Originally Posted by bibbubyu
Why don't you use priceline.com to bid 1- or 2-star hotels. In most places big or small, you will get $40-45 a night including tax and fees. It's best for driving travelers, because you have big range of location choices and you can bid almost unlimited times, but you need plan your hotel stay at least one day before to get good price.
I totally agree with using priceline for a trip like this. If you can pre-plan your stops then it can really save you some money. I would stop in Amarillo when driving between DFW and Denver and could usually get a room in a name brand budget hotel for about $25-30. Same for El Paso and several other places. Priceline rocks for this type of trip. Checkout
http://p070.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding as it will give you suggested successful bidding levels for many areas around the country.