Saving $$ on lodging during road trips - Car Camping (no tent, no RV)??

[glc]

You can get a new Rand McNally atlas at Walmart for 7 bucks.

[Lifemagician]

... and I can pick up maps if I really need them on the way.

One of the best places to get State maps is at the Visitor Information / Welcome Centres along the highway... especially those at State borders. These maps frequently have detail which other maps do not show.

Lifey

[MouseRN]

So, it looks like the NM>OR>WA>NM trip is on for sure. I'm going to consider this the long, shake out trip in preparation for the WY/ID/MT trip later in July. So this is what it's looking like:

• Taking off Monday at 3am (trying to beat the heat)
• Boondock car camping at Hill AFB about 14-15 hrs into the trip (the longest I'll drive alone)
• Take off Tuesday at 4-5am (Bathhouse is being renovated, have to wait for the gym to open at 4:30am to shower)
• Arrive in Portland around 6pm staying a motel for 2 days, racing on 7/4 (~12 hours driving)
• Leave for Olympia on 7/5 car/tent camping in a campground for 2 days, racing on 7/7 (2 hours driving)
• Leave for Whidbey Island on 7/7 staying in military lodging for 2 days, racing on 7/8 (2.5 hours driving)
• Leave WA 7/9 for Hill AFB where I'll boondock car camp again
• Leave UT for NM arrive home 7/10 around 8-10 pm depending on if I wan to sleep in

Lodging about $230 for 8 days!


I'll be home for 2 days for a doc's appt and replenish before heading out for the NM>WY>ID>MT>NM trip:

• Leave 7/12 for Warren AFB, WY...boondock car camp (10 hrs driving)
• Leave 7/13 for Thayne, WY...campground car camp (8 hours driving)
• Race 7/14 and leave Thayne around noon arrive Blackfoot, ID where I'm staying with MIL for 3 nights
• Leave 7/17 for Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF to boondock car/tent camp x3 days to acclimate (3 hours driving)
• Leave 7/20 for MILs house for race in Idaho Falls on Saturday (3 hrs driving)
• Race 7/21, back to MILs for shower then leave back for BDNF, boondock car camp (3 hrs driving)
• Race 7/22, drive to Ennis, MT to tent camp one night (SHOWER!) (1.5 hr drive)
• Leave 7/23 for Warren AFB...boondock car camp (10 hrs driving)
• Leave 7/24 for home (9 hrs driving)

$40 for lodging x 11 days

I'll be home to see son who is visiting from AZ then will be roadtrippin' to SLC the LV on 8/3-8/6 for 2 more races. Staying in military lodging in both places.

• Two weeks later road trip to Spearfish, SD (tent camping).
• The following week a road trip to IA & MI (tent camping in IA, hotel in MN x 2 nights).
• Two weeks later road trip to MI & OH (still working on lodging) TENTATIVE!
• Two weeks later fly to race in DEN (hotel x2 nights)
• One week later fly to BOS to race in NH & ME (hotel x3 nights...KAAA-CHING!) TENTATIVE!

Tomorrow is my traditional pre-trip clean up day so I'll be cleaning and sewing up some curtain hems for the vehicle, a PCT and cutting and prepping the window screens for the Explorer, as well as doing laundry!

[MouseRN]

Well, the trip is off. Got into the car today and rolled down the window to use the ATM then drove to Walmart to pici up a new atlas but when I tried to roll up the window...voila! A grinding, crunching, cracking noise...and no window moving up and down. after planning and preparing I ended up going home and waiting tor the dealership to open and have now been waiting over an hour to find out the verdict. The one other time this happened it cost me arond $400 to have fixed. With that said that would be equal to about 3/4 of my fill ups for the round trip so it's either fixing the window today and skipping the trip or taking the trip with an unsecured window and some valuable contents in the car. I guess I'll reluctantly go with the first choice since not only am I a cheap driver driving with the windows open and no AC until temps top over 100 F but having the driver side window open and wind blowing directly in my face is one of my prime "stay awake" strategies.

I've been advised that they have found some of the parts needed in town, but as I am already almost 6 hours behind (only had left a 5 hour night sleep before my race upon arrival and have a 28 hour drive solo) there is no reason to make the trip anymore. Besides with the cost of the unexpected repairs my gas budget is significantly decreased. Joy. :-\

[Mark Sedenquist]

Sorry to hear of the window problems, but it is better idea to get that fixed! There is one thing that worries me about your last post...

but having the driver side window open and wind blowing directly in my face is one of my prime "stay awake"strategies.

This is known no-no -- having hot wind blow on your face is really, really bad idea. Dehydration is a serious problem for a solo driver, but more important that wind often puts drivers to sleep. Close your window, crank the A/C and sing. Or even better... don't travel unless you are rested.

Hope the problem is fixable and maybe you can do a 20-hour trip soon instead!

Mark

[Lifemagician]

You are very fortunate this happened at home. Two days into the trip, and it would have been a very different story.

Budget travelling always needs to have an allowance available for repairs and maintenance. These things happen to the best maintained vehicles. Travelling with a budget so tight, that it is either fuel or repairs makes for a miserable trip, and long term memories, all for the wrong reasons.

Lifey

edit: Yeah! take up Mark's suggestion, especially now that you have done so much planning.