lee

im trying to plan a road trip that i will be taking alone. the biggest reason im doing it alone is that i cant get any of my friends to take enough vacation time to come with me... but when i thought about it, i thought it would be awesome to go on an adventure by myself.

anyway, ive decided to drive from boston to kansas city making stops at friends houses along the way.

im using randmcnally.com's road trip planner feature to map it all out and have come up with some interesting questions as a result!

1. the whole trip (there, back) is apparently about 3000 miles. this doesnt account for driving when i stop at friends houses, driving to see sights along the way, etc. so i'd estimate anoter 300 to 500 miles should be added to that. does this mean ill have to get my oil changed at some point? or can i do the trip and change it when i get back? -- keep in mind, a lot of highway speed strain will be put on the engine.

2. how long (time or miles) can the engine run before i should pull over and shut her off for a while to give her a rest? i may be driving around 5 or 6 hrs straight on some legs.

3. what would be a good, cheap gps unit that people have used. not to give me like points of interest or restaurant names, but just point a to point b instructions like "turn left... then right.. then left"?

i was thinking about the DeLorme USB-powered Earthmate GPS, which would run on my laptop. good choice?

4. anyone know a good place to find trails in various states on my route? maybe camping spots or view spots?

thanks guys.. i hope this info will help you guys when you plan your next road trip.

IamaFan

how often do you usually get oil changes? I usually use a 5000 mile interval so the 3000 mile trip wouldn't necessarily mean an oil change is necessary along the way, but that's just my preference. I've driven to Canada for the past two summers (~1300 miles each way) and each time drove the 4runner pretty much nonstop for about 24 hours (obviously not just me driving), so I think whenever you feel like stopping should be fine. As long as you're not overheating, I don't see any reason why you would need to make stops just to cool the engine. I don't really know about the GPS; I was also considering getting a Delorme USB GPS a month or two ago when Best Buy and CompUSA had the 03 version for about $90, but didn't. It would be nice to have a big laptop screen to look at, but would probably be hard to navigate through if you had to make a change while driving. I think one of the Garmin units might serve the same purpose, but w/ a much smaller screen .

Marc

IMO

1. change oil at end of trip
2. drive as long as you like (don't think you can go 5-6 hours on a tank though)

lee

i change my oil every 3000 to 3500 miles. the dealer usually writes every 4k on my sticker when they do it.. id just prefer not to have to worry about it and get it done early. i will probably wait till i get back for it. thanks!

im glad to hear you drove for so long non stop... thats way longer than ill ever do...

the garmin is VERY expensive... the delorme would be a cheap solution and would include the voice option...

lee

hmm... what if i rig up a tube system where i can pour gas into a funnel leading through a tube into my gas tank, thus filling while driving?



good point.

mike_d

doesn't matter. highway driving is the best kind of driving for the engine. you could possibly go as high as 10k miles if it was 100% long highway driving. just change the oil before you leave, and then when you get back.
don't worry about it. again, highway driving is real easy on the motor. anytime i go on a road trip, i only stop to fill up with gas which is usually in the 3-4 hour range. and my stops are only on the 5-10 minute range: just enough time to fill up on gas, go to the bathroom.

AKennedy87

I'll wheel with ya when I get back, I live in Chelmsford.

But at the begining of September I'll be out at UMASS Amherst finding trails out there.

Goold Luck on your trip,
Alex

Phisherman

I concur. Most of my driving is highway @ 1.5 hours per trip. I usually change my oil around 7500. 30 miles on the highway is much better on your engine than 30 miles through downtown.

ChickenLover

I wouldn't worry about changing the oil until you get back. I don't see any need to pull over and let it rest, I've driven my runner 17 hrs straight. As for the gps, if you are going to spend any money you might as well do it right. I would go with something like a Garmin Vista or Garmin GPS 5.

When I travel alone, I like to fold the back seats down and put an air matress back there. You can pull over and sleep just about anywhere. Oh, Walmart is known for letting people sleep in thier parking lots. Make sure to post some pics when you get back.

PoBoy

Why in the world are you going to Kansas City??!! There are quite a few off-road parks and trails along the way depending upon the route you take (norther route or southern route)...There was a website I found several years ago that listed ORV parks by state - Im sure if you google ORV parks you'll find a nice list. If you come through St. Louis, I can hook ya up with a cheapo place to stay for the night.

FWIW, I drove my '96 Runner from STL to Phoenix - Day one 7 - hours, day 2 - 15 hours, day 3 - 5 hours.

jackamot

to bad about your friends not joining you . that being said ... there is nothing in the world like taking a trip by yourself ..... FREEDOM you'll know what that means when you really get into your trip ... i recommend following the local highways instead of the intersate you'll see more . also when you start to feel groggy pull over and take a nap even if it's only for fifteen minutes it will make a huge difference .... good luck on your awesome adventure !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tulsa_97SR5

I think I saw this idea on an old Black Sheep Squadron episode... I say go for it!!! Just set a 100 gallon aux. fuel tank on the back seat + your hose & funnel idea!

On a serious note, I second Jackamot's suggestion to take highways instead of the interstate whenever possible. It's certainly more interesting scenery and I find it makes it easier to keep from getting drowsy on long stretches.

lee

lots to respond to!

thats good to hear, thanks!

right now i'm still leaning toward the delorme since ill have my laptop with me.. and from what i hear, it has every feature id need along my way. but keep the suggestions coming, im open to any ideas you guys have.

im gonna set up the system that someone (sorry, cant remember who) recently posted about, where you fold down one side of the rear seats and take it out to create a bed long enough for someone around 6' (which i am). thanks for the tip on walmart, and you can be sure ill post tons of pics!

im going to KC because a friend i havent seen in over a year is there and he promises a great time. we're gonna do some camping / fishing in addition to drinking and hanging out with girls. whats better than that??!

thanks for the tip on the orv list... and though i wont be going through st louis, i really appreciate the offer -- yotatechers are so nice

lee

thanks for the tip on the highways.. ill be sure to stick to that. i plan on doing a bunch of side trips to see the local fun stuff as it is, so im sure the highways will be better for finding that stuff than any interstate!

ill be sure to pull over and sleep when necessary. id rather not make as good time but make it alive! im not on any real fixed schedule, and if i have to sleep in my car one night instead of making it to a friends place, then so be it!

true! im getting more and more excited about this.. the main reasons i made the trip be in october is 1) this gives me plenty of time to plan it out right and 2) it was a good time to take off a 1.5 weeks from work

thanks again, all.

lee

good to hear!

lee

bump!



look how cheap this thing is! just picked it up, itll do me wonders on this trip...

lee

yes, i do realize it's refurbished, but any 'blemishes' are OK with me as long as it keeps drinks and food cold.

it plugs into the 12V and has an AC adapter... so when im in the car, ill plug it into the 12V, and when im at a buddy's house or hotel, ill plug into the wall.