Me, my sister, and a friend of ours are planning for a cross country, month long road trip in July of either 2002 or 2003. If we go in 2002, I will be 20 and the other girls will be 19. We would like to camp most of the time and drive my '93 Ford Escort wagon, but my parents are wary. Mom keeps insisting that we are gonna get broken down in the middle of nowhere, where even the cell phone won't work. Dad tells me my car will get ruined and that we shouldn't stay at campsites because there are people who prey on campsites. Anything I can tell them to calm their worries? Also, how much money(total) do you recommend? We are figuring around $4000-$4500. Thanks!

Megan