I Took My First Solo Road Trip Across the US in my Subaru Crosstrek and You Should Too
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- čas přidán 1. 12. 2020
- A year ago I traveled across the west of the US, visiting a national parks, off-road trails and a solo adventure on the road in my little Subaru Crosstrek.
This trip came after a tumultuous year of self-discovery, uncertainty and anxiety. I wanted at least a week where my task was simple, to enjoy the outdoors and start a campfire. No worries about the future, or jobs, or society.
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This video was originally intended to be a fun personal video journal of my solo adventure and I am happy to see that a lot of you found this enjoyable as well! I plan to do more adventures soon under different circumstances and with different cars in the future so please follow my main active channel at: czcams.com/users/HazardGarag...
I do various car videos and project builds on that channel as well! - Auta a dopravní prostředky
This was the inspiration for me to do chicken corners in my 21 white crosstrek last year thank you for the video.
Thats awesome to hear! And you just re-inspired me to do another trip in the crosstrek!
@@JDMHarry look forward to your content!
Six years ago I crossed Canada and returned through the USA in my trusty Vibe. Recently someone rear-ended me so I now have a Crosstrek. At 80 I appreciate the cruise control with lane centering. I just completed a short trip to Idaho and return to Vancouver.... Hold on there's a sign for a park up in the mountains of eastern Oregon. With snow about I had a deliciously cool night in my car. One night in a Hotel Six almost ruined my adventure.. I'm planning to do Northern BC before the snow flies.
Sometimes you don’t need to completely rig out your vehicle. Just go out and explore. Well done man 👌
thanks!
Yup. When I got my new Jeep YJ I did that. 'Kept it pretty simple...30" BFG MTs on stock wheels, a HiLift Jack, recovery strap, jumper cables, first aid kit, water jug, sleeping bag, tent, tunes, mtn bike locked on a sparetire rack, and an atlas. I went all over CO, UT, AZ, NV. Toroweap overlook, to the south of Fredonia AZ, is a great place to camp by the Grand Canyon if your vehicle has high clearance.
@@RKmndo that trip sounded awesome! I can't wait to do another trip again except this time take it a little more slow and enjoy.
I mean you still swapped tires and rims.....like all CZcams crosstreck videos. That’s a 800$ expense which is completely unnecessary.
@@robob221 It might not be unnecessary. Some places will easily puncture stock tire sidewalls with rocks/roots, or gum up treads with mud after just a drizzle of rain...stranding you somewhere that roadside assistance won't even bother trying to get to you.
After a pitcher we set out for our adventure.🤪🤪
Killer jams.....
😁😁
good document and testament of what this vehicle can do.
totally. love this vehicle.
Awesome scenery... thanks for sharing! I stupidly took my 1984 Subaru GL up to Chlorite City (Death Valley) and was lucky I did not bust an axle or tow driving over the bumpy terrain. Glad you were able to enjoy nature with your trusty and more modern Subaru! blue skies...
Thanks! and yeah, I did some research on the trails before going but they were rated from the eyes of a Jeep Wrangler so...easy for them was tough for me! Hope for blue skies for you too! Thanks for watching!
Love the wu-tang sticker over the subaru emblem! 🙌
🙌🙌🙌
Looks like a lot of fun! Definitely planning a road trip now!
Thanks! you totally should!
I really enjoyed this video, and the background music 🎵 makes it cool, two thumbs up 👍👍
Looks like an Epic trip, thanks for sharing. Was fun riding along.
it was! thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve had the cargo net in my trunk area since new and never once thought about latching it from the rear to the clothes hanger clips above the door. Good stuff man, thanks!
Awesome video mate, bloody great scenery
thanks! and it really was!
Looks like a cool trip.
Thanks for the inspiring video, good choice of music,...
glad you enjoyed it!
Great video dude. I enjoyed it very much
Thanks glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, The scenery is breath taking. I have a 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, I am looking forward to taking a road trip myself. I love your Crosstrek, Its very nice and great job with the video.
thanks!
@@JDMHarry love your setup with the crosstrek! I got a white 2018 outback myself!! I would love to go offroading with people like you.
@@subielife4life Thanks! Search for the Mtn Roo community of off-roading/adventuring subarus! facebook.com/groups/MtnRoo
There's also chapters for certain regions as well.
Loved your travels and thanks for sharing. I am wondering if I can navigate some of the camp roads in an Impreza though, they looked rough. Good for you for doing this!
Thanks! Yeah some of the roads ground clearance is needed. The crosstrek even scraped here and there. But if you research well you can find some cool places any car can reach!
Brave young man !
Wow! Amazing video! Thanks for sharing! New subscriber! I love my 2020 Crosstrek Premium, but wish I got the Limited! Maybe next time! Thanks again!
Thanks! It is nice to have the comforts of the limited but no matter the trim the little crosstrek is surprisingly comfortable and capable!
Amazing video.
Very cool, great video thanks
thanks!
Very cool! I reccomend sleeping bags, lol.
This was an awesome video man
thanks!
Really cool video!
thanks! glad you enjoyed it!
That's so cool
Nice video!
Great vid!
thanks!
Awesome video! Where did you get the Wu-tang badges?
instagram.com/orsinivinylanddesigns/
This man deserves more subs tbh
thanks! this was more of a personal video, didnt expect the reaction that it got but thankful! I actually do have an automotive channel that I might look into doing future trip videos on. Please check it out! @hazardgarage
I’ve got the same exact Subaru and am going cross country from NC to SoCal next month. So cool that your video popped up. Gets me excited to enjoy the journey!
Hell yeah! Hope you have a good adventure!
You should head out here to Washington State.......you will love the Mountain Forest here! I"m excited to get my New Crosstrek as well and start doing some camping in it!!
@@bigfootswatching9986 its now on the list! Its a great little car thats surprisingly capable. You're gonna love it!
Hey how did your cross country trip go I’m from NC as well would love to take a trip like that.
@@ra200 hey!! The car did amazing! The only issue was one daylight running lightbulb went out and I got it fixed in Alabama but it could have made it without fixing it. I’ve been in CA since the new year now and have gotten an oil change and that’s it, everything is running smooth! Compared to some friends who made it across the country and had their Jeep’s break down on them once they arrived.
Dope! We were out there at canyon land white rim trail Moab but didn’t make it up to where you were standing 💪🏼
you gotta go all the way next time! I was thinking about turning back cause a lot of people out on the trail were, but glad I decided to keep going.
For real! I have a 2020 cross trek and my bro has lifted outback 💪🏼 2nd trip soon
Legendary
Damn... that Ver. Ka Sazabi looks so good....
I plan on hitting the 5 National parks in Utah when I get my Outback. Also I have a Calif. road planned.
I want to do another trip in the future that is just UTAH it has some great scenery and trails! Some of the tough ones though I would feel better with a lift and some skid plates. But the little Crosstrek (w/ just AT tires) did well on chicken corners and nearby trails with minor scraping haha
Dude it gets to negatives in WY. It also snows every month there sometimes.
oh yes...i learned the hard way lol
I'm so excited to get out and doing stuff like this with my 14 SJ forester its going to be getting a ADF lift and torq locker here soon, are you going to be making anymore CZcams video's? this one was absolutely awesome!!
You sound like you're going to be well equipped for adventure! You know I've been meaning to go on another trip like this. I have another car related channel (@hazardgarage) that I've been concentrating on the past couple years and with work I've just been horrible and slowing down and taking a trip like this. But its my goal to at least do a mini adventure this year.
Thanks for watching and let me know how your trip goes!
I'm getting an impreza outback as my first car soon, can't wait to go on some trips. They're less spacious than other subis and are more sporty less off-roady, but it'll more than get the job done.
definitely will. some of the more rocky stuff might get tricky but they also make lift kits for the future!
@@JDMHarry Oh for sure, i'll definitley be souping it up one day. Love the vid btw 💪🏻
Was on the rocks about a Impreza..but seriously might get a Crosstrek or a Outback to go full on North (live in FL) sometime this year when I get a month off.
I want to be able to camp in it though. While not having to stop because of a few rough trails.
In the Crosstrek I was just about able to sleep in straight. 5' 7". an outback would definitely give you more room. Tough trails might help to have tires, lift and skid plates. My crosstrek has just tires and it made it through. But it was slowly and definitely some scrapes.
Those Wu-Tang emblems 👌🏼
✋🤚 Wu-Tang!
Sazabi ver KA represent!
This is dope man. I’m from San Francisco and this pretty much sold me on the Crosstrek. I want a smaller compact SUV that I can take off-roading. Always wanted to do a solo trip too. How long did this trip take you?? Anyways, thanks for inspiring us.
Yeah the little car surprised me for sure! Comfortable on the long highway stints but did surprisingly good on the trails for what it is. They might even becoming out with an offroad version soon with more ground clearance! This trip was about 1.5 weeks total. I didnt stay in many areas for long (1 night max). Now that I have been to a few places, I think my next trip I'll hang out in a few of my more favorite areas for a couple nights. Good luck on your trip!
Enjoyable video, awesome places. But be sure to ALWAYS carry a backpack on you with water and other essentials, especially when you go hiking, in case you ever have a situation where you encounter danger...whether it be falling off that cliff, or coming upon an animal, or getting lost. Check out EDC-every day carry-videos. Stay safe!
Jannah is correct. ALWAYS be prepared.
Nice vid. Thanks for sharing. I’m curious - is your Crosstrek the Sport or Premium?
Thanks for watching! It's a crosstrek Limited (with eyesight and all the creature comforts) 😄
Chicken corners safari route utah? I tried to find this place ya was referring to in video and this is the only place that came up. I would like to go where you did too. Thanks for sharing
chicken corners in moab utah! Maybe this link might be helpful: www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/chicken-corners-4x4-trail
Make sure to download the map offline as there is no cell service and to get there you will have to go through some rough trails. But my stock subaru made it (barely) but anything like a Jeep or more ground clearance will cruise. It was a little longer than I expected but very worth it at the end.
Great video and awesome Subaru. Do you have any skid plates on the bottom? I feel like those would be essential for road trips like this but i wanted to know if you had any installed.
no skid plates. the chicken corners trails were a bit 'rocky' at points but the rocks werent nearly large enough for much concern. These crosstrek has a decently healthy 8.7 inches of ground clearance. However, skid plates would definitely be a piece of mind and not bad if you can get em before such a trip.
Nice video and thank you for sharing your trip experience! I can’t make up my mind between the Crosstrek and the RAV4, any suggestions?
I would go Subaru all the way for its off-road capability. It definitely punches above its weight in this regard and has the most ground clearance stock!
@@JDMHarry Thanks for the advice, I think I will go with the Crosstrek too for its off-road capability plus lower pricing.
Cool vid man! Fellow bay area Crosstrek owner as well. I recently got some wheels with the grabber’s. Utah looks amazing, planning on going there next month.
Any plans to do add anything else to the trek?
Thanks! Utah is an off roaders dream! Also where chicken corners was in the video. Its doable in the crosstrek but youll be traveling slow cause it gets a bit rocky. The trail took me about a couple hours one way, and look into getting an offroad GPS app and download the maps before heading out (I sorta got lost coming back but was able to follow a jeep back)
I love the crosstrek as my daily but ive been eyeing a lift kit and a turbo kit...but who knows! Follow me on my main channel where if I have new crosstrek or trip content, ill be uploading it there. czcams.com/users/hazardgarage
@@JDMHarry Might as well just swap in an ej25 ;)
@@dlim1984 VA WRX front clip. lol
Awesome vid man! How many days did you spend from grand teton until the end (grand canyon)?
Thanks! I spent about 7-8 days traveling from southern california. A lot of driving and sometimes just staying for only a night in some places. Next time I'd like to stay a little longer in some of my more favorite areas to really take it all in.
Wow
Beautiful video. What's your rim/tire setup?
thanks! theyre sparco terra wheels 15inch with 215/75/15 general tire AT2
Never catch me on a cliff trail like that, HELL NO!!
lol yeah I hugged that wall pretty hard on chicken corners but tuweep trail gave me real vertigo hanging my feet off the side of the grand canyon 😱
16:12 "This is how you died"
Yo where did you get the WU Tang Emblem? That shit is soooo dope!
I got them from orsini vinyl and designs.
Nice video man! One question here is that did you get those tires lifted or just changed them to off-road ones?
no lift. 215/75/15 general grabbers at2. Stocks were 205s/18 I believe. it cleared almost every obstacle i ran across with a full loaded car, but a 2" lift would have been perfect.
Do you think the Crosstrek would have made it with the stock tires?
@@tzd I think so. Especially if you have X mode. Although the ride will probably be a bit more rough (lower profile tires) and you might have some traction problems on a few obstacles.
I plan on doing this soon after I build my trailer! So excited! Just had a question, do you need permit to get into some areas? For example Yellowstone?
Nice! Depends on where you enter the parks. For some dispersed camping sites at certain parks I didnt need to but others I needed a park pass (or pay at the gate). If you're going to plan like 3 or more national parks on your trip, go to a camping store and buy the yearly pass for like $80 (unlimited access to all national parks for a year).
Did you plasti dip or vinyl wrap your lower rear bumper? I always wished crosstrek had the lowerbumper in darker plastic like the rest of the cladding around the car.
yeah I did plasti dip the lower part of the rear bumper. I wish it was dark plastic too!
I heard that leaving the back open like that tends to drain the battery, did you have any issues with that?
I didnt have any lights on with the back open. So I had no issues.
Sounds like a muffler delete. And are both of those dual exhaust tips functional or just one side?
i swapped the stock muffler with an OEM WRX hatchback muffler and swapped the stock resonator with a cherry bomb glasspack resonator. All the tips have flow.
czcams.com/video/ihemxCpdb2o/video.html
Inspirational! Got my 2024 Crosstrek about a week ago now. Couldn’t be any happier. 2024 Crosstrek premium 2.0L.
I plan to do something similar starting 2024. I have a Short video of future adventurer on my channel, check it out if you would please!
Hell yeah! Super excited for you! It's a great looking car and you're going to have some great adventures in it!
I don’t know why people don’t just run their heaters when it’s cold and they are sleeping in their cars. Idling a 4 cyl engine takes less than 1/2 a gallon of gas per hour. Still way cheaper than a hotel.
You’ll die from carbon monoxide poisoning is why.
@@Sophos1964 not true. Cars are designed to keep carbon monoxide out of the cabin. The only way this would happen is if you were ruining the car inside of a closed building like a garage. If this were the case people who were in gridlock traffic would be dying like flies. Cities like LA would have carbon monoxide deaths reported daily.
Nice Video! What tires are you using?
General Tires AT2 215/75/15
Thank you!
you know how "to drive."
What type of equipment did you use to film and edit this video? Awesome job.
Thanks! It was interesting filming this solo for sure lol
Here's my gear:
Camera: amzn.to/3ldGsHk
Tripod: amzn.to/31pndCP
Bendy Tripod: amzn.to/3lbWj9f
Camera Microphone: amzn.to/3aSuAFJ
@@JDMHarry thanks for that info! I actually did the same solo road trip summer 2020. From SoCal to Yellowstone to Grand Tetons and back. 10 days!
@@lucindabaldwin9166 nice! which part was your favorite? I really liked camping in Grand Tetons cause the view was incredible but I really liked driving offroad in the turoweep overlook. Moab was also good but was a bit sketch in the subaru lol
@@JDMHarry Those Grand Tetons were stunning. I watched the sunset each night and it was amazing. I took the boat across and hiked around Jenny Lake. That was probably my favorite part too. I didn't have a camping reservation so I had to get there at like 5:30am to get a spot but it worked out. I didn't have a Crosstrek yet so I couldn't do any overlanding. I just bought one 3 days ago!!! Can't wait to see where I will take it.
@@lucindabaldwin9166 nice! I can't wait to get back out there too!
Where did you get that screen that you have on the back of your truck?
I used some generic netting (used to protect plants) from the dollar store and some magnets to secure it to the open hatch of my car
you have a lift kit? also i’d love to know what the tires/wheels are
no lift. Sparco Terras w/General Grabber AT2 215/75/15.
@@JDMHarry Is that recomended by Subaru?
@@malandvulamachawe6323 I believe the overall wheel diameter with my sparco set up remains the same as the oem limited wheels. my local dealer also sells some subarus lifted, with new wheels and tires off their showroom floor.
While off-roading and being far off the grid, how did you handle gas for the car? I’m looking to travel in my Crosstrek as well and I am interested to know if you maybe used extra gas containers for refueling or just planned stops at gas stations along the way
I just filled up before heading out to the trail. Gas wise, the car on really slow and rocky trails like MOAB I did about 10-15 mpg I think. So just plan accordingly. On the highway with almost 30 mpg and about 400+ miles per tank, there's lots of flexibility in finding places to fill up.
@@JDMHarry makes sense. These cars really are great with gas mileage anyways very true. I have one more question actually since I want to be smart about how I start my journey soon- what kind of navigation did you use? I assume far away parks and trails lose reception for phone directions so would you recommend studying the roads beforehand?
@@ajzstudios great question! I planned out the areas I wanted to visit and downloaded the area before hand onto my phone on google maps. That way you can use google maps offline where there is no reception. I also used an app called "GAIA" which is an offroad trails map and people post trail maps that you can download that include things like points of interest along the trail etc. Was VERY helpful and made me feel safe out there navigating by myself!
@@JDMHarry that’s awesome! I will definitely be doing that. I would not want to get lost on an off-road trail so those apps are gonna come in handy. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. I appreciate it and really love your video.
@@ajzstudios no problem! hope you have a good trip!
wyoming gets COLD
i definitely found out the hard way lol
@@JDMHarry its awesome..live LIFE. PEACE>
where did you get the Wu emblems?
Got them custom (provided the wu-tang emblem file) from orsini-vinyl-designs.myshopify.com/collections/emblem-overlays
Quick question. How was your mileage on your Crosstrek?
On the trails it was about 13ish give or take. hwy I would get maybe 27? the tires took some mpg away.
@@JDMHarry thanks for the reply.
@@JDMHarry hey dude. I picked up my Outback 1/22/21. Love it. Very nice car, looking forward to getting her out on the hwy. Still breaking the enhay in.
@@broinsocali nice! yeah these subarus are really great all around cars for long distance and some off-roading. comfortable while you doing it all too. Hope you have some great adventures!
Did you get sleepy while driving at all?
I did. 10 hour driving days sometimes. Chewing gum, car karaoke, podcasts, Red Bull, they all helped. In the end sometimes I did pull over to just rest. Also the Subaru's Eyesight helps with fatigue because it has cruise control that brakes and accelerates for you as well as lane keep assist to help from swaying across lanes.
16:22 You met a girl out in the middle nowhere inviting you back to her camp to have some fun with her and her friends. Did you take her up on the offer?
😱😱😱
You can hear him say "sure" like a g
So you're saying I should start my own YT channel, huh? lol
actually yeah! its pretty fun haha
but this isnt my actual youtube channel 😉
hey. unless I missed it, did you mention the tire size that you have ?!
np tires are 215/75/15
@@JDMHarry wicked thanks man.
Did you find the mileage changed much/at all when you swapped them ?
@@steedsful I did notice a bit of a mileage drop. Around 1-3mpg which seems normal since they are heavier and chunkier (more rolling resistance). But definitely worth it if youre doing any off-roading! I got stuck on stock tires and had to use X-mode on a nearby trail to climb out but when i came back to the same place with the General AT2 tires, I just drove through with no sweat.
What have you done to your crosstrek thus in turns to tuning or mods?
only mods are: 15" Sparco Terra wheels wrapped in General AT2 tires 215/75/15. Some mudflaps, shackles and an OEM WRX hatchback muffler modified slightly to fit the crosstrek. Other than that its a stock 2018 Limited.
Where did you buy that mosquito netting ? Got a link?
It was some generic garden netting (to protect plants) I found at a dollar store. I did find these on Amazon though amzn.to/3br5sYJ
@@JDMHarry did it work well? And thank you for the link.
@@themanwhich123456 It definitely helped especially when sleeping in the car and avoiding condensation. I still got some bugs lol but I also definitely saw some more trying to get in but not. Especially at night when I was sleeping in the car, those mfers were quick to go towards the interior light the moment the door opened. 😅
@@JDMHarry thanks, yeah I want to get a big screen but I feel like I will probably have to make my own. I'm gonna camp Alabama hills this summer and it gets hot. Bugs everywhere, and humid af. So I need something reliable for nighttime car camping.
@@themanwhich123456 you could probably get like actual bug screen sheets from the hardware store or garden store. It also helps to get some small but strong magnets. Thats how I got the screen to stay attached to the hatch
Awesome video, but tell me you're not crapping in kitty litter...
Thanks! and ok I wont....But I was...👀
@@JDMHarry omg thats the best thing ever im dead. so if you're doing that they have packets you can get on amazon or rei, where its got a gel and it sanitizes it so you can legally throw it away in the garbage
@@JDMHarry automatic subscribe for that :)) that's one of the funniest things I've ever seen bro you're a king
@@Borok85 lol thanks for the tip! I am glad we had this conversation. 🤣🤣🤣
What years is your Crosstrek
2018 limited!
Why do you need so many bins, and why not bring the dog?
was my first time driving and camping solo so I wanted to make sure I had enough supplies. Probably could consolidate next time. The pup definitely will come on some future trips. This particular trip was one of those get away from the kids and take a break from work type of mood. 😅
Nice vid bro. Stock suspension?
yup all stock except some all terrain tires
The dude made one video and disappeared
Pleass no drinking and driving, DUI
Awful music
Boooooooooring