What is the longest distance you've driven in one trip? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Fulcrum525 · #1 07-08-2008, 12:30 PM

The farthest i've ever done in my own car is JFK and back.

I ask because i'm about to do a 40+ hour trip running from Connecticut to the top of Maine and back again....and then i'll be doing the same run the next day. Has anyone ever had any issues with their cars when driving (highway cruiseing) For ultra long distances?

vstech · #2 07-08-2008, 12:35 PM

charlotte, to clevelend and back to charlotte... about 10 hours... NOISY IN A NA TD... really painfull, but otherwise uneventfull.
40 hours will not be done all at once. you will stop every 4 hours or so. you will rest each day, eat rest eat rest... the car will be fine. it will actually work better with so much sustained highway work. keep an eye on the oil level each stop, and the water level. and watch the water temp as often as you watch the speed of your car.
have fun!
I've driven MUCH further in other vehicles. but 600 or so is the most in my benz.
with long trips the only thing to really worry about aside from other drivers is fatigue. rest, drink and eat frequently. don't drive alone if you can avoid it. don't get too comfortable in the seat... really scarry to wake up staring at a bridge embankment with the cruise control set on 70...ask me how I know... I didn't hit it... head on anyway... cought it in the side of the car as I fought for control of the car...
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Newell&state=SD#a/maps/l:::Charlotte:NC::US:35.226898:-80.8433:city:Mecklenburg+County/l:::Newell:SD::US:44.714699:-103.420303:city:Butte+County/m::2:::0::/io:1:::::f:EN:M:/e
took this trip in a van when I was 16... crossing the rocky mountains as a first time driver is NOT fun... especially with a improperly loaded uhaul trailer behind you...

TMAllison · #3 07-08-2008, 12:37 PM

I guess long distance is relative. I know people who commute 300 miles a day......

Jeremy5848 · #4 07-08-2008, 12:40 PM

Longest I've ever driven in one swell foop is the 750 miles from California to Salt Lake City (wife's family is there). Been doing that at least once a year for over thirty years, diesel Mercedes for the most recent three years. That trip takes us about 12 hours with minimum pit stops.

If your car is in good shape, you should not have any problems regardless of miles driven. Of course "good shape" is a weasel word, it can mean anything or nothing. So, let's turn the question around: do you have specific worries about some part of your car or only an uneasiness about the trip, a "nameless dread?"

[Woman: "Oh doctor, I have this nameless fear." Doctor: "Don't worry, Ma'am, we have names for everything."]

Jeremy

lkchris · #5 07-08-2008, 12:48 PM

Did Albuquerque to Kansas City in the E320CDI a couple weeks ago.

Did Albuquerque to Tulsa on one tank in the GL320CDI last summer. This was part of a 4-day round trip to Cincinnati.

Think perhaps longest ever in one day was SE Colorado to Norman, OK, to Albuquerque in '79 300D back in about 1981. IIRC, that was about 1100 miles. Road and Track was right about the hard seats.

Jetmugg · #6 07-08-2008, 01:15 PM

What is the distance between points? I didn't know that it was possible to find a point in CT that was at least a 20 hour drive to any point in Maine. Averaging only 50 miles per hour, that's over 1000 miles (each way). Maybe it's my midwestern ignorance, but I thought it couldn't be more than 500 miles or so from any point in CT to any point in ME.

SteveM.

Simpler=Better · #7 07-08-2008, 12:55 PM

I bring the following on my long trips(400mi+)
2x pre fuel filter
2x post fuel filter
2x vice grips
Screwdrivers(both types)
Air filter
(Full size spare) & jack
Bottle of green 'slime' and a cheap(but working) air compressor
Jerry can of diesel
Minimag with niteize dropin and lithium AAs(48hr+ runtime)
Quart of oil
Gallon of premixed coolant

But then again I'm paranoid about anything mechanical

LUVMBDiesels · #8 07-08-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simpler=Better

I bring the following on my long trips(400mi+)
2x pre fuel filter
2x post fuel filter
2x vice grips
Screwdrivers(both types)
Air filter
(Full size spare) & jack
Bottle of green 'slime' and a cheap(but working) air compressor
Jerry can of diesel
Minimag with niteize dropin and lithium AAs(48hr+ runtime)
Quart of oil
Gallon of premixed coolant

But then again I'm paranoid about anything mechanical

Add a cheap metric socket set and DUCT TAPE and you are good to go.
BTW I take usually keep a spare gallon bottle ot rotella in the trunk.

Oh the farthest trip in one shot was from New Paltz, NY to Bloomington, Il about 17 hours one way. Did that a few times in the SD nice comfortable cruiser. Could never imagine doing it in the BMW, that car gets painful after two hours.

Other regular runs were from NY to Roanoke, Va - 8 hours. I do the trip from WV to NY just about every weekend 4.5 hours

Fulcrum525 · #9 07-08-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simpler=Better

I bring the following on my long trips(400mi+)
2x pre fuel filter
2x post fuel filter
2x vice grips
Screwdrivers(both types)
Air filter
(Full size spare) & jack
Bottle of green 'slime' and a cheap(but working) air compressor
Jerry can of diesel
Minimag with niteize dropin and lithium AAs(48hr+ runtime)
Quart of oil
Gallon of premixed coolant

But then again I'm paranoid about anything mechanical

Yeah that seems a bit extreme. I always have the full tire/jack and a bottle of oil in my trunk. I will definately be adding a bottle of coolant and a socket set/screwdrivers for this trip...just in case.

Overall though I know I shouldn't be worried. From everything that I've ever read, doing a run like this is less damageing to the car then constantly stoping and going around town.

The total miles for this trip will be around 2150 miles....which will mean that once i'm back it will be time for my usual 3,000 mile oil change

junqueyardjim · #10 07-08-2008, 02:06 PM

In 1966 with Reta and 4 kids and I traveled from Milwaukee to Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec city to the bay of Funday,(isn't that in PEI, Tom) down Maine to Mass, up to New Hampshire and Vermont, back to Boston and back to Milwaukee. 4500 miles in three weeks on my '66 Chebby Suburban with 283 V8 and 3 speed w/OD and a small trailer trailer. Never ever thought about the price of gas. In 68 we did Yellowstone to Milwaukee, right at 1000 miles nonstop in a new Caprice Coupe with a 396, finishing up a trip to Edmonton with family and I think we kind of ran out of vacation time. Doing truck trades for Mack in 2002 my longest ride was from Spokane to someplace near Homestead, but I can't remember the town where the Mack Stealer is located. Bobtailing a new Mack tractor and pulling my little Ford Ranger it was a real nice ride in the winter, took the better part of 6 days and over 3000 miles. Sure was a good thing most of those Macks had air ride. With my 85 W123, a round trip Indianapolis to Manassas, VA this winter has been it. I was wanting to go west with it this summer, but Reta's health and the price of fuel is keeping us home. And that is difficult when you have a great grand daughter who celebrated her 4th birthday just before the 4th of July in Denver.

Jadavis · #11 07-08-2008, 02:12 PM

Border of Alabama to Buffalo New York and back. 12 hours each way. About 750 miles each way.

Drove 12 hours straight going up. Broke the return trip up in to 7 hours and 5 hours.

-Jim

CSchmidt · #12 07-08-2008, 02:23 PM

I think it was around 1400 miles in my dad's '70 Chevy wagon. I drove it in around 42 hours including some sleep / napping in rest areas. This was the tail end of a 6 week trip of helping a friend move from Buffalo to Ft. Worth. Then we hit the Grand Canyon, Vegas, San Jose and back to Ft. Worth. I think we drove around 6 - 7000 miles that trip. Would love to have the time and $ to do that again.

The only problem was the battery died on the way back from San Jose to Ft. Worth. We were pretty lucky. We stopped in nowhere NV to pee on a cactus at dusk. Got back in the car, it started fine and drove another 2 hours. When we stopped for gas the battery was stone / cold / dead. Would not put the electric back window down on the station wagon dead. Of course the jumper cables were in the storage compartment with the spare. We refueled, fired it up and never shut it off until we hit Ft. Worth.

winmutt · #13 07-08-2008, 01:07 PM

Longest I have ever driven in one trip was around the country. I have also driven cross country as well. Neither in a Mercedes

.

Longest I have driven my benz was from atlanta to NC to TN to NC to TN to N Ga. This is what happens when you find out that alcohol has been banned in fed park campgrounds before they update the website.

First trip camping with current car the flex disk busted in 5 lanes of stop and go rushhour traffic. I had everything needed but the replacement flex disk (which my wife brought me from home). 2 hrs later I was on the road to go camping again. I recommend a 1/2 socket set from HF 10mm-21mm, 1/2 driver, 1/2 breaker and some common wrenches.

Graminal95 · #14 07-08-2008, 01:10 PM

Its not really in line with the MB thing, but last summer I did 5200 miles in a 73' Saab 96. Only trouble we had was with the low octane/ 10% ETOH fuel and a little pinging.

I did change the tranny oil, in Crested Butte, CO. that was about it.

Always carry Filters and enough hand tools to do the simple to moderate fixes, along with the odd sockets/wrenches that might be hard to get in the middle of nowhere.

t walgamuth · #15 07-08-2008, 01:16 PM

In 1976 my Mrs. and I traveled from Lafayette to Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec city to the bay of Funday, down Maine to Mass, up to New Hampshire back to Boston and back to Lafayette. 4000 miles in two weeks on my '72 BMW 600.

Tom W