![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:12 • Filed to: LACK OF BETTER THINGS TO DO | ![]() | ![]() |
Title says it all. How long can you go (in hours). I don’t expect to win any prizes here since my long distance driving history is relativly short, but since someone needs to start:
400 miles from an Arby’s in Bemidji, MN, to a Culvers in Marquette, MI. Roughly 7 1/4 hours (I think a little over).
Go.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:14 |
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I once drove from Vancouver to Calgary in a straight shot. I think it was around 12-13 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:17 |
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13 straight hours from stillwater OK to Columbus Georgia and the same back. 900+ miles each way.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:18 |
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The longest I, personally, have been at the wheel of a car was from Denver to Omaha, about 550 miles all told. But I’ve only been driving for a year and a half.
The longest I’ve been in a car was when my mom drove us down to The Woodlands. Nearly 900 miles in under 14 hours. Cruise was basically set somewhere between 85-95 the whole way.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:19 |
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595 miles from Baltimore, MD to Augusta, GA. 9 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:19 |
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My brother and I drove from Utah to Michigan with only an hour nap in between once...that was brutal...I wont do that again.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:20 |
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This summer i drove from a tent in a national park in Montenegro to an Air BnB in Iannina, Greece. That’s through Albania, so basically zero motorway, but it did include two border crossings and a rocky dirt road through an oil field. Woke around 7, got to the destinaton after 23:00 or something along that. Yes you can say i was tired by then.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:20 |
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1 and a half hours from Tulsa to Oklahoma City. I have the worst ability to stay awake at the wheel so I try not to drive too far.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:21 |
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I once had a 16 hour day when I did courier work, got a bunch of long distance deliveries in the same day, and they were short staffed. That was pretty much all over Maine.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:21 |
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From my house is Shorewood MN to Chicago to buy the Mercedes . All in a corvette. In one go. In the rain. Ask me how my back felt after that...
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:22 |
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On a related note, my recent trip was consistently 6+ hours a day in the car for 4 days.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:22 |
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over 1100 Miles From GA to Mass. Took me almost 24 hours from fog, traffic, and being up for 24 hours before the start of the trip. Done many trips of that length before this one just took the longest.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:24 |
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1000 miles from Bluffton, SC to Wayne, MI it took about 16 hours. Other people were in the vehicle, but I just did all the driving. Only stopped for gas and fast food.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:25 |
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Austin Tx to Albuquerque, only stopping for gas. Roughly 700 miles.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:25 |
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Almost 19 straight hours, only stopping for gas and food. Boston to Savannah. It was supposed to take 16 hours, but DC traffic was a nightmare. I’ve done New Haven, CT to Charleston, SC a bunch of times too but that’s usually around 15-17 depending on (DC) traffic.
Now I prefer to take a break after 8 hours. When two friends and I drove across country we switched after 6-8, which was much better than going 18 straight. We were in the car for 30 hours straight on that trip, but the broken up driving and the ability of one person to sleep in the back made that not quite as bad as it sounds.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:26 |
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I used to drive 1768 km (about 1100 miles) in a single weekend to go see my girlfriend... I did this twice a month for about a year.
I nearly fell asleep a few times, I was battered and I had 2-3 very close encounter with mooses.
Love really makes you do stupid things.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:26 |
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16 hrs from Sacramento CA to Missoula MT, in the winter in one day. 972 miles door to door. I think I have done it without an overnight about 3 times. Otherwise Whitefish MT to Glasgow MT and back on US HWY 2, 824 mile round trip, I’ve done it in one day at least three times by my self.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:26 |
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SF to Salem, OR.
575 miles.
~9 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:27 |
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15 hours from Denver to Branson, MO and about 14 from Denver to Mesa, AZ
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:30 |
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OK, now that's LOOONG. And probably dangerous.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:31 |
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Holy shit. How did your 1100 mile trip from GA to Mass take 5 hours longer than my 1050 mile trip from Mass to GA?
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:31 |
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It was long because I kept stopping to take 30 min cat naps. Usually I can do the drive in 18-19 hours straight. Which is what it took the last time I did the drive. To avoid traffic I usually leave at 8-9pm at night and drive overnight.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:33 |
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Yeah, better to take a break. I when I took over the wheel it was already midafternoon, by the time I got to Marquette I was forgetting basic stuff about driving, eg turn your highs off when there is oncoming traffic, but I was determined to make it there.
Even with a good nights sleep first, I can't imagine going close to 18 though...
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:33 |
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Northern suburbs of Atlanta to western suburbs of Fort Worth and back a few times. 12-13 hour drive. I've also done a cross country road trip over the span of a couple weeks
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:33 |
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Michigan to Pennsylvania & back, all in one go: almost 1200 miles in 20 hours.
I don’t want to claim it as an answer to “how long CAN you go”, but I’ll confess to having performed it.
It was a solo trip to pick up some stuff, and I only made brief bathroom/gas/food-to-go stops. After about 18 hours, a strange sensation occurred: I was fully alert and paying attention, yet felt disconnected in a weird way. I watched as my hands steered the vehicle, holding to the center of the lane, following the freeway curves with precision. It was like my brain was connected directly to my hands, without my eyes having to feed information for directional changes. It felt like my eyes were merely observing. Kind of an out-of-body “Jesus Take the Wheel” experience.
Highway hypnosis tried to strike around the 19 hour mark, when I suddenly realized I could not remember passing the last three exits. Luckily, I hadn’t missed my target exit.
Don’t do this.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:33 |
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Shitty Shitty fog, (top speed was 30 Mph) through TN. Accident in VA, and I was so tired I kept napping.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:38 |
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With stopping to pee, eat, and change a baby’s diapers...
28-ish hours. Miles City, MT to a small town near Port Huron, MI.
I was driving from Spokane to my parent’s house after I got out of the military. Spokane to Miles City sucked, so we spent the night there, then I drove the entire rest of the way without sleeping. Never got drowsy though. XM radio at the time was great.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:39 |
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I’m wondering how far I could have gone in another vehicle (eg one that wasn’t so tiring to drive). It’s a 2011 Sienna. Light, jumpy steering I had to constantly be adjusting, finnicky cruise that would floor it every time you got to a hill and send you way past your target speed, and I was exhausted. I did a 7 non-consecutive hours with some physical exertion in the middle this summer in my truck, no problems. I know the break in the middle is as much a break in the monotony as anything, but 3 hour trips in the Sienna leave me tired too.
On the other hand, best to remain curious and hand over the controls every 3-4 hours, tbh.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:40 |
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I did Seattle to Orlando via the southern route with just a fiveish hour nap in a Hardees parking lot. I think it was around 36 hours for the first stint, nap, finished in around another 9 or 10.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:41 |
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Pride makes you do stupid things, too. I was finished at the end of my run, but I refused to switch until we got to Marquette. Lesson hopefully learned, since I plan to go again this summer (it was part of a Toronto-Winnipeg-Toronto run).
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:42 |
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In 2001, I dropped a friend of mine off at a soup kitchen on the north side of Chicago and came home to Mooresville in an almost straight shot. Stopped in Bardstown, KY to drop off our rented Tuxedos from the Bourbon Festival.
775 miles, about 12 1/2 hours
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:42 |
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About 10 Hours from Greensboro NC to Philly. I stopped for once food and gas once. Overall not that bad of a trip.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:42 |
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Not for me. I'd need a partner for sure, as much for conversation as anything.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:42 |
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That is at least broken up, but still, looooong day. Don't know that I could do that.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:42 |
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It was pretty brutal. Ahaha. I did that both ways, and on my way back to Boston I realized how stupid and unnecessary it was. It took a lot of 5 hour energies. Like, way more than you’re supposed to ever have in one day.
After the trip back, I luckily only had to do CT to Charleston for school a handful of times. That wasn’t too bad and I had friends in NC, VA, DC, NJ, and NY if I needed to stop. I think knowing I had the option to stop in basically any state I was going to drive through made the trip a lot easier because there was very little pressure to get where I was going. Still did it straight though. My mom always said I was stubborn. Guess she’s right!
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:43 |
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About 13 hours, 850 miles, from Salt Lake City to the Oregon coast. My wife and I drove in shifts, but I still did about 80% of the driving.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:44 |
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Without stopping for sleep? New Haven, CT to Tampa, FL. It was about 1,350 miles and 20-21 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:44 |
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What would the "southern route" be? Down through California and across?
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:45 |
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Not asking. Mine hurts just reading that.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:45 |
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When I was making my way across the United States I did 14 hour days. At the end of the drive I didn’t even feel tired. I did the first leg at 8hrs from NYC to OH but it felt so short that I decided to drive even longer the next day. From Columbus OH to OKC. I used to drive from DC to NY every week in the same day for work. So that helped with dealing with long hours of driving.
When I start driving for such long distances I start measuring how many tanks of gas will it take for me to get to my destination rather than how long it will take. I did shave a couple hours by driving 85-90MPH the whole way. (speed limit was 75-85 most of the way surprisingly)
This was all done in my trusty wrx. Even did a oil change in some random parking lot in New Mexico. Total miles spent on that trip was 3998 in a week one way.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:46 |
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I'm pretty sure it depends what you're driving. What is it in this case?
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:46 |
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Funny, I think I might be able to believe you.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:47 |
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I drove 1010 miles from FL to NJ in 14 hrs, and clocked 33 mpg in my WRX.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:48 |
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Ugh, I'd have just found a motel at the other end. I mean, assuming I wasn't transporting something and they were the same 2 places I was driving between.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:50 |
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Oh, I get it.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:50 |
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My girlfriend currently lives 900 km (560 miles) away. That’s a 8 hour trip when traffic is nice to me. I don’t think I’ve ever driven further by myself. With a second (or third) driver present the sky is the limit.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:51 |
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I'm pretty sure my stubborn will eventually result in a major injury.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:52 |
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Oh I wasn’t complaining.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:54 |
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Around 24 hours, but I was not keeping track. West Palm Beach FL to Ann Arbor MI. Aside from gas and food, I stopped for a half hour nap somewhere in Ohio.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:54 |
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My friends’ Lexus NX and Honda CRV.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:56 |
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Yep, it was early in December and I didn’t want to risk the passes in the Cascades or the Rockies so I went south for a while than East. IIRC I took I-5 south for a bit then local highways to I40 then took that to I22 to I20 then I75 on in.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:58 |
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I’ve had that weird detatched feeling before, but never when driving, and frankly I don’t want to.
Don't worry, I have no intention of doing this. If I have to go that far I'm taking breaks or a partner.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:59 |
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Please accept a helping of respect.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 12:59 |
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2800 miles over 4 days of driving.
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/2800-miles-lat…
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:00 |
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The longest that I, personally, have driven in one shot is from Missoula, Montana, to Seattle. That’s about 7 to 8 hours depending on fuel stops and traffic conditions.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:00 |
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Almost the NY border to Daytona Beach on the way down, stopped in Savannah for lunch. 1,100-ish miles, left at midnight, arrived at the destination around 9pm. The return trip was a bit longer from the Florida Keys, about 1,400 miles. I didn’t make it though. I had stop at a rest stop somewhere in Virginia for about an hour nap, woke up just as the dawn was breaking and continued on. 26 hours total in the car, checked out at 10 am, made it home at noon.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:00 |
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Second and third driver is always a better idea, but I was asking for longest seat time :)
I'll take the 8 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:00 |
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Wow.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:01 |
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It’s kind of comforting to know that your subconscious is a good driver. But not comforting enough.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:01 |
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13 hours coming home from Gatlinburg to NOLA. Had to stop off on the north shore to pick up the dog. That final leg over the Causeway was the worst ever.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:02 |
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I didn't realize this was about the overlanding... Yeah, I wouldn't be complaining either.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:03 |
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14 hours, from outside Seattle to central CA.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:03 |
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If the NX drives anything lixe a Sienna, I hear you loud and clear.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:07 |
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I drove by myself from Chattanooga, TN to Aspen, CO in college... I did have to stop to sleep once but I did it in two long days. Maybe 16 hours the first day, only gas and food stops.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:10 |
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Also, since someone mentioned being in a car and driving in shifts, I’ve spent about two full days in a moving vehicle, going Jersey to Arizona and Connecticut to Portland, Oregon (and back on both)
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:15 |
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I can second that one, though I didn't do any driving on that trip. Spent in a nice, big, comfy '88 Chevy van, and I could have gone on for another 2 days easily.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:18 |
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NYC back to southern Ontario in about 10 hours or so. One stop for gas/food, another stop to drop off a friend in Mississauga and more gas before the final hour home. 900km in total, I think. It wasn’t too bad.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:22 |
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Every year I drive from my home in St. Louis alllllll they way down to Edisto Beach in South Carolina. About 850+ miles. It’s an easy drive and I know the route like the back of my hand from having driven there so many times.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:23 |
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Mycar is a long distance driver’s dream.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:26 |
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~900 miles from Warren, MI to Conway, NH. In a heavy snow storm almost the entire way. What should have been a ~14 hour drive ended up being nearly 24 hours of continuous driving. Definitely would not do that again on purpose, but I had a deadline for arrival. I was driving alone and conditions were horrible, but I made it safely eventually.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:27 |
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Wow. Not my idea of fun. Glad you made it.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:33 |
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Haha nope. I take a lot of long road trips but 12-14 hours in a day is about my limit. This one was a nightmare toward the end, my body had been running on adadrenaline, caffeine, and nicotine for almost a full day and I was wrecked. I didn’t even bother getting a hotel room when I got there, I just reclined the seat and slept in the car.
Would not recommend. O__o
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:34 |
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Newark, NJ to Nashville (about 850 miles) in a blizzard once took 20 hours (and a car/guardrail accident).
Kansas City to Richmond, VA straight is the farthest distance I’ve gone without a nap. About 1,050 miles, alone - probably 17 hours.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 13:43 |
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I used to drive from Savannah to South Beach fairly often. My longest driving was when I got my GTO. I left 6am in my Genesis Coupe from South of Savannah to Newport News, Va 517 miles. Signed the papers for the GTO, and was out super quick (~45 min). Then I drove back home to Savannah immediately afterwards another 517 miles. I got the GTO with everything I wanted, 6 speed, Impulse Blue Metallic, 18s, and the black interior. So I drove 1034 miles, and was happy with my 2nd GTO.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 14:09 |
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Road insanity sets in at hr 12 or so. Books on cd help.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 14:19 |
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Libertyville, IL to Canton, GA via Black Mountain, NC calling at Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Knoxville, Asheville, Murphy, and Ellijay. 950 or so.
All in all, I think that was about 15 hours in an Audi S4 that was misfiring on three of six cylinders under boost.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 15:05 |
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570 miles from Boston to Pittsburgh. For a good three years I was doing this trip biannually. It was easiest in my Bonneville and hardest in my WRX, with the various rented minivans for college hauls somewhere in the middle.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 15:51 |
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The longest I went was 21 hours, with a few bathroom breaks thrown in. I had to catch a boat.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 16:04 |
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I’m sure mine will too. Luckily, it hasn’t so far... Knock on wood. Also, maybe important to note that I did this in a soft-top Wrangler. Wind noise while doing 80 is pretty significant, so I was very happy to have a decent sound system and a variety of very long playlists.
There was a point in DC where I sat in the exact same place for so long, that I eventually pulled up a TV show on my phone and put my phone on the dash. I got through a full 50 minute episode without having gone 5 miles.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 18:17 |
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The plus side to driving long distance in a snowstorm is the fear keeps you awake. I drove a RWD F-350 dually on bargain basement truck tires the length of Michigan at night in a blizzard. I have never been that awake in my life, before or since.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 20:05 |
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I did San Diego to Cabo without stopping once, which was only like 20 hours, but that shit was absolutely grueling. Definitely the toughest I’ve done.
The longest was San Diego to Seattle. That one was like 25+ hours, but it was easy driving and I had a buddy with me, so we drove in shifts.
![]() 11/16/2015 at 20:30 |
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This is true. I didn’t think my body could produce that much adrenaline for that many hours. But at least I wasn’t falling asleep!
![]() 11/16/2015 at 23:02 |
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1,100 miles in 17 hours with one one hour stop, and one three hour stop included in that time. I did all of the driving.
The trip was from Huntington, WV to Erie, PA to pick up my sister-in-law Sarah (then my brother’s girlfriend) from her college. Then I drove from Erie, PA back down to Charleston, WV to hand her off to my mom and pick up my dad. I then drove with my dad to Columbia, SC to meet up with everyone for my brother’s basic training graduation. He proposed to Sarah while she was down there.
So that whole trip was so that I could get her down there so he could propose.
Oh yeah, and my 97 Legacy GT had blown head gaskets for that whole trip that I average about 80 mph. Every time I would get off of the interstate the temperature would spike. So I would get off, drive straight to a gas station, shut it off, fill up, then get right back on the interstate. As long as I was at speed on the interstate it was fine.
![]() 11/17/2015 at 02:40 |
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Ballarat to Canberra. 750km approx.
![]() 11/17/2015 at 07:37 |
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Without stopping once? What was this vehicle that could to 20 hours nonstop without a fillup?
![]() 11/17/2015 at 14:21 |
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Lol. Ok fine, gas stops, and piss stops on the side of the road. But no food or sleep or anything. The pickup bed was full of fishing gear and stuff, so I had to be either moving or standing right next to the truck to keep my shit from walking away.
![]() 11/17/2015 at 14:31 |
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OK, that's 20 hours of you driving as far as I’m concerned. The wording just sounded funny :)
![]() 11/17/2015 at 14:36 |
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Yeah. Words is hard.