Across The Country Road Trip Advice.

where are you going?

 

Start by adding round trip gasoline costs. $400 ain't enough duuuuude!

 

50 miles for $3., 500 miles for $30., 5000 miles for $300., you can do it!

 

A month on $400. I couldn't do that just staying in my house with all the lights turned off. Food alone at a starvation allowance of $5 a day would run $150 of the $400. You won't have a refrigerator or stove with you so will have to eat what you buy immediately, which means more pre-prepared food and restaurants. I doubt you'd enjoy subsisting on nuts and crackers for 30 days.

I do not know, see if you can get a friend or friends to accompany you for portions of the trip, help carry some of the expenses. Sharing an adventure adds to its delight. And of course plan as many overnights as you can with friends and relatives who'd be happy to have you for dinner and breakfast, meals you'd have to pay for yourself staying overnight in free but solo outposts.

However you work it out, go for it! Adventures are all the more adventurous when they're not all that certain, but they always seem to work out anyway. And the kindness and camaraderie of strangers turned newfound acquaintance along the way cannot be overestimated.

 

Calculate 40mpg to 38mpg for interstate driving, not 50. Also reststops are nice. I generally bring a comforter and a pillow with me, makes sleeping fine in any car. When you are tired enough, you fall asleep upright with the seatbelt strap as a neck brace. You can crack a window to keep air going, or in the Prius it takes about a gallon every 10hours to keep the car in READY with the AC/climate-control going.

You might be able to couch surf depending on how open you are. There are sites around the web where you can just crash on random people's couches usually for free. They ask you open your couch up for others in return though.

Since your budget is already blown with food and gas, you will have to see attractions from the outside or just natural attactions. If you are heading east from california, and stick to I-15 to I-70, then you can see some nice parts of Colorado. Ski country in the summer is still packed with activity like mountain biking, fishing, hiking, and lots of camping. Spending a night in your car on the top of a mountain seems nice.

Garden of the Gods in nice if you are coming to the Colorado Springs Area. The Denver Museum of Natural History is really good.

Might be able to give more pointers if you tell us what you like to do and what you dont like to do.

Also there is a truck stop on I-70 (I think, might be I-80) in one of the I states Iowa/Illinois/Indiana that is the "worlds largest truck stop". If you get there, it is then one of those places you can say you have been.

And another also, a lot of trucker stops have showers and stuff in the restrooms. A month in the car, and people will smell you coming before they hear the whirr of the electric motor in stealth mode.

 

To live on the cheap, bring camping supplies and stay in state parks. It's always been cheaper than hotels/motels from my experience.

As for food... It's amazing how well you can eat cheaply. Over the 4th of July I went with some friends camping... All of us ate well (very well, actually) for 3.5 days. Less than $9 per person. It's certainly possible.

 

you can go from costco to costco and get the $1.50 hot dog and drink

 

what if you get there and gas prices go up and you can't get home?

 

There is always craigslist odd jobs for a few quick bucks anywhere in the US (and the great white north)

 

Accidentally duplicated post cancelled

 

Good point. Might be worth renting a season or two of the old "Route 66" for some quick pointers (and thrill again to topless travel in a vintage Vette)!

 

Word of advice: PHEV kit is not suitable for cross-country trips, esp. the Enginer kit. After 30-60 miles (depending on kit) the batteries are just dead weight. I take my batteries out of the car for LD trips. If you don't have the kit installed by the time of your trip, have Jack ship it. You'll probably save enough in gas to pay for the shipping.

[edit]And if you're crossing the Rockies during the dead of winter, better invest in some tire chains.[/edit]

 

i'm sorry, i meant, where does your sister live? aren't you going to visit her?

 

That is 125amps from the 12v battery. I think that would over tax the Prius dc/dc converter that will try to keep the 12v battery charged. I think you do not want to risk burning the Prius electronics up in this process.

Thanks,
Dan