I have a friend of your age who looks forward for months each year to the time when he gets to hitch up his camper trailer behind his 1928 Chev (I hate using that word!!
) and heading outback for a couple of months, usually driving somewhere is excess of 8 to 10 thousand miles. I've done lots of the same, though I am about 5 years younger and wouldn't think twice about doing again this year.
This is a poem written by a bush poet about 3 years ago about one of our trips. The voice is that of my wife. He makes a couple of very valid points about why we drive these cars. Have a listen to "Making Good Time":
http://hullyjoe.com/andrew-hull/projects/on-the-road/