Northern route — I-90 via Yellowstone (Boston → Seattle)
~3,000 miles, 14-21 days at a relaxed pace. Best season: late June through mid-September (Yellowstone passes close for winter).
Must-stops: Niagara Falls, Cleveland (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame), Chicago, Wisconsin Dells, Badlands SD, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone (3-4 days minimum), Glacier National Park, Spokane, Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle.
Vehicle considerations: high passes in MT/WA/ID — Sprinter AWD is overkill but helpful in spring/fall shoulder season. Diesel pre-heating not needed in summer; useful in shoulder.
Fuel budget: roughly 200 gallons total at 15-18 mpg. At $4/gal diesel that's ~$800.
Central route — I-70 / I-40 via Moab (NYC → LA)
~2,800 miles, 14-21 days. Best season: April-May and September-October (avoid Mojave summer heat).
Must-stops: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Frisco / Vail / Glenwood Springs, Moab UT (Arches + Canyonlands, 2-3 days), Las Vegas (overnight only), Mojave, Joshua Tree (1-2 days), LA basin.
Vehicle considerations: high passes in Colorado (11,000 ft) — gas vans lose meaningful power. Diesel performs better at altitude.
Fuel budget: ~185 gallons at 15-18 mpg = $750-800.
#vanlife field note
Van renter is planning a multi-week cross-country trip and needs honest route comparison + day-by-day planning.
Southern route — I-10 via Big Bend (Jacksonville → San Diego)
~2,400 miles, 12-18 days. Best season: November-March (avoid summer heat in TX + AZ).
Must-stops: New Orleans, Lake Charles, Austin (3-4 days, music + bbq + Hill Country side trips), San Antonio, Marfa, Big Bend National Park (3 days minimum), Las Cruces, Tucson, Saguaro NP, Phoenix, Joshua Tree, San Diego.
Vehicle considerations: West Texas + New Mexico stretches have 200+ mile gaps between cities — plan fuel carefully. Summer heat above 105F is hard on engines + on renters.
Fuel budget: ~150 gallons at 16 mpg = $600-650.
Honest tradeoffs vs. flying + renting at destination
A 14-day cross-country van trip costs roughly $4,000-7,000 (van rental + fuel + camping + food). A round-trip flight + 7-day destination van rental is roughly $2,500-4,000.
The cross-country trip is its own experience. If the destination is the point, fly + rent. If the journey is the point, van it.
PickRV one-way drop-off availability
Some PickRV hosts allow one-way rentals (pick up in one city, drop off in another) for an additional drop-off fee — typically $300-800 depending on distance.
One-way availability is shown on the listing. Most hosts do NOT allow one-way; the ones that do typically have a sister business at the drop-off city.
