How to Plan a Great American Road Trip

Jun 17, 2017

Two years ago, I hitched a 1970 trailer onto the back of a truck and hit 17 states in 3 short weeks.

While I'm no stranger to roughing it, this trip was not about camping. We wanted to see as much of America as possible with minimal fussing, but also enjoy the benefits of camping at the same time: it's cheaper, it's beautiful, the people you meet are awesome, and the fresh air is good for the soul.

A trailer is a great solution (especially if it's not a pop-up). There's minimal set up and tear-down, leaving more time for exploration. It also holds more than the trunk of your car, and gives you the ability to unhitch and explore more freely than, say, with an RV or camper van.

I learned a lot on that trip, spending 500+ hours in a car and a living space no larger than your master bathroom. How did we survive? In a nutshell: being organized, but also open to the unexpected.

Tips for planning a Great American Road Trip:

Pick your travel companion wisely: aside from trips to the restroom, you're in this together for the long haul
Load up your devices with podcasts and audiobooks in case you get music-fatigue (or, pack old fashioned paper books and take turns driving/reading aloud)
Try "planned spontaneity": on our trip, we booked campsites ahead only on weekends/holidays, as they tend to fill up. These act as checkpoints to keep you on track, too. In between the checkpoints, leave yourself open to discovery—most campgrounds and RV parks accept reservations on the spot. Also, plot out your must-see/must-eat/must-do items, and list other nice-to-do items of interest along the way, in case you have time. If you are too rigid and stressed out about your schedule, you're not accounting for any spontaneous stops. And they're the best. Roadtrippers is a great planning app for this style of travel.
Don't bring everything: if you're tripping for a month, bring a week's worth of clothing. Many RV parks and campgrounds have laundry facilities. Download the Good Sam app for a map of campgrounds in the US and Canada—the app lists facilities like laundry. Bonus: Good Sam members save on camping fees at many parks.
Pack a camp stove: there's nothing better than food cooked over the fire, but if your trailer isn't equipped with its own stove, bring one. You can't plan for fire bans or rain.
There's always a last resort: if you're travelling with with a trailer or in a van or RV, you're more nimble if it's 2AM and the campgrounds are full. Many WalMart locations will allow trailer and RV camping in their parking lots. Bonus: if you find a 24 hour location, you'll have access to flush toilets, running water, and midnight snacks.
Have power back-ups: many parks offer power hookups, but if you're staying in more primitive sites, be sure to pack battery-powered or rechargable flashlights and lanterns, car lighter power converters, solar lights or candles, and camp stove propane.
Everything in its place: a teeny living space can get messy very fast, contributing to friction between travel partners (trust me). Agree on a system for dealing with garbage and laundry, label everything, and be sure there are dedicated baskets and hooks for everything.
Ask a local: you can do all of the planning you like, but sometimes the best things are only found by word of mouth. Chat up other campers and shop owners, or sit at the bar in the local pub. Too shy? Try Thrillist and Atlas Obscura for finding offbeat and little-known gems along your route.
Remember it forever: long gone are the days of developing film and sticking your trip photos into their own album (yes, I am old enough to remember). Buy a magnet in each stop, snap an Instax photo, or create a hashtag to capture every Instagram photo from the trip in one place.