is this possible?

[metzlerman567]

so this would be the first road trip of my life...im plainin it for next june.
just wondering if this is a posibilitiy and for some general comments

leavin from balt/wash
indianapolis
chicago
badlands nat. park
mt. rushmore
yellowstone
salt lake city
san fran
PCH
LA
(maybe joshua tree nat. park)
Las Vegas
grand canyon
denver
StL


i want to do this in about 3 weeks and on a limited budget with three friends.
is this possible?
am i an idiot?

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I don't see why you couldn't pull off this trip in 3 weeks. You won't be able to stop and spend a ton of time at each of the places on your list, but I think you should be able to get an enjoyable tour of each of them.

[metzlerman567]

thats good
quesiton about car
talking to one of my friend's parents who did a cross country trip themselves.
they suggested buying a cheap used car...taking it on the trip...then selling it when we get back.
is that a good or bad idea?

[RedCorral]

Yep, at about 300 miles per day you can do it, and you can see a lot. Just don't plan to get out and spend much time exploring on foot.

As for the car. Sure, you can get a used car if it has a good engine, transmission and new tires. Summer heat in the Midwest and Southwest can be pretty brutal on all the above. You'll need to have an oil change near San Francisco.

But keep in mind that 7,000 miles isn't a terrible strain on a good, modern car, with AC that works and is still under warranty.

If your 3 week deadline isn't too firm, so you can suffer an extra day or three with a breakdown, go for it!

Craig Sheumaker

co-author of A Traveler's Guide: America's Living History - The Early Years

[Midwest Michael]

Buying a car wouldn't be the worst idea in the world, as you'd probably get most of your money back when you sell the car and you wouldn't be putting those miles on your own car. But remember, you'll also won't get back those up front expenses like taxes and registration fees.

The other aspect is that getting a cheap car kind of defeats the purpose. A car is going to be cheap because it is reaching the end of its life, and you won't really know the cars history, so you really could be increasing your chances of having a mechanical problem on the road.

If you already have a roadworthy car, I probably wouldn't bother with the hassle of trying to buy and then sell a car.

[UKCraig]

The thing that you need most on your trip, given it's reasonably hectic, is a car that you can trust not to let you down and end up costing you a fortune. Buying an old car has 'disaster' written all over it if you ask me. If, for whatever reason, you cannot take your own (or don't trust it) then it may make more sense to look into renting a car for your trip. Whilst this seems to be 'money down the drain' you do not have to worry about any mechanical problems (and, should you break down, you will be taken to the nearest depot and given a replacement free of charge). When you factor in the costs that Michael mentions, it'll probably not end up costing you anything more than buying a used car and, at the end, you simply hand it back... no need to worry about selling the thing.