Anyone done a cross-country drive, roughing it?

[PX4sc40sw]

T Al, I did folllow your blog and that gave me a bit of inspiration for this trip. It looked sometimes fun, sometimes a bit trying, but never dull.

I mentioned in response to FUEGO's post that I could see myself with a gallon milk carton of water, holding it over my head, wearing just some swim trunks and doing a fair job of cleaning. In some travels thru Asia, I saw folks getting their morning bath from spigots in alleys, lots of lather, little water.

And especially using some of the tip on the site Dixonge mentioned. Some good ideas. I like the idea of baby wipes for freshen up. And anti-bacterial soap. I've heard that lots of soaps based on tallow cause bacterial odors that are not pleasant.

While snoozing did you ever feel unsafe?

I can speak from recent experience on this one -- we just got back from our camping trip from California to St. Louis and back.

We stayed at 16 different campgrounds, and five of them had showers. Others had access to showers (e.g. $7 shower at the nearby outdoor store).

Swimming pools work, but you will probably have to pay $10 or more.

I asked about showers at a truck stop in Colorado. It was free with a fill-up of 50 gallons or more.

You can also do your own shower with some boiling water mixed with the cold water.

Also, you can get used to not taking a shower every day.

With our airbed and earplugs, there wasn't that much deprivation involved. If you can time your drinking properly to avoid having to get up to pee in the middle of the night, then you are way ahead of the game.

Highly recommended.

Here's our blog:

California to St. Louis Car/Bike Trip

 

[ls99]

Second the YMCA bit. My card had the magic words "away" allowing free use of other Ys. They now switched to a barcoded small swipe card. The attendant said it still has all the features of using other Ys no charge.

Then again, getting good and funky a few times will really make taking a shower seem like a gift from heaven. Have plenty of past experience with that.

 

[PX4sc40sw]

I've solved the shower problem. I've invented the porta-shower, with partial organic parts.

You fill it with 1.75 liters of H2O, and hold it over your soaped up body.

As a bonus, you come out smelling of a refreshing Eau de Cocoa smell.

Second the YMCA bit. My card had the magic words "away" allowing free use of other Ys. They now switched to a barcoded small swipe card. The attendant said it still has all the features of using other Ys no charge.

Then again, getting good and funky a few times will really make taking a shower seem like a gift from heaven. Have plenty of past experience with that.

 

[FUEGO]

I've invented the porta-shower, with partial organic parts.

Looks like a good start towards a homemade bong. Maybe hit that and then you wouldn't care whether you showered or not.

 

[Vinnyfrombrooklyn]

They make portable showers for boating, Saw some in the Overtons catalog not to long ago.

 

[Vinnyfrombrooklyn]

yep just googled it its called a "Sun Shower its $29 and they also have a pop up shower encloser for another $29.

 

[Stevewc]

I did a couple of the trips you are describing as a young man. We had a blast, some crazt times. We even found a few laundromats that had a bar next door to them.........

Keep us posted........

I thought you were going to tell him to just jump in one of the washers and then the dryer.
All refreshed and ready for the next town,
Steve

 

[SecondCor521]

Another idea I thought of that hasn't been mentioned of yet is lakes or rivers. Could be kinda cold, and for environmental reasons you wouldn't want to use normal soap, but it might work somehow...

2Cor521

 

[mb]

Nice idea, cause most rest stops have water available. I could fill a gallon milk container and screw a shower head onto it and get someone to hold it over my head while I shower. Nice "outside-the-box" thinking.

I think that you can buy these sorts of things. Check Campmor or other camping suppliers. They mount on a pole of some sort or on your car.

Alternatively I suggest trying a Camelbak-type hydration bladder. You can buy these separately without the back packs.

I'm a runner so my typical scenario would be:

(1) Pulling into a camp ground (w/o showers)
(2) Fill up the water container and mount it in the sun
(3) Go and explore the local trails/community on a run
(4) Get back and shower

MB

 

[Cattusbabe]

More information than you can stand.

Road Trip Planning: Tips, Resources & Advice

 

[ScooterGuy]

Been there, done that ...

... several times over the last 5 decades. I started when I was a late teen, & traveled before the Interstates were built. "I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere."

Actually, I prefer the minimalist approach. In any such trip, your biggest expense is housing (motel, hotel, hostel, etc.) each night. Food can be found anywhere, and so can fuel. Wash your duds up in the sink each night.

It depends on your personal demands for creature comfort. I personally have done with camping, although I carry a hammock & sleep-bag with me on my motorbike for emergencies (and for the frequent mid-day siesta). Sleeping on the ground holds no more charm. I admit that heat/AC; a locking door; hot water on demand; available electricity; clean sheets; and shelter from the elements has become one of the heights of Western Civilization.

Nor do I cook when out on the road. It is literally amazing, the number and kind of 'kitchens' that might be packed into a small container. Most of said folks then spend their days arguing who's titanium kits are lightest ... while conveniently forgetting that for each meal, there is the preperation + the clean-up/wash-up blues. Clean water--in copious amounts--is NOT all that available on the road. It is also helpful to remember that water weighs about 60 lbs. per cubic foot, and that you'll be expending lots of effort and fuel hauling the precious stuff around.

Get a largish atlas of the USA, and then start looking at the little red notations (smallest print) for where 'things' might be. Last year, I took a week's trip to bike up to Hell (which is in Michigan, between Ann Arbor and Flint), mostly to truthfully say I 'hung out in Hell' for an afternoon. I still have the T-shirt that says so.

Pack light. Make each item do double- or triple-duty. Keep your fuel tank half-full at all times. If you're pedaling or walking, remember to drink before you get thirsty; eat before you get hungry; rest before you get exhausted. Be aware the sun, wind and the cold will harm and kill the unwary.

Don't drive or ride anything that looks new or rich. Don't 'talk your wallet.' Most of the predators that will harm you are of the dark-dwelling, two-legged variety.

Spend a couple days planning and then just GO. Your disasters will serve your future planning.

 

[travelover]

When I was 20, I and my then DW took a 6 month, one lap of America trip in an Econoline. We had one for those pack-a-potty chemical toilets for times when a normal toilet was not available, and took showers at better facilities like state parks every few days. Of course we walked in, didn't actually pay the camping fee.

Those were great times and I look back on them fondly nearly 40 years later. I'm not sure how my body would react to those tight quarters now, but it seemed luxurious at the time.

 

[brewer12345]

You can do pretty basic or not. Look at the setup these guys drive around the world in: bumfuzzle.com

I would suggest a modicum of camping gear:

- A small, light tent
- sleeping bag
- canteen or other water container
- some basic cooking gear (nice to have options)
- a few MREs (just in case)
- a solar shower with enclosure
- bucket or other portable toilet arrangement
- cooler of some sort
- LED lantern

That should do it for the basics. Get a Woodall's guide and also do a little research on Flying J and other traveler friendly truckstops.

 

[TromboneAl]

While snoozing did you ever feel unsafe?

No, we didn't. The only times we might have felt that way would have been at the deserted campgrounds.

 

[RunningBum]

Seems to me you ought to be able to take advantage of your engine heat to warm shower water somehow. At the end of the day there might not be enough sun left to warm things up with one of those solar showers, but if you could put it on your engine block without melting the container, it'd warm up quickly. Maybe just on top of your hood?

This reminds me of an episode of the TV sitcom "Wings", when Lowell was selling the "Car-be-que", a grill which sat under your hood and grilled a meal while you drove.

 

[travelover]

Seems to me you ought to be able to take advantage of your engine heat to warm shower water somehow. At the end of the day there might not be enough sun left to warm things up with one of those solar showers, but if you could put it on your engine block without melting the container, it'd warm up quickly. Maybe just on top of your hood?

This reminds me of an episode of the TV sitcom "Wings", when Lowell was selling the "Car-be-que", a grill which sat under your hood and grilled a meal while you drove.

The old GMC motorhomes used to use engine heat to create hot water, but it probably wouldn't be worth it to cobble up something similar in a car or van. Those solar showers work amazing well, though you need at least a couple of hours of full sun.

 

[jambo101]

Many people have just loaded up a van and headed out,i've done it several times when i was younger. a good motivational book from some one who has done what you are thinking of =
Blue Highways by William Least-Heat Moon – Having lost his wife, his job and possibly his sanity, American author Least-Heat Moon does what so many have dreamt of doing—hopping in a van and driving around aimlessly in search of…well, something. The best part of this tale of self-discovery (aren’t all road trip books?) is that the author has a rule: avoid all interstates. Sticking to the back roads of the country, Least-Heat Moon unearths a cast of rich characters who never wanted to be found.

 

[free4now]

I have done the cross country trip living out of the car a couple of times, solo. With a hatchback I can sleep flat, and I made privacy shades out of cardboard cut to the shape of the side windows. Front and rear windows get reflective sun shades. More than half the time I would sleep in walmart lots, and was never bothered. I brought a tent but only used it once; why pay and take the time to set it up when the vehicle is quieter. I buy water in gallon containers, and use the empties as pee bottles. If the weather is too hot or cold I leave the air conditioning on overnight, which uses a gallon or so of gas in my PHEV Prius.

For showers I would either use trucker showers (normally about $7, quality ranging from disgusting to luxurious), or campground showers (by slipping the caretaker $5 or $10 for the privilege). Every 3-4 days I'd find myself in a situation where a motel room was desirable for safety or comfort reasons, so I'd get the travel coupon books at a local Denny's type restaurant and usually find a room for $30-40. I've had a few other memorable shower experiences like in the high school visiting team locker room, and a public golf course country club.

One of the surprising joys of this kind of travel is waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth outdoors, brushing your hair in the car sideview mirror, and being ready for the day. No packing/unpacking or futzing with check in/out, and no distractions from internet or TV. I will stop every few days in a library to check my email.

Having a GPS that knows where to find the local Walmart or library comes in very handy.

I've generally stuck to the interstates because of time pressures, but I get tired of seeing the same chain restaurants in every roadside town. So my next trip I'm going less distance on smaller roads.

 

[rjsciurus]

My spouse and I did it 10 years ago (40-something), 4 months in a Honda Civic and tent, with inside sleeping no more than every few weeks at the start. 20,000 miles and maybe a few hundred was on interstates, in places it just wasn't practical to avoid-- around Seattle, as I recall. I highly recommend it. The trip, not Seattle.

We got a set of AAA guidebooks and decided where to go day by day, stopping for a few days if we stumbled on someplace good. The best places and experiences were totally accidental. Most overnights were tent spots in campgrounds of convenience, public or private. That was the bad part. KOA-style tent sites are lawns off to the side (or worse, not off to the side). Public campgrounds were often umbelievably noisy-- many had a few parties going most of the night, and I'd bet it's worse with a recession. A smallish vehicle was essential for what we did, but I'd not do the tent part again. Campgrounds in van or very small RV maybe (with walls, earplugs and possibly a small white-noise-producing fan) but not tent.

 

[DayDreaming]

I did a cross country trip once, and a lot of small towns in the Midwest have town parks with public swimming pools & shower facilities. It was a long time ago, but all of these towns allowed campers to stay overnight - just park your van, or pitch a tent. And if you find yourself in Kansas in August, you may be using these swimming pools more than you think.

You should definitely do this trip - I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!!!

 

[brewer12345]

FWIW, I would pick up a small, inexpensive, used travel trailer to do this rather than roughing it, but YMMV.

 

[LOL!]

When I was younger, we used to do bicycle camping. We had a vague itinenary that we wanted to go from point A to point B. We strapped a tent on a bike, a camping stove, sleeping bags, some food and we rode away. Sometimes we stayed in parks, sometimes on private land.

As I aged, this evolved into a take a AAA tour book and a credit card and no camping. We simply picked a place from the book and called 2 days ahead to reserve a room at a cheap motel/campground. For example, Monday morning we called ahead to book a room for Tuesday evening. One of my most memorably trips was to fly to the Portland, Oregon airport with a bike, ditch the bike box and start riding up the Columbia River. After some days cycling around, on and over Mt Hood, Mt Adams, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier we ended up in Seattle and flew back home.

I imagine that with a van it would be easy to do this. You could decide where to spend the night -- whether camping, sleeping in the van, or a cheap room.

 

[FUEGO]

Yeah, don't overlook cheap motels/hotels as cheating. Good places to catch up on some good sleep, plug in, log in, eat a big free continental breakfast and snag some fruit for the road, shower, fill up water jugs, etc. Lots of decent places can be had for $40-50 a night, or less if you wait till 9 o clock at night when they are unlikely to fill the place up and ask if they can cut you a break on the room. I've done that a few times successfully, usually knocking 30-50% off the already discounted price at some moderate to luxury places around the US while on business travel.

 

[Westernskies]

Most WalMarts and Cracker Barrel restaurants will let you use their parking lots overnight- but some cities have local ordinaces against doing so. Lots of chatter on the different RV forums on this topic.

Might want to look at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of roughing it to luxury- spend one or two nights out before checking into the roach motel for a shower and a continental breakfast... rinse and repeat..

Or, just schedule a night at friendly FIRE member's homes along the way- write a book about the experience, make a ton of money, and change from 4% to 5.0%SWR

Sounds like fun. Keep us posted!

 

[BillS]

We went through same thought processes a few years ago. Ended up renting a Sebring convertible for a month with unlimited mileage for 700 bucks. (We ended up putting 11K miles on it.)
I'd go the Days Inn route. You don't want to run into 'Don and Marge, from Topeka- come on over and have an iced tea blah blah' and this is just what must populate the Wal Mart parking lots all over the country. We got a lot of good rooms for 39-59 dollars, and this was near Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, etc.
If you don't own it already, get a copy of "Roadfood", it is just what you are looking for, full of those small out-of-the-way places with good food.
Best trip we ever took...

-Bill
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Has anyone ever done anything similar and are there enough rest stops with showers, facilities, etc to allow for hygienic basics? Or is it destined to be a Day's Inn fest.

I really long for the freedom and rhythm of the highway as it rolls on by, city lights and rolling thru the backwoods.

Am I dreaming of somthing impossible?[/quote]