The idea was this, take a Toyota commercial truck and convert it to a travel camper fit for three buddies and a year of frugal travel. Over the course of two years, the friends did just that, starting with the main living space, equipped with all the modern conveniences like a rice cooker, refrigerator, storage, a bath tub in the restroom, and a nice fold out deck opened on by double doors.

The really cool part happens upstairs. To get an upstairs on a compact truck box cube, they created an ingenious hinged mechanism which lifts a large section of the outer skin upwards then folds a second layer under it, creating a fully enclosed living space. Entry is by a door in the floor and narrow steps downstairs which double as storage.

Its construction reminds us of the izakayas we saw along Nonbei-yokochō street in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. These tiny bars and restaurants barely have enough space for three people inside and feature super steep stairs to their more spacious, though also insanely tiny, upstairs.

When the guys were done with it they traveled all around Tokyo for a year, visiting some of the most beautiful and amazing places in the country. The complete build blog and travel adventure documentation is on their website, and if you happen to live in Japan and are interested in a lightly used, very custom, super cool RV, they're selling it! Only $5,500! Call us sentimental, but we'd keep that thing forever and ever if it were ours. [Two Story Camping Car]

10. The National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Nothing says America like the Corvette, and no place better preserves the spirit and history of the classic American sports car than the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky, near the production site of the Corvette. Get a look at historic Corvette models, learn about the production history and get your own Corvette specially detailed (if you have one). It's like Mecca, but less crowded. [Corvette Museum]

9. Auburn - Cord - Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, Indiana)
Believe it or not, there was once an automotive operation in the U.S that wasn't based in Detroit. The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana preserves the unique story of these three companies, all important in their day. The museum also remembers the seven other brands of cars produced in Auburn. The Gallery of Classics shows off cars from the "classics era" that competed to be the cream of the cream. [ACD Museum]

8. Jay Leno's Garage (Secret Location, California)
When Jay Leno does something interesting or noble with cars, like rescuing a Duesenberg, the resulting cars end up in the Big Dog Garage, which houses cars powered by turbines, steam and the engine out of a Patton tank. Though not exactly on the map, we totally think it would be worth it to just show up and beg to be let inside (you could also break a window, but then you might damage a car). We hear the Popular Mechanics boys know where it is, go ask them. [Jay Leno's Garage]

7. The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Michigan)
What would an American automotive pilgrimage be without a trip to the greater Detroit area and The Henry Ford Museum? Though not everything is car-themed, there's an amazing collection of automotive history, including Rosa Parks' bus, the Lincoln in which JFK was assassinated and the relatively untragic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. If you leave "The" out of the museum's name, they cart you off to the turn-of-the-century jail outside in Greenfield Village, a place of make-believe designed to capture the spirit of the American Industrial Revolution. Also, they have really good pies. [The Henry Ford]

6. Indianapolis Motor Speedway & Museum (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The self-proclaimed "Racing Capital Of The World," the Brickyard has a lot to offer in the way of a journey for racing fans. In addition to the famous track, the accompanying museum includes historic footage, a large trophy collection and timing equipment from the older days. Of course, there's always a collection of dozens of rare vehicles, including the Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250LM and the more American 57' SSI Corvette. If you know who to tip, you may even get a chance to head down into the basement because that's where the real magic is stored. Non-disclosure agreements prevent us from saying anything more. [Indy Motor Speedway]

5. The ArtCar Museum (Houston, Texas)
For those more inclined toward customization and personalization, the ArtCar Museum (a.k.a. The Garage Mahal) contains a large collection of outstanding testaments to our rolling culture. There's also a rotation of cars, sculptures, photos and paintings that chronicle the evolving art of cars. [ArtCar Museum]

4. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California)
Covering over 300,000 square feet and four floors, the history of the automobile is lovingly detailed at the relatively new Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Current exhibits include "The Art of Cars," "Nascar: 60 Years" and the totally meta "From Autocamp to Airstreams: The Early Road to Vactionland." It's like the Library of Alexandria of cars... but without the tragic destruction. Petersen Museum

3. Historic Route 66 (Chicago to Los Angeles)
Though no longer marked as an actual highway, there are plenty of resources to help you make the trip from the Second City to the City of Angels along Route 66, the Mother Road. Whether you do the entire journey or a small historic portion of the road, like Holbrook to Topock, there's plenty to see along the way. If you make it through the Texas panhandle, we recommend the leaning water tower in Groom, Texas, which was built to attract tourists making the journey. [Historic 66]

2. Carhenge (Alliance, Nebraska)
A detailed recreation of Stonehenge made from 38 spray-painted classic American automobiles, Carhenge is an undeniably weird and awesome destination for those with a car-spiritual nature. The stewards of the site have worked with artists to place other car-based sculptures, such as a take on Vivald's "Four Seasons" made with Fords. [Carhenge]

1. Deals Gap (Blount County, Tennessee)
Considered by many to be the best driving in the country, the portion of U.S. Highway 129 in rural Tennessee is a must-visit for those with superior automobiles (or not) and a thirst for spirited transportation. The Tail of the Dragon, in particular, is said to contain more than 300 curves in less than 11 miles. Lacking any serious development, it's mostly uninterrupted driving... with the exception of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Be safe, be quick but be wary of the flashing lights. [This is what it looks like In An Audi TT]

These are the 10 we could come up with, but feel free to add American automotive pilgrimages of your own.

Not only is this a great-looking replica of the movie star car, but open up that hood and you'll find something else not found on a standard Ford wagon: A 5.3-liter GM small-block V8 plucked from a 2002 Chevy Silverado. The guy who built it up said he just had the motor lying around anyways, so why not drop it in? That's our kind of thinking. Now, he plans on driving the Truckster in the Hot Rod Power Tour, where he's sure to turn some heads with this sweet metallic pea green machine.
[LS1tech.com] Hat Tip to John and Richard!

Automobile Magazine's Best Road Trip Vehicles By Category

Best Seats: Volvo S80

Most Versatile: Chrysler Town & Country

Most Cargo Space: Dodge Sprinter

Best Entertainment System: Infiniti M35/M45

Best Fuel Economy: Toyota Corolla/Honda Civic Hybrid (tie)

Best To Sleep In While Moving: Lexus LS460L/LS600hL

I've decided that since I gave 11.5 years of my life to this country, and even lost body parts fighting for it, I want to SEE it, and the people who live in it. My plan is to drive basically a big circle around the USA from TN to Maine, then Oregon, down Cali and off to Key West. I have a beat up 1984 Suburban I've been preparing for the trip, and my plan is to live in it, along with my mildly retarded Boxer. I hope to see a lot of sites, stay off the interstates, and meet a lot of interesting people along the way...

We're big fans of excess and therefore like the idea of any Reagan-era Winnebago powered by the Toyota 22R. You've got comfort (there's a bed), pretty reasonable mileage, a bathroom and nothing but style. On the other end, we think we could cross the country stealthily in a V8-powered Phaeton. But that's us. It's your trip, your dime and your dream.

[Photo: Toyota Dolphin 86]

We were tempted to mock these guys with a headline something along the lines of "Utahns Meet World," but it turns out this is actually pretty cool. Their route was originally drawn up by Josh's dad 15 years ago, who was forced to abandon his dream due to a death in the family. The three friends have since updated it with the help of Google Earth. To make the record time they're driving straight through, alternating naps in the back seat of their Scion xB with turns driving and navigating. The Guinness World Record committee wouldn't sanction their attempt for fear of sanctioning dangerous driving, so if Josh, Adam and Joey are successful, all they'll get is the satisfaction of having done it. [The Great American Road Trip via NPR]

Thanks to Nate for the tip.

Driving the latest iteration of the Bullitt was a great deal like driving the '67 Barracuda I pummeled for years around the bay area, except nicer and with a five-speed in place of the fusty old Torqueflite. Much nicer. The windows didn't whistle. It had AC. The interior didn't smell like horsehair furniture from ye olden days museum. We didn't even get lost thanks to onboard nav. The exhaust was legally more subdued, but still kicked out a great soundtrack. This music was so good that we didn't even turn on the radio or find the iPod full of period-correct hits in the center console. The volume control was underfoot. 3500 RPM to the rev limiter was the playlist. Each gear was a fresh new track.

Out from Fort Mason and past the Safeway famous for yuppie love, we hopped the back end of the Bullitt over the hill to Geary. The first reaction was to veer off planned course and head down to Red's Java Hut for a double-cheese, or maybe to Tosca for a coffee. Fighting the overall urge to drift down to what's left of the docks lost in some amalgam of San Francisco cop movies and television shows was tough for about five minutes. The Bullitt pointed anywhere would do just fine. Besides. Mike Stone and Inspector Keller rolled the Streets of San Francisco in a Galaxie, the vehicles had been supplied by Ford, and Dirty Harry drove a Plymouth. We'll wait until they re-issue the Fury for any down by the harbor this is my gun Clyde action.

Moving out Geary and through Golden Gate Park we hit the Great Highway in the shadow of the old Nike missile bunkers on our way to Pebble Beach. What fine golf courses have to do with TV-dinner-eating, hard-boiled San Francisco Lieutenants remains a mystery. We thought we were going to end up at what's left of the Thunderbolt Hotel out by the airport in San Mateo, or get holed up at some flophouse down by the Embarcadero. No luck and no matter. Thirty-nine years have changed the city of Detective Frank Bullitt. A 1968 Mustang fastback with a 390 and stick is well out of range of a police Lieutenant's budget these days. The Doggie Diners are gone, only the head remains. While murdering henchmen in knee-length trench coats might still be able to cough up the change for a black '68 Dodge Charger, authentic American muscle has climbed out of reach for many of its greatest fans.

This is where the Bullitt steps up. While retro is an obvious way to view the Bullitt, the appeal of a V8 channeling power through the rear wheels is a good thing now, was a good thing then, and will remain a good thing for a long time. The Ford Mustang nailed greatness the first time around. The Bullitt takes the timeless combination of V8 power and rear-wheel drive and rolls it into the present with an eye on the future. The Bullitt will be produced as a limited run in the factory performance tradition of the Hurst Hemi Dart and Pontiac Judge. The mechanical and visual parts that make the Bullitt what it is will be tightly controlled to prevent any cloning. This Mustang is a collectible performer off the showroom floor.

Out on the open road the Bullitt can either loaf along in a torque-induced V8 slumber, or attack into a higher awareness with a simple upshift and quick lead foot. The five-speed transmission is no swiss watch, but channels the very usable 315 horsepower to the wheels without drama. Rev matching and downshifting into corners made us appreciate that the Ford engineers tuned the exhaust to the original movie soundtrack and worked the suspension for balance with a strut tower bar bolted in for steady lines. The functional cold air intake helps with horsepower by feeding the engine cooler air, and adds to the exhaust soundtrack by way of an open element. We even mimicked a double clutch or two to complete the return to 1968 timeline illusion.

Somewhere on this same timeline Detroit lost track of what it does best. There was a time when even the Mustang name was to be applied to a Mazda-sourced front driver that eventually became known as the Ford Probe. With apologies to the Probe fans out there, we're all happy that never happened. The Mustang Bullitt slots between the GT and the GT500. A sleeper look hides a suspension compliant over city streets, yet competent during murderous-thug-evading maneuvers. The Bullitt champions the spirit of the underdog fighting the uncompromising fight against the man, just as Frank Bullitt triumphed over Chalmers in the movie itself.

Lt. Frank Bullitt: Look Chalmers. Let's understand each other. I don't like you.
Walter Chalmers: Come on now. Don't be naive Lieutenant. We both know how careers are made. Integrity is something you sell the public.
Lt. Frank Bullitt: You sell whatever you want, but don't sell it here tonight.
Walter Chalmers: Frank, we must all compromise.
Lt. Frank Bullitt: Bullshit. Get the hell out of here, now.

For a good number of years I drove a '67 Plymouth Barracuda I'd bought for 500 bucks. Over time, some junkyard engineering brought measurable improvements. Drum brakes gave way to discs from a '70s Dart. Points ignition was swapped out for transistorized technology. The peg-leg rear differential was dumped for a swap meet sure-grip. A 360 took the place of a 318. With each upgrade the car not only got faster, but also more reliable. Eventually the fish was well mannered enough to both drive daily and run 13's at the track. The '72 Challenger had undergone similar improvements, but like the 'Cuda, had lost none of its character in the process.

The real difference between my old fish and this Dodge version of the later E-body, road-swimming Plymouth was the pistol grip shifter poking up Roth-monster style from the center console. The shifter was connected to some sort of updated five-speed rock crusher under the tunnel. Getting the 360 small block to comply was easy enough. Getting the clutch and transmission to cooperate was a little more difficult thanks to a near-blown driver's side engine mount. Herculean clutch pedal effort combined with horsepower rewarded attention and punished ham-footedness.

Even with the aftermarket brake upgrade, stopping the Challenger was a white-knuckled enterprise. Having moments to think ahead was key. There would be no time for cell phones, coffee sipping or menu-driven gadgetry whatsoever. On the way out to Carlisle we made some time to stop at the Meijer and get a 50-in-1 electronics kit so we could splice a power supply to the iPod for Craig cassette player input. This mod was done by the passenger, while the driver smoked the tires on occasion, and cigars frequently.

The drive from Pennsylvania to Detroit International in Romulus was where I actually got to drive the car for a several hours straight. Rowing through the gears was the sweet reward for anything involving acceleration. On-ramp corkscrews and similar interchanges got me thinking of Dan Gurney throwing his AAR Plymouth Barracuda around a road course. Yes this and most every other muscle car of the era had a live axle. Yes, the ass end will kick out on you. No, it won't heel like a Honda Accord. And yes, that's why this and every other muscle car of the era is now legendary.

This is where the paradox lies. Despite the volumes written, published, and spoken about the legendary prowess of American muscle, the fact of the deal is that most of these cars were built for affordable and brutal performance. To harp on how they didn't stop, handle, or even idle on anything but a quasi-regular basis is like faulting Popeye for a lousy kinescope. What these cars did do is go like stink, and let you know they could through a visceral experience unrivaled by any modern car. Slipping the clutch into throttle in a '72 Dodge Challenger and having the entire car pulse through every bone is about as good as the experience gets.

Y = the perfect road trip this summer
M = the total miles to be driven
C1 = the total number of children aged 0-3
C2= the total number of children aged 4-6
C3= the total number of children aged 7-11
B = the number of planned breaks, over and above the RAC recommended amount
A = the number of planned activities

While we normally would be more likely to strap the little annoyingly loud, fleshy things to the roof of our vehicular transport, mostly because we remember what little shits we were during summer trips in our dad's minivan. However, for those of you actually curious enough to find out what your score means, we've got the different journey values after the jump.

30+
Should have stayed at home

20 - 30
Little Timmy kicks the shit out of Bobbie Sue, and "vacation" becomes synonymous with "hospital"

6 - 20
Are we there yet?

3 - 6
Just Cruising

0 - 3
Holiday ro-o-o-oad, Holiday ro-o-o-o-o-o-oad....

Related:
Ciao! Mein: Three Months and a Tired Cinquecento Later, Bejing [internal]

Two Italian men have arrived in China, after a three-month trek in a Fiat the size of an Anoplophora glabripennis. The average Asian Longhorned beetle, however, would have had far fewer miles on it than the 1973 Fiat 500 R did before the two began their trip from Turin, Italy to Bejing. Along the way, the two were nearly done in by unrest in Kyrgyzstan, the harsh plains of Siberia and submarine-grade close-quarters insanity. But holy hell, they made it.

Danilo Elia and Fabrizio Bonserio have reached Beijing [Italiaspeed]

Related:
Fiat 500 Updated with Interactive Doo Dads; Fiat May Roll Out New, Nostalgic Cinquecento [internal]