My husband, Andy Lilienthal, and I are partnering with Subaru of America to conquer the TransAmerica Trail!
It’s a cross-country trail system spanning 4,253 miles across the United States—primarily off-pavement. We’re in the process of modifying a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness for the journey with the manufacturer, including key upgrades and gear to help make our month-long effort a successful one.
Our Endurance-Driving Background
We’ve traveled and competed long distances in remote conditions several times before. Andy and I teamed up for three 5,000-mile treks on the Alcan 5000 Rally. I’ve competed in the Rebelle Rally four times, with each event spanning approximately 1,500 miles over seven desert-laden days of driving.
I was a driver and mentor for an all-female student team for the 2022 Great Race rally, a classic-car affair that took us from Rhode Island to North Dakota during the 10-day, 1,600-mile competition. Most recently, Andy and I took an ID. Buzz EV 4,771 miles across nine countries over 16 days in the world’s northernmost rally: the 2024 Baltic Sea Circle Rally.
Those events alone logged over 27,000 miles. Much of that was on dirt or gravel roads or on varying off-road terrain. We’ve spent nearly 20 years on remote trails with a wide range of adventure vehicles, new and old.
From our customized Suzuki Sidekick and Jeep Cherokee to our right-hand-drive Mitsubishi Delica van or Pajero SUV, 4x4s tell only part of our off-roading background.
We’ve also spent thousands of miles in AWD rigs, like the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness we drove for the 2022 Alcan 5000. Our modified 2022 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i Premium 6MT also spends lots of time on dirt and gravel thanks to various TSD competitions.
AWD vehicles can be surprisingly capable. We’re putting a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness to a real-world overlanding test by driving one on the TransAmerica Trail (TAT for short). We’ll be starting from the East Coast to the West Coast. We plan to start this endeavor in late June of this year.
What is the TransAmerica Trail?
The TransAmerica Trail is a trans-continental set of trails linking one end of the country to the other. Off-road enthusiasts typically travel this route on dual-sport motorcycles, ATVs, or high-clearance vehicles like 4x4s. With proper planning and the right gear, however, capable AWDs have also traversed the TransAmerica Trail successfully.
We expect to face dirt, mud, gravel and rocky trails. Forested areas and farm roads are also part of the TransAmerica Trail, accented by small sections of pavement. We’ll start at sea level and work our way westward, including the iconic Colorado mountains.
Andy and I are slated to start with the Atlantic Spur section, just east of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. We’ll deviate as necessary in that state as well as Virginia, away from last year’s hurricane damage. From there we’ll run the main east-to-west gamut until we reach the Pacific Spur. If all goes according to plan, we shall end our long-distance endeavor in Port Orford, Oregon approximately four weeks later.
Navigating the TransAmerica Trail
The TransAmerica Trail can be navigated using a few different methods. Folks can utilize either GPS tracks or a combination of paper roll-chart directions and 11” x 17” paper maps. We’ll have both. Andy and I will use our Garmin Tread - Overland Edition inReach device for tracking, supporting information, and emergency satellite comms. We’ll also have a Starlink Mini on board for internet access.
Since we’re piloting a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, we’ll need to fashion a mount for the roll-chart holder. Andy will be the driver and I’ll be the navigator. I’ll be managing turn-by-turn directions for our 13-state overlanding jaunt. The TransAmerica Trail system primarily utilizes public roads or trails and receives approvals from specific private property owners to make sure users can ride/drive through safely.
The 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Our Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness has the company’s 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine generating 182 HP and 178 lb-ft of torque. This five-door AWD rig features 54.9 cu. ft. of rear storage space with seats folded down and has a 700-lb. static roof rail load capacity, and 165-lb. dynamic capacity.The Crosstrek Wilderness features StarTex water-repellant upholstery and 9.3 inches of ground clearance—the same as a 2025 Ford Ranger 2.7-liter EcoBoost 4x4.
The Crosstrek Wilderness boasts an approach angle of 20.0°, a breakover angle of 21.1°, and a departure angle of 33°. We’ll likely use every bit of that. The Crosstrek Wilderness also has black plastic wheel-arches and side body cladding, which will help keep the paint and body intact when driving through tight or gnarly trails.
Subaru’s Crosstrek Wilderness series includes a dual-function X-MODE with hill descent control—great features to have when the going gets tough. X-MODE has two modes: Deep Snow/Mud Mode can create a little wheelspin which can be useful to keep momentum in challenging conditions.
Snow/Dirt Mode can help drivers stick to a lower gear, slowing down throttle responses, splitting the torque evenly, and applying brakes to slipping wheels. Hill descent control will come in handy when navigating steep, uneven descents.
In short: This is a great platform to build from with key upgrades, making it TransAmerica Trail ready.
Key Upgrades, Staring from the Bottom Up
The 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness will be mostly stock, sans some key upgrades.
Where the rubber meets the (off)road, tires are often the top thing you can do for added traction No matter what surface you’re driving on. The car is equipped with 225/60 R17 all-terrains from the factory, but we’re going to slightly increase that to 225/65 R17. We’re also going with BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires. For us, they’re tried-and-true as we have them on our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear 4x4 and our personal Crosstrek.
BFG KO2s have interlocking tread elements that maximize traction and overall handling, no matter if you’re in the dirt or traversing off-pavement on other terrain. They also feature a serrated shoulder design which provides traction in rocks, mud, and snow—especially when you’re aired down.
In the event we need to lower tire pressure, an ARB Single Motor Portable 12-Volt Air Compressor will get us aired back up in no time.
Our KO2s will be mounted on five satin black 17X8 (+38) Reika Seeker wheels. Reika Seekers range from $139 to $184 per wheel, depending on color and size. This wheel and tire combination is the same one we have on our white Crosstrek. They’re lightweight and flow-form cast for a good strength.
We’ll protect the Crosstrek Wilderness’ underbody with three beefy Primitive Racing Triple Armor Skid Plates. All three skids are made from thick 3/16” 5052 aluminum. The front skid plate replaces the front factory splash guard and improves aerodynamics as well as airflow.
Primitive’s signature up-turned rear lip won’t catch when reversing, too. The mid skid plate protects the transmission and oil pan. The rear skid plate shields the rear differential, includes recessed hardware, and creates an ideal rear jack point.
Rear-Facing Components
A full-size spare will be mounted to a RiG’d Supply UltraSwing Short Fit Hitch Spare Tire Mount connected to the Crosstrek’s 2” hitch receiver, a Subaru accessory. It’s associated SideHack will house the jerry can mount and five gallons of fuel. RiG’d Supply’s UltraSwing will also hold a set of four MAXTRAX XTREME recovery boards. (Note: The company’s new LITE boards work well for smaller SUVs and CUVs, too.)
A Trasharoo will be affixed to the UltraSwing. It’ll be used for garbage and recyclables. Finally, we’ll slide a Factor 55 HitchLink 2.0 shackle bracket recovery point into the UltraSwing’s 2” hitch receiver. It’ll be secured with Factor 55’s locking pin.
Although we won’t be towing anything with our Crosstrek, the RiG’d Supply UltraSwing is tow-rated to 10,000 lbs. It’s made in the U.S.A., has a lifetime warranty, and the company said it’s wobble-free.
Crosstrek Wilderness Front-Facing Additions
Up front our Subaru will feature a Rally Innovations 2024+ Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Rally Light Bar and two Baja Designs XL-R Sport LED Lights. The Rally Innovations auxiliary light mount is made from steel tubing and comes with a black powder-coated finish. The kit comes with stainless steel hardware and is made in the U.S.A.
The Rally Innovations 2024+ Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness mount can fit most driving lights (two or four) up to 6.5” diameter. We used a Rally Innovations light mount on the 2022 Alcan 5000 Rally Outback Wilderness.
It was made with high-quality attention to detail and was still in excellent condition after 5,000 miles of extreme conditions so we got a similar mount for our personal Crosstrek and one for our TAT Subie.
The Baja Designs XL-R Sport LED Lights will be combo spot and driving lights with Baja Amber lenses. Baja Designs is a popular company among many off-road enthusiasts. These lights are IP69K-rated and waterproof, rainproof, and submersible.
The XL-R Sport’s driving combo pattern includes both driving and spot optics and uses Baja Designs trademarked high-speed spot reflectors, too. They provide a longer and wider beam pattern using Baja Design’s latest LED technology, offering 3,162 raw lumens for each light. They give drivers a blend of light for close-in areas as well as far-distance viewing.
Rooftop Add-Ons
We plan to camp along the way, with occasional motel stops for showers and laundry duty. Subaru is supplying factory-available accessories like Thule roof crossbars, a Thule roof top tent and the trailer hitch (the RiG’d Supply UltraSwing carrier will use the receiver portion).
Also on top, an ARB 2.0M Soft Case Awning With Light will be installed. This will give Andy and me protection from the elements and the harsh, hot sun.
Interior Accoutrements
Safety first: We’re self-supported for this overlanding trip, so we’ll be tracking our route with a Garmin Tread – Overland Edition GPS inReach device.
This product is helpful in many ways. It can track where you drive, show elevation and distance traveled, as well as public land boundaries for national forests, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), wilderness areas, and more. It also has inReach satellite connectivity (with an active subscription). This will be key should we run into an emergency medical or vehicle issue.
Additionally, we’ll use our Rugged Radios R1 handheld radio as another form of communication. We’re also adding a Starlink Mini to the mix for checking emails and uploading social media content along the way. Lastly, we’ll bring a robust medical kit in case of accidents or issues.
Powering Products
We’ll be running several devices as well as an ARB 50-Quart Classic Series II Fridge Freezer. This will be instrumental in keeping our food safe and cold. How will we power everything? EcoFlow.
We’re installing an Ecoflow 800W Alternator Charger and using a Ecoflow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station to charge everything electronic. There are many unique things about this system. For instance, the 800W Alternator Charger can charge eight times faster than traditional in-vehicle auxiliary power outlets.
For instance, a DC- outlet (cigarette lighter) is about 100 watts, whereas the EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger can charge continuously up to 800 watts while driving to keep the DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station topped off. The 800W Alternator Charger a 3-in-1 fast charger, maintainer, and jump starter.
- Charging mode: It uses the Crosstrek Wilderness’ alternator to top off the DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station.
- Reverse charging: The charger will recharge our vehicle’s batter using the power station.
- Maintenance mode: Extends the Subaru’s battery by using a lower electrical current.
The EcoFlow 800W Alternator Charger will ensure our charging system isn’t overloaded. It also features overcurrent, short circuit, overvoltage, and reverse polarity protection. Instead of using solar panels, which we won’t have time to deploy, this alternator charging system will continually top off the Delta 3 Plus Power Station so we should never run out of much-needed power.
Ecoflow’s DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station is a robust power bank that has 1800-watt output (and a 3600-watt surge beyond limits). It can be adjusted by a smartphone app called EcoFlow Oasis.
This power station includes 13 different outlets for charging and has a 30 decibel “ultra-quiet” operation mode. This unit is also safeguarded with over 40 measures to protect against temperature, current, voltage, and circuit dangers. The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station will power our Starlink Mini, smartphones, camera batteries, and more.
Other Essentials
We’re planning for all types of scenarios, especially when off-roading for a few weeks in remote areas. We’re planning for more gear, like a vehicle recovery kit, full-size shovel, and an ARB Speedy Seal Tire Repair Kit.
In addition to prepping the Crosstrek Wilderness, we’ll pack a variety of clothing and rain- and cold-weather gear, like our Arc’teryx jackets, in case Mother Nature doles out challenges. We’ll also pack our Big Agnes double-side sleeping bag and other things to keep us warm, dry, and comfortable. We’re planning to secure our gear using ratchet straps, too.
Pushing Beyond Boundaries
Andy and I have been planning this endeavor for multiple months. Will it be easy and smooth going the entire way? We’re hoping so. But we’re planning for contingencies. A lot can happen over the course of a month and approximately 4,300 miles.
Stay tuned as we start our journey in June and share our progress along the way! OVR articles to come.
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