For years, I was curious with the TransAmerica Trail (TAT). This is a transcontinental route, primarily on dirt, going from North Carolina to Oregon. When I first learned about it, I was intrigued; most who ran it did it on motorcycles. Then I heard it was doable in a four-wheeled vehicle, and I added to the bucket list. Now, my wife, Mercedes, and I are partnering with Subaru of America to attempt this nearly 5,000-mile route.
The Vehicle: 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
We’re working with Subaru of America to drive the TAT, and we’ll be doing it in their 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness. With 9.3″ of ground clearance, AWD, and space for gear, it’s a good AWD candidate. The rig isn’t going to be heavily modified, but there will be some upgrades. Mercedes details the modifications and required gear in her article at OVR Magazine. But the quick list looks of our product partners like this:
- 225/65/17 BFGoodrich KO2 tires (up from 225/60/17)
- Reika Seeker wheels (17×8)
- Primitive Racing Skid Plates
- Rally Innovations Light Bar
- Baja Designs XL-R Sport LED lights
- RiGD’D Supply UltraSwing Short Fit Hitch Spare Tire Mount
- MAXTRAX XTREME recovery boards
- ARB Single Motor Portable 12-Volt Air Compressor
- ARB 2.0M Soft Case Awing With Light
- ARB Speedy Seal Tire Repair Kit
- ARB 50-Quart Classic Series II Fridge Freezer
- Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0
- Ecoflow 800W Alternator Charger
- Ecoflow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station
In addition, there will be some factory accessories, such as Thule crossbars, a Thule roof top tent, Subaru trailer hitch, and more. But we’re keeping the suspension and the engine stock. We will also have few other items, such as a Starlink Mini, our Garmin Tread Overland GPS, and our Rugged R1 radios for comms and some navigation duties. Speaking of …
Navigating The “TAT”
I’ll be the driver and Mercedes will navigate. We bought the maps from the TransAmerica Trail site, which includes GPX files, paper maps, and roll chart turn-by-turn directions (typically used for motorcycles).
While there are a few route options on the TAT, our journey should take us some 4,253 miles from North Carolina to Oregon, again, mostly off pavement. Due to the damage inflicted from last year’s Hurricane Helene, we may need to change course in the east. Additionally, there could be sections in the Rocky Mountains we may need to skirt due to difficulty, but we’re not 100% sure yet. We will certainly be doing the vast majority of this cross-country journey.
We’re continually tuning into Facebook groups and forums for updates on the trail, and researching everything in hopes of a successful completion! We’re totally stoked.
Follow Along
You’ll be able to follow along with us on the TAT journey by staying tuned to our Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky accounts. We’ll have all sorts of stories to write after our trek, which we anticipate taking 3–4 weeks. We’ll likely see a little bit of everything weather-wise, from heat and humidity, to cool temps and rain. We shouldn’t see any snow showers, but hey, you never know!
Thanks to everyone who’s supporting us in this crazy adventure. We can’t wait to get started!
