When we first hit the road full-time, we quickly learned that travel days could be exhausting. Between packing up the RV, driving for hours, setting up at the next stop, and trying to enjoy the new location, it’s easy to overdo it. That’s where the 3-3-3 rule of RVing comes in — a simple, stress-reducing guideline that makes travel days smoother and more enjoyable.
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What Is the 3-3-3 Rule?
The 3-3-3 RV rule is an easy-to-remember formula that helps full-time RVers, snowbirds, and weekend travelers maintain a comfortable pace on the road:
- Drive no more than 300 miles a day.
- Arrive no later than 3 p.m.
- Stay at least 3 days in each spot.
It’s not a strict rule, but more of a philosophy — one that keeps travel fun, relaxed, and sustainable for the long haul.
Why We Follow the 3-3-3 Rule
Lisa and I like to plan out our trips ahead of time so travel feels intentional and relaxed. We’re not fans of pulling into a rest area, Cracker Barrel, or Walmart parking lot after driving too far. We’d rather end each travel day parked, leveled, and enjoying the evening — not trying to find a place to sleep.
For us, the 3-3-3 rule keeps travel days organized and enjoyable. It’s all about planning smarter, avoiding fatigue, and making sure our RV life stays relaxing instead of rushed.
Breaking Down the 3-3-3 Rule
1. Drive No More Than 300 Miles
Keeping our travel days under 300 miles has made a huge difference. It’s long enough to make progress but short enough to avoid fatigue and stress. We’ve found that around five hours behind the wheel is the sweet spot — enough to feel productive without feeling drained.
And let’s be honest: RV travel isn’t about racing from one place to another. Slowing down helps us actually enjoy the journey.
2. Arrive by 3 p.m. (Or More Importantly — Before Dark)
While the 3 p.m. arrival rule is great, the real priority is arriving before dark. In nearly seven years of full-time RVing, we’ve only arrived after dark three times — and we’ve learned from each of them.
Two of those late arrivals happened after a day of RV or Jeep repairs that ran longer than expected. The third time was at a Navy base, where our GPS led us down a dead-end road. We had to unhook the toad to turn around, and when we finally reached the campground, someone had taken our reserved site.
That experience cemented our number one travel rule: don’t arrive after dark. You can’t always see site numbers clearly, obstacles are harder to spot, and finding hookups in the dark can turn an easy setup into a frustrating mess. Plus, if something goes wrong — like someone being in your site — it’s ten times harder to deal with when you’re tired and the sun’s gone down.
These days, we plan our departures so that we can arrive with plenty of daylight to spare. It makes every arrival calm, safe, and stress-free — just the way RV life should be.
3. Stay at Least 3 Days (But We Usually Stay a Week)
The 3-3-3 rule suggests staying at least three nights, but over the years we’ve stretched that to a full week — and sometimes longer. We’ve found that staying put for a week or more gives us time to settle in, explore at a relaxed pace, and really enjoy everything the area has to offer.
After a long drive, that first night is for unwinding. The next few days are for sightseeing, photography, and hiking. And by the end of the week, we’re recharged and ready to hit the road again.
It’s also more efficient — fewer setup and teardown days mean more time doing what we actually love: traveling, relaxing, and exploring.
When to Break the 3-3-3 Rule
Like any guideline, the 3-3-3 rule is flexible — it’s meant to fit your lifestyle, not restrict it.
When we break the rule, it’s usually because we’re traveling through areas that have a lot to see and do, but everything’s too spread out for easy day trips. In those cases, we’ll plan shorter drive days or stays that don’t quite fit the 3-3-3 rhythm so we can make the most of the destination.
A good example is our upcoming summer road trip, where we have three stops along the East Coast separated by 80–120 miles each. Each one has plenty to explore nearby, so instead of bouncing around every few days, making long day trips, we’re staying a full week at each stop. This lets us settle in, see more of the area, and keep travel days short and stress-free.
There are also times when the distance between destinations is longer than we can comfortably cover in one day. In those cases, we’ll make a one-night stopover to break up the drive. We often use Harvest Hosts or Thousand Trails locations for these stays since they’re included in our memberships. Even on those travel-heavy days, we still keep the mileage around 300 miles and make sure to arrive during daylight hours.
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Some regions have incredible national parks, scenic byways, and local attractions that are just too far apart for short hops. Rather than miss out, we adjust our schedule and mileage to explore them properly. The key is staying flexible and keeping your travel enjoyable — even if that means bending the rules a bit.
Planning Tools That Help
We use RV Life Trip Wizard when planning our trips. They make it easy to find campgrounds, plan safe routes, and keep daily mileage within that 300-mile window.
For navigation, our Garmin RV GPS is a must. It keeps us off low-clearance roads and avoids the kind of routing surprises that led to that infamous Navy base detour.
Final Thoughts
At its core, the 3-3-3 rule isn’t about rigid numbers — it’s about traveling smart. For us, the most important takeaway is simple: arrive before dark. It’s safer, less stressful, and makes every travel day more enjoyable.
After all, RV life is supposed to be about freedom and fun — not frustration and fatigue. The 3-3-3 rule just helps make sure it stays that way.
Join the Conversation
How do you plan your RV travel days?
Do you follow the 3-3-3 rule or have your own version?
Share your tips and experiences in the comments below — we’d love to hear how you make travel days easier!
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