Chuck is great at explaining this, but road-tripping typically comes down to three things, hotels, RVs, or tenting it. Hotels are great to pull in, get something to eat, and sleep. RV's are a bit more work, but not much, it's mostly find somewhere to park, make something to eat, and sleep. Tents are the cheapest and most adventurous and can definitely have that feeling of roughing it, but with a little preparation can be just as nice and what's better than sleeping outdoors?
The 'hard' part with RVs and tents is finding somewhere to set up and that's where campgrounds come into play. You can park an RV in most Walmart parking lots, but there still issues there, but you're basically looking for a safe, level place to set up. Some campgrounds are basically a parking lot, while others offer amenities like showers, laundry, pools, and other fun things. It depends on where you are and what you want to pay for. Tent camping along the road can be dangerous so campgrounds make sense.
There are some wonderful guides on the internet and YouTube, but mostly it's a trial by fire sort of thing. Some people love camping and others don't understand why the world isn't full of hotels. I love it, but I'm crazy that way! S-