Preparing For A 2month Road Trip-

am planning a cross-country road trip starting the second week of April from New York to California and back.
I will be going with one friend, both of us being minimilists,
trying to figure out an overall price for about 1-2 months.
Conisdering we will ONLY be camping, sleeping in the car, and one or twice staying with family, we are trying to cut back on costs.
Attempting to mainly eat from grocery stores instead of restaurants and diners.
We are planning on getting the National Parks Pass which I believe is $80;
yet I am unsure if we areable to stay at all the parks for free,
and wondering about showers in parks(?)

We are looking to do this for about 1,000 each....

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Originally Posted by JOA co

am planning a cross-country road trip starting the second week of April from New York to California and back

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Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum! Lots of ideas here -- for starters, look at this article about Spring Break Roadtrips. For a fast overview on budgets, look at this thread and scroll down to the post by Judy that lays out some numbers.

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Considering we will ONLY be camping, sleeping in the car, and one or twice staying with family, we are trying to cut back on costs.

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Good plan!

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yet I am unsure if we are able to stay at all the parks for free,
and wondering about showers in parks(?)

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I don't think there are any free campgrounds in national parks, but you can find lower-cost parks in national forests and BLM land. Plus you can always use the low-cost showers at truckstops.
Here are some more tips for traveling at lower costs.

Mark

Hello,
Me friend and I are planning on leaving next week for our trip from NY to Arizona and everywhere in between.
Driving a car we built a bed into the back of, to only sleep in National Parks,
to cut down on cost.
A fwe questions,
One- best hiking boots? style etc for southern, western hiking..
Two- given only car sleeping and grocery store eating,
what should I expect to spend for this trip?
Three- will an annual ($85) National Parks Pass cover us sleeping IN the park?
or are there extra fees?

Its our first road trip, and I am trying to best prepare, as quickly as possible.

Thanks!!

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

Congratulations on turning your car into a makeshift camper. That alone has probably saved you a good bit of expense. But you do have to realize that it is a camper and you will be camping. It is a distinctly different proposition to camp in your car at night than to just park it. Your National Parks Pass will NOT cover camping fees, those are extra. In fact, many of the camp grounds in the more popular western National Parks are already fully booked for the season. You might have better luck looking for campsites in National Forests along your route, and in many of their units 'dispersed camping' where you just pull well off the side of a forest service road is permitted. However, in some forests the required distance from the road may make use of your car impossible. In any event be sure to check local regulations and restrictions at the unit headquarters or ranger station. Overnight parking in highway rest areas is often illegal and never perfectly safe. Our contributors have generally found that major truck stops do allow overnight parking, but again it's a good idea to let someone inside know that you're out there.

As for other ideas, try these money saving tips and this post for an idea of what such a travel style might cost.

AZBuck

Is it wishful thinking to pick up a 2001 Geo Metro, and drive from New York to Arizona, with all the stops in between.
Or am I just asking for problems?

Thank you,
we were under the impression that staying at these parks would be free under the National Parks Pass.

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would driving a 2001 Metro be unrealistic or "asking for problems."

If the car is in good mechanical condition, I'm not sure what your concerns would be.

I, myself, dont know much if ANYTHING about cars.
My friend and I purchased this car, purposely for this trip.
$560.
I have been hearing much about how unsafe it might be.
as far as breaking down, flimsy quality, etc.

As excited as I was about this trip,
I am rethinking it safety wise.
Especially since we will be using it as a home.
Sleeping quarters, and such.
The passanger seat was taken out as more bedding area as well..

Im just looking for second, third, fourth opinions.

No one on here is going to be able to tell you if your car is ready to go for a trip, because no one here can examine your car.

I would suspect that a car you bought for $500 will not be up for the challenge of a major trip.

But the only way to know for sure is to take your car to a mechanic and let him examine the car. He'll be able to tell you what problems your car has and when you might see them develop.

Even if your car gets the ok for a mechanic, have you considered what you are going to do if you have a mechanical problem during your trip? Do you have money set aside to pay for repairs if you have a problem?

Those are the ways you'll find out if you can safely make this trip with this car.

$560 for this car? Is that a typo?

If not, has the car been thoroughly inspected by a competent mechanic? For a trip of this magnitude, it is definitely advisable to have that performed. I would be hesitant to be so reliant on a $560 car for a trip of this length - that price is more the "winter beater" category.

To answer your question about hiking boots - first off, they should be comfortable - not slipper comfortable, but they should breathe well for you. You want something with good support in the arch as well as the ankle area, and waterproof as well. You do not want logger heels (like the bikers wear), those are for climbing trees. Yet, I have seen people hiking in these in the past. The sneaker-style hiking shoes are comfortable, but offer limited support and protection around the ankle. Check that the laces are strong enough to hold up under the stress of a lot of snags. Preferable the laces would also be waterproofed, and not the flat-style found on sneakers, but the round, cord-like kind.

I know, Trust me, I know.
I hadnt thought of this way until now.
Which is making me extremely nervous for this trip.
The feedback that I have gotten from friends and family has been an alert.
The hood is majorly dented, where cost was cut,
but there must be other problems as well...

Should it be trusted for such a lengthy trip?

Honest opinions PLEASE.

A car for $560?? Man, that's possibly the bargain of the decade. It's possible this is a fine car, but its also possible someone was unloading something. You really do need to have a good mechanic give it the once over and drive it a bit.

Why was the hood dented? Was it in an accident? Or just massive cosmetic damage? (You'll need to have the mechanic check the frame and wheels/ axles etc if you suspect a major accident.)

I would strongly recommend you and your buddy take off on a weekend road trip for a couple of reasons. First, you can use this as a shakedown trip to make sure you have the right gear along. Secondly, you'll also be shaking down the car to see how it handles and how comfortable you are in driving it, and how well it does on an extended drive. If the mechanic has given you a green light, I'd pick a destination at least 3-4 hours drive away and head out for a shakedown cruise... (And thirdly -- a road trip is a road trip!! any excuse works... *grins*)

For hiking boots, if you're not going to be a fanatic about them, I'd recommend getting a moderately priced, lightweight set. Don't get the big heavy "mountaineering" or "winter" boots. Check out the local sporting goods store and see what they have in stock. I'd recommend the vibram lug soles (most have them), and ankle high, instead of the low "trail runners" for a bit more support and ankle protection in rocks.

I work with a Boy Scout Troop, and we see probably 12-15 new pairs of shoes per year. I've seen good hiking boots bought for as low as $20, and as much as $120 -- so theres a huge range in there. These include Novato, Hi-Tec, Nike, and Columbia just to name some brands off the top of my head (I don't endorse any of these... you have to see what fits and feels the best for your individual foot). When you buy the boots, take in the socks you're going to wear with them, and try them on with the socks on -- and then walk around a bit. Some stores even have an inclined plane or set of steps you can go up and down a bit to check the fit. I recommend the lighter weight as they'll tire you out less, and I'm assuming you'll not be climbing across glaciers for days, nor attemping to scale Half Dome in Yosemite on the front face, nor attemping to wade across the Mississippi in them.

And once you buy them, you need to break them in. Put 10 miles or so on the boots before you trust them on a day's long hike into the middle of nowhere. I wear mine to work for a week or so, and wear them on evening walks and the weekends.

And don't forget a day pack, good water bottles, sun protection, and the "10 essentials".

Im not quite sure if the car was in an accident;
my traveling partner lives up in PA, while I live in NY.
I have yet to see it in person, just in photographs.
its damaged pretty badly; dent-wise.
The mechanic said it would be fine, but with my NY mindset,
I am wondering if maybe we should bring it to someone here.

I suppose a shorter trip is in order;
Though I'd love to just leave and head out west...

Those are little cars. I'm having a hard time imagining it. I might suggest spending a night in it to see if it really works for a good night's sleep. Just laying in it for a few minutes to check it out isn't gonna give you the true picture.

You've gotten lots of good advice so far that you should take.

It's not impossible that this car is OK. But I have a hard time believing that a car at this price will have good tires. If your traveling partner has good reason to trust this mechanic based on recommendations or good prior experiences, then I see no reason to take the car to NY just to have it checked out. But if the mechanic's judgment is questionable, I would sure take it to another mechanic to be sure.

Personally, I think any car should be given a thorough look-over by a good mechanic before a long road trip. At the very least, a thorough checking of all fluids and hoses, an oil/filter change, a brake check, an alignment check, and a tire check are always on my list even though my current car has never given me any mechanical problems. So that's the least I would do with your car. I'm sure it could use a tune-up, at the very least.

Private campgrounds always have showers. Sometimes, especially if the park has very low rates to begin with, they require quarters for the shower. Some national/state/county parks have showers, but not all, and some don't have potable (drinkable) water so you'll want to make sure you have a good supply of your own water for cooking, tooth-brushing, drinking.

You seem to be very inexperienced when it comes to road trips. It's too bad that a short trip to check out the car and to gain experience doesn't seem to be something you have time for. I wouldn't let that deter you but I think you might want to do a lot of reading on this forum to get some ideas about how to do a road trip safely while having a great time.

Here are some things you should consider:
* I think a AAA membership (or some other road service) would be a good investment. I don't travel without it for those just-in-case situations.
* Access to emergency funds in case you do have a break-down or some other problems you hadn't anticipated (or just because the trip ends up costing you far more than you had considered)
* Travel with a cellphone and charger. A CB is a good investment as well since you will probably drive through some places with spotty or non-existent cellphone service.
* Have a person that you check in with daily and let them know what your plans for the next day are.
* If you are doing some hiking, it doesn't hurt to leave a note in your car stating where you're hiking, when you plan to return, and listing emergency contact information. I would leave this face-down on the dash so it's easily seen but can't be read by just anybody. You really only want emergency personnel in a worst-case scenario to see this information.
* When hiking, be sure you have The 10 Essentials (easily find with a google).
* Make sure you have at least basic emergency stuff in your car like basic tools, working flashlights with extra batteries, flares or emergency triangle, blankets, water, a basic first-aid kit, etc.
* Oh, and make sure your spare tire is in good condition!

Since money seems to be a major concern, I might suggest that you read this to help you plan your budget. Scroll down to the 7th post.

Hope this all helps!

Thank you so much, honestly, its very helpful, a bit of a relief to be hearing positive feedback about the possibilities of this trip.
I am inexperienced when it comes to road trip, as nine hours is the most Ive done in a car, so the more I find out in advance, the better.
The GEO's back seats were taken out, as well as the passenger seat,
only the driver's seat remains, as to make more room for the odd shaped mattress for sleeping.
(I'm not quite sure if thats legal, to be honest..)

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The GEO's back seats were taken out, as well as the passenger seat,
only the driver's seat remains

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I can guarantee you will have problems with any police officers you meet with only one seat in the car and two passengers, especially with so many states having seatbelt laws. I have performed the "rear seatectomy" in my car for trips to free up space, but I wouldn't think of removing any seats that are necessary for passengers. You're going to want to put that passenger seat back in at the least.

Oh, as I thought.
My traveling partner did so, and the idea alone made me a bit nervous.
I suppose it is an essential part of the car.
He tends to disagree- Ha.

If he refuses to put it back in, then make him sit on the floor! Good grief!

Seriously, Tim is right. But I think it would go beyond just a ticket. Most states will not let you drive a car that is not deemed safe for the road. If you're pulled over, not only will you get a ticket for not having a seat-belt, I would place bets that they'll impound the car! There might even be additional fines beyond the seatbelt issue. This could cut your road trip short real quick.

Put the seat back in. If this means you can't sleep in the car, pack a tent. You'll probably sleep better anyway.

The seat is going back into the car.
I was uneasy without it to begin with.
Seemed very odd and unsafe, even uncomfortable to me.