Trans-America Trail

[surly]

FWIW. I bought the maps and sat down with Garmin Basecamp entering all the turns. This helped me learn the route as well as allow for traveling at the rate of speed I like.
Ether way one should be more prepared than just GPS routes.

We found OK to be rather boring and there was heavy gravel at the time. Tennessee and Arkansas were pretty great. Colorado is always a favorite. Haven't gone further west yet.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

I've done a fair bit of DS riding in Colorado, and while I agree, anything you can take a fullsize rig through, is on a readily availiable map. So connecting the dots between the "bike only" sections is not going to be difficult.

Of course, the pre-planning of routes is half the fun for me. And getting lost is the other half.

There are no bike only sections, the only thing that can't be done in a truck is one tunnel in UT which can easily be worked around.

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

FWIW. I bought the maps and sat down with Garmin Basecamp entering all the turns. This helped me learn the route as well as allow for traveling at the rate of speed I like.
Ether way one should be more prepared than just GPS routes.

I did this as well and was glad I did as I learned a lot about the trip before I even through a leg over the bike.

 

[Grabow]

GpsKevin follows the same route as Sams maps, with additional bypass information and additional trails all the way to the east coast. I would recommend having a couple of forms of mapping as a backup, and to be able to orient yourself. There is something that is lost following the GPS "blue line" as opposed to using paper maps (the same could be said for Sams roll charts) but for ease of finding the route with your family along that is how I would do it. We just finished the TAT using the info from GpsKevin and it was great( you can find our trip report floating around here somewhere). I will say however, that I rarely knew exactly where I was other than "on the trail" . Plan on doing a lot of backing up, when using the GPS it's hard to tell if you need to make a turn or if it's just a curve in the road until you've already passed it by about 20 yards. Have fun, and safe travels

 

[Verbal]

GPS Kevin has also loaded his info into google maps.

I was very much frustrated with the TAT website as I just drove from Colorado to Georgia and would have loved to do the TAT but the website was down. I am getting ready to head north and with the info GPSKevin has provided i can run the trails from Bristol to just outside Washington DC.

Happy Trails!

 

[TacomaJack09]

Hi all! I hope to set off on the TAT in the following months and had a question about the maps. There seems to be a significant price difference between Sam's maps and gpsKevins. Has anyone found one to be better than the other? It seems like they both do a great job keeping the maps and gps tracks updated so I'm wondering what im missing?!

Thanks!

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Sam created the TAT, it took him 15 years and 10's of thousands of dollars to do so.
Kevin copied Sams hard work and chooses to give it away.

With that said, Kevin's maps do get off of the original TAT in some places missing out on some of the best sections IMHO.

 

[TacomaJack09]

That's good to know, thank you for the info! I think I'll be contacting Sam very soon.

 

[junglecaptn]

Was going to ride my WR250r this summer TN to OR on the TAT but now thinking of making it a family deal with wife and dog in a stock dodge Ram 1500. Would add tires but see no need for other vehicle mods. Would get maps from Sam. Then maybe in 2016 do the route on my WR.

 

[The Rover Shop]

I've done the TAT.. And my ride report on it is in adv.. Under trans am trail solo.. I have not read this whole thread but I can tell you whole heartedly, that unless it's different from the tat I did a truck or 4 wheel drive will NOT be able to do the whole thing.. There is one particular section I recall that utilizes ATV trail networks.. Most tight section had what they called big bike bypasses or easier way rounds.. I would love to do it by 4 wheel drive as well but I know I will have to skip it in a few sections..I think it would be a blast to do in a side by side.. And Sam did not do the whole thing..it was an east side guy and a west side guy that combined maps.. I've done some trips with GPS Kevin and that boy knows how to make the most of a gps...he's a gps geek when it comes to those things..

 

[rlynch356]

My 2 cents - your paying for support when you buy the TAT maps from Sam. If your interested in keeping it alive.

I figured there would be a number of bypasses for 4x4's along the way but it would still be a hell of a trip and what i'm building out the jeep for, the D90 is still possible but parts and skills along the way for repairs might be an issue.

 

[junglecaptn]

How much do the maps differ between Kevin and Sam between TN and OK? I am more familiar with the west and can improvise out there necessary. Was thinking of taking my truck from TN to OK in late March on the TAT and then continuing on my WR250 beginning in late June. I would use Sams maps but wondering if the trail that Kevin shows on Google Earth is the same or similar to Sam's. Might use Kevins GPS track and Sam's maps. Just wondering?

 

[Jeff@QuadShop]

This was just posted over on advrider about Kevin...

"What a sour taste I have in my mouth

Myself and a group of folks from across Canada spent years making a route across our country.

This Kevin fellow came to ride it and bailed out part way, likely due to the difficulty. He stayed at one of the guys houses who created a large portion of the route and this fellow even "guided" him for a few days. Kevin emailed me several times asking for info, etc

We give the route away for free from our website on the basis that folks who ride the route provide feedback which in turn keeps the route up to date.

We are quite proud of what we created, so imagine my surprise when I see this ******* has renamed the route and modified it based on where he gave up. And is distributing the route! I know his route is not doable as remote roads have been decommissioned since he rode it. This is very remote country..what he is distributing is unethical and unsafe.

I wonder if Sam doesn't have the same feelings as I do?

GPS KEVIN, I hope you read this and get in touch with me asap. You need to stop this fraudulent crap. Your pissing a lot of people off A Lot of people spent their vacations and their own money creating these routes, not to have you rename and distribute their hard work"

 

[LXIV-Dragon]

Oh my.....quite a turn of events.

I did the complete TAT in 2011 on a DR650 (RR is on ADVrider)

I purchased the maps from Sam.....some of them twice as I was delayed a year. I put the entir route into my GPS. A couple of comments

The maps were the very latest available, some surposidly updated just a month or so before, but frankly many of the latest trails had not been run in years, ran through clearly closed / locked off private property etc. I concluded someone had done these from out of date Google maps..... Whatever not a massive deal and all part of the adventure but given the considerable expense (twice!!!) made it somewhat of a pisser! Some of the photocopied maps with blue highlighter were very poor detail so usimg co-ordinates from roll charts is a must.
Don't let that put you off. One of the best adventures you could wish to do.

There were sections (but remember the trail constantly changes) that were very much single track and not suitable for 4x4 but being in the field and fixing get-a-rounds is all part of the fun.

I did the route at a reasonably fast pace and took 21 days which included 3 days off and budgeted 250 miles a day for the most part.

Sam did his part and deserves some reward but I cannot help but feel the service is over priced for what you get. Ideally the fee should include a forum access with free updates or whatever for a year or so. I spent hours, days, months reading up on ADV and taking notes from SAMs maps and roll charts - well worth the time investment.

For those thinking about the TAT....just do it!

 

[Jakersxj]

As of now, is the TAT doable by Jeep? I have an XJ and am considering doing this with some family. We want to take 3 4x4's through from illinois and head west to that end.