FAQ: What car should I bring on the caravan?
- Austin Coop
- Oct 31, 2025
- 5 min read
How to pick the right vehicle for your Two Lane America caravan...
One of the most common questions we hear from people is what car is BEST for taking one of our car caravan tours. Whether you’re thinking of taking our Route 66 caravan or one of our other great itineraries, here’s some things to keep in mind when picking which car to bring as well as some examples of what works well and what doesn’t work so well.
Comfort/Space
Our trips range from 6-13 days depending on the itinerary, so you’ll want a vehicle you’re comfortable in. That obviously looks different for everyone, but you’ll be in and out of the car several hours each day, so comfort is key!
And, of course, you’ll be buying souvenirs and having to pack for several days on the road. If you have a car you’re thinking of taking but worried about space, we suggest getting some packing cubes and experiment with using those and just bringing in a smaller carryon.
Most of our hotels on all of our trips do have laundry, so you can save on packing by doing laundry while on tour as well.
Road and Weather Conditions
As a general rule, none of our tours are purposely taking you “off roading” or anything like that, but we will occasionally hit road construction where the road may have patches of gravel and dirt. Some of the parking lots of our stops are also gravel. (and some, from time to time, can have speed bumps, rough curbs, etc.)
Our trips are typically a mixture of interstate and two-lane roads, so rock chips on paint and windshields are always a risk.
Your vehicle should also be comfortable to drive in the rain. If we encounter very severe weather, we make attempts to safely pull over and shelter, but we will drive through regular rainstorms. (Our New England trip can occasionally see cold morning temps as well, so for that particular trip, all season tires are recommended.)
At the end of the day, you’re bringing a car that’s going to be driven, so if getting it dirty or potentially getting a rock chip would break your heart, then you should probably bring a different car! (We will point out times and places for car washes, though!)
Safety
Any vehicle that participates in one of our tours should be able to do highway speed (70+ MPH) and must have all of its standard safety features working properly.
We also highly, highly recommend your car have good, functioning air conditioning as we go through some very hot places out west. Without air conditioning, you could be putting yourself in a dangerous situation on some of the drives across desert.
Technology
We utilize Google Maps extensively on our trips, so at the very least, you’ll want a cell phone mount for GPS directions. Many of you may have a later model car that can use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. That is even better! If you have a car that you can pair to your phone, navigating on our trips is a breeze!
Side note: we know GM and some other manufacturers are stopping their support of Android Auto and CarPlay in the coming years. We’re watching this develop and will see what workaround we can do once it goes live in a few years.
So those are a few of the thoughts we have about selecting the right car for your trip. Now, how about some specific examples of vehicle types…
Sports Car
We get a lot of late model sports cars on our trip, and, of course, we love that. Your sports car is typically a great choice for our tours. You’ll want to consider if the car is physically comfortable for you for long drives. You’ll also want to make sure you’re comfortable with the mileage you’ll be putting on the car. As we mentioned above, there’s always a risk of road damage, so if your sports car is your absolute “baby,” you may want to leave her in the garage. If you’re ok with your sports car getting a little dirty, then bring it on!
Pros: enjoyment of driving it, photos of car at places
Cons: luggage space, mileage, risk of rock chips, etc.
Personal passenger car/SUV/truck/minivan
Of course, your personal daily driver may be a great option as well! We’ve even had more than one person bring their pickup truck so they’d have extra space for goodies on trips, and that’s no problem.
Pros: luggage space, comfort, familiarity of driving it
Cons: not as much fun as your sports car to drive, mileage
Rental Car
A rental can often be the perfect car for one of our trips, especially if you’re tight on time and can’t spend several days getting to or from one of our tours. In terms of what “type” of rental, it doesn’t really matter. Just about any rental car will do the trick! We suggest checking to see if your credit card or other membership cards or car insurance company covers rental damage. If not, you’d probably want to purchase it through the rental car company.
For our Route 66 trip, you’d most likely drop it off in a different location that where you picked it up, which will come with a fee, but
Pros: Can fly to/from the trip, no mileage on your personal car, don’t have to worry about rock chips, etc.
Cons: not as familiar as your own car, one-way rental fees, not as much fun as a sports car
Classic Car (stock)
While we LOVE classic cars at Two Lane America, our tours are not generally designed for them. We don’t have a chase truck and trailer, so if it breaks down, you’d have to get roadside assistance for a flatbed.
A stock classic car also doesn’t generally like the changes in elevation on our RT66 trip. Not to mention things like belted tires, no power steering, etc. can make a long road trip very physically demanding.
IF you’re considering bringing a classic car, please make sure it’s had some serious miles put on it!
Resto-Mod
Your resto-mod may or may not be a good choice for one of our tours depending on the car and how comfortable you are taking it long distances. If this is your “show car,” I’d just be leery about taking it on a long trip.
At the end of the day, you know your car better than we do, so we trust you to make the right decision. We’re always available to chat about specific concerns. It’s all about you having the best trip possible!
One last thing… We do utilize hotels on some of our trips where valet parking is our ONLY option. (Chicago on Route 66 in particular) If you absolutely, positively won’t let someone valet park your car, that car won’t be a good fit for the trip.
And just a little reminder… these vehicles are prohibited on our tours unless given special authorization by Two Lane America
Motorcycles
RVS
Trailers
