Longest road trips

That’s sounds like an awesome trip!

 

Going up through Alberta and then down through BC. I generally try to avoid going the same way in both directions.

 

Will be doing Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Washington, and BC, taking roughly 4-5 weeks for the entire trip. Going to outfit the bed with airplane style fuel storage so we don't have to pay BC prices (not really but it's a fun idea), and I don't want to offend the RTT folk with such blasphemy but we'll be using our trusty REI half-dome tent... the kind you set up on the ground.

 

Its where we have to pick up the ferry to get to Kodiak, Alaska. I am transferring up there so this is an all expense paid trip from the government. LOL

 

Just did 1750mi (not that long) from Houston to El Paso and back. I was over on my oil and diff fluid interval. BUT I always use mobil 1 synthetic oil in my engine for that reason. My suggestion is put 15,000mi oil in the truck, change it every 5,000 and if you end up going over, no worries.

My other suggestion would be know how to change your tire in case of a flat, make sure the spare is in good condition and filled with air. Top off your windshield fluid. I always get tons of bugs and use the gas station scrubber every time I fill up. I also have two 5gal jerry cans filled with gas for oh-sh*t moments. If you feel like you need to stop, stop.

Another helpful tip, depending on your health and what you like. Instead of coffee I'll opt for the little 5hr energy drinks. Same amount of energy as coffee but I don't have to piss later down the road (not as much liquid).

Find some good jams, stop to take pictures, take it slow, have fun. These trucks are made to drive.

 

I was with you right up until there. Those things will make your heart explode, I'd rather have to stop and take a leak (which thanks to my genetics, I can do almost anywhere except where prohibited by law).

 

Cool maps in here. We finished 1.5ys on the road in our 03 Tacoma.


OP, on your way down to FL there are some pretty cool free campsites. When you're outside Charleston, SC Francis Marion Nat'l Forest is great, and check the schedule of Awendaw Green, we caught a Bluegrass Festival there.

Tons of sweet spots in the Uwharrie Nat'l Forest in NC, but if you're sticking to the coast, Croatan Nat's Forest is great too.

Be sure to stop in Savannah, GA for a to-go beverage and walk the riverfront.

Not the most free camping in FL, but a good one is Blue Sink OHV corral, north of Orlando. If you're going all the way down, be sure to drive Alligator Alley in the Everglades.

If you need more specifics just holler! Hope your trip rocks!

 

It's always been a dream of mine to do some cross country motorcycle trips. How far did you go on a motorcycle? Taking my truck would make it way easier and more comfortable but I feel like the motorcycle trip would be even more rewarding. What kind of bike were you on? You think a 750cc cruiser is enough to take on the interstates?

 

Thanks for the tips man!

 

I've done Alaska/Colorado 5 times. Once in the dead of winter. When we got to Tok AK it was -52f. Had to leave the truck running all night and 'round out' the tires in the AM. We left in caravans from town to town because if you broke down alone, you were done fer.

I'd have to say my favorite co to ak trip was in summer where we took the ferry from Bellingham wa to skagway ak. You can camp out right on the deck and you stop in all the panhandle towns.

Another memorable trip was a leisurely three week loop of sw natl parks. We went Rocky Mtn>Canyonlands>Bryce>Zion>GC>Mesa Verde.

Going from Denver to Wisconson Dells then N Mn to the Boundary Waters in July. I'm using it as an excuse to redo and add on to our adventure taco.

 

Thanks! I’m always down for the free camping spots that’s what I was going for. Looks like you have an awesome adventure!

 

that’s

Wow that’s awesome! That sounds crazy!

 

They still make those?

 

We've had it since the before times. Fits a mattress and... well mainly just the mattress. For our next trick we're skipping right by the RTT and looking at something like this: https://www.hikertrailers.com/hikers

I like the concept of an RTT, I just don't like having to take it down and set it back up again every time I want to drive the truck. The thought of that makes my eye twitch uncontrollably.

 

Oh no dude, I totally get it. Never had one, don't want one, think they are lame.

This is us:

 

I’m in search of a used cap so I can set it up like that. Not a fan of the thought tearing everything down to go anywhere.

 

Ah that's a good plan, you are going to see some BIG country.

 

NO INTENTION OF HIJACKING THIS TREAD, NOT MY INTENTION, SORRY IF IT COMES OFF THIS WAY....


My longest motorcycle road trip was in 2001, I took the entire summer off and rode to Alaska. This was not an iron butt by any means, we took three months, we took the long way, and I rode 13,000 miles. Start to end was Colorado to Alaska to Washington D.C., the route was far from direct. I started the trip in Aspen, where I lived, west to Moab, north to SLC, west to Truckee and Tahoe, east entrance of Yosemite, crossed central Cali past Merced and joined the Pacific Coast Highway at Monterey. Traveled the PCH/101 from Monterey all the way to the Olympic Peninsula, came around the back side and took ferry to Seattle. From Seattle to Vancouver, up through Whistler/Blackcomb to Prince George then up to Dawson Creek to join the Alaska Highway. Up the Alcan to Tok, Fairbanks, Denali N.P. to Anchorage, picked up rental car and my dad who flew up to visit for a week, down to Valdez, back up to Tok and did the loop again to Anchorage via Denali N.P.. Dropped the dad and rental car back in Anchorage picked up bike then headed to Seward and the Kenai Peninsula then back to Tok. We met a gal in Tok when we first arrived and she traveled around most of the month we were there. Used her car, totally unprepared, and drove the Dalton to Deadhorse, wasn't about to take the bike on it, was a Harley Electra Glide... Returned to Tok, packed up and headed back south .

My return was all the way to Washington D.C., Tok, Dawson Creek, Edmonton, Calgary, Banff and Lake Louise, back to Calgary, headed south and crossed back into the U.S. in Montana. Paralleled the border on US2 through Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, into the UP of Michigan, dropped down towards Detroit to visit a buddy then past Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, down into the D.C. area where I then few back to Colorado. My brother and I took a month to get to Alaska, spent a month there and I rode solo from Tok to Washington D.C. over another month. I rode to Washington D.C. to return the Harley to my dad's house.

As for bike, ride what you got, make it work. I started the trip with zero research, did you know it rains daily in B.C, Yukon and Alaska (at least the year I went)? I didn't.... I started on a 1998 Honda XR650L with an Acerbis 6 gallon tank and crappy soft bags that didn't fit well and the right side bag partially melted the second day of the trip from being too close to the exhaust pipe... Started trip with brother and dad, one XR, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, about two weeks into trip, I burned up the motor on the XR, had punched a hole in crankcase cover the previous summer, had it fixed and tried the trip, not a smart idea. By San Fran, two weeks into the trip, I was burning a quart of oil every hundred miles, it only holds two quarts.... Dad decides that this trip was taking too long, guess he didn't pay attention when we told him we were going for the entire summer, he bailed on us in S.F. to go back to work, nice enough to give me is Harley to finish the trip, we'd been used bike shopping in the S.F. Bay area when he decided to head back. We then loaded my dead XR in to a Ryder truck and my dad headed back east. We took as many back roads local highways as possible, avoided superslab if we could, but it was impossible.

Planned on doing the trip again two summers, ago, albeit shorter and more to the point, shortened because of stupid work, but my brother ditched me, something about new job, new baby, married life, bla bla bla... I bought a Honda Africa Twin for the redo, but haven't made it there. Personally, I would want a larger dual sport for the trip again, but that's just me, the HD I rode was just fine, just a little sketchy in the muddy construction areas on the Alcan... Thousands of places to ride, thousands of ways to get there. Already have bike, you're halfway there, spending money will go further with out shelling out for new bike...

Different trip, I rode a BMW F650GS from Aspen to Maine and back in 7 days, with one of those days visiting my granny in Kansas going the wrong direction, 650 worked just fine. Used same bike Aspen to Vegas in the spring, high winds sucked, but it worked.... It's what I had, it worked.

 

here is one of many long drives-

summer of 2017 chasing water parks & amusement parks down with my kiddos
SF (ca) to Elko (nv) to Salt Lake City (ut) to Boise (id) to Chiloquin (or)
It was a 6-7 day adventure
roughly 1500-2000 miles
piece-o-cake in a taco

 

I drove to the mall one time, it was far away.