In the days of road trip yore, families would pile into wood-paneled station wagons and blaze the trails of the American highway. But, with cramped backseats and that awful Cheez-It mist hovering, road trips have always been something of a discomfort.
If you're thinking of how you can make road trips a little more fashionable or accessorized or just plain comfortable, there are a handful of upgrades you can look into.
Here's a breakdown of some car accessories and updates you can implement to transform your vehicle into a rolling paradise.
For the Outdoors
Heading to the Great Outdoors, but rolling up in a mid-sized sedan or squeaky family van? Don't sweat it. You can go full Grizzly Adams by adding a couple of quick and easy car accessories. Throw on a rack system with two nine-foot PVC pipes and locking end caps to hold about a million (really, up to 80) fishing rods and some tackle boxes.
Staying overnight? Consider a handy rooftop shelter that fits on everything from Sentras to Sequoias. Two- and three-person models are typically available, so it's literally just like sleeping on the ground, except you don't have to find space inside to pack it.
Small Car Accessories
Sitting in the driver's seat for hours upon hours, driving through seemingly endless desert towns, could really tweak something or at least make your lower half fall asleep. Adding a gel-based cushion to your seats makes it feel like your floating, all cushy, when you've got a long haul ahead.
And how about eating in the car? You may want to clip some time off of your trip by eating in the car, but that's when the number four special ends up on your seat or Dr. Pepper gets spilled between the cracks in your middle console. Adding car accessories like an attachable work surface tray (even though it looks like a carhop accessory from the '50s) does wonders to protect your car from food and drink spills.
#VanLife
Ever since Instagram started taking over our lives, people have been posting pics of themselves drinking coffee and looking out over a ridge from the backseat of their converted van, eager to share their happiness since embracing the #VanLife.
While van life may be a social media-based pursuit, it does make for some rather comfy road living. If you're in the market to convert a Sprinter van into a mobile home for Millennials, fantastic; your social media presence will quadruple.
But, if you're just looking to add a dash of comfort and bring a slice of home along with you, then you can just add a couple touch-ups.
If you can spare it, trade out your backseat for a raised wooden platform that you can store stuff under and sleep on top of. This allows you to have space to pack and still have place to sleep for free when heading outdoors.