER again would we do it without an overnighter and sleep properly in bed was around the 2005/6 far too much, and knocks you down as it takes a couple of days to climb off the tired peak thing. NO NO never again in one stretch no matter if we both take turns at driving, we now like to enjoy our journey, not mile watch instead of clock watch.
was the 600 miles in 10 hours towing? or is this a joke I would have thought that was not possible you would need to be on a motorway at a constant speed of 60 non stop. I reckon you are pulling our legs.
the furthest I have ever driven in one go was towing from Nottingham to Inverness (420 ish I think) never again but I was in my 20's. The longest I do now is about 240 to Dartmoor from Notts. It certainly makes a difference now I am solo
Often do long distances.Why dont you go overnight i dont usually stop till i need fuel usually around 300 miles mark 5 hours driving but i'm used to it as its my job driving buses.Did devon last year 10 hours 510 miles left 4pm arrived at sight 2am slept in overnight area but have often stayed in services just like to get as near site as possible while roads are quiet
I've got a 360 mile journey towing the caravan for our summer break this year (Yorkshire to Cornwall). I intend to do this in one, or possibly with just one stop. I am used to doing very long drives, but we'll have the kids with us (and my Nan) so we might have to stop for a toilet break. We will be setting off at about 2:00am to hopefully comfortably arrive around 9:00am, so the kids will sleep through most of the journey. We've done this a few times before when driving to Disneyland Paris (but not towing) and it works well as the only stop we do then is for the channel crossing.
A couple of summers ago we did the Yorkshire to Devon journey towing a very large trailer but we set off at 8:00am and it was hellish. Loads of traffic during the daytime which prolonged the journey and because it was during the day the kids were awake so we had to do several stops and the whole journey was a torturous 10 hours...... never again!!
Flyfifer. good scheme didn't really think about the overnighter. Like yourself I normally only stop when fuel needed.
thanks to everybody on this forum some useful info, bags to think about.
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Topic: Long distance towing
