New member seeks advice for cross-country trip

I am planning a solo driving trip from Northern California to the Atlantic coast and back. There are stops along the way at relatives' homes. My anticipated launch is April 1st, and I'd be going east to Utah then south down to New Orleans, north to Virginia, west up to the Great Lakes states, west to Montana, south to Utah, and then west straight back home.

Some more basics:

-I am considering getting a van. I have a sedan now which is reliable but I cannot afford a motel every night so would need to sleep in the vehicle most nights.

-I expect the trip to take between 1 and 3 months; probably about 2 months. This would include some days (perhaps 3 weeks total) staying with family.

-Keeping to a budget is important as I don't have a lot of financial resources.

-I will journal and photograph extensively, and want to create a book from my experiences.

-I intend to take more scenic and "blue highways" rather than major interstates.

-I expect to drive around 5-6 hours per day.

-If I start to feel a financial pinch or if unexpected costs arise when I am far from home, I'd like to pick up some kind of temporary work.

-I am 41 years old. I am not mechanically-inclined and though my appreciation for nature is vast my adeptness at camping is not. That said, I am open to spending nights in a vehicle at truck stops, campsites, etc.

I realize there are a lot of details that are in play in planning a trip like this but I hope this is enough to generate some responses without sounding overwhelming. Tips, encouragement, warnings, and further questions are all very welcomed!

Hi, and Welcome to the Great American Roadtrip Forum.

That is exactly what I have done.... and I half as old again as you. You might get some idea by checking out this thread in the Foadtrip Field Reports. You'll find a ton more information there, if you spend some time. Lots of folk do what you are planning to do. I am constantly making improvements in my van, and this year added led lights inside and linoleum on the floor. I guess next trip there are likely to be other things I will add.

Can't really say a great deal more, other than that I am typing this at truck stop on my current 5 month trip.

Lifey

Edit: Here is a trip I did in a mini van.

If your main 'accommodation' will be your vehicle then you do need something like the van mentioned but you will have to consider the cost of buying such a vehicle against the value of what you have and then the cost of getting it ready for the road. To get a good clean and reliable vehicle will not be cheap and if it's not something you would keep after the trip then a mix of cheap motels, Hostels and buying some basic camping gear for campgrounds might not be such bad value compared to buying a suitable van. A roadside assistance package with AAA or the like would be a good investment in case of mechanical problems, but you would still need a healthy emergency fund 'just in case'. Getting work while on the road isn't an easy thing to do so you should always have enough funds available to get you home wherever you are. Taking the 'Blue Highways' is my favourite style of travel, you see more and meet more people at a more relaxed pace, and time isn't much of a problem for you.

At this point it's mainly about research, searching around the RTA site for info and going over the maps and working out budgets etc, when you have specific questions during your planning, just ask.

Tent camping might work in places in April, but not everywhere....



Donna

While your plan might work, I do see some pretty major red flags with the plan you've laid out.

Buying a van isn't a bad idea in itself, but a lot of the other things you've stated raise some pretty big concerns that it doesn't appear you've considered.

First, buying a vehicle for a 2 month trip itself typically isn't a great financial decision. Usually you have to be on the road for about 3 months before the costs of buying a vehicle start to pay for itself. The fact that you are not mechanically inclined also means you'll need to spend more up front for a van, and have that much more money budgeted for potential repairs on the road (read through some of Lifey's reports for great examples of how much time and money she has spent on repairs, even after doing everything you could do to make sure it was mechanically sound before getting on the road).

Second, living out of a van likely isn't as cheap as you're making it out to be either. Certainly, you can spend some nights parked at truck stops, but remember, that's what you're doing - you're parked there. You can't be pulling out a grill and cooking, and there is an expectation that you will be making a purchase there. Meanwhile, campgrounds also generally are not free, so that's an expense you'll also have to consider.

Then the timing of your trip ads another complication. April and May are months where it can still be very cold overnight in many places. A van is going to provide very little in the way of insulation, so you need to treat this like winter camping - an extra challenge when you say you're a novice at camping.

You haven't said how much money you've got set aside, but as previously mentioned, it does seem like you've underestimated how much a trip like this could cost. That's something that's an even bigger concern when you talk about wanting to make money while on the road. While it's not impossible to pick up "temporary work," finding someone to hire you when you have no ties to a community, will only be there for a few days, and don't even have a local address is extremely difficult. It certainly isn't a plan you should be relying on to get you through if you have underbudgeted your expenses.

Hi everyone,
Thank you for your replies. A couple of follow-up questions:

1) What about couchsurfing? Nomadic Matt has mentioned this as a reliable method for free/cheap lodging.

2) Part of my reason for wanting to take a van was to have adequate space for belongings and finds...I could mail stuff home but I would think that would add up quickly. Anyone ever take a Honda Civic or similar car on this kind of trip?

3) I do understand your emphasis on not purchasing a van for a single trip like this, but if I were to find something reliable and affordable, how much might the value of it go down for re-sale when the trip is over? (The baseline road mileage of the grand trip is 8,000; note this is largely interstates so the actual mileage may be quite a bit more).

4) Any solo travelers out there, I wonder what you budgeted per day (or week, month). Is $6,000 for a 2-month trip seem way off? (For either option - combo of cheap motels, hostels, couchsurfing, etc.; or with van. Note that perhaps about a 1/3 of the nights I would be at a family or friend's home.

5) For food, I'd do my best to keep the large majority of meals $10 or under. There would be some entertainment and souvenirs but nothing extravagant.

6) I have 2 basic routes in mind. One is the original mention, California to New Orleans (via NV, UT, NM, TX), to Virginia (via AL, MS, etc.), then to Great Lakes states IL/IN/WI, then to the Dakotas, then Montana, then Utah, then home. The other is the same except from New Orleans it goes up the aforementioned Great Lakes states (via TN, KY).

7) My purpose for going in Apr/May is it's outside the winter (riskier driving) and summer (touristy and hot) periods, and I would like to see minor league baseball games.

Thanks for your help. I want to make this dream a reality.

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Originally Posted by DonnaR57

Tent camping might work in places in April, but not everywhere...

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That really depends on the tent. Some of them are good enough for Arctic climate.

Welcome to the RTA Forum, Merkeller!

It is true that you can tent camp in just about any conditions, if you have the right great. However, the actual tent is one of the least important features (the biggest help with most winter tents is their ability to hold up in heavy snow), things like having good insulation from the ground and a heavy duty sleeping bag are far more important.

In any case, such gear is not cheap, and the experience isn't for everyone. While I actually enjoy cool weather camping, it's not something I'd necessarily recommend for someone who is not an experienced camper.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

1) What about couchsurfing?

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Couchsurfing can be a way to find low cost places to sleep, however, you shouldn't view it just as free lodging. Couchsurfing is a community, and typically its recommended to bring your host a gift, take them out to dinner, or something along those lines. If you treat it just as a place to crash, you'll likely find yourself with negative ratings and people unwilling to host you. You should also be getting involved now, as a host, to become established within the community.

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2) Part of my reason for wanting to take a van was to have adequate space for belongings and finds...I could mail stuff home but I would think that would add up quickly. Anyone ever take a Honda Civic or similar car on this kind of trip?

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I have to ask, how much stuff are you planning to buy on the road? As a solo traveler, you'd have to take a ton of stuff with you and or buy a ton of stuff before you'd fill up a car the size of a civic. I've traveled with a family, with camping gear, in a vehicle that size. Sleeping in such a vehicle wouldn't work well, but beyond that, I can't even guess why you'd need more space.

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3) I do understand your emphasis on not purchasing a van for a single trip like this, but if I were to find something reliable and affordable, how much might the value of it go down for re-sale when the trip is over?

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If you only look at the change of value of the vehicle, then 10,000 miles would have little impact. The problem is that there is much more to the cost of buying and selling a car than just the change in value. Typically it costs more to buy a car (retail) than you'll get when you sell it (wholesale). You can reduce that difference somewhat if you only buy and sell on the private party market (i.e. autotrader, craigslist, etc), however even there, there are still other costs of purchasing a car. Any car you're thinking of buying should be taken to a mechanic, especially in a case like this. You could have to pay for a few inspections before you find a suitable vehicle. Then once you do, you'll have title, registration, taxes, and license fees which will add up to at least several hundred dollars.

Okay, thanks for the tip about couchsurfing. Do you know, though, how prevalent it really is and what is a good guide for advance notice? Obviously, the more advance the better, but on a trip like this I don't think I could know more than a few days ahead at any time where I would be.

Stuff...well I have never been a light packer. I have heard packing light is essential and I believe I can do it. On the road, most souvenirs will be your small garden variety. However, I am also a license plate collector and want to stop at a lot of junkyards. Not all states allow it, but I assume it will happen some of the time.

I have never bought a car from a private party so this is new territory for me. I think the hard part for me is figuring how reliable a van in my price range ($2-5K) might be. The Honda I have is very reliable, again the main thing holding me back is not being able to sleep in it.

I appreciate all your input.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

Thank you for your replies. A couple of follow-up questions:

1) What about couchsurfinmg?

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How much experience do you have with couchsurfing, and its members? I would get in contact with local members and attend some of their functions, to build up a reputation with references. Very few members - yours truly included - would welcome a member who does not have references and is not verified. All very important issues.

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2) Part of my reason for wanting to take a van was to have ade quate space for belongings and finds...I could mail stuff home but I would think that would add up quickly. Anyone ever take a Honda Civic or similar car on this kind of trip?

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You would do well to research some of the vandweller websites. It is amazing how they cope in vehicles as small as a VW Bug

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3) I do understand your emphasis on not purchasing a van for a single trip like this, but if I were to find something reliable and affordable, how much might the value of it go down for re-sale when the trip is over? (The baseline road mileage of the grand trip is 8,000; note this is largely interstates so the actual mileage may be quite a bit more).

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For a mere 8000 mile trip and two months, I would have to agree wIth Michael. I also wonder how much research you did before coming up with this plan. ; Did you look at Adventures on Wheels? I recall making enquiries with them, some years ago, for a 6 month rental, which was going to cost me $5000. You could not buy a van for that.

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4) Any solo travelers out there, I wonder what you budgeted per day (or week, month). Is $6,000 for a 2-month trip seem way off? (For either option - combo of cheap motels, hostels, couchsurfing, etc.; or with van. Note that perhaps about a 1/3 of the nights I would be at a family or friend's home.

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Budgeting would drive me crazy. I make sure I have the funds before I plan my next trip. I have a refrigerator in the van, to keep my perishables. I carry basics like Cereal with me. Each morning I have a bowl of cereal with milk, and some tinned fruit. I do not know how you price that. I also have a mug full of hot milk with instant coffee. I keep a loaf of bread and some butter and buy cheese ham, etc., a couple of slices at a time. That along with a bottle of water and a glass of orange/fruit juice is my lunch. Sometimes I go out to eat in the evening to a place like Panera Bread, Perkins or such which never costs me more than $10. Other times I purchase a salad or chinese meal from the supermarket. This is never more than $10. I figure my daily meals come to between $15 and $20

That is about the extend of my budgeting. As I said, I make sure I have the funds before I leave home, for all possible eventualitiies.

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Thanks for your help. I want to make this dream a reality.

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You might have to spend a bit more time dreaming (and researching/planning).

Lifey

Thanks Lifey for the perspective. I'm just getting into couchsurfing and will begin contacting members. I had not heard of this until last month. I put a post up there which no one has responded to; my concern is that though there seem to be lots of members, most of them have not "checked in" for a long time, like a year or more. So I wonder about the actual availability and how much I could rely on this outside of big cities.

I have seen some vans on craigslist for under $5,000. I recently was given the idea of leasing which has some distinct advantages--but given that I have seen it mentioned on this or any other post, I wonder if there is something I'm missing here. For instance, it would cost less than $1K to lease a 2016 Honda CR-V. That car is just large enough to sleep in, at least some of the time, while having better mileage than a larger car.

I found out my car is worth about $2K to a dealer, maybe more with private sell. I am open to getting a vehicle which could be my regular vehicle after the trip, but I know that wouldn't be a mini-van.

I am doing a lot of researching now, but I can't tell by your last line if you think this trip is possible. I believe it is, but I do need to figure out what I'm doing on the transportation side. Thanks again for the links, I am checking them out.

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Originally Posted by Midwest Michael

In any case, such gear is not cheap, and the experience isn't for everyone. While I actually enjoy cool weather camping, it's not something I'd necessarily recommend for someone who is not an experienced camper.

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Fair enough. I am, in fact, too inexperienced to actually do that myself so I only brought it up beсause it seemed appropriate to mention.

Research is continuing. I will make one last post here and then check back in when things are a lot more fine-tuned.

I have gone back and forth with the mode of transportation, but currently the van idea seems to be losing out. If I can get the right combination of cheap motels, hostels, couchsurfing (though see my previous concern with this), and family and friends, with perhaps some camping thrown in, then I think it will just do fine. My main concern with camping is that I don't really like it, and have little experience with it. I think having to camp solo is compounding my hesitancy. Of course, I realize the economic benefit cannot be ignored, so I will not rule it out by any means.

Here is the basic route as of now:

1. Oakland, CA across Nevada to Salt Lake City, UT
2. Salt Lake City - Taos, NM
3. Taos across Texas to Natchez, MS
4. Natchez to Selma, AL
5. Selma to northwest South Carolina
6. Northwest SC - Alexandria, VA
7. Alexandria - Louisville, KY
8. Louisville - Indiana
9. Indiana - Madison, WI
10. Madison - Mt. Rushmore
11. Mt. Rushmore - Int'l Peace Garden
12. Int'l Peace Garden - West Yellowstone, MT
13. West Yellowstone - Salt Lake City, UT
14. Salt Lake City across Nevada to Oakland

Weather will be taken under consideration and this route is definitely not set in stone. There are family stops in UT, NM, VA, IN, WI, and MT. I am hoping that others will pop out of the woodwork once the trip is publicized.

I can push the trip back some; but the idea was to skip the summer due to heat and tourism season.

Thanks again for all your help and any follow-up posts to this one would be amazing.

Have you family in SLC ? I ask as I wonder why you would start and finish your journey the same way and not go to Taos via a southern route, perhaps take in the Grand canyon and Monument valley among other sites, including Southern Utah and Colorado.

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I can push the trip back some; but the idea was to skip the summer due to heat and tourism season.

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If you are thinking of a 2 month trip then I would be looking at starting out at the end of April where you will be arriving to Yellowstone mid to late June.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

.... I am doing a lot of researching now, but I can't tell by your last line if you think this trip is possible.

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The one thing I left out in that line was keep saving and dreaming.....

All things are possible. There is an old saying which goes something like - what you can conceive, you can achieve.

Lifey

Thanks, Dave & Lifey, for your additional replies. Lifey, that makes me feel better. I have found the more research I do the more real of an idea it becomes.

Dave...I had certain notions which led to the route doubling up in SLC. Your words kind of echoed and then I realized I do not want to do the CA-SLC across Nevada route twice, esp. as it is not exactly the most exciting of scenery. So now I start by going south--Bakersfield to Sedona, AZ (family there), then to Taos, and then onward as planned.

Also I believe you can answer a question. I was using the MapWizard feature and disabled some kind of pop-up when deleting routes, and now I can't delete any routes. I made so many and just want to clean it up to make it in line with current plans. But when I click on Delete nothing happens.

I am not sure about the maps, but it sounds as though the problem is connected to the Pop up somehow. Leave it with me I will see if I can get Mark on the case.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

Also I believe you can answer a question. I was using the MapWizard feature and disabled some kind of pop-up when deleting routes, and now I can't delete any routes. I made so many and just want to clean it up to make it in line with current plans. But when I click on Delete nothing happens.

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First of all, there's no reason to delete any routes. As a full member, you can have essentially thousands of routes saved in your account. I personally have 456 in my account that I never look at. I can't really imagine a scenario where having a collection of routes would impact you in any way. You just create new ones for current planning purposes and ignore the rest.

But it does sound like you've enabled pop-up blocking on your browser. So, if you want the Maps program to work at all, you'll need to go into your privacy settings and enable pop-up windows on your browser.

I am also a little puzzled as to why you would be limiting yourself to the Map Wizard. The Map Wizard is a stripped-down version of the RTA Map Center. There are many more tools and capabilities in the full program --and your current Custom Places, Routes and Maps work there as well.

Mark

Hello, I had posted some months ago about a solo cross-country trip I am planning. I am 42-year-old male. The trip is much more defined now and I would like to give the specs and get any feedback.

Dates of trip: Depart 8/29/17 and return approx. 10/17/17

Route: SF East Bay (California) – Oregon – Idaho – Montana – Dakotas – Nebraska – Iowa – Wisconsin – Illinois – Indiana – Ohio – Kentucky – Tennessee – Mississippi – New Orleans – Arkansas – Oklahoma – New Mexico – Utah – Nevada – SF East Ba

Transport: By car. Which car is still TBD. I own a Honda Civic Hybrid with about 140K miles on it, has been very reliable since purchasing used in 2011. The primary issue there is space. I did a “dry pack” and things did not entirely fit; but even if I whittle it down some it leaves me very little wiggle room, and one objective of the trip is to add to my license plate collection by going to junkyards.

Lodging: A blend of cheap motels, hostels, Couchsurfing (if it works, I have my doubts), and staying with family. In all I will probably stay with family about 40% of the nights.

Objectives: Fulfill lifelong dream of traveling cross-country; see unique roadside attractions; travel mostly via highways that are not interstates but not entirely backroads either; go to junkyards; talk with/interview people connected to the roadside attractions and other stops (will be doing some more main touristy things like Mt. Rushmore); visit a lot of museums; take a lot of photos; write a book about my experiences; visit out-of-state family; take time to reflect on my life and future.

Inspirations: Blue Highways, Travels With Charley, and a host of other, more recent cross country memoirs (such as Turn Left at the Trojan Horse and Wild).

Miscellaneous: Though I have a detailed itinerary (using Lonely Planet and roadsideamerica.com as guides for stops), I am fully aware that half of it could be thrown out the window. There is a lot of unknowns about this trip that I cannot know until I am on the trip. For instance, I do not know how I will tolerate driving several hours every day for so many days in a row, detours and unplanned adventures will take place, it is difficult to predict how much time will be spent in certain locations, etc. I embrace this, however.

I also am not certain I will stick to the 50 days. This is ideal based on being able to return to a part-time job when I return, but I am also willing to forego the job if need be. I have been working a lot of hours and saving this past year for the purposes of this trip. I will be re-joining AAA and obtaining a National Parks pass.

The average time driving per day is 3.62. The actual total will surely be more; this figure is based on city-to-city calculations and these assume as much major highway driving as possible, and also there will be detours, getting lost, etc.

Merged threads. Please keep all matters related to this trip here. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

... Couchsurfing (if it works, I have my doubts), and staying with family. In all I will probably stay with family about 40% of the nights.

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Couchsurfing works very well, so long as you take it as a two way thing. I have hosted many and been a guest just as often. Most were great experiences.

A few questions:
1. How long have you been a member?
2. How many and how often do you attend couchsurfing functions or host?
3. Have you applied to be verified?
4. Do you have a number of positive refernces?
If your response is positive to all those, then you will find it a very rewarding experience. Few will host a member who has not been verified.

Other things to consider are.... don't treat it like a *free* night. Be prepared to reward your host, e.g. offer to cook a meal, wash the dishes, clean the bathroom, or anything else you see you could do. Some very busy folk appreciate the vacuuming to be done. You'll see if that is appropriate. Alternatively you could bring your host a gift. Maybe something from home (ask what they would like), or, as I always do, take them out to dinner. As I said, it cuts both ways. Those who arrive late, crash, and then leave earely next morning are often not referenced well. Most hosts like to meet their guests and learn something about them. It is for that reason that I mostly contact the person well ahead of time, and establish a rapport with them. Contact several, and then choose the one with whom you think you will get on best.

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

Inspirations:[/B] Blue Highways, Travels With Charley, and a host of other, more recent cross country memoirs (such as Turn Left at the Trojan Horse and Wild).

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If you check out the Roadtrip Field Reports Forum you will find an endless supply of inspiration from those who have gone before you. Often mentioning places which you may not have heard of. For me, I have driven from coast to coast almost a dozen times, some of which are recorded on this site, and many others have recorded their cross country trips in detail. You are bound to find inspiration there for a trip which could keep you on the road for a year...... or more!

Lifey

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

Transport: By car. Which car is still TBD. I own a Honda Civic Hybrid with about 140K miles on it, has been very reliable since purchasing used in 2011. The primary issue there is space. I did a “dry pack” and things did not entirely fit; but even if I whittle it down some it leaves me very little wiggle room, and one objective of the trip is to add to my license plate collection by going to junkyards.

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What are you bringing that is taking up so much space?

Being that you are a solo traveler, I'm quite surprised you'd have any trouble packing up everything you need into really any sized car - certainly a moderately sized car like a civic. If you were planning to camp, and had a bunch of camping gear to consider, then maybe I could see where you'd be a little tight, but I'm just having a hard time seeing what you'd be bringing that would not easily fit into your car.

Just for comparison, I've gone on 2-person camping trips and been able to fit everything into an even smaller Nissan Versa. Now it was only for a week or two, not a month or two, but there's not much more I would bring if I was going to be gone on a longer trip.

At the very least, you've got the entire back seat area available. Certainly, you don't want to be putting a lot of valuables there, but that's a lot of additional space to put something like a cooler or any license plates you pick up along the way.

Thank you for the advice on Couchsurfing. My thing with it was I posted questions on the site and received hardly a reply, and noticed that the same was the case with other people. Also I've heard that it mostly caters to young people and big cities. I'm not verified only because I wanted to get a sense of its legitimacy before I put down money. I will probably go through that process before too long, certainly before the trip, as there's not much to lose. They have functions in SF, but because of my work schedule it is nearly impossible for me to attend them. I do not have the capability to host.

I will look into the Field Reports and also look again into Couchsurfing.

I'm monitoring responses on about 7 forums and so far there's been an overwhelming consensus that I am bonkers for not being able to fit all my stuff into the Civic. Obviously, I will have to try it again and re-think what to pack! When I did the trial pack I did not use the back seat at all. The idea is that traveling solo, even if I bring things in for the night, there will be lots of stops during the day and I couldn't bring that stuff with me. In general I'm a very trusting person when it comes to this issue, but after having my camera stolen on a train a couple of years ago and then last year being a victim of a smash-and-grab while parked in a lit parking lot, I'm just hesitant. However, the reliability and familiarity with my Civic is a big plus. We'll see...

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Originally Posted by gorillabay

Also I've heard that it mostly caters to young people and big cities.

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As a septuagenarian, I generally look for hosts over 50, in the same way as most of my guests have been older. Although I have had some lovely young folk stay. Unfortunately I have not been in a position for a while to host and not needed accommodation for some time either.

I don't like the new search functions. The old one was much better. It showed more accurately where folk are. It showed a map, with the city and the surrounding areas, and how many there were in each area. There even are couchsurfers at the Grand Canyon.

I have loved it when I have stayed with strangers and when travellers have shared their adventures with me.

I don't bother with the forums.... not sure many do. I email people directly from their profile.

Lifey