In relation to freedom, flexibility and enjoyable, there’s merely no different type of journey that may fairly match RVing. The RV life-style combines the spontaneity and journey of touring with all of the creature comforts of residence in a manner that you just can’t imitate in a visit on a automotive, practice, or airplane.
Nonetheless, there’s such a factor as an excessive amount of of a great factor—and an excessive amount of driving is a surefire approach to really feel cranky and exhausted by the point you roll as much as your vacation spot. The identical will be mentioned about arriving late (particularly after darkish) or making a too-quick turnaround, which robs you of the chance to totally discover the place you simply landed.
All of that is the place the 3-3-3 rule for RVing is available in. This easy, easy-to-remember guideline can assist RVers (such as you!) create extra pleasing, much less annoying street journeys.
On this article, we’ll cowl what the 3-3-3 rule is, why it really works, and use it to plan your subsequent RV journey. Prepared? Let’s hit the street!
The three-3-3 Rule for RVing Defined
The three-3-3 rule covers three of the first points of the RV life-style: drive time, arrival time, and the way lengthy you’ll keep at your vacation spot.
Put merely, the 3-3-3 rule states:
- 300 miles: Drive not more than 300 miles in a day.
- 3 p.m.: Intention to reach at your campground or vacation spot by 3 p.m.
- 3 nights: Keep no less than 3 nights in a single place earlier than shifting on.
Why It Exists
The three-3-3 rule for RVing exists, briefly, to make journeys higher. It’s designed to stop street fatigue, provide you with sufficient daylight to arrange (and revel in) your campsite, and make sure you really discover and expertise your stops as a substitute of regularly speeding on to the subsequent factor.
Variations of the Rule
Whereas the 3-3-3 rule for RVing is a helpful rule of thumb for many RV vacationers, there are different variations of the rule for these whose wants differ. Take into account, for instance, the 2-2-2 rule or 4-4-4 rule, as outlined under.
- 2-2-2 Rule: Drive 200 miles, arrive by 2 p.m., keep 2 nights. (This one’s fashionable amongst vacationers who need to restrict their drive time as a result of bodily skill or fatigue, for instance—or vacationers who wish to take advantage of every day of their journey, with a pleasant early arrival time.)
- 4-4-4 Rule: Drive 400 miles, arrive by 4 p.m., keep 4 nights. (This variation works effectively for drivers who’re glad to cowl extra floor in trade for extra time spent exploring the vacation spot.)
After all, probably the greatest components of RVing is that you’re, in the end, the captain of your personal journey — so if these don’t really feel fairly proper, both, you’ll be able to at all times custom-craft your personal rule. For instance, should you’re making an attempt to cowl a protracted distance, possibly you’ll abide by a 4-3-2 rule: Drive 400 miles, arrive by 3 p.m., and keep no less than 2 nights. Clearly, you’ll be able to create your personal variations to your coronary heart’s content material, however for a lot of RV vacationers, 3-3-3 is a good place to begin.
Why the 3-3-3 Rule Works for RV Journey
There are—appropriately—three essential causes the 3-3-3 rule works so effectively for RV vacationers. Let’s check out every under.
Reduces Driver Fatigue
Even should you actually, actually love street journeys—and we’re RVers too, so we get it—driving simply is tiring. That’s very true whenever you’re driving a big RV, which takes extra focus than a automotive. While you’re making an attempt to make a long-distance RV journey, it may be simple to let the miles sneak up on you, and then you definitely may all of the sudden end up burnt out whenever you attain your vacation spot. (Which, in any case, you had been presupposed to be there to take pleasure in!) Moreover, staying to a restrict of 300 miles—which takes about 5 hours of driving at 60 miles per hour on common—helps make sure you keep alert, awake, and secure on the street.
Makes Campground Setup Simpler
There’s nothing worse than arriving after darkish, hungry and drained, and realizing you continue to need to arrange your campsite earlier than you’ll be able to even begin to consider dinner—or a great night time’s relaxation. Arriving by 3 p.m. means you’ll have daytime to verify into the campground, get your rig leveled out and arrange, and settle in for a relaxed first night at your vacation spot.
Permits Extra Time to Discover
The entire level of RVing within the first place is to take pleasure in and discover the locations you’ll cease alongside the best way, proper? Giving your self three nights in every vacation spot provides you time to sightsee and get a real really feel for the world—together with offering loads of downtime, relaxation, and possibly even some empty, unplanned hours for serendipitous exploration.
How one can Apply the 3-3-3 Rule to Your RV Journeys
Feeling just like the 3-3-3 rule may enhance your RV journeys—however undecided the place to start out relating to implementing it in your subsequent drive? It’s so simple as three simple steps!
1. Plan Your Route
Whereas the 3-3-3 rule for RVing can present you extra time and power to discover your locations, it does require some upfront planning. Primarily, you’ll wish to take the time to chunk out your street journey into 300-mile increments from the very begin.
An RV-friendly GPS app or mapping device can assist you set lifelike journey targets. As an example, Roadtrippers is a good useful resource that has in-built intel on campgrounds, sights, and wilderness areas so as to add to your journey alongside the best way. Nonetheless, you might additionally simply use the map app constructed into your telephone.
2. Guide Forward When Doable
Because you’ll know the place you’re going to be every night time, it’s a good suggestion to ebook forward if and when attainable. Campgrounds can replenish shortly, particularly throughout peak season, and reserving forward of time ensures you received’t be stranded on the aspect of the street.
Nonetheless, one other good thing about the 3-3-3 rule is that arriving earlier within the day (by 3 p.m.) often means you’ll have a better option of accessible campsites for any first-come, first-served campgrounds.
3. Keep Versatile
Bear in mind: The entire level of RVing is to take pleasure in an journey at your personal tempo. So though the 3-3-3 rule will be useful, it’s meant to be a suggestion fairly than a strict ordinance. As we talked about above, you’ll be able to be at liberty to regulate the rule primarily based in your journey type, vacation spot, and timeline, for instance, amongst different components. And bear in mind: Some issues most likely received’t go based on plan. That’s simply the foundations of the street!
Advantages of Following the 3-3-3 Rule
Together with what we’ve mentioned above, following the 3-3-3 rule can carry some further advantages into your journey days—and a few massive ones, at that. Take into account, for instance, the next:
- You’ll journey safer. Much less time driving means much less fatigue means fewer errors on the street.
- You’ll get to arrange your campsite, stress-free. No speeding to discover a web site at nighttime and leveling your rig whilst you’re ravenous.
- You’ll have extra time for enjoyable. Discover sights as a substitute of spending all day, on daily basis driving!
- You possibly can take pleasure in a balanced tempo. The three-3-3 rule is particularly good for full-time RVers who wish to preserve from burning out to allow them to benefit from the footloose and fancy-free life-style for, effectively, a lifetime.
When You May Alter the 3-3-3 Rule
As useful because the 3-3-3 rule is, there are additionally some nice causes to regulate it relying on what you’re making an attempt to perform along with your journey, how a lot time you could have, and extra. Listed below are three instances wherein you may wish to modify the 3-3-3 rule for RVing.
Brief Weekend Journeys
Generally, you’re simply heading out for a fast weekend journey—however you continue to wish to cowl some severe floor. On this state of affairs, you might wish to drive an extended distance in trade for attending to your vacation spot and staying there.
Deadlines and Occasions
Whether or not it’s a household go to, an RV rally, a live performance, or one other occasion you’ve been trying ahead to, generally, you simply need to get the place you’re going, quick—which might imply longer driving days and shorter stays in locations alongside the best way.
Private Desire
Perhaps you like the slower tempo supplied by the 2-2-2 rule (or one thing nearer to it), or possibly you’re younger, spry and glad to push a 400+ mile day. Both manner, your private preferences are a superbly applicable cause to shift the foundations round!
Ideas for Making the A lot of the 3-3-3 Rule
Having only a few insider ideas forward of time can go a good distance towards benefiting from the 3-3-3 rule. Listed below are our greatest ones.
- Create a pre-arrival guidelines to hurry up setup. Even with the extra daylight time, it’s good to get setup out of the best way so you’ll be able to sit again, chill out, and revel in your campsite.
- Plan relaxation stops for meals, gasoline, and stretching. A shorter driving day can assist scale back fatigue, nevertheless it’s nonetheless necessary to cease alongside the best way to maintain your physique and automobile fueled and glad.
- Analysis sights inside a brief drive of your campsite. Benefit from every keep by diving into all of the cool issues to see and do inside simple driving distance.
- Use the additional time at camp to chill out, hike, or meet different RVers. Particularly the final one. In any campground, you could have neighbors—may as effectively act neighborly and assist carry campgrounds a group vibe!
Ceaselessly Requested Questions In regards to the 3-3-3 Rule
Listed below are a few of your most often requested questions in regards to the 3-3-3 rule, answered.
Is the 3-3-3 rule strict?
In no way! The entire level of the 3-3-3 rule is to scale back stress, so should you’re taking it too severely, it’ll backfire. As a substitute, consider it as a versatile guideline you’ll be able to simply modify to suit your consolation ranges, journey targets, and different circumstances.
What’s the distinction between the 3-3-3 and 2-2-2 rule?
The two-2-2 rule is, primarily, a slower-paced model of the 3-3-3 rule: You’ll drive solely 200 miles every day, arrive by 2 p.m., and keep 2 nights in your vacation spot. Following this rule will decelerate the tempo of your journey, however do wonders to lower your street fatigue and assist you could have loads of time to take pleasure in every vacation spot.
Do full-time RVers observe the 3-3-3 rule?
The three-3-3 rule is definitely particularly well-suited to full-time RVers, who’re at a better threat of burning out on driving and continuously shifting. Lengthy-term journey is a privilege, nevertheless it may also be exhausting. By following the 3-3-3 rule, full-timers know they’ll at all times have loads of down time, regardless of the place they’re going.
How do you intend routes that observe the rule?
It’s simple! Merely map your journey as you often would with a GPS map or planning app, and take a look at what locations and cities are close by each 300 or so miles alongside the best way. You can even use this time to scout out gasoline stops, eating places you may wish to attempt, and sightseeing alternatives. Trendy expertise makes it really easy!The 3-3-3 rule for RVing is a straightforward however highly effective approach to make street journeys much less annoying and extra pleasing. By limiting your drive to 300 miles, arriving by 3 p.m., and staying 3 nights, you’ll create a balanced tempo that permits for each secure journey and significant experiences.
