See, now, if you'd titled the thread "How Fun Is This?" everyone would have loved you.

No return trip for me either Wife is picking up. I respect some like riding loaded up bikes but I can tell it would get old for me fast especially in the summer heat.

Like jogging with body weights. Great for some. Not for me.

You're thinking that would have kept the piling on from happening? But I'm with you that the OP just meant that a loaded bike wasn't what he is in to.

If the OP and his son are capable of doing 70 or so miles are day, this isn't the craziest proposition. Eating at restaurants and sleeping in motels isn't going to be roughing it so bad. If the places they plan to lodge at in the evening have coin operated washers they really won't need to pack much more than many of us do for our Saturday rides. I do think that thought to securing the bikes at stops is going to be more of a real issue than he thinks he has on his daily commute with ne'er-do-wells.

Solution.

You keep missing the point. Riding the bike is the important bit. Sometimes I want to stop and smell the roses. In a car, I don’t even notice the roses and walking is just too damned slow.

You really don’t seem to want to do this so why bother? Take your bikes on a car and go for rides along the way. If, however, you concentrate on the riding part instead of the carrying part of bicycle touring, you might find why it is fun. The best line to describe your dilemma is from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure:

I mean, how is riding a bike fun? Seems like a lot of work just to go 25% as fast as a motorcycle…

No. No they wouldn't.

Yeah, I can see that. Actually riding or jogging would seriously get in the way of your pointless posting time.

"Oh, PeeWee! Nobody's ever put it to me like that before!"

bf must have the most thread complainers than any other forum. lol. It’s like their full time job.

Not worried about securing bikes. One goes in to restaurants and one stays with bikes. Should be safe locked in hotel room if we want to go out evenings.

There are plenty of people who think that, and FOR THEM, that makes sense. I can go on and on about how on a bike, the scenery changes at the right rate, or how good it feels to push really hard sometimes and get to the top of a hill, and then how fun it is to go into full tuck and see what max speed you can reach before the bottom, or how the scent of the air changes as you go from dry chapparal to moist redwood forest and back, but that's what's important to ME, not them. They could probably go on and on about whatever it is that floats THEIR boat - maybe even actually boating.

Maybe, you should go ride your bike.

Yet you started a touring complaint thread.

Content complainers abound. Most forums they move on to another thread. Here they complain, accuse and insult.

not complaining about touring. If you want to do it go nuts.

Oh so you guys are doing it relay style? Those will be fairly light days then.

If you are doing it relay style I'd only put a snack bag on the bars or top tube.

Aren't you a "content complainer" by *****ing about an offroad touring bike?

Pretty much.

People get their panties in a wad over “Jef the Cyclist” in Pearls Before Swine, but based on the behavior of many here, Jef is spot-on.

I expect your posts get the same reception regardless of the forum.

This is nonsense. if the two of them are riding and stopping in restaurants and hotels, the each need .... almost nothing. No different than packing for a 70-mile ride around town. Tubes, tools, pump ... a couple energy bars. If stopping at a store for lunch, then not even that.

And each one takes shifts in restaurants? Makes more sense to order take-out, doesn't it?

But here is the unbelievable part---the guy is going to be driving a van.

I don't care what else, if you can drive a van while riding a bike you have serious talent.

Or ... do you mean that you will drive while the other rides?

How is that any kind of a bonding experience? One sits in air conditioning while impeding traffic and the other pedals .... then switch? If you want to get to know your son better, not talking to him might be the best way---if in conversation you communicate like you do online. Otherwise ...

Personally I think this whole thread is a troll. From the ridiculous picture (no one who is planning credit-card touring with van support will bring camping gear) to the ridiculous plans ... i think this guy is a pure troll ... at least in this thread.

Man, I gotta tell you, there is literally NOTHING I want to do more than that. However, I am currently dealing with a hip/thigh/knee issue that has me walking with a cane, presumptively because I rode my bike TOO MUCH!

Trust me, if not for that, I'd be out there on the road right now, trying to get 40 or 50 miles in before it gets too hot.

On the plus side my cane, which is a cheap steel one, LOOKS like it's made of Carbon Fiber!

I'm gonna hazard a guess you don't bowhunt or shoot bows'n'arras. Those folks are at least as bad.

I'd say more or a "MALcontent complainer". He doesn't seem content to me at all.

Comprehension skills.

Restaurants sell take out ! Maybe that’s a Canadian thing. We’re not taking shifts at sit down meals.

no we are not using a Sprinter Van. Point was if I had to carry what was shown in original pic, Iwould take a van. I don’t so we are not.

Well I guess you're just telling stories most of the time, so you probably don't really want to discuss what to carry and how, or any other touring logistics.

So, um, have a nice trip I guess.

Just back from my own Type II ride so I will not read this entire thread as I am enjoying my fatigue.
Point is, looks like a great Type II trip with your son. Pretty Kool in my book that you have progeny that shares your interest in touring.
I would not take that for granted.

If you’re unsure, a quick look at any other thread by the OP should clear things up.