Hey everyone,
My girlfriend and I are planning to take a year long road trip, starting in NY, going south, then west, then working our way up the coast to Alaska and then back to NY. We are going to take her 2013 Fit base model. I've driven it a few times, so I'm kinda familiar with it, but looking for any advice for the long haul. I'm also looking for advice on putting together a tool kit for common stuff that we might encounter along the way.

We plan on sleeping in the car so I'm also going to take out the back seats and build a platform close to this:Ultimate Road Trip Car Conversion (Honda Fit)

If anyone has any experience with something similar to that, let me know!

Thanks!

Also, any tips on what to see/do on the trip, or any tourist traps to avoid is always appreciated.

 

About the only tools I really would consider essential (besides the jack and lug wrench that come with the car) are a tire pressure gauge and some sort of a tire pump, either a manual bicycle pump or a little electric one that plugs into the cigarette lighter. The bicycle pump is quieter, probably quicker, and in some ways a little less annoying to use, but it does involve somewhat more exertion. Other basic tools like pliers and an adjustable wrench and screwdrivers can be handy at times, of course.

For most anything more exotic, probably the most useful tool is a small flat rectangle of plastic. Sometimes they have numbers embossed on them, and usually have "Visa" or "MasterCard" printed on one side.

It's hard to make many suggestions on things to see and do without at least a slightly more precise route and a little better idea of your interests. CA Route 1 up the pacific coast is a great road trip road, though many would say that driving it north to south is preferable to the opposite as you get a less obstructed view of the coastline. (On the other hand, if you're prone to vertigo or acrophobia, driving south to north may be a lot more comfortable.) It is in places a very twisty road, so exercising due caution is advised.

For the trip south, depending on the time of year when you head out, taking Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park to the Blue Ridge Parkway and then through Rocky Mountain National Park is a beautiful way to go. From there, you could hop over and follow the Natchez Trace parkway south.

Do plan the timing of the trip to Alaska with some care. After approximately Labor Day many of the gas stations etc. along the Alaska Highway close for the season. Consider buying a copy of the "milepost guide".

I assume you are already aware of this, being from upstate New York, but make sure you have the necessary documents for crossing the border into and out of Canada. An Enhanced Driver's License is probably the least expensive way to get appropriate immigration documents (assuming your state is one of the few that issues them, which New York is), or else have a passport or a passport card. If you think you may be flying overseas within the next few years, a full passport will be required for that. Also be aware of what items are prohibited or restricted at the border crossing; commonly encountered are various agricultural products (exactly what changes from time to time) and guns and related accessories.

 

Taking I-80 west to the coast? Apparently it has become a major pipeline for marijuana exiting Colorado to parts east and is now heavily patrolled. Obviously you have nothing to worry about if you're not smuggling, but let me relate this story as a warning.

Couple years ago, I was driving said I-80 route from Cali back to my home in WI. I'm driving through Omaha late at night, maybe 11pm or so. I see a state trooper on the road along with me but don't pay too much attention as I'm not speeding or doing anything wrong. Or so I thought.

I made a signaled lane change...next thing I know, trooper is pulling me over. I have no clue why. Officer comes around to the passenger side window and starts looking through the car very carefully with the flashlight. Doesn't even say anything for a short time. I ask him, officer, is there a problem? He says yes but doesn't say what. Asks for license and registration, he takes it and then does the disappearing act. All the while, I'm still wondering why I'm pulled over.

He comes back. "Sir, you didn't signal that lane change at least 100 feet ahead." I am just stunned. Ticky-tack foul. Obviously he was going for something more than a lane change violation, and seeing out of state plates for a car on I-80, that was enough justification for him to pull me over.

He lets me off with a warning. It took me awhile to figure out what that was all about.

Nebraska especially seems to have issues with MJ flooding the state from CO, more so than the other surrounding states. OK, now I get it.