Would any of you jump at the chance to take a month-long, 7,100-mile trip in the middle of nowhere with your significant other? How about camping and living off the grid in a vehicle nearly the entire time? There’d be creepy crawlers, curious critters, and lots of navigating.
My husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I are driving a modified 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness from Subaru of America across the United States via the TransAmerica Trail (TAT for short). While mostly stock, there were a few things we needed to add to keep it together and increase capability.
We will primarily be on dirt roads, trails, and mountain passes—alone. What are our necessities, how are we prepping ourselves, and how do we plan to stay sane? We’ll spill the beans as seasoned campers, navigators, and off-road drivers.
Each journey brings its own challenges, so let’s get into the tried and true, and how to prepare for the unexpected.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
What (And Where) Is the TransAmerica Trail?
The TAT connects many trails, forming an interconnected web across our nation. Andy and I are doing the entire East-to-West-Coast jaunt, to the tune of an expected 7,100 miles. It will effectively be the longest time we’ve spent in a vehicle and together—alone—at one time.
Andy will drive and I’ll navigate using turn-by-turn instructions and paper maps. However, we’ll have digital tracks on our Garmin GPS device as back-up. There won’t be much personal time as I need to keep us on route. But there will be lots of time for talking and seeing the scenery along the way.
Doing the TransAmerica Trail has long been a bucket list item for us. We discover our true selves and are most centered when traveling. Whether it’s an hour-long drive in the countryside or an overseas 16-day road rally that spans nine countries and nearly 5,000 miles around the Baltic Sea (yes, we did that together). We find ourselves in a natural rhythm, and let the road (or off-road trail) speak to us. And, the best part is, we listen.
It’s taken us years to hone our packing and traveling skills no matter if we’re driving, flying, or hiking—we still learn with every trip. We love being in remote places, experiencing nature. And, for us, doing it off the beaten path is the best and most serene way to connect with our surroundings and each other.
Like All Good Things, Communication is Key
Having good communication on long trips is key, and we’ve learned to give each other “mental” space at times. This is especially true when we’re essentially living in a tiny rolling home sitting right next to each other the entire time.
We pinky swear before each major trip with thoughts that are important to us: Be kind to each other. Keep the car “shiny side up” and don’t hit any animals. Have fun and be safe. We also have funny “safe words” to use when communication breaks down, which inevitably can happen. Silly words or phrases can help break up tension and may result in laughter, so we can recenter ourselves and attend to the issue at hand.
The TransAmerica Trail is an overlander’s dream, and our driving factors behind doing it are to experience it together and test a vehicle in an unusual and challenging way. It’s the ultimate adventure to see the country on an intimate level, making a lifetime of memories! It’s a chance for us to reset, revive, and renew. TAT may not be a walk in the park to navigate (or drive), but we’re prepping for it in many ways, including the vehicle.
READ MORE: Your New Car is Built For Off-Roading. But Does It Have What It Takes for Overlanding?
Prepping the Subie For the Journey Wasn’t Too Bad
We’re partnering with Subaru of America and mildly customizing a 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness for TAT. While we’re keeping this all-wheel-drive vehicle mostly stock, we’ll add a few important upgrades and carry key equipment to help make this husband-and-wife effort a successful one. We’ll have several Subaru-available accessories, including a Thule rooftop tent and crossbars, as well as a 2” hitch receiver.
Here is a list of aftermarket modifications and key gear for the car:
- 225/65 R17 BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires
- Satin black 17X8 (+38) Reika Seeker wheels
- Front, transmission, and rear Primitive Racing Triple Armor Skid Plates
- Rally Innovations 2024+ Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Rally Light Bar mount
- Baja Designs XL-R Pro LED Lights
- RiG’d Supply UltraSwing Short Fit Hitch Spare Tire Mount and SideHack fuel can holder
- MAXTRAX XTREME recovery boards (their new LITE boards would also work well for small SUVs and CUVs)
- ARB Classic Series II fridge, 2.0M Soft Case Awning with Light, Single Motor Portable 12-Volt Air Compressor, and Speedy Seal Tire Repair Kit
- Ecoflow 800W Alternator Charger and DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station
- Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0 shackle bracket recovery point
READ MORE: We Survived 8 Days in the Dirt Off-Roading at the 2023 Rebelle Rally
What Makes the Crosstrek A Good Fit for the Job?
While the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness we’re driving isn’t completely stock, even from the factory, it’s an incredibly capable car. The standard Crosstrek’s ride height settles at 8.6″, but the Wilderness package comes with a lift from the factory that brings it up to 9.3″. That’s only 0.3″ of a difference in ride height to the Jeep Wrangler.
It also comes with Yokohama Geolander AT tires (though, of course, we replaced the stock tires with the BFGoodrich KO2 ATs), giving it an extra bit of bite when the going gets tough. It may come with a CVT, which many criticize in an off-roader, but Subaru’s X-MODE terrain select system tunes it to handle snow, dirt, deep snow, and mud.
On the inside, the Crosstrek Wilderness comes with Subaru’s waterproof StarTex material on the seats. When dealing with mud or snow, it’s a game-changer, since you won’t have to deal with stains in the seat after you’ve collected yourself from an adventure. Of course, it wouldn’t be an off-road-ready SUV without all-weather floor mats or cargo covers.
To boot, that matte black stripe doesn’t just look cool, it keeps the sun from glaring into the windshield. This is definitely going to help out on our long excursion through the American countryside.
All while being very fairly priced. The base level of the Wilderness is $34,995, while all the available add-ons push it up to $38,877.
READ MORE: 10 Things My Family Loved About the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Our Best Advice for Curious Adventurers
It doesn’t matter if it’s a month-long (plus) off-road trip you’re taking together or a weekend spin to the beach, prep is key for a trip’s success. And, if anything breaks down, just know that most times it’s the situation that can make it stressful and not each other.
And, if it happens to be your spouse who you don’t agree with, it most likely is something you can break the tension with a silly safe word, a time out, or another break you come up with to keep the adventuring mojo flowing. Trust me, it’s worth trying to find another level of experiential learning and freedom with each other.
We can’t wait for this trip. It’s worth trying it with your loved one. If it’s not for you, that’s OK. Start small. However, you never know, you may fall in love adventuring together in this manner and will soon find any waking moment to be on the road or trail together like we did.
Stay tuned for Part 2 as I dish on the juicy details on the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness and why we chose the upgrades and associated gear we’re using to conquer the TransAmerica Trail together!
READ MORE: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Review: The Best Outdoor Companion
And Now, To Answer Some FAQ’s About Remote Camping
Q: How do you entertain yourselves without wifi?
A: We’ll have a Starlink Mini with us but anticipate not having much time for personal entertainment along the way. We will have cell phone/internet access sporadically.
Q: How do you bathe?
A: We will use shower-pouch type wipes and dry shampoo along the way and get to a motel/hotel once in a while to do laundry and actual showers.
Q: How do you manage gas/car care in such a remote environment?
A: We’ll carry a five-gallon fuel canister with us and will pass through small towns to refuel. We’ll also be practicing mechanical sympathy to not damage the vehicle on tough trails. We’re bringing tools, vehicle recovery gear, and such with us, too.
Q: What are your staples to bring as food and why?
A: Protein-loaded foods and Mountain House meals. Protein helps you stay fuller longer and MH meals are quick and easy to make (and are tasty).
Q. How do you manage water intake?
A. We’ll bring along a five-gallon water canister, double-walled water containers, as well as a Camelbak water bladder to hang off of a rear seat for small sips during each day while driving.
Q. How about organizing your personal items?
A: We’re bringing our 110-Liter Ortlieb rolling duffle for bulky camp supplies, a Pelican case to house our Starlink Mini system, smaller backpacks for tech and camera gear, and larger hiking backpacks for personal clothing, toiletries, etc.
READ MORE: Gotta Get Away? 5 Ways Car Camping Has You Covered
