How Should I Travel From Seattle To Ft. Hood?

[Tour 931]

I will be driving to Fort Hood from Seattle and will be making the least amount of stops possible going down and coming back which will give me the most time visiting my friend in the Army.

I can take the Outback and CI and travel in style but it will put about 4,000 miles on it roundtrip and I won't really be able to enjoy the trailer all that much. The Outback is nice to drive but if I only take it I have no where to sleep.

Or I can take my Ford Transit Connect (TC) and sleep comfortable in the back on a mattress. But the TC isn't all that much fun to drive. And it is not very photogenic.

Any thoughts?

 

[lorieandkeith]

I have slept in the back of the Subaru before, but it was pretty rough. I used a blow up mattress. Basically, I hated it and wasn't able to sleep:

1. You can't get the windows up or down without getting out of the car, going to the driver seat, and using the keys.
2. You can't get out of the back - no handle. You have to fold yourself up and get out of the side doors, which is pretty challenging because the seat is folded down.

Later I noticed that Subaru started advertising suggesting that you could sleep in the back of the car. It was clear to me that no one with the company had ever tried it.

 

[Ben]

I will be driving to Fort Hood from Seattle and will be making the least amount of stops possible going down and coming back which will give me the most time visiting my friend in the Army.

I can take the Outback and CI and travel in style but it will put about 4,000 miles on it roundtrip and I won't really be able to enjoy the trailer all that much. The Outback is nice to drive but if I only take it I have no where to sleep.

Or I can take my Ford Transit Connect (TC) and sleep comfortable in the back on a mattress. But the TC isn't all that much fun to drive. And it is not very photogenic.

Any thoughts?

If the trip is really about maximizing time at Fort Hood, I'd fly. If you plan it somewhat in advance and get decent ticket prices, it would be considerably cheaper than the cost of driving (figuring wear and tear, etc). Doing a quick search on Southwest, you can fly roundtrip Seattle to Dallas for $250 and Seattle to Austin for $298. Either rent a car or have your friend pick you up.

If however you want to see your buddy as a goal but have lots of time to come and go then why not take the scenic route and make lots of stops along the way? It's fun to use google maps and "Avoid Highways" option. See where all it will take you and how you might see some interesting things along the way with only slight detours. I wish I had the time to make such trips but with work it's just not possible at this point in my life.

 

[Tour 931]

I have slept in the back of the Subaru before, but it was pretty rough. I used a blow up mattress. Basically, I hated it and wasn't able to sleep:

1. You can't get the windows up or down without getting out of the car, going to the driver seat, and using the keys.
2. You can't get out of the back - no handle. You have to fold yourself up and get out of the side doors, which is pretty challenging because the seat is folded down.

Later I noticed that Subaru started advertising suggesting that you could sleep in the back of the car. It was clear to me that no one with the company had ever tried it.

Thanks, I didn't think I would want to sleep in the Outback.

 

[Tour 931]

If the trip is really about maximizing time at Fort Hood, I'd fly. If you plan it somewhat in advance and get decent ticket prices, it would be considerably cheaper than the cost of driving (figuring wear and tear, etc). Doing a quick search on Southwest, you can fly round trip Seattle to Dallas for $250 and Seattle to Austin for $298. Either rent a car or have your friend pick you up.

If however you want to see your buddy as a goal but have lots of time to come and go then why not take the scenic route and make lots of stops along the way? It's fun to use google maps and "Avoid Highways" option. See where all it will take you and how you might see some interesting things along the way with only slight detours. I wish I had the time to make such trips but with work it's just not possible at this point in my life.

My criteria is to drive. All of what you say is true and I've taken the backroads down to Texas several times pulling my Little Guy with my Bronco II. I could easily do it dozens of times more as I never get tired of it. But because of factors I can't take six weeks to get there this time. I need to be in Texas in eight days from now and need to be back by the Fourth of July.

The TC was setup for camping and I used it for about two years between the Little Guy and Camp-Inn. Granted it is not as deluxe as the Outback and CI but does have advantages over them. The only thing it lacks for this trip is the "coolness" factor.

Taking six weeks to drive 4,000 miles roundtrip is fun but also driving 4,000 miles in six days (three each way) is also fun. I drove long haul and driving ten hours a day and sleeping eight hours day after day is something I really enjoy. So the real question is would driving the Outback and pulling the trailer be worth putting the miles on it?