Background: I've done extensive hostel traveling around europe and airbnbing on the east coast from washington to new york. Also, I've camped a few times in california: big sur, etc. for at most a few days. I've never taken a camping roadtrip. The most I've ever driven is from LA to san fran. I'm from LA and I drink alot.

I don't have a set beginning or end, I can take as much time as I like. However, I do want to limit the money I spend as I'm not a trust fund baby. I'm planning on about 7-9 weeks for the whole thing, but I can extend this. I'm planning on spending about $800-1000 on gas, $1000 on camping/sleeping-in-car/wigwag/emergency-motel-6 for the duration. Mostly camping. Then about $1500 for food and
$1000 for attractions as these two things are probably the most important aspects for me.

I'm planning a solo road trip with three legs: LA to New Orleans, New Orleans to Chicago, Chicago to LA. I plan to go in about a month once I see that museums and stuff have opened up after covid. I'm not going to wait until ALL museums open up, but I do want to wait until MOST open up.

I'm leaving and returning from my buddy's place in joshua tree.

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So for LA to NOLA I plan to take about 1.5 weeks. The plan is I'm hitting up Phoenix for a day, then sleeping Tuscon for a day, then El Paso a day, then sleeping in Guadalupe Mountains for day. In an emergency (re: need to poop) I'll sleep in willow draw camp ground before going to austin. I have people in austin that I'll stay with. Austin for maybe 2 days? Then drive through Houston and stay a night before going to new orleans. Tabasco tour/avery island is on my bucket list, but I can do that from NOLA.

NOLA for maybe 5 days. I plan to stay in a hostel, or failing that an airbnb close to mid-city/treme/french quarter. I want to be able to get drunk and stumble home. There's something called "india house hostel" which is 2 miles or max daylight stumbling distance for me from the french quarter.

Then NOLA to chicago for 1.5 weeks. Driving to Birmingham, AL for a day, then Atlanta GA for about 2 days, then nashville.

Nashville I have a friend who I'll stay with about 3 days. Accommodations are surprisingly crazy expensive in nashville. The Louisville a day , indianapolis two days (with relatives), then chicago.

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Chicago I plan to stay for the longest amount of time, about a week.

Then I travel route 66. Springfield a day, kansas city a day or two, joplin/tulsa a day, oklahoma city two days. Clinton/elk a day, amarillo a day. Albuquerque one day santa fe area about 3 days. Then 4 corners and mesa verde, etc. national park. Vermillion cliffs and hoover dam. Finally Las Vegas for a day (I've been here many times before) and finally end at joshua tree.

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So my question is, what advise do you have? I've never done a multi-thousand-mile trip like this, what should I look out for? What should I bring for camping? I've heard when you sleep in your car you need to pay attention to temperature fluctuations over the night, and insulate your car when you sleep in it. Should I bring a cooler with ice, or is it futile to keep things warm? I'm travelling in may and june throughout the southern US.

Should I bring beer in a cooler or just stick to whiskey?

Should I see Atlanta and Dollywood, assuming this is probably my only time I have to see them until I retire in about 30 years? Each adds about 200 miles to my journey. For reference, Kansas city adds 120 miles but it's worth it for me to see the old industries, however Dallas which is 200 miles extra is not worth it for me to see.

I'm highly flexible and can pretty much change course if anyone has a great suggestion.