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25 Toy Hauler Conversion
See how this family of five converted a toy hauler to be their ultimate home on wheels.
32
Camp Cooking Essentials
How a professional chef cooks while camping + one of her favorite camp recipes: Enchiladas!
87
Experiencing Ecuador During Carnival
Traveling in another country gave this couple an exciting look into one of the biggest events of the year.
Big city life gets old and this couple quit their corporate careers in New York City for full-time travel.
Jack wanted as many ways to work in his van as possible; find out how many he put in his self-converted van!
Managing money on the road doesn't have to be complicated if you follow these easy steps.
Top Boondocking Mistakes
Learn what other nomads wish they’d known before they boondocked for the first time.
66 Safe Travels
Two female travelers share their safety tips for life on the road.
76
To Geotag or Not to Geotag
This family outlines their reasons for not sharing locations to some of their favorite spots on social media.
You’re ready to live. To see all the places and do all the things on your “maybe someday” list. For that kind of freedom, you need a fifth wheel that’ll keep you safe, comfortable and worry-free — from rocky vistas to quiet lakes, from summer to winter, again and again. At DRV Luxury Suites, we build each fifth wheel the same way we’d build our own home. Then we load it with luxurious amenities and back it with the best customer service on the road. All so you can focus on the things that truly matter, like taking in the view.
DRVSuites.com
Destination freedom.
WELCOME TO ISSUE #12 and the end of our second full year publishing Rootless Living.
As I look back on the last two years, and even the last four and a half years living and working from an RV, I am still in awe that we get to live this life. You can actually launch a business while traveling.
The genesis of Rootless Living was just that, we wanted people to know about this life and hopefully inspire and encourage people to experience another way to live.
We also wanted to offer a place where people could have a voice to share their story for maybe the first time or to a new audience that they have yet to reach. This might come as a shock, but not everyone that lives this life has a YouTube channel.
So here we are two years later, still growing and getting better. Still publishing a magazine for Digital Nomads, by Digital Nomads.
Another part we love about this business is getting to team up with and hire some amazing nomads who want the same thing, to get the word out, make sure as many people know about this lifestyle while encouraging and educating those who have already made the leap.
For each issue moving forward, I hope we can introduce you to a new team member. Let us take this opportunity now to introduce you to Adam & Kathryn of Adventures of A+K. They have been with us almost from the start and have committed to making sure, in every issue, there is an in-depth look at amazing places to visit and explore.
It’s funny to look back at January 2020 and that first issue of Rootless Living. It was only 52 pages, going out to a small number of people, produced by a staff of two - Nikki and myself. Now we are a 100-page issue, going out to tens of thousands of people with our own Rootless Living app. It’s produced today with the help of a couple of dozen digital nomads and a great team of staff creating our best issue yet. I hope you enjoy reading.
Until the next issue … stay Rootless.
Demian Ross, Publisher @demianrossdemian@rootlessliving.com
Nikki Kirk, Editor-in-Chief @nikkirk7nikki@rootlessliving.com
Adam, Kathryn, and Kona are an adventurous married couple and their pup living on the road in their selfconverted sprinter van. You can often find them driving all around the U.S. and Canada scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (they’re a five-plus taco and two-plus scoop household), and enjoying nature. To see more of their travels and detailed travel guides, check out their website adventuresofaplusk.com, subscribe to their YouTube channel, Adventures of A+K, or follow them on Instagram @AdventuresofAplusK
Co-Founders Demian & Nikki celebrating their travels to all of the lower 48 states from June 2017 to September 2021.
“A
magazine with awesome content and valuable information for the camping world. Well done!!”
“So why did we buy a toy-hauler camper? THIS.”
“Found this amazing spot just outside of Sedona through Hipcamp!”
“Some of our neighbors just outside the Badlands!”
“Sometimes the office views are of a beautiful national park, sometimes a Walmart parking lot but today they are of Mt. Hood National Forest!”
WELL, HOPEFULLY, you’ve heard we are launching a new magazine for RV owners called RV TODAY.
When we were thinking about buying our first RV, I went to the local bookstore to grab the magazines that were geared toward RV owners. At the time, I thought it was funny that these magazines were divided by what type of rig you wanted—motorhome owners vs. trailer owners. I didn’t know what I wanted, so I had to buy both.
After I decided to buy a fifth wheel, I then probably would have only subscribed to the trailer magazine, but once I bought my RV, I quickly noticed there really wasn’t much information for me in these magazines. They really focused on trying to get me to buy something, not learning how to RV or how to continue to find amazing places to go, or products that would make my journey better.
After we started Rootless Living, I did a deep dive into the other RV-related magazines and was shocked to find they were ALL owned by a national dealership, or campgrounds, or agency, association, or organization. There wasn’t an RV owner magazine that was just that … a magazine.
I also noticed very quickly that even though a niche publication like Rootless Living is needed, it was catering to full-time RVers that were working while traveling, and I wanted to create something for all RV owners. Regardless of if you are a weekender, snowbird, full-timer, sometimer, or of course, a wanderluster that hopes to own an RV, RV TODAY is the magazine for you.
Some fun facts about the RV TODAY magazine:
“RV” means any Recreational Vehicle, and we will include everyone. If it has wheels and allows you to get away, it’s a recreational vehicle. We will be including all the traditional types of RVs as well as vans and skoolies. Everyone is welcome here.
“TODAY” means we are focused on things that are happening now. Where people are going today, what RVs they’re using, and what products and services make RVing more enjoyable.
“MAGAZINE” meaning we are not only a digital publication, we are also available in print and will have an RV TODAY app to read the magazine. Please do not get us confused with a quarterly newsletter, blog, or ezine.
“PLACES” for the vast majority of RVers I have spoken to over the years, this is the information they want … where to go. Places will be our major focus. We will also cover products and people, but not in a way that is trying to drive you to our store or our membership organization.
“FOR RVers, BY RVers” will be the mantra and is how this magazine will be produced. RV TODAY will be written by RV owners and we will be sharing stories about places, products, and people that will enhance your RV experience.
RV TODAY premieres on November 15, 2021—we’re so excited for this new journey.
with a totally customized advanced energy solution. Inform our team what you like to use in your day-to-day life and we will design the perfect power system for your RV lifestyle. From your daily power consumption calculations to system installation, our experts will keep quality, safety and your goals in mind.
MY LOVE FOR the open road developed early, nurtured by my dad’s passion for travel. Although we’re 35 years apart in age, our father-daughter bond has been shaped by our similar spirits, full of wanderlust, and our shared love for travel.
As a child, I would plan out road trips on a wall map in our basement as my dad shared his insights on the best detours, routes, and sights while working from his home office. On family road trips to national parks, I would gaze out the window as we passed through beautiful scenery.
As a teenager, I would spend evenings in Barnes & Noble with my dad, reading through travel books, nibbling on cafe cookies, and discussing our dreams of road trip adventures. In adulthood, we began to venture through RV shows together testing out the best setups, finding the biggest windows for roadside views, and comparing our favorite rigs.
Now, with me in my middle age and him in his retirement years, we both still have a love of travel and spirits filled with wanderlust. So when the vanlife movement hit, it piqued our interest and gave us another way to connect.
BY LISA PAULOSWe both loved the idea of experiencing vanlife and the open road, but we knew going full-time wouldn’t work with our current lives. My mom and dad enjoy the perks of their retirement community, such as golfing in leagues, dinners with friends, and coffee club, and I have the demands of a full-time career with a husband and two small dogs at home.
But we were determined to experience the van travel lifestyle and take the opportunity to hit the open road, and after much discussion, we found what fit for us: one van, one passion, two uses.
Our Nissan NV200, dubbed VanGo by my dad, is just under 16 feet long. The smaller frame is ideal for storing it in our home garages, and it is easy to drive on highways and in cities. In addition to getting great gas mileage, the van is small enough to park in standard parking lots, pull off for quick roadside lunches, and fit in smaller campsite spots, such as tent sites or small RV sites with no hookups.
We quickly discovered that while we are similar spirits, our travel habits and patterns are different. Customizing the van so it would be able to accommodate both our needs was of
utmost importance. Naturally inquisitive and an engineer by trade, my dad spent countless hours researching how to make the space unique to us by viewing YouTube videos and tutorials.
He found new ideas for the van and ways to optimize the space, such as affixing an awning on one side for outdoor seating, using headspace for increased storage, purchasing the best tech toys for living off-grid, and enlivening the space with fun gear like multiple LED light options. Thankfully these are all completely removable, so we can take what we like or need on any given trip and leave behind what we don’t.
For me, the van has been a means to explore thousands of miles of natural beauty as a solo female traveler. I have taken it out on big adventures, such as a 3,000-mile road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway as I checked off four new national parks: Channel Islands, Redwood, Crater Lake, and Lassen Volcanic. My goal is to visit all 63 national parks, and I am simply following in my dad’s footsteps. He has had this goal for years and has reached 44 parks thus
far—and I’m not far behind with my current tally at 33.
I’ve also taken the van on long weekend adventures exploring a variety of landscapes in the Southwest. Camping inside the stealth frame of the NV200 gives me a greater level of safety and security than traditional tent camping while I am on the road alone.
The comfort of the small cot, my minimalist packing, and the light footprint in the van also allows me to hit the road and reconnect with nature at a moment’s notice. When I am stressed or overwhelmed with daily demands, I know I can hop in the van and find peace on the open road.
For my dad, the van means local exploration for the flexible, mid-week adventures that retirement life affords. He and my mom spend single overnights at local Harvest Host spots such as area golf courses, venture out on long day trips with a picnic lunch, and head north to escape
the Phoenix heat and camp overnight in the national forests by setting up a comfortable campsite. Even simply having the van in his garage inspires dreams of travel and wanderlust while my dad tinkers on it throughout the week, trying out different setups and arrangements.
We have different uses for the van, but we both get the perk of living vicariously through one another’s travels. It’s one of the best parts!
Often when I am behind the wheel with expansive scenic views ahead, I recall all the father-daughter travel memories we have shared over the years. My dad taught me that the three most important things about a road trip are the planning, the trip itself, and the memories, and I’m so grateful we get to share vanlife together.
We may be at different life stages, but I look forward to the planning, traveling, and memories we will create together for years to come in our Nissan NV200.
Lisa is a Phoenix-based road trip enthusiast who never misses an opportunity to explore, travel, and find adventure, and she learned it from her dad, Jim. You can follow her adventures on Instagram at @lisa_roams or catch up with the father-daughter duo on their blog nationalparkroamers.wordpress.com for tips and stories about national park travel.
When I am stressed or overwhelmed with daily demands, I know I can hop in the van and find peace on the open road.
AFTER TWO YEARS ON the waiting list, our lottery number was drawn and we were able to land a spot in the Lone Star Corral, an Escapees Co-Op park near Hondo, Texas. We interrupted our itinerary we had planned in Southern California to drive straight to Texas with our pickup and fifth wheel, arriving in the first week of April. We were worried about spring in Texas, because we had lived in Wichita, Kansas, for a few years and knew what havoc a thunderstorm can wreak. After a couple of weeks, we moved our stored belongings from Denver, narrowly ahead of a major snowstorm, then spent a few days getting our Hondo casita organized and set up.
On April 28th, an EF-1 tornado touched down about a mile from us, blasting our Escapees park with 80 mph winds and softball-sized hail. When the tornado watch became a tornado warning, we rushed into our casita's windowless walk-in closet with only moments to spare, and continued watching the twister move close by on the Doppler map. Quickly, the pounding of the huge hail became deafening. During a pause in the hail, I went out and retrieved a 4-inch-wide hailstone to show Nadyne before hunkering down for another round of pelting. After the storm, portions of two towns and our co-op park were declared emergency areas by the state, and there were many property damage victims from both the tornado and the severe thunderstorm. Fortunately, there were only minor injuries and no deaths.
Our fifth wheel sustained a great deal of damage, with hail breaking out two west-facing windows, shattering the shower’s skylight and demolishing a ceiling vent and hood. On the roof, all our electronics and the A/C unit
were destroyed and various holes were punched through the roof of each of the slide-outs. When we first investigated the potential damage, we were both frozen in shock looking at the interior of the RV—glass, hail, tree branches and leaves, debris from the neighborhood, and remnants of our belongings were scattered all around the unit. We didn’t know where to begin or what to do.
Rain was still leaking in the broken windows and ceiling, so after the initial shock wore off, I started covering holes with duct tape until I could better fix the leaks, while Nadyne began picking up and removing debris. The shards of glass strewn everywhere were a safety concern, especially for our two dogs, so we tried to separate them from the main living room space as best we could.
The roof itself was also hit hard
and was in need of replacement. The refrigerator would no longer operate on propane, and the myriad inside leaks were like a frustrating game of whack-amole until I got all the holes covered by more permanent tape and patches. Our one-ton pickup didn't fare much better, losing the windshield and a passenger window and sustaining a hundred hail dents on the side, roof, and hood.
Every single RV, auto, truck, shed and casita in the Escapees Co-Op was heavily damaged, and nearly all the RVs in the park had to be totaled. More than half of the residents had already left for the summer, including most of the board of directors, so there weren’t many people around with the knowledge and authority to get repairs going immediately. We were without power for two days and our generator was one of only a half-dozen
in the park. Months later we were still without Internet on the Co-Op’s Wi-Fi system with no ETA yet for the repair.
An insurance adjuster totaled out the fifth wheel and estimated over $14,000 for pickup repairs. That figure rose to over $16,000 and truck parts were mostly on backorder, so it took several months before repairs were complete. To make matters worse, our rental car coverage wouldn’t cover the extra time required, so we were out-of-pocket for the excess cost. Also, since we were without our fifth wheel and truck and had other damages to contend with, we had to cancel all our travel plans for the rest of the year.
On the bright side, as many of our friends and family pointed out, we weren't injured, and it has been quite an experience seeing how our new
neighbors were all looking out for one another. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the couple two doors down had one of the few drivable trucks and drove me 50 miles into San Antonio so I could pick up my rental car. They had already grabbed our generator’s gas cans and had them filled for us.
We had wonderful support from almost everyone we know, with a couple of our best friends convincing a pizza chain to deliver pizza and wings to our site after the manager there had initially turned me down. Friends sent us care packages, gift cards, and lots of moral support. There are always upsides to a disaster if you choose to see them, and in this case one was experiencing how much our family and friends care about us.
Residents in the park have also shown what they are made of—kindness,
resilience, and optimism. They inspired us to stay calm and begin the work of recovering from the catastrophe rather than fretting over our predicament. Some of the octogenarians here seemed to have more energy than we did, so there wasn’t much chance to feel sorry for ourselves. Other Escapees Co-Op resorts around the country sent money to Lone Star Corral, which helped to pay for damages, as well as packages of much-needed supplies. Local businesses, even a local restaurateur whose own business was closed due to storm damage, catered several meals for park residents, especially helpful since so many of us were without working kitchens.
Another upside has been getting a new, larger, nicer fifth wheel, a 36’ Grand Design Reflection, the same make and
model we had been impressed with when friends bought one a few years earlier. This model definitely gives us more room, plus it has washer and dryer hookups in the closet (no more manually moving our washer in and out of the shower), a permanent island in the kitchen, and a large basement.
Of course, this comes with sadness and frustration as well. We had put hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into remodeling since going full-time, making our old Crossroads fifth wheel comfortable and usable on the road, including creating double-office space. It was exactly how we wanted it in terms of look, feel, and access. I’m also still a bit nervous about parking a fifth wheel that is four feet longer than our long-time-owned Cruiser.
We ended up staying put through the
heat, humidity, wind, and summer storms of East Texas, not knowing when or if we will be able to continue our travel. We were due to return in November anyway, so our 2021 itinerary gently came to a close, eventually catching up with our winter plans in East Texas. But, we are healthy and content to see what new experiences our lifestyle will bring us.
Jack Huber is a full-time RVer who also writes books, poetry and blogs. He is also a podcaster and photographer. You can find more of his adventures on his website jackhuber.com
WE WERE DRIPPING with sweat and I was two weeks out from delivering our fourth baby, but after touring seemingly every RV in Texas, we finally had our dream RV. It was 2016 and we were about to embark on the biggest change of our lives; going from a 4,000-square-foot house down to just over 400 square feet would definitely be interesting.
After looking at RVs for nearly a year, we decided a toy hauler would work best for our family of six plus a dog and cat. The flexibility of the garage area, the large tank capacity and generator for boondocking, and the giant windows in the main room were all top selling points.
We purchased a gently-used 2015 Heartland Torque 380. For our first four years of RVing, we kept the setup the same with minor changes here and there. We did what most people do and used the back garage area as the kids’ bedroom. Last year, when our oldest headed off to college a year early, we decided it was a great time for a more extensive renovation.
This time, we got creative. Because we had already lived in the RV for four years, we knew exactly what we wanted out of the space. We were ready for big changes that would require a lot of work, but we also weren’t willing to move out of the RV or stop traveling to get the job done. In hindsight, that may have been a lot easier!
We started by repainting the entire RV and adding new flooring throughout. If you’ve ever done it before, you know painting an RV is a lot of work. When we had a house, I always volunteered to do the large roller
because I could make so much progress so quickly, and I hated all the tedious trim work. In the RV, it’s all sanding, priming and trim work—all the parts that seem to take forever. We also put all new wood trim up to replace the cardboard original trim.
The only way to do a renovation like this without moving out is to tackle one room at a time.
The original master bedroom was small and simple. It had a queen bed, a shallow closet, a built-in dresser, and a washer and dryer cabinet. In converting it to the kids’ room, we kept everything the same except the bed, which Luke designed himself to fit our space perfectly. The original bed came out on a slide, with the mechanism underneath. The only way to build bunks was to make use of the original slide bed, so Luke built up from there and made a top bunk with the bottom split in half for two narrow twin-length mattresses on the bottom. For the bottom bunks, we cut twin memory foam mattresses down to fit the space. The top is a full twin with book storage on the side. I admit the kids don’t have a ton of headroom, but they really don’t spend any time in their bedroom until it’s time for bed anyway. This switch has served its purpose
nicely, as the kids actually have a closet and the dresser works great for storing all their games. I also love that the beds are all twin length so they have room to grow into them. Converting the back bedroom to a master suite has been a game changer for us. As I mentioned before, my kids love to be in the main room and never spent much time in their rooms, so finding space to be alone is tough. When we renovated the back bedroom for our master, we also added daily living space to our home. Our queen-size bed goes up on tracks during the day to reveal a second living area underneath. This back garage area also has a sliding door,
which provides a much quieter space for when Luke or I need to get some work done or make phone calls without worrying about the kids playing loudly in the background. We have a desk, dressers, a couch, and toy storage in this second living area. We also converted the back half bathroom to fit our master suite perfectly and added some built-in cabinetry to serve as a master closet.
Now that it is our bedroom, we can leave the deck down through the night when weather permits. We have had the opportunity to wake up to the most beautiful sunrises and mountain views. This alone has made the switch worthwhile.
Our RV came with six reclining chairs! We removed them right away, but the
We removed the carpet from the stairs and rebuilt them to store our shoes. Both steps have hinges on them and lift to reveal storage compartments. We can’t fit all of our family’s shoes here, but it works great for the pairs we wear most often.
The project may have been completed a year ago, but Luke and I are always discussing creative ways to use space while maintaining a beautiful aesthetic. So far, this renovation has been the perfect solution for our family as we traveled into Baja last winter and up throughout the Western United States this summer. Even before the renovations, we have been so grateful for this life on wheels and the ability to explore so many awe-inspiring places because of it. This home has given us way more than any of our other homes have. I imagine we will drive her until the wheels fall off.
slide has served many purposes over the years, as a desk area, couch, and kitchen table. Luke designed and built a twin daybed to fit our slide. The bed is built taller than normal, so we can sit on it and stare out the windows, our kitty litter can fit under the end. Luke also built it with hinges on the top and an easy lift so we have ample storage underneath for all our winter clothing and Christmas decorations. The twin mattress cushion and large pillows make this one of the most comfortable spots to sit in the house.
This was actually part of our original renovation from a few years ago, but I think it's worth mentioning. We wanted the focal point of our main living space to be books rather than the TV, so we removed the television and added a bookcase with an electric fireplace underneath. The change has been really great. Everyone asks if our books fall off, but the truth is the bookcase is so stuffed with books that it’s not an issue! Luke also added a small lip to the front of each shelf to prevent any flyaways.
The Lahr family has been traveling by land throughout the US in their toy hauler for over five years now. Mel and Luke have been unschooling their four children [Leander(17), Koen (12), Josie (8), and Rory (4)] for the last 7.5 years. They are determined to broaden their children’s worldview, embrace curiosity and creativity, and deepen their connections to nature through travel and adventure together. You can find out more about their adventure on all social platforms at @lahrs.with.latitude
IN THE SUMMER of 2019, we decided to go tiny and build our dream home on wheels so we could travel North America. The only problem was that we were living in a high-rise apartment in downtown Dallas, and we definitely didn’t have a yard.
We bought a bus and named it TOTS, which is an acronym for our social media handle, Tale of Two Smittys. We needed to figure out where we could do the work, and fast. We had no luck finding a place to rent with enough space for a bus, and we didn’t have the money to buy property, so that really only left us with one option: renting a parking space at a storage facility that would allow us to build on site.
This certainly wasn’t our favoriteoption, and it also wasn’t the easiest, but after calling about ten different places, we finally found a spot big enough for the bus for about $150 a month.
Removing the seats was our first project, which also led to our first big lesson— managing garbage. The facility didn’t have trash pickup or a dumpster, and we didn't even have any extra space to store the trash in the meantime. We quickly learned where the local landfills and recycling centers were, and we definitely took advantage of our apartment dumpsters a time or two.
Once we were finished taking things out, it was exciting to start putting things in and building!
Building, of course, requires power tools. We had the tools, borrowed from Laura's dad, but there’s not much power in the middle of a parking lot. That’s where our generator came in. The generator was great for the tools, as well as charging phones and cameras we used to document our build, and it also
helped by powering lights for after-hours working. The not-so-great part was hauling a 200-pound machine in and out of the bus every time we stopped working. We eventually installed a storage basket on the back of the bus and secured the generator there; we’ll share more about that later.
While our workspace was limited to a 12-foot
we used them as our everyday tool and hardware storage for the duration of the build.
We mentioned after-hours working, but unfortunately those hours were pretty limited. We could only work when the storage unit was open, which was 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.. Early on, that was plenty of time, but as we got down to the wire on our departure date, we really wished it was open 24/7.
by 40-foot area, we made the best of the space we had. We were as efficient as we could be, but as the bus build intensified and more things were going on inside, we decided it was best to get a storage locker on site at the same property. This proved to be a great decision because we were able to keep extra tools in the unit instead of in the bus. With that being said, we still had a lot of stuff in the bus and not a lot of space, so it was a constant organizing game. Installing our pantry and kitchen cabinets early was a lifesaver because
In addition to limited access, another inconvenience of having a bus parked at a storage unit 15 to 20 minutes away was that we couldn't just run outside and check something on the bus when an idea struck, or if we needed to know a measurement for one of our countless online purchases. That access is a pretty underappreciated part of a build, and without it, we were forced to be more organized. Every time we went to the bus we brought a list of what we needed to work on, measure, or take pictures of so we would be able to plan more efficiently when we were away from TOTS. Having our future home kept behind a big locked area had its upside, too. We had a sense of security knowing it was in a lot with cameras, gates, barbed wire, and other people with their RVs, boats, and work trucks stored there too. It was kind of a little storage community. In fact, a few months in, we met another young couple fixing up an RV to travel the country and they were heading out just a couple weeks later. We were so excited to meet fellow nomads just two spaces down, and have kept in touch watching them follow their dreams. We're thrilled to say they are still on the road, so Tyler and Tanner, if you're reading this—cheers, friends; looking forward to parking next to you one day soon!
Things were going great at the spot, our spirits were up, and we could see the finish line … until we showed up to the bus on Thanksgiving day to find our generator had been stolen. We had worked on the bus the night before, and sometime after we left, some lovely
IF YOU HAVE A DREAM, YOU CAN ALWAYS FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK
person showed up to the lot with bolt cutters and helped themselves to our generator. We were absolutely gutted. The generator was locked to the basket, but it wasn't enough. A word of caution—if you’re considering building in a parking lot, be sure to invest in a very secure cage for your generator. And keep it well hidden!
We felt sorry for ourselves for a couple of days, and then we bought a new generator and got back to work, more determined than ever to finish the build.
In October 2020, our lease was up and we moved out of our apartment and into an extended stay hotel for a couple of weeks. Those weeks came and went, and on December 28, our things were fully moved into TOTS, we were registered and insured, and we were finally able to move into our new home and leave space #810 once and for all.
All in all, if we had the option to build on land with access to electricity, water, and trash services, we would prefer that. But if we had to build in a parking lot again, we would absolutely do it. There’s no denying building a home in a parking lot is tough, but we want our experience to send the message that if you have a dream, you can always figure out a way to make it work. Don’t let small inconveniences prevent you from following your dream.
Just think, if we gave up after we couldn’t find a house with a yard to build in, or after our generator was stolen, we wouldn't be sharing this story from the best desk we've ever had in our cozy home with a killer Pacific Northwest forest view.
If you'd like to see more from Cody and Laura, their bus build, or their current travels, please check them out on Instagram
@TaleOfTwoSmittys and on YouTube at Tale Of Two Smittys
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By Christina Stawiasz
THERE’S NO DENYING that food is a daily necessity. So on the road, whether you are a full-time RVer, part-timer, or weekend warrior, camp cooking is part of the experience. While hot dogs on a stick, campfire pies, and burgers are beloved and essential to the camping experience, sometimes you just need something a bit more fulfilling and satisfying for the taste buds. I am happy to report that you don’t have to miss out on your favorite home-cooked meals while living on the road, and heck, sometimes even fancy meals can be fun and completely possible.
Cooking amazing meals has always been a passion of mine. When my husband Bram and I decided to hit the road in our 21-foot RV, that meant I needed to adapt to a smaller kitchen and tiny appliances. I knew there would be a learning curve, but I accepted the challenge and my goal of creating exceptional meals for the great outdoors began to come to life. One of the first things I learned was that just about everything, including the toaster, will trigger the hypersensitive fire alarm in our tiny rig, which meant I immediately had to get creative. I was determined to further my love of cooking while enjoying every moment of our camping expeditions, and these two aims merged so effortlessly that it felt meant to be.
I decided to start Thyme + Timber, which is dedicated to creating exceptional meals for the great outdoors, all cooked outdoors. I wanted to prove to myself that you can make ANY meal on the grill or over a smoldering campfire. I’m talking risottos, frittatas, casseroles, and even cakes! Lately, I have become quite the fan of experimenting with grill baking—I had no complaints when it came to my mini dark chocolate cake or my very berry basil cobbler cake.
I am constantly working on creating tasty meals that are all tailored for cooking outside, and along the way, I have narrowed down all the must-have cooking necessities and discovered a few easy cheats. We all have those days that require long hours on the road to reach the next exciting destination. After setting up camp—aka the temporary home site—cutting down on prep time for dinner can be a welcome relief.
It probably goes without saying, but a grill is a must when camping. They come in all different shapes and sizes, so it is easy to find one that will fit your storage space. That being said, don’t be intimidated by open-fire cooking! Try the grill grate at your site or bring your own portable grill grate. You can even find small, sturdy ones that fold up for easy storage. If you are a beginner when it comes to grilling, opt for a gas grill as the heat is much easier to control. Think of your grill as a stovetop or even an oven. Where there is a flame, you can cook anything! I have successfully baked mini cakes and casseroles using the grill. It really is possible!
Since going full-time, I have become quite the cast iron connoisseur. They distribute heat evenly and you can cook just about everything in them. If you don’t have an extensive cast iron collection or if you are limited on space, I recommend either a deep 10-inch cast iron with a lid, or a cast iron dutch oven plus a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet. I also really love my 8-inch skillet, which is perfect for mini desserts and egg bakes. Of course, your choice in skillet size will also depend on how many hungry bellies you are feeding. Keep in mind that enamel coated ones can crack or discolor over open fire.
I am obsessed with flavor, so my spice collection is never-ending, but those tiny drawers will only hold so many! Salt and pepper are a must for any meal. Beyond those, I’ve found that always having chili powder, oregano, basil, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, thyme, onion powder, and Old Bay on hand will give you endless choices for cooking. With those spices, you’ll have the option to mix and match for all kinds of foods—from chili, tacos, and herbed chicken to anything Creole or Italian. When you’re buying spices to stock your kitchen, shop smart and think tiny. Look for the mini containers to optimize your storage area.
Meal planning is the best time saver for cooking, and there are many convenient options in most grocery stores. Are you a garlic lover? I am slightly obsessed. Skip the hassle of peeling by purchasing pre-peeled garlic or even skip the chopping altogether with the help of minced garlic in a jar. Also, consider loading up on fresh veggies at local farmers markets. Not only are you supporting the local farmers and towns you’re visiting, you’ll have the opportunity to discover something new.
If you are limited on time, opt for frozen vegetables. Simply pre-measure frozen vegetables, label them in individual Ziploc bags and store them in the freezer. All that’s left to do is toss them
right into your dish! Don’t forget you can find pre-washed and pre-shredded cheeses, carrots, and other vegetables in some produce sections.
The best cooking trick of all is to marinate your meat ahead of time. Simply place your fresh poultry, beef or pork in a gallon-sized Ziploc, add your marinade, and put it in your freezer. The night before cooking, transfer it to the refrigerator and it will marinate itself as it defrosts overnight!
Recipe by Christina Stawiasz
@thyme.and.timber
Course: Dinner / Cuisine: Mexican, Vegetarian / Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
9 corn tortillas
Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tspeach oregano, paprika, chili powder, cumin
1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
1-1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend or crumbled queso fresco
Preheat grill to medium-high and warm corn tortillas until slightly charred, not burnt—just enough until edges are crisp. Remove from heat.
Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to hot pan and add peppers, onions, salt, and pepper. Sauté until softened, 5–7 minutes. Add garlic, black beans, corn, broth, and spices, bring to a simmer, and cook 10–12 minutes. Transfer bean mixture to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium-low. To the skillet, in an even layer add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, stagger 3 corn tortillas, 1/2 cup bean mixture, 1/2 cup cheese blend, and repeat. You will have 3 layers. Use up any additional enchilada sauce on the top layer. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
You can get creative with additonal toppings. Sliced black olives, jalapeños, avocado, cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, or even some salsa and shredded lettuce make some wonderful final toppings!
THE ONLY 100% AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF SAFETY DEVICE FOR YOUR PROPANE SYSTEM.
Christina Stawiasz is the creator of Thyme + Timber. She currently travels with her husband Bramdon in their 21-foot Coachmen Expedition. Thriving in nature and catching all the local markets along the way to create meals also find her on Instagram @thyme.and.timber
BOONDOCKING, SELF-CONTAINED, OFF-GRID and unplugged—whatever you call it, if you’ve tried it, you’ve probably learned some lessons along the way. Most nomads consider boondocking an initiation into RV living, a rite of passage into the world of self-sufficiency and adventure.
No matter how much research you do before your first boondocking experience, there will likely be some mishaps along the way. We’ve polled Rootless Living readers to share some of the worst mistakes they’ve made while camping off-grid!
When you have a big rig, researching and scouting your route can be the difference between finding a great camp easily and going through the long and frustrating process of backing, rerouting, and maneuvering a large and expensive vehicle in sometimes-dangerous situations. Unfortunately, getting your RV stuck in a narrow road is not as funny as you might expect from that Austin Powers scene.
to boondocking locations? “Don’t trust Google Maps!” from Sam and Brent of @toasteronwheels
Katie of @theotherfulton says one of her biggest boondocking mistakes was “not scouting the road ahead! We took too tight a turn and were stuck for an hour!”
Getting stuck in a tight situation can be frustrating, but some roads are more dangerous than others. While looking for a boondocking spot, Jake and Colee of @freeindeedrv say their worst experience was “going down a road we shouldn't have and almost tipping the fifth wheel over a cliff.”
Not researching your route beforehand can have other consequences as well, especially when it comes to seasonally-gated roads. Jesse and Melissa of @adventureendeavor explained that they “showed up to a spot too early in the season, which meant locked gates and no plan B.”
They’re not the only ones who have had that experience. Demian Ross (@demianross), publisher of Rootless Living Magazine, mentions that one of his most frustrating boondocking experiences was “driving on a 25-mile dirt road just to get to a gate that was locked and having to leave.”
The last bit of advice our readers have when it comes to following a route
If you’re new to boondocking, you might also be new to RVing in general. Learning the ins and outs of a new rig, not to mention how it performs in soft road conditions, is a big learning curve. Most nomads have learned their rig’s limitations in sand, mud, and snow by getting stuck and figuring it out along the way!
Katie and Aaron of @laceyadventuresofficial found out the limits of their 27,000-pound Skoolie when they got stuck in the mud and had to pull it out with their Subaru Crosstrek!
Most boondockers have had their own experiences with sand, and Kyli (@kyli.brook) is no exception.
the truck. The expensive mistakes are always the most memorable.
Everyone who has gotten stuck in sand or mud will tell you that walking the road ahead before driving on it is critical to preventing sticky situations. Marjorie of @kittysharkcreative says her biggest mistake was “not checking the solidity of the sandy road prior to getting stuck. I lucked out, but learned a lesson.”
Even if you get to a boondocking spot unscathed, the weather and road conditions are still important factors. Brittany (@brittanywhelchelhicks) says she made a mistake by “not checking the weather and getting stuck in a spot for longer due to a muddy road.” Being trapped in a spot can be almost worse than not being able to get to one!
Unfortunately, while trying to get her fifth wheel into a boondocking spot, she got stuck. The problem compounded when she discovered she had a lost emergency brake and ended up with a dent in
Being self-sustained means that you have the freedom to camp out in remote areas for weeks at a time, limited only by the amount of supplies you carry—and the land-use
regulations, of course. Many readers reported forgetting to fill up water tanks prior to going off-grid to their next boondocking location. An even worse scenario is using the last of your water unexpectedly after not even realizing you were running low!
Usually, once you get to a remote spot, you don’t want to leave for a bit. Unfortunately, Chloe (@chloeannelowry) learned the hard way when she realized she didn’t have enough water or food to cook as soon as she found the perfect spot.
While planning a trip, it may seem that public lands are everywhere and boondocking spots are abundant, easy to get to, and all perfectly level. In reality, campsites are likely to be a bit difficult to find, unlevel, and may require some maneuvering in order to get your RV in the perfect spot. Paul and Adrianna of @fordo.baggins say they’ve made the mistake of “driving up and having to scout in the dark. Never fun.” Getting to camp while it’s light out makes the experience much easier and more enjoyable.
In addition, as more and more people are enjoying the outdoors, many nomads are experiencing the need to get to campsites earlier than they used to in order to find a good spot. Getting to camp late in the day can sometimes mean you won’t have a spot to camp in at all. Nicole and Will (@the_overlanders_ ) say their experience of “getting there too late and finding that all the spots were taken” was a big lesson learned.
Finding a camp too late can also mean you might make the mistake that @chrisandsara_ made when they ended up “accidentally parking in a spot someone had already claimed … #awkward.”
Along with food and water, it’s a good idea to make sure your batteries are charged and power systems are working well before you go boondocking. Boondocking means you don’t have the convenience of being plugged in for electricity and you may have to rely on a solar system. Many nomads rely on a generator for auxiliary power and have to plan ahead to make sure there’s enough fuel to run the generator for extended periods of time.
Ashley (@the_great_pate_ adventure) says one of their family’s worst boondocking mistakes was “not watching the batteries and they died and went bad,” meaning they had to replace all of their batteries, which must have been an expensive lesson! Liz (@smile.its.liz) had a similar problem when she forgot to charge everything beforehand.
@_neverstopadventuring
- Not confirming internet coverage beforehand
@wander.onwheels - Not bringing enough beer...
@the_great_pate_adventure
Some spots are harder to get to than others, making that mistake a harder pill to swallow. Rachael of @rvadventuregal says the biggest mistake she made was “driving up switchbacks to over 8,000 feet and setting up before realizing that I didn’t fill the water tanks.”
Those who use a generator can relate to Heather of @fullhands.fullheart.fulltime, who had a problem when they “didn’t have a plan B when the generator stopped working late at night in humid, hot, 90-degree weather.” Power is a critical requirement for camping in hot weather, and if you rely on a generator for air conditioning, running out of gas is a mistake you don’t make twice!
@thiscavulife -
Thinking I was alone “visiting” nature when in reality, I was not … hi, neighbor!
@rvreset - Not doing it soon enough!
WE WERE WALKING through an RV show because there were few other things to do on a snowy Ohio Saturday. We had never been campers, and I had never even been inside an RV before, but after a day of touring rigs and learning about how to live on the road, we left the show thinking, “We could actually do this!”
This was the very beginning of our journey to the full-time RV lifestyle. And while we’ve been enjoying it for nearly three years now, it took a lot of planning to transition and adjust to life on the road.
My husband, Sovann, works construction, and each year he is off for about five months when it gets too cold. That’s
nearly five entire months every year to travel! But before we were ready to make that decision, I spent two years thinking through the question of whether we actually could become digital nomads, and how we would go about it.
If we decided to sell our condo and travel part of the year, I would need to sacrifice my career to do it. It was hard and scary to have that kind of faith. Would we even like it? Would we regret it? Would we have enough money?
After two years, a company switch, and my teenager finishing school, I was finally ready to pull the trigger. I found myself driving home from work one night with an epic sunset in front of me, and I thought, “There must be more to life than working and going home every day.” So
By Jennifer SyMy worst-case scenario was that I would have to come back and work a minimum-wage seasonal job, and ultimately I decided that would be okay. We were not selling everything to travel and become rich, after all. We had to retrain our brains into a “work to travel” mentality.
The weekend we moved was hard on me. When it was time to leave our “sticks and bricks” for the RV, I was sick from head to toe. Even though I was so excited to hit the road, the unknowns were taking over. We had watched seemingly every RV YouTube video that existed and still felt unprepared.
In the end, we realized “fake it ‘til we make it” was the best attitude to have, and that is exactly what happened!
We quickly fell into a travel routine and felt like pros in no time.
A couple of weeks into travel life, I found myself sitting outside watching a gorgeous sunset over the red rocks in New Mexico. No rush hour. No workday mental exhaustion. I realized this was the moment we had been working toward. This is where we belong! Job or no job, a little money
or a lot of money, this is worth it!
Our first season of travel went by fast. We were moving every couple of days on our route from Ohio to California and back. We wanted to do a huge loop through the west to really take advantage of this trip because we still weren’t sure if we could sustain the lifestyle. Of course, it was a blast, and after about two months, we had already begun planning for a larger rig, and I had started searching for a more sustainable work situation that would allow me to work the same season as my husband.
It’s been almost three years since we hit the road, and we’re still living full-time in our RV on our schedule of seven months at our home base, and five months traveling. I reached out to my old company, and to my delight, a seasonal position worked for both of us. I have even been able to work remotely part-time in the winter as well.
One thing we’ve heard more and more from folks we meet on the road is that they initially didn’t think they could work remotely, part-time, or seasonally, but they were able to find a happy medium work situation with their employers.
My suggestion to others seeking the digital nomad lifestyle is to think outside
We had watched seemingly every RV YouTube video that existed and still felt unprepared.
the box and communicate with your employer openly. There might be a surprising option that works out for both of you.
Many travelers ask us what our favorite place is, but the beauty of RV life is that you don’t have to have a favorite place—you can visit all of them!
We enjoy spending time in Texas Hill Country, southern New Mexico, and northern Arizona. We love experiencing small town life and witnessing the culture, architecture, and customs of less-visited places.
Some of our favorite memories take place in the smallest, most random locations. The surprises along the way are the true experiences we are living for.
Of course, not every day is a vacation. We have had plenty of hiccups along the
way, too.
We learned quickly not to trust the GPS without examining the route. We ended up on a curvy, hilly, teeny-tiny road in Tennessee in our 42-foot fifth wheel—not a fun experience! We have done laundry at some super sketchy laundromats. We’ve also learned how to unclog a black tank and how to avoid running out of propane on a cold night. Those lessons weren’t fun to learn, but they are part of the journey and we’re glad we have those memories.
One thing that has kept us going during our travels is the tight-knit, diverse, and supportive RV community. We have met people both in person and virtually that we hope to have as friends for life. It doesn’t matter if a new RV friend is 25 or 65; we always have so
much in common that we can chat for hours.
It’s always amazing to hear why other people choose to live RV life fulltime and what they hope to gain from it. Sometimes it’s an experiment for the year, and others plan to continue forever!
Will the day come when we stop traveling and put down roots? Maybe. But right now we are happy with our travel/home-base balance. Our to-do list is a few years long at this point. We also have another bucket list of all the places we would like to visit when we can travel during the warmer months in my husband’s retirement days. So for now, we will remain “retiree wannabes” by traveling when we can and how we can!
There’s part of me that wishes we had pulled the trigger sooner, but I know I needed those two years to learn to be okay living with less. I needed to think about reaching personal aspirations instead of career goals. Once I was in that mindset, I was ready, and I fell in love with the life that we have been living!
Jennifer lives full-time in her Grand Design Solitude fifth wheel along with her husband, Sovann, and two dogs. Based in Columbus, Ohio, she balances a blend of stationary and remote work throughout the year. When she is not traveling, she and her husband spend time with family and their 23-year-old son. You can follow their journey on Instagram @retireewannabes
THE POPULAR DEFINITION of glamping conjures images of photo-ready yurts filled with boho curtains and chandeliers. These glamping destinations seem to provide a perfect weekend getaway for travelers who want to be in nature but don’t quite want to rough it.
Our family has a slightly different definition, and it’s one that we’ve customized to our needs while on the road full-time. For us, glamping is where nature meets modern comforts. It’s making whatever you are camping in feel like home. It’s having your favorite coffee in the morning, sleeping off the ground,
and being able to prepare a homecooked meal that’s eaten around a table with room for the whole family. It’s having family photos on the wall and movie and popcorn nights on Fridays.
Our glamping provisions include our 2020 Grand Design Reflection 31MB pulled by our 2019 Ford F-250. We are a family of four that loves the outdoors, and glamping is our preferred camping style. Glamping is still hiking, biking, and bonfires with smores. But for us, it also means electricity, heated reclining seats, and indoor plumbing. Glamping in our fifth wheel also has a lot to do with the sites we choose at RV parks and
campgrounds. In general, we try to book large, full hook-up sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and enough room for the dogs to play and the kids to build a fort with newly-found friends.
The main reason we began glamping full-time on the road is family—building deeper relationships with the ones we love, experiencing new places, and exploring this amazing country together. Basically, we’re choosing to live our best lives now instead of waiting for something to change our minds.
While on the road, I have focused on living glamping life to its fullest and enjoying every minute with my family, complete with great food at every stop.
I love eating, cooking, and trying new restaurants, and I’ve been able to seamlessly incorporate that into our full-time glamping style. In new areas, I’m always on the lookout for farmers markets, fishmongers selling locally-caught seafood, or anything made with local berries or vegetables. For instance, I became obsessed with huckleberries while visiting Wyoming and Montana—there’s ice cream, wine, chocolate, saltwater taffy, pie, jam, and even huckleberry balsamic vinegar!
One of my favorite glamping activities is to source lots of local ingredients and cook an amazing meal for my family in our outdoor kitchen, which includes a double-burner stove, Blackstone griddle, and a sink.
Eating out is also a love of ours while we travel. When looking for restaurants, I always ask locals or campground hosts to recommend a place. You can always trust the people who live in an area to
point you in the right direction.
Glamping for us also includes experiences. We find new, exciting areas by hiking national parks, exploring rivers stocked with trout for fly fishing, and finding fabulous beaches and lakes to kayak.
Exploring local towns is another of my favorite things to do. I always leave an afternoon open to explore whatever town is nearby—usually the smaller, the better. For my little bookworms, we try to find a library and get temporary library cards so they can check out different books throughout the week. Libraries also usually have great Wi-Fi, so I can work while they browse.
Saturdays are usually our main exploring day. Wherever we are, we plan a full-day excursion on Saturday and sometimes an evening or two during the week. This includes time for visiting a national park, planning hikes, kayaking, biking, fishing, or just driving through a park at sunset to see if we can spot some wildlife!
Spending time together as a family is the most important part of our glamping experience. It’s knowing that the little and precious time we have together isn’t being wasted on two hours a day commuting, or spending an entire day doing yard work.
However, just because we’re glamping doesn’t mean we avoid the challenges of being on the road full-time.
We’ve had to manage issues beyond our control such as ice and snowstorms in Texas, Utah, and Arizona, and even a tornado in Florida! We’ve worked through propane and gas shortages, lack of laundry facilities, and sickness on the road. And like all travelers, we also deal with personal issues like missing our friends and family, travel fatigue, being out of our comfort zones, and having to deal with other people’s opinions of our life choices.
The Burns family purchased a 36’ fifth wheel in 2020, hit the road, and have been exploring new locations and old favorites ever since. They travel with their two children and their two rescued German Shepherds. They love to experience all that glamping has to offer, including unique eateries, local activities and sites, and spending the most time they can together. You can follow their journey on Instagram @eatglamplove
We question it often. “Are we doing the right thing?” “Are we raising our children the best way we know how?” “Is this the right decision for our family?” Ultimately, yes, it is. We know we have made the right choice. We know living a slightly harder life in order to spend time with the ones we hold dear is right for us.
However you choose to “glamp,” have fun, enjoy it, and treasure the moments, smiles, and laughs. Life is short, enjoy it now!
By Annie Rueb
MY HUSBAND AND I have always been travelers at heart; it’s one of the many things that brought us together. When we had kids, we immediately had an overpowering desire to show them the world. Most couples slow down on traveling once they have kids, but I think we started traveling more after having the kids than we did before. So the question was never, “Can we travel with kids?” but, “How can we travel more often?” Thinking through that question was how we figured out that travel nursing was our ticket to full-time travel as a family.
We worked hard for years and by 2011, the year our first daughter was born, we had set ourselves up well as a nurse and a paramedic. We own a home in Phoenix, Arizona, and we were surrounded by amazing family, friends, teachers, and job opportunities. We loved our lives, but we knew we wanted
to figure out how to make the transition to full-time travel and spend even more time together.
Seven years ago, we made a decision that changed our lives. Sam left his dream job at the local fire department and enrolled in a program that took him from a paramedic to an RN. When we thought up this wild idea, we knew it would take 4–5 years to come to fruition. But even with all that time to prepare, once we got there it still felt like ripping off the world’s biggest band-aid. We left our comfort zone and everything we knew to be home.
So much of this new lifestyle is unknown. With kids, we knew having a consistent home would be key, so we sold all our belongings and moved ourselves, our two kids, and our two dogs into a 2001 Class A motorhome. We recently named her Gale and have grown to love all of her imperfections.
We decided to keep our home in Phoenix and rent it out to maintain it as a financial asset, so the budget for our home on wheels was not very big. Finding a rig where the monthly commitment feels more like a modest car payment than a mortgage is harder than it seems. As we looked, we prioritized our desire to be debt-free and tried hard not to get distracted by the pretty upgrades and spacious features on some neighboring RV options. The older model we ended up with has been extremely reliable and has suited our needs really well. It started with low mileage and has taken us down thousands of miles of open road. We’ve had fun updating the interior little by little and making it our own.
We tow our off-road vehicle so we can continue to tent camp and explore new areas. We gave the kids the back
bedroom and we transform the living room into our fancy bedroom suite each night. Yes, this means we make our entire bed every single night. But overall, it’s worth it, and we’re proud to say we’re living debt-free because of it.
Of course, life on the road with kids includes the added consideration of being completely responsible for their education. Even though we are both nurses, Sam takes nursing contracts while I homeschool the kids and do virtual work as a lactation consultant. We found a secular curriculum and focus on language arts, reading, and math. We let life teach them the rest. On average we spend 3–4 hours a day, four days a week going through the material. We take a year-round approach so that when we want or need a week off, we have the freedom to do so. Sometimes I’m not their favorite teacher, and sometimes they aren’t my favorite students, but we work together and figure it out. They are being exposed to so many different parts of the country, including diverse cultures, aspects of nature, weather, climates, and animals. Through these experiences, our goal is to raise globally-minded, kind humans. We hope we are on the right track!
Living this lifestyle is not always easy. Since starting our journey in January 2020, we have learned how to live together in a tiny space and how to deal with missing our family. We’ve had to learn how to navigate RV parks and how to make and keep friends that come in and out of our lives. We manage
healthcare for our family while on the road, and we have learned to be patient when we don’t always know what is next. All of that being said, we always like to focus on the fun! Seriously, it is so fun. Sam takes 13-week travel nurse contracts. He loves his job and gets to meet really great people everywhere he goes. We follow the weather and the scenery and soak in each new area as best we can. Sam works 3–4 days a week and we explore on our days off. We go on hikes and bike rides, explore any nearby national parks, tent camp deep in the woods, and play in oceans and lakes every chance we get. We shop at local businesses, enjoy coffee from local roasteries, and sample the beer at local breweries. We search for moose, bears, eagles, and any other wildlife we might have a chance to observe. Throughout all of this, we watch the girls gain an unbelievable amount of confidence and independence on a daily basis. They are growing up right before our eyes into the kindest, coolest adventurers we know. Sometimes, when we’re doing something like watching the sunset from the peak of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park on a Monday night, we pinch ourselves and are reminded that we’re really doing this. We made it happen, and we are going to continue to make it happen for as long as we can.
Sam and Annie are a traveling nurse family, living full time in their RV and exploring the country with their two daughters and two happy dogs. Sam is taking OR nurse contracts while Annie homeschools the kids and does virtual work from the RV. Follow their adventures on Instagram @livesmall.traveloften
AYEAR AND A half ago, if you told me and Leslie that we’d be traveling the country with a trailer in tow, we would have laughed at you and said, “No way!” Fast forward to today, and we can’t imagine not having our Airstream. That’s how life works.
We’ve learned to be open to opportunities and aware of what the universe
is showing us. If each step we take feels right, even if it’s unexpected, we’ve learned that life can unfold in ways we could have never imagined.
After college, both of us worked in the corporate world in New York City. Leslie was a publicist for a huge firm, working with celebrities and well-known brands.
I was the manager of global product
development for a cosmetics company and traveled the world working with chemists to create products. We loved our jobs and the experience of being in the city.
We also loved to travel and explore the world. Our relationship started because of our shared love of travel.
Leslie and I worked together early in our careers, and during that time, I spontaneously decided to join him on a trip to Costa Rica. Our relationship blossomed after that initial adventure, and we traveled every chance we could.
Having only fifteen days of vacation each year, we planned a big international trip and many weekend trips, strategically taking advantage of every holiday and extra day off.
After many vacations and ten years in the corporate world, we finally reached what we had worked so hard for and what we believed was “success”— achievements in our careers, making great money, and being on track to continue climbing the corporate ladder.
On paper, we did it! In real life, we looked at each other and said, “This sucks!”
The more we worked, the more
money we made, but in turn, the more money we spent. It was awesome until we realized that life was flying by. We wanted to be able to travel more and work less; ultimately, we wanted travel to be part of our everyday lifestyle.
“Success” required working long hours and meeting intense deadlines, which was starting to affect my health. I had a severe health scare with my back; I was unable to move without debilitating pain. After an evaluation with one of NYC’s top doctors, he said that the pain was directly caused by stress. We were shocked. I kept thinking of the phrase “stress kills” and knew I had to examine my lifestyle.
Avoiding stress meant we needed a huge change, and we needed it fast. It became clear that it was time to leave the corporate world, which was the root of most of our stress.
The thought of changing our entire lives was exciting but incredibly overwhelming. We were working crazy hours, burned out, and had no idea what to do next. So instead of putting pressure on ourselves to figure out every detail at once, we started with two goals: reduce expenses and save money.
It was important to have sufficient savings so we could take our time finding that new definition of success without the stress. Since lack of money is also a cause of stress, our savings account would be a buffer for times of little or no income. After ten months, we felt ready.
Quitting our jobs was terrifying. We were saying goodbye to something we worked so hard for, and we weren’t sure what was going to happen. We had to trust that it would fall into place, and it did. As soon as we let those corporate doors close, other doors opened. It’s cliché but true.
Don’t get me wrong; our ideal lifestyle did not happen overnight. There were many challenges along our path. There have been twists, turns, and tons of hard work and trial and error. A few jobs I took
turned out to be even more time-consuming and stressful than the corporate world!
Leslie dabbled in a couple of different business ideas that were not the right fit. At times, we considered returning to the nine to five routine, but we resisted, staying true to the plan, and it has led us
Ultimately, we have found a way to combine all our talents and passions to create a new version of success. It’s sometimes hard to explain what we do, as our lifestyle is far from traditional. During the winters, we trade skyscrapers for mountains. What started as an idea to spend one ski season in Colorado turned into a fulfilling career for Leslie as a ski patroller and avalanche specialist.
In the summers, we live at the beach in New York where Leslie is the director of a surf camp. He also started a seasonal landscape design company that is quickly growing. I work remotely as a branding, marketing, and design consultant and have also focused on real estate investments to create passive
We’ve learned to be open to opportunities and aware of what the universe is showing us. If each step we take feels right, even if it’s unexpected, we’ve learned that life can unfold in ways we could have never imagined.
Kristin and Leslie quit their busy corporate lifestyle and simplified their meaning of success in order to live a happier and more fulfilling life. They explore new parts of the country in their Airstream with their two pups. You can see more of their adventure on Instagram at @bebette_the_basecamp
income for the future.
Step by step, we have truly created a life we love that gets us excited every day!
Travel is now built into our lifestyle because of where Leslie’s jobs are. During the spring, fall, and every moment we can find in between, we travel. Because we’ve ended up with two home bases, twice a year we spend a month or two traveling across the country to go back and forth from Colorado to New York.
For the first few years, we traveled with our two dogs, staying in hotels and exploring different states and cities. Then when COVID happened, we were stuck in Colorado and needed to get back east. It was early in the pandemic, so we weren’t comfortable staying in hotels, and we decided to camp across the country in a tent. Starting in Zion National Park in Utah, we made our way back to Long Island, New York.
Seeing the country from a camping perspective was a completely new experience, and we loved every minute of it. We tried to stay in as many remote, off-the-grid spots as we could find. As we made our way back to New York, we decided we wanted to see every sight we could in the U.S. We also knew that we didn’t want to stay in a tent for weeks on end.
Before getting home, we researched travel trailers and knew we wanted the Airstream Basecamp X. We could still boondock in remote locations and wouldn’t need to set up a tent every night. We got back from our trip and visited the dealership the next day.
We’ve been traveling with our Basecamp for more than a year now and can’t wait to continue the journey. We’ve made friends we expect to have for life, experienced incredible places, and most importantly, found a way to travel constantly. We feel incredibly grateful and lucky for this lifestyle.
My favorite quote is “opportunity + preparation = luck.” We have been able to create our own luck and build a life we love—a life on our own terms. We put in a lot of work over the years so that when opportunities present themselves, we are prepared to embrace them.
We have no idea where life will take us, but we’ve learned to enjoy the journey. Instead of saying “no way,” we now say “why not?!”
Just like every great road trip, sometimes life takes you in a new direction. At Heartland, we’ve launched a new journey to make our RVs better than ever. We’ve doubled down on seeking out the highest quality materials, creating fresh and inviting interiors and giving every unit the kinds of finishing touches you’d find in a new home.
Every unit goes through a top-to-tails inspection with a quality assurance expert—in fact, we have an 89,000-square-foot facility dedicated to walking each RV through a series of checklists to ensure it works exactly as it should. And with updated floor plans incorporating features our customers love best—spacious bathrooms, designer kitchens, furniture meant for cuddling up together—we’re confident every trip in a Heartland will be a happy one.
After all, that’s what RVing is all about: hitting the road with people you love, having adventures, making memories. So when you buy a Heartland, just focus on taking the journey of a lifetime. We’ll take care of the rest.
Experience the all-new Heartland online and check out 360-degree model tours, detailed floor plans, all-new features, galleries of updated decor and more.
Just visit HeartlandRVs.com.
WORKING, FULL-TIME RV families have figured out many different ways to earn an income. Our family’s spin on how we make money all has to do with using the skills we acquired in our past life, along with a couple of new ones.
When Judd and I began having conversations about living full-time in an RV, we had to work through all the income possibilities before taking the plunge. Both of our vocations at the time were tethered to Houston, Texas—Judd was in the corporate oil and gas industry, and I was growing an interior design and remodeling firm.
We were both miserable.
We were often too overwhelmed with busyness and the distractions of our demanding work life to spend quality time with our family, get out and enjoy nature, or delight in our Creator, God—all things we love very much!
When we first got married, Judd was a dynamic positioning operator for a large drill ship company in the Gulf of Mexico. He left offshore life in 2012 to work onshore in the corporate world, during which time his mariner’s license lapsed. We wanted to buy property in the mountains, so Judd began studying for his license again, because we knew he would need to go back to work as a mariner if we wanted our dream of owning our own slice of mountain heaven to come true. In late 2019, he passed his test and is now working offshore again.
Judd’s life calling as a professional mariner has enabled us to leverage the geographic flexibility that comes with working at sea. Careers as a seaman vary, from entry-level positions on traditional cargo ships, which might entail rotating 12 weeks at sea
and 6–9 weeks of vacation, to more niche positions such as offshore drilling rig officers, who might work rotating four weeks at sea with four weeks of vacation. That means 26 weeks of vacation a year!
Being away from family for extended periods has its downside, but the tradeoff can pay big dividends. For example, the rotating onshore time is completely free from the office.
Another benefit is that maritime employees can typically live anywhere in the world, and the employer will provide the necessary transportation to and from their offshore rig for their rotations. Many mariners use their “time on the beach” to start hustles such as real estate investing, construction contracting, or other endeavors.
Judd used his unique schedule to invest in training to become a certified RV technician. With quality training and a basic set of tools, a certified RV tech can easily set up a magnetic sign and leave a business card at every RV park advertising their services.
Because of the current shortage of competent RV technicians, word of mouth can quickly fill up a tech’s schedule wherever they happen to be staying that week. To preserve that precious adventure time with the family, a parttime tech occasionally turns down work!
Judd’s pay as a dynamic positioning operator coupled with the pay for any RV repair jobs he takes on is sufficient for us to live in our RV year-round comfortably.
However, I still have a ton of entrepreneurial spirit in me, and my creative juices are always on the lookout for ways to help others surround themselves with beauty in their homes and their RVs.
I contribute to our household income by creating amazing interiors remotely with my E-Design services. I still create gorgeous “sticks and bricks” home interiors for builders and homeowners in the Houston area, but I have also added RV interior design packages to my repertoire of design services! If someone is struggling with how to make
their RV interiors homier and more inviting, I consult with them remotely and then provide them with a design plan they can execute at their own pace.
I also started a blog to help offset some of our living expenses. We share topics such as planning RV trips, organization tricks, tiny space living, and more. We receive a small affiliate commission for many of the items we recommend in our blog posts and on our website.
Modern technology, the growing RV industry, and the everyday need society has for energy sources creates a perfect storm for Judd and I to sustain this nomad lifestyle with our existing skill sets while honing new ones.
We are so blessed to be able to travel in our RV whenever we want, visit family in Texas, Colorado, and Washington, and spend time at our mountain retreat all while earning through these various forms of income.
Christine and her family are loving the RV life! If you want to know more about maritime work or Christine’s RV E-Designs, you can find her online at mountainfamilyliving.com, through Instagram @mountain. family.living and Facebook at Mountain Family Living
By Jack McCook
FOR MANY OF us, our work setup was decided for us in the pre-COVID corporate world. We were provided a cubicle or office, a monitor, a keyboard, and a chair that looked like it came straight out of “Fight Club.” Depending on your company, requesting a more ergonomic setup might turn into a literal fight club.
Things are much different now—for instance, I am writing this article parked outside a coffee shop in Oceanside, Oregon. My view of the sea is unobstructed. I can hear the waves crashing, and the full sun is powering my battery system.
But the best part? Free coffee shop Wi-Fi that is accessible from right inside the van! Sometimes it really is the little things, right? But there is always an opportunity cost, and nothing is truly free. I am standing at an 11-degree slope—yes, I calculated it—and my lower body is working hard so I can prevent slouching and destroying my spine and
shoulders from hunching over.
There have been more times than I can count when I appreciate the opportunity to work from my van outside a coffee shop/brewery/winery/grandma’s house for the Wi-Fi. But sometimes there is only one spot in the van that gets the full signal. This is one reason I am so thankful that I designed numerous spots to work while standing to save my health and sanity.
Sure, I may sometimes be at an uncomfortable slant, but I will take it if it gives me the opportunity to save that hotspot data for future use.
My journey to rootless living comes out of the convergence of the global pandemic and the nagging notion of “someday.” A dream solidified in my heart after a trip to Poland in 2019, but it was a dream I thought might never come to fruition due to fear—a fear deeply centered on my professional career and how a “gap year” would be reflected on my resume when I returned.
Travel lives deep in my soul, but I
also highly value professional success. My entire career was hinged on the desire for climbing the corporate ladder. Trading money and a title for time, and the thought of taking an extended break, scared the bejeezus out of me.
In early 2020 I landed my dream job and was in the process of relocating from NYC back to Chicago when the world shut down. After months of contemplation and weighing options professionally and personally, I ultimately asked myself, “if not now, then when?” How better to explain a gap year on your resume than a global pandemic? I left corporate America and looked to the upcoming year as an opportunity to try my hand at a passion project and spend time reflecting.
I always imagined this journey would take me to Europe. I would purchase a Mercedes Sprinter in the U.K., drive it to Poland for the build, and fulfill my deep yearning to experience nomadic living. But as with everything in life, the universe had other plans, and sometimes you need to pivot from Europe to the USA. In hindsight, I suppose it was silly to think I could make it into the U.K. and the EU in July 2020 given the state of the world.
As a solo traveler with a small pup as my compadre, I ultimately decided on a shorter van, the Ram ProMaster 136”. I mainly liked it for its accessibility in urban environments and residential driveways,
Workspaces three and four use the countertop space, which provides the option to stand and look out either the sliding door or the window. I designed my countertops a little higher than your typical cabinet height for this exact reason.
When I am in a public place like a parking lot or it is too hot or too cold, I tend to stand at the counter facing the window. When I have more privacy and good weather, but still require a fair amount of counter space, I will open the sliding door.
Travel lives deep in my soul, but I also highly value professional success.
as well as the fabulous ability to parallel park while occupying only a single spot. The shorter van also pushes you to be creative when it comes to how the space is functionally designed and used. I had to focus on understanding what is really needed to live in a tiny home full-time.
I knew I wanted the versatility of a bench/dinette in lieu of the platform bed. I am big about community and wanted a larger space for folks to gather for meals, card games, and general socialization.
Outside of the bed setup, a functional and flexible workspace was my second priority. The ability to sit, stand, and rotate with options was critical for such a small place. I’m not claustrophobic by any means, but I had enough foresight to realize that working exclusively at the dinette would drive me crazy and probably make me resentful of the vanlife experience. In addition to these options, counter space was a priority for me as well.
I ultimately created five and a half workspace options while designing the van to be able to work while standing and sitting. Yes, folks, five
and a half—one of which is outside—as well as lots of countertop space to spread out.
I primarily work at the dinette. This is where the half space comes in— because you can sit on either side of the table built using the Lagun adjustable swivel table.
The initial plan of a gap year has morphed into building a consulting company, which allows me to continue living life on the road as a nomad. I wouldn’t be able to do this comfortably long-term if I hadn’t designed multiple options within the van. While coffee shops are great, sometimes privacy and a quiet environment is essential.
If I can give any piece of advice to folks looking to build a tiny home on wheels, it is to create spaces that have multiple functions. Start by drafting a list that is broken down by area—bed, kitchen, workspace, etc.—and list various ways they can be used.
Nothing is more frustrating than realizing a component of your van can only have one purpose. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that flexibility and adaptability are key in every aspect of life.
Travel has been a part of Jack’s life for as long as he can remember. He has visited more than 35 countries and 45 states, and has been living full-time in his self-converted van since February 2021. With a mission to check off those last five states, you can find him chasing sunsets with his 11-lb. compadre, Charles, exploring life as an ex-corporate junkie while embracing the journey of the unbound soul.To see more of his travels, check out his website, thiscavulife.com, or follow him on Instagram and YouTube @thisCAVULife
My favorite desk option, however, is my outdoor standing desk. This one by far takes the cake. I installed a table that latches onto the interior of my cargo doors. When the weather is great, I can prop it up and work outside, using the bed or bench cushions as additional countertop space.WHEN THE INITIAL excitement of deciding you want to travel full time subsides and you move into the planning phase, you’ll quickly realize you need to have a budget. Not many people enjoy making a budget, let alone following one, but it is a critical step to determining when, how, and if you can sustain this lifestyle.
The way you travel greatly impacts your budget. For instance, will you be moving weekly or monthly? Will you partake in costly tourist activities? Will you be boondocking or staying at campgrounds?
Building a budget for full-time travel is a bit different than a typical household budget as there are a lot more varied expenses, but as always, the goal with creating a budget is to make it work for you and keep it simple. Below are recommended items to include, but feel free to adjust as necessary to match your lifestyle.
Calculate your after-tax income and know how frequently you are paid. Remember other sources of income, like child support, interest, side gigs, and rental income. If your pay varies, use an average.
Categorizing expenses is helpful to make sure nothing is overlooked, and it also makes tracking easier. The major categories we use are Home & Utility, Transportation & Fuel, and Living Expenses.
HOME & UTILITY
This category includes rent, utilities, internet, TV streaming, and laundry.
Moving frequently increases costs as there is generally a discount for longer stays. Additionally, there is a
big price difference between state parks, campgrounds, and RV Resorts. Location and season also play a role in the cost of rent.
Costs range from $10 a night with only electric & water up to $100 a night or more for full hookups at an RV Resort. Boondocking (camping without hookups) is a great option and reduces the monthly rent cost, but sometimes requires pricey upfront upgrades to your rig.
There are many templates available and apps to use when it comes to creating and tracking your budget. We use Mint.com to track and categorize everything. It is free to use and completely customizable. Using a simple spreadsheet is the next best thing and if you feel like it, good old fashioned pen and paper gets the job done too. Creating a budget helps open your eyes to a realistic view of what full-time travel can look like. Reviewing your budget consistently will help you identify areas of improvement and allow for tweaks that can get you closer to your goals.
There are many memberships that help with this cost, including Thousand Trails, Good Sams, Resort Parks International, and Harvest Hosts. We budget $600/ month.
Utilities: Propane is used for heat and to cook in the rig. Following the warmer weather and using electric space heaters during the colder months helps reduce propane use. On average, we budget $50/month for propane.
Budgeting for electricity use depends on location and duration. For example, when staying a month or longer, most campgrounds charge for the electricity used. Hot locations, like Texas, charge for electricity used during the summer months. We have not paid for electricity usage in the past two years.
Internet & TV Streaming: Staying connected is a big deal, especially for digital nomads. A bit of research is needed in this category to find the best deal for your needs, and prices vary greatly depending on the amount of data required. We currently pay $110/month for 200GB.
Almost all campgrounds have Wi-Fi available; however, it is not usually sufficient for streaming. You will be at the mercy of the park’s signal and the number of people on it.
Remember to include any streaming services you plan to use.
Laundry: If you plan to use a laundromat or the laundry facilities at a campground, plan on $10 per person per month to start.
This category includes vehicle payments, insurance, repairs, maintenance, fuel, and fees for tags and registration.
Payments: If you have vehicle and/ or RV payments, include them in the budget. These payments can add a lot to a monthly budget. One way a lot of fulltime travelers are able to reduce their budget is by paying them off or buying with cash.
Insurance: Include vehicle and RV insurance. Shop around for the best deals and appropriate full-time travel coverage.
Repairs and Maintenance: Depending on how much you travel, the maintenance schedule for a truck and/or RV
may be expedited. This includes things like oil changes and tire rotations—these costs are not a monthly item but a quarterly cost to be prepared for.
Just like a home, there will be things that break and things that need to be replaced in an RV. If you are handy, you can save money by fixing things on your own.
In our first six months of traveling, we had two flat tires and ripped off the back stabilizer jacks twice. We upgraded the truck tires and replaced all four tires on our rig within the first year.
Fuel: Fuel costs are greatly impacted by how frequently you move locations—the more you move, of course, the more fuel is needed. Having a general idea of whether you will be traveling 400 miles or 2,000 miles in a month will help determine your fuel costs. We average $650 a month for diesel traveling an average of 1,800 miles a month.
Tags and Registration: Know when these are due and budget accordingly.
The goal with creating a budget is to make it work for you and keep it simple.
This category includes Groceries and Dining Out, Cell Phone, Health Insurance, Personal Care, Household, Entertainment, and Miscellaneous.
Groceries and Dining Out: Grocery costs vary with location. For initial budgeting purposes, start with the same amount you currently spend; you can adjust as necessary depending on where you travel.
Cell Phone: Connectivity while traveling is important. We recommend having access to multiple carriers to ensure we don’t run into any connection issues. This cost can be a big expense depending on your specific needs.
Health Insurance: This includes medical, dental, vision, and health savings accounts.
Personal Care: This includes makeup, haircuts, supplements, and clothing.
Household: This includes paper products, cleaning supplies, sewer products, etc.
Entertainment: Traveling full time is different than going on a vacation. This is one of the biggest lessons we learned the hard way—it’s easy to think you have to partake in every activity a location has to offer, and those expenses can add up quickly. It helps to remember there are tons of free things to do everywhere you go.
A personal favorite is visiting national parks and monuments. If you have a 4th grader, they can get a free National Park Pass for a year. We average $100/month for entertainment.
Miscellaneous: Include costs for pets, kids’ schooling or curriculum, souvenirs, gifts, etc.
A savings account is important and I recommend having a $1,000 emergency fund, at a minimum. An emergency fund helps you deal with unexpected situations. Having additional savings to cover a few months of expenses is a great goal to have as well.
Debt reduction is a big draw for many who travel full time and it all comes down to living this lifestyle in a way that reduces your overall costs. Some full-timers spend well over $6,000 per month and others spend less than $2,500 per month. There is so much flexibility in this lifestyle that impacts budgets that almost any budget can be met. Investing and giving back are additional items to consider adding to your budget.
Kaylee is a Colorado native and has been traveling the US full time with her husband, two kids, and dog since 2019. She is a mechanical engineer, homeschooling mama, and master planner. They share their adventures, tips and tricks for tiny living, and monthly budgets on their Instagram and Facebook @exploringoutsidethe303. Find budgeting templates on their website, exploringoutsidethe303.com
Our Service Response Team consists of eight expert techs with trucks and trailers spread out across the US. They are committed to training dealer technicians to aid in getting you in and out of appointments. The team is trained to assist anyone stuck on the side of the road in need. You don't have to be a part of the Grand Design Family to receive our helping hand. In times like these, we need to show all RV'ers that Grand Design cares about them even if they didn't choose our products as their home away from home.
By Christine Skelton
ONCE YOU HAVE landed a remote gig, make sure it’s able to stay that way by helping your company remain happy with their decision. As long as you do that, you can confidently continue your new lifestyle and remote role for as long as you choose. While every decision your company makes won’t be within your control, you can set yourself up for success with the following tips. These are useful whether your job transitioned from in-person to remote or it’s been a remote position all along.
The most important thing is to continue delivering what is expected and positioning yourself as an invaluable contributor to the company. At the very least you must meet expectations, but it’s even better if you can exceed them. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the quality of life you are trying to achieve by working remotely or throw work-life
balance out the window—it’s more about being good at your job. If you focus on quality and value-added contribution during your work, you will continue to be viewed as a vital part of the organization despite your distance. Additionally, performance evaluations and annual reviews can be a great time to document and confidently remind your management of your contributions and accomplishments as a remote worker. Don’t think that positively stating your accomplishments as an employee is bragging. This is your time to make sure your contributions are known. It’s also helpful to document everything in case the remote status of your position is ever reconsidered in the future.
The agreements made in your remote work situation will determine how you need to regulate your time. You may need to be available at specific hours on specific days, or you may have greater
flexibility in that you just need to put in a certain number of hours, or accomplish your deliverables in whatever number of hours are needed. Be sure to discuss these factors when you set up your remote work agreements so everyone’s expectations are aligned from the beginning. Planning your travel days and internet availability, prioritizing important tasks, and working efficiently will help you maximize your personal time and ability to enjoy your travel while still meeting your deadlines.
Though laying low might seem like a good idea if you are focusing on accomplishing your tasks, it’s best to be visible, at least occasionally. “Out of sight, out of mind” can be very true with remote work—people may forget about you when there are new opportunities, wonder if you are actually working, or consider your role if the company has to go through any downsizing.
Always practice good communication
geared toward the audience. If your boss prefers less communication, that’s fine, but if they’re expecting daily checkins and you don’t deliver, that can be a problem.
Be transparent and communicative where needed about any changes to your availability, what you are working on, and when you will deliver it. However, it’s a beautiful thing when you’re able to build up enough trust and recognition of the value you provide that your management gives you the freedom to just get the job done.
You might think that when you’re working remotely, it’s all about your individual tasks, especially since you
are physically located away from your coworkers. As important as it is to be able to work independently and take care of your individual responsibilities, it’s equally important to be a team player. This has become even easier now that various video teleconferencing and collaboration tools are more widely used.
Familiarize yourself with the available tools, be engaged with your team, and help out where you can. Don’t let your coworkers down, miss meetings, or otherwise drop the ball when working with others. You want to be viewed in a positive light, and as a valuable contributor. Never underestimate the value of being kind, friendly, and helpful to
What do other digital nomads have to say? We have rounded up additional insights and tips from your fellow digital nomads who either currently or previously worked jobs that they transitioned from in-office to remote. Check out their awesome tips below about how to transition your job to be remote as well as how to successfully work remotely!
Transitioning to working remotely while traveling has a definite learning curve with finding the right setup and timing. Steve is an early riser and starts his day around 6 a.m. in the living room, then moves to the bedroom after I get up. I work at our dinette in the afternoons after homeschooling the kids. When we discussed working remotely with our companies, we assured them we would always be connected during the work week. To ensure we keep our word, we have invested in an internet booster and redundancy on our hot spots. In nearly two years of travel, we have never been disconnected during our work week. Kaylee Techau, @ExploringOutsidethe303
Before approaching your boss about taking your job remote, be sure to have a plan and answers about how you would attend all your meetings, keep in touch with clients, and stay engaged with your team members. You want your boss and team to know you are going to be just as available working from your RV as you would be if you were in the office.
others, as they are more likely to return the favor and help you continue working in your sweet setup.
Whether you’re the one who notices an issue or it’s brought up by your boss or a coworker, be sure to address it immediately. You don’t want any problems to affect your relationship with your coworkers, how your remote work is viewed, or your ability to continue
After working from home in Colorado for five years, she again approached her boss to take it to the next level and asked to continue her remote work while traveling full time in an RV with her family.
Christine, Kevin, Klara, and Nathan Skelton have now been traveling in a fifth wheel for more than three years while working remotely, homeschooling, and exploring the country to find the best hidden gems and off-thebeaten-path places. They share the best locations, as well as RV tips and tricks, on their Never Stop Adventuring YouTube channel, their Facebook and Instagram accounts @_neverstopadventuring, and their website, neverstopadventuring.com
In the summer of 2017, I became the ultimate remote worker when my family downsized out of our house into a 34-foot Airstream we nicknamed Shiny Tiny. I think one of the most important things for any remote worker is to have a dedicated area to work that can be closed off as private space. The next most important thing is to have a family agreement on respecting space, both personal and work. Lastly, I recommend having a primary and secondary internet source. Being the ultimate remote worker, the adventures and changes in office background have been amazing! A.C. Chan, @shinytinytimes
If you focus on quality and value-added contribution during your work, you will continue to be viewed as a vital part of the organization despite your distance.
While working remotely I always made sure to answer any and all calls that came in along with responding to emails as soon as possible. In my first review after I started working remotely, everyone on the team told my boss I was even more available now than when I was working in the office. This helped ensure my boss and team were extremely comfortable with the new setup. Another important piece of advice is to make sure you have a solid plan for internet connectivity as well as multiple backup options. It’s helpful to have a few service providers or always know where the local library or Starbucks is so you have a solid connection. Craig Royal,
@crazyfamilyadventure
Whether you transitioned to work remotely from an on-site job, are a freelancer, own your own business, or have any other kind of remote position, keep up the good work by following the above tips to ensure your remote job stays viable for years to come!
By Reagan Ray
AFTER THE PANDEMIC teased us with so much work and time freedom, my wife Jessie and I decided to sell it all and become digital nomads. We both set out to find permanently virtual jobs and to sell everything in our house one by one … including the house. As excited as we were, we dreaded one minor detail of this transition—telling our parents. Not because they wouldn’t want us to do it (well, maybe a little), but because, like any good parent, they often worry about our safety. I had never stepped foot in an RV and now I had to tell my mom I was going to live in one?!
Living in the bible belt as part of the LGBTQIA community has its everyday challenges, but now we are also two women in our 20s traveling across the country full time. We took this part of our decision very seriously. If we find ourselves in danger 1,000 miles from home, we can’t call our parents, so it’s our job to be prepared.
We had no clue what we were doing at first—I mean, I didn’t even know the difference between a fifth wheel and a travel trailer. (Rest assured, my knowledge has come a long way since then.) But we knew one thing from the
start—our journey would be cut short if we didn’t do this the right way, and neither of us wanted that to happen. We invested many hours into researching, planning, asking questions, watching YouTube, reading reviews, speaking to people with first-hand experience, and touring different rigs before we finally signed on the dotted line and hit the road. We have made modifications to our rig, how we travel, and how we interact with those around us while traveling full time to ensure we are as safe as possible.
It would have been easy to pick the cheapest rig possible and hit the road. After diving into other full-timers’ experiences, it was clear that Grand Design was the winner for us as far as well-built rigs and warranties. We now live in a Grand Design Transcend Xplor 245RL and we have not regretted it at all. When our water pump went out, which was totally my fault (oops!), Grand Design replaced it with no questions asked.
Locks
It’s no secret that RV locks are basically a one-size-fits-all situation, meaning anyone that has an Xplor 245RL could use their key to get into our rig. This was unacceptable to us, of course, so we installed RVlock the first day we had our rig, and it was a simple install that brought a lot of peace of mind. When installing any kind of number combination, I highly recommend using a number that will be hard for someone to guess. Specifically, the more digits you use, the safer your lock will be, and you should
never use known dates like anniversaries or birthdays.
I love sharing our life and travels on Instagram. For safety, we have a few rules when it comes to sharing our RV journey on social media, and the biggest one is we don’t share where we are in real time. We obviously want to share all the incredible places we visit, but we always wait until after we leave.
Location
When picking a location to park our RV, we check a few things—cell service, distance to the nearest hospital (I have type 1 diabetes, so this is a must), and reviews are three big ones. We both work full-time jobs from the road and often the cell service at a park determines whether we stay there, for both our jobs and our safety. We want to be sure our calls will go through if we ever need help.
This one is probably my favorite. Sometimes I feel like a circus conductor traveling with 2 dogs in a 200-squarefoot home on wheels, but we love our pups. Our dogs have been way more protective in our RV than they were in our sticks and bricks home, and that is
just fine with us. If anyone comes near our trailer, our dogs let them know they are not welcome. The dogs serve as a great alarm system and defense mechanism, if needed.
There are a lot of really good people in the world—especially the RV world— that outweigh the bad. However, it’s important to prepare for the worst when you’re traveling full time. This is true for everyone, but especially for solo travelers or two women traveling. It’s important to protect yourself in a way that is comfortable for you. Whether you use mace, pepper spray, a gun (check local carry laws), wasp spray, a taser, etc., when you are comfortable with your choice of protection, you will
feel comfortable using it if you need to. This is much better than being scared of your own protection and therefore not wanting to use it.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I know nothing about vehicles. Nada. I almost talked myself out of going on the road full time because the only thing I know how to do is change a tire. Ultimately, I decided that I wasn’t going to let something as small as not knowing how to fix a part on my truck or trailer keep me from seeing the country. We purchased a warranty for both our truck and our trailer. When we purchased insurance, we added roadside service in the event that something goes wrong. There are also services like Good Sam, AAA, etc., that
are made for these kinds of situations.
You may be raising your eyebrow at this one, thinking, “How is a Facebook page going to keep you safe?” Actually, RV Facebook pages are one of the most underrated resources out there. There are pages for full-timers, part-timers, some-timers, women who RV solo, and pages unique to your brand and even your rig. On these pages you will find tips, tricks, whoopsies that people share to keep you from experiencing the same issues, and even things as simple as what baskets fit in your rig’s shelves. We have been blown away by the RV community and how truly considerate and helpful other RVers are.
We share our location with our family 24/7 directly through our phones. We also share our travel schedule and Facetime with our parents at least weekly. We like to think it’s because they want to see us, but let’s be real, they just want to see the cool spots we’ve found.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that no one wants what’s best for you more than you do, so you are the best advocate for yourself. You are not in this alone; other full-timers have walked this journey before you and most have faced what you’re facing. You may feel like you’re going overboard sometimes, but
travel full time with their two dogs in their 31’ travel trailer. You can follow their journey of hanging up and hanging out on Instagram @hangup.and.hangout or YouTube at hangupandhangout
WE ABANDONED OUR RV! Well, not entirely. But every once in a while we like to leave it for a few nights for a different kind of adventure. The separation anxiety is real, but our plans usually provide a grand enough distraction that we can happily disconnect for a while.
This adventure, a great feat for us, had us swept away in no time. With an early-morning departure, we rushed onto our seaplane for a 48-hour, port-to-port hike across the length of Isle Royale, Michigan’s lone national park. Flying over Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake by surface area, we were fortunate to have a smooth ride through clear skies, as the weather over the lake is frequently quite turbulent. We even saw a rainbow, which we took as a sign of good luck for our trek. As we arrived at the dock at Windigo Harbor, the westernmost entrance to the park, our pilot sent us off, exclaiming, “Well, I hope you enjoyed the flight, because that’s about as good as it gets.” We hoped this good luck would hold true for the rest of the trip and that it wouldn’t all be downhill from there.
Upon arrival at the Windigo Visitor Center, we immediately took our first blow. Due to the wild nature of the trails on Isle Royale, the ranger we spoke with strongly discouraged our plan, telling us we may or may not be able to do it in just two days. Even if we did make it, he said, the trek would be much more enjoyable for us if we had an extra night. My heart was set on making it all the way across the park and I was not confident about the
possibility of rescheduling our seaplane, but I looked at my husband, Andrew, to talk me out of it. He weighed his ability to carry me to the end if necessary against having to rearrange our plans, confidently looked at me, and said, “We can do this!” Spoiler alert: we did make it to the end on time, but it tested the limits of our physical abilities.
So off we went on our 48-hour, 42-mile traverse of the least visited, but most frequently returned to, national park in the contiguous United States. It didn’t take long for us to connect the dots about why the park has these two accolades—it is not at all convenient to get to, and the isolation is exactly what leaves it so wild, untamed, and magnificent to explore. Not even a quarter of a mile into our adventure, we heard and then spotted our first moose. This raised our excitement, and with an extra pep in our step we fiercely pressed forward. We were so in awe at the time, we didn’t realize the exhaustion of other backpackers ending their journey in the opposite direction foreshadowed the challenge ahead of us.
Thirteen miles later—including two miles of rerouting due to beaver activity—we made it to our first major milestone and final chance to turn around, Lake Desor. The lake would have been a great place to rest our legs, set up camp for the night, and head back the way we came the next morning. But we were feeling good! Onward we went, through the most technical and savage terrain we’ve ever hiked. Three miles later, through rocks, shoulder-deep shrubs, and swaths of mosquitoes and black flies, we hit a wall. And the three miles after that were even rougher. There was minimal signage on the island; we hadn’t seen one since Desor. Uncertain whether or not we had made a wrong turn along the way, we were holding our breath and gripping our hiking poles, hoping the turn-off sign for our campground would be around every next corner. With one last mile to go, feeling
like the longest mile we’d ever walked in our lives, we finally saw it: Hatchet Lake Campground, 0.4 miles.
We set up camp in a zombie-like state. As we got ready to go to sleep, we were tired, terribly sore, and emotional about what we had accomplished. We went to bed worried we might not make our deadline, but hopeful that we would feel well rested and ready to go the next morning.
Day two started with a snake sighting, which we took as a possible sign of rebirth, and a very steep ascent from camp. As
we made our way to the top, the sun was shining and the view of Lake Superior stretched as far as we could see. We navigated along the rocky ridgeline, taking in the colors of the delicate wildflowers against the rugged terrain. Animals were abundant—we were fortunate to see snowshoe hares, beavers, otters, and even another moose. We trekked another 15 miles to Daisy Farm Campground and were struck with deep gratitude to be able to rest our feet and eat dinner while we watched the sunset and moonrise over the channel. We realized this is exactly why we should have stayed another night longer on the island—not because we couldn’t do it in two days if we pushed ourselves, but because the beauty is most apparent when you are able to slow down and take it in.
Day three began early so we could complete the final seven miles of our route in time for our 10 a.m. departure. We woke before dawn to the silence of the camp and started down our trail following the shoreline. We watched the sunrise over the still waters of Lake Superior and
the fog coming and going, creating the appearance and disappearance of islands in the sky. After a beautiful morning hike, we made it to Rock Harbor in time for our seaplane.
In our race to make it on time, we only wish we had been able to stay longer. We have this same feeling regarding many of our travels in our first year of life on the road. While we often hear the same advice from friends and acquaintances we meet along the way—don’t travel too fast—we hope that soon we can find the right balance and pass our experience along to others.
Sara and Andrew are the fearless travel couple behind @hitchedadventurers on Instagram. They are traveling the United States full time in their Airstream, leaving no stone unturned for new adventures, beautiful views, and inspiring experiences.
The isolation is exactly what leaves it so wild, untamed, and magnificent to explore
MY FAMILY AND I were RVing in southern California, trying to figure out our next destination, when I saw photos of families traveling down the Baja Peninsula. We were already so close, I instantly knew we had to go.
Once it was decided, our top priority was making sure our family would be safe traveling in Mexico. We knew we would feel better traveling in a group, so we used social media to find another family that was interested in traveling to Baja. After a ton of research to plan our route, we hit the road in March.
We are a family of five plus a golden retriever, and we have been traveling in a 42-foot fifth wheel for two years. I work as a travel nurse, so I’m able to take time off between contracts to travel. We homeschool our boys and were able to turn this entire road trip into a learning experience for our family.
We spent eight weeks exploring Baja, and I am here to tell you it is the most
amazing place to take a family road trip! It is full of learning opportunities and exposes your family to new places and cultures. And what better way to learn a new language?
We didn’t make any reservations in advance, and thankfully there were openings at each campground that we found via iOverlander.
If you’re planning a trip to Baja this winter, follow our route below to make the most of it!
Border crossings can be stressful, so make sure you have all your important documents organized in a folder, including passports, birth certificates, tourist permits, dog vaccines, and car registration. We used the company Discover Baja Travel Club to purchase our Mexican auto insurance, fishing licenses, and tourist permits.
My husband stayed with the boys and the rig while the border patrol searched
our RV, and I went inside to get all our tourist permits stamped. Then we were on our way!
San Felipe’s beaches are pretty, but keep in mind they only get better the farther south you go. There are plenty of RV parks and hotels here—we stayed at Club de Pesca and Pete’s Camp. Be sure to get pesos, as most RV parks and even some grocery stores do not accept cards.
We parked our rigs at Rancho Grande under a palapa with a great ocean view for $10 a night. We loved fishing, paddle boarding, and playing on the beach. It was extremely windy here at times, so we only stayed for two nights.
The best part of Guerrero Negro is the chance to visit gray whales. Every winter they arrive at Ojo de Libre Lagoon to
mate and give birth to their calves. There are plenty of tour companies that will take your family out on a boat in search of them; we recommend booking in advance.
It didn’t take us long to find a mama whale swimming with her baby in the lagoon. The gray whales were so curious, they would swim right up to our boat! We were able to reach out and pet them multiple times as they breached and even sprayed the kids with water from their blowhole.
We stayed at Mario’s RV Park, which had full hookups, a restaurant, and an on-site tour company.
We boondocked on Playa Santispac, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Sea of Cortez, for only $10 a night. We spent all week fishing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and learning how to fillet fish. The boys loved finding crabs, starfish, stingrays, and clams. We recommend paddle boarding across the bay when the tide is high to sit in a natural hot spring.
Loreto. One man brings his catch of the day to sell in the RV park, and we recommend his delicious lobster tails and halibut.
La Paz has beautiful beaches like Balandra, Tecolote, and Pichilingue, each with vendors selling food, drinks, and souvenirs. It was a great way to try new food without having to drive into town. It’s not uncommon for visitors to be able to swim with whale sharks here, but unfortunately we came too late in the season to experience it.
While there was no cell service here, there was a restaurant on the beach that offered Wi-Fi for $1.50 an hour.
There are many vendors that provide boat rides and sell homemade food and souvenirs right at your RV, so be sure to have pesos on hand. We bought fresh-squeezed orange juice, tamales, mangos, and grilled fish. One man even had a water truck and would let you pump fresh water right to your RV.
This was an amazing little town with some of the best food. We stayed at Loreto Shores RV Park, which had full hookups, Wi-Fi, and the most beautiful pool overlooking the ocean.
You can take a boat to visit the Coronado Islands to see dolphins, seals, and even go deep-sea fishing—we caught a yellowtail amberjack! Some of our favorite restaurants were Mezzaluna the Pasta House, Alma Del Sur, and Mi
We stayed at Camp Maranatha’s, which had full hookups, a pool, and a playground that the kids loved. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping opportunities here, including a Walmart.
El Pescadero is the farthest south we drove the RV, and we made day trips to Cabo from there. There’s a lot to see and do in this area, so be sure to check out the beautiful Santa Rita Hot Springs, a local skate park, Barracuda Cantina or Hierbabuena for dining, and Taller 17 for coffee and cinnamon rolls.
We stayed at Casa Caravan RV Park,
which had the best hookups and Wi-Fi in all of Baja. We went surfing on the huge waves at Cerritos Beach and watched a baby sea turtle release at Todos Santos. Look up @tortugueroslasplayitas on Instagram for more information on their hatchling release—it’s free to the public and was one of our favorite Baja experiences.
We felt safe during our entire trip in Baja. The locals were friendly and welcoming to tourists, and although there was a language barrier, we quickly picked up basic Spanish words. We hope to learn more Spanish next time so we can have full conversations with the locals.
We made new friends, immersed ourselves in a new culture, and fell in love with everything Baja had to offer. Our boys still love telling people that we got to live in Mexico for two months to pet gray whales and see baby sea turtles swim into the ocean.
I hope our route inspires other families to plan a trip to Baja this winter— you won’t be disappointed!
Brooklyn and her husband Clinton travel with their three boys, Brody, Kyler and Dax. They’re an adventurous family who live on the road full-time, working as a PICU Nurse and enjoying roadschooling the boys. You can follow their adventures on Instagram at @durellsdownsize.
ONE OF OUR favorite things to do after a long hike is soak in a hot spring. There’s a particular hot spring our family has visited for five years now, and while the views haven’t changed, the amount of people we see there definitely has. Along with all the new visitors, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the amount of trash present at the site. It is mind-boggling to me how people can treat such a cool spot so poorly!
Years ago, this location was mostly used by locals and considered a bit of a hidden gem. The first time we stumbled upon it, there were only a few other people soaking. We couldn’t believe our luck! Today, it’s one of many places being loved to death as more people are tagging the location on social media sites like Instagram. As a result of experiences like these, our family has struggled with the concept of geotagging, especially when it comes to places we treasure.
We want to share openly to encourage others to get out into nature and reap the numerous benefits that come from it, but lately we’ve been hesitant. There’s something to be said for doing your own research or chatting up locals to find hidden gems. There’s also no way for us to filter out who sees our geotags once we post, and we don’t want to unwittingly encourage people to visit one of our favorite places only to have them trash it and share it out to the world yet again. We now bring trash bags to every destination, as we continuously find ourselves picking up water bottles, beer cans, cigarette butts, food wrappers, broken glass, and abandoned clothes. It’s disheartening to see this occur time and time again out on the trail, as well as in remote backpacking and dispersed camping locations.
So when I recently saw another outdoor family share all the hot springs in the area with coordinates and explicit directions, my heart sank. I get why they shared it—public lands are designated for the public—but the implications of more people, more garbage, and more environmental impact can be hard to swallow. Others have witnessed a similar trend, and it has led to passionate debates from both sides on whether to geotag.
In 2018, the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board surprised many by asking visitors to stop geotagging photographs on social media in order to protect Wyoming's immaculate forests and secluded lakes. With more and more
social media users sharing locations with exact coordinates, local officials realized these beautiful places were experiencing a surge in foot traffic, leading to negative effects on the delicate habitats. Even today, Jackson Hole advocates for posting the photo, but trashing the tag.
The unintended negative consequences of geotagging have continued to gain attention as Jackson Hole’s experience has been repeated in other parts of the country. When California saw a stunning, but rare, super bloom in 2019, people from all over flocked to witness this botanical phenomenon thanks to geotags. Nearby communities and roadways were overburdened by the influx of traffic, and locals bemoaned influencers who trampled through fields of flowers for the perfect Instagram shot. While tagging may seem innocent, it can lead to significant impacts.
As a full-time traveling family for the past two years, we’ve certainly tagged our fair share of places. Many people follow our adventures to get inspired and create their own road trip itineraries based on places we’ve been. But in the past couple of years, we’ve seen the effects of too much traffic from folks
who aren’t familiar with Leave No Trace principles—or who simply don’t care.
As a result, our family has discussed ways we can share cool places with the social media community without giving away the exact coordinates. We’ve decided we feel most comfortable using generic tags, specific to the region or city, but not the exact location. Part of the adventure is planning your own trip and discovering these gems for yourself, right? We’ve also determined a list of places that are completely off-limits for a geotag. For us, those include:
• Remote hot springs
• Hidden waterfalls
• Backcountry campsites
• Dispersed camping locations
• Hiking trails and mountain summits without adequate facilities to handle more visitors
• Anywhere we love and feel a special connection with Where do we geotag? National and state parks. By tagging these locations, we hope to bring awareness to the national and state system and the amazing places they protect.
In addition to this practice, it’s imperative to focus on educating new hikers on public land stewardship. We could all do a better job teaching others about proper outdoor etiquette, especially Leave No Trace principles—and for us, it
starts in our home on wheels. We teach our young sons the same things we preach on Instagram, because if we raise our children to respect the environment, there’s a great chance they’ll grow up to be adults who protect it.
While we certainly don’t have all the answers, geotagging has become a hot topic for nature lovers. Everyone deserves to have a real connection with nature, but we have to remember that the reason our natural wonders are highly Instagrammable is because of the tradition of preserving the wild.
Alexis Nascimento is a wife and mom of two boys and has been traveling full time with her family in a converted Sprinter van since June 2019. She enjoys hiking, reading and everything about living tiny. You can find her family’s adventures at @NeverSaySomeday on Instagram, and her travel guides at NeverSaySomedayFamily.com
BEFORE WE HIT the road full-time, we were hardcore weekend warriors looking to escape suburban chaos by chasing the experience of finding solitude in nature. Boondocking has been our jam before we knew there was a word for it. It was a standard for us and has always been ingrained into our life on the road.
There’s just something about getting away from the crowds, having the freedom to come and go without reservations, and being self-sufficient in the middle of nowhere that draws us to boondocking.
The freedom of boondocking inherently comes with the possibilities of tearing our roof on a low-hanging tree branch, getting stuck in the sandy corner of that next turn ahead, or driving down a narrow road we may find ourselves unable to turn around on! It’s worth the risk, in our opinion, and is a big part of what makes RV life an adventure for us.
Of course, this freedom also brings a sense of responsibility. Most dispersed camping areas are managed either by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the US National Forest Service, but it’s up to those of us who use the land to travel responsibly. To minimize our impact on the land, we follow Leave No Trace principles, pack out what we pack in, avoid driving over plants, and go out of our way to pick up and dispose of any trash we do find.
With more than 150 national forests and 245 million acres of BLM land spread across the US, the options are seemingly endless. With a little advance planning, you can find beach, forest, desert, or mountain views for free or next to nothing.
Our two best resources to find camp spots are Campedium and Freecampsites.net.
These websites don’t cost anything to access, and both have searchable map features that can be filtered down to show the GPS coordinates of the “free” or very inexpensive options in our desired area.
We read the user-reported reviews on each location to understand general details like accessibility, possible permit information, last price paid, road conditions, big-rig friendliness, expected cell-signal strength, and more. Sometimes the information provided is incomplete or outdated, but these reviews are a good starting point. Anyone can add reviews and photos, and after our stay we often upload a review ourselves so future visitors know what to expect.
Given the GPS coordinates, you can narrow down which forest or land management agency is in charge of that land and do additional research for the area through BLM.gov or fs.usda.gov. We use the official sites to confirm if there are any current land closures, permit or fee requirements, or other vital pieces of information we need to know.
From there, we plug GPS coordinates into Google Maps and switch to satellite view, then scan through the area to preview existing dispersed camp spots. We look for spots that appear to have ample space to park and turn around.
A dead giveaway is existing fire rings in flattened clearings we can use, so as to avoid creating new ones. Then we drop a Google Maps pin on each potential camp location, and in doing so familiarize ourselves with the layout of each area in advance, in case cell service is limited. If we’re looking for a weekend spot and don’t expect to have cell service, we also pre-download sections of the map to our phones for reference.
Even when we plan ahead, we never fully know what we’re getting ourselves into until we arrive. We often use our spare vehicle, a 1989 Grand Wagoneer, to scout ahead before pulling the whole RV down a forest road. We look for washed-out roads, downed trees, low branches, or steep hills that might create obstacles for the RV, and evaluate approach angles for a prospective camp site. This isn’t practical in every instance, but we do generally recommend unhitching your tow rig and using it to do the same. Traveling during daylight increases visibility. Because 99 percent of the places we go are unfamiliar to us, we generally avoid arriving at night to minimize issues pulling into a spot.
We also like to err on the side of
With a little advance planning, you can find beach, forest, desert, or mountain views for free or next to nothing.
Melissa and Jesse Azarva traded in their weekend warrior lifestyle for full-time travel in March 2019. They have explored 31 out of 50 US states, two Canadian provinces, and all of Baja Mexico with their two dogs, Blue and Zamboni. After switching rigs twice in two years, they are currently living tiny in a 2016 Northwood Nash 17-foot travel trailer.
YouTube: Adventure Endeavor
Instagram: @adventureendeavor
Website: theadventureendeavor.com
caution and avoid relying too heavily on our first choice. We usually plan out multiple backup spots and have them mapped out ahead of time in case a certain site is occupied or the area is overcrowded and we need to find somewhere else to stay.
Although camping on designated public lands costs us nothing, there are still restrictions and guidelines to follow. It’s important to research the destination ahead of time and know the rules so you can arrive informed. For example, there are some subsections of National Forests and BLM lands where overnight camping isn’t allowed, and in most cases, the length of stay is limited to 14 days or less. Often, open camping is allowed in any existing clearing but certain places permit it only in designated sites.
We pay attention to any closure signs, even if it’s clear someone has camped there before. Roads and spots may be closed at the discretion of the managing agency in order to protect plants, animals, the land’s natural resources, and often visitors too. One summer, a massive outbreak of wildfires caused all California national forests to be temporarily closed and we were kindly asked to leave as a result.
Public lands belong to all of us and we believe they should remain that way. Everyone has a right to experience the natural beauty of our country. We hope our efforts to be good stewards of the land can minimize our impact on these areas and leave them open and accessible for future nomad generations.
By Adam and Kathryn Frazer
Adam, Kathryn, and Kona are an adventurous married couple and their pup living on the road in their self-converted sprinter van. You can often find them driving all around the U.S. and Canada scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (they’re a five-plus taco and two-plus scoop household), and enjoying nature.
To see more of their travels and detailed travel guides, check out their website adventuresofaplusk.com or follow them on Instagram and YouTube @AdventuresofAplusK
THIS PAST SUMMER, we spent almost two glorious months traveling around the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. With tons of mining history, epic mountain peaks, charming towns, and endless outdoor activities, this region of Colorado is now one of our favorite places in the United States
One of the highlights of our time in the area was driving the Million Dollar Highway. This 25-mile stretch of Highway 550, which was first built in the 1880s as a narrow wagon road, connects the towns of Silverton and Ouray.
There’s debate about the real origin of the name, but theories include how much it cost to build, the amount of gold ore that remained in the roadway’s fill, a traveler once proclaiming, “I would not travel that road again for a million dollars,” or the figurative price for those amazing San Juan Mountain views.
The road is famous for having some steep drop-offs without guardrails and for its gorgeous scenery around every twist and turn.
During our two weeks in the area, we drove the road a total of six times, and the views never got old. Want to experience this drive for yourself? Here are our top tips and must-visit stops on this gorgeous stretch of road!
Before you hit the road, here are some important things to know so you’re prepared for the drive.
Be sure to get gas and use the restroom in Silverton or Ouray, as there are no facilities along the road.
The road is fully paved and has no restrictions, so you don’t need a special type of vehicle. We saw everything from small cars to semi trucks. We hear that it can be a bit nerve-racking in an RV, but our Sprinter Van handled the road just fine— we just had to go slow on the curves.
If you’re driving early or late in the day, keep an eye out for wildlife. We saw moose, deer, and elk along the road.
Although the Million Dollar Highway is open year-round, the best time to drive the highway is in the summertime, as the road sometimes closes due to snow and ice in the winter.
While you can enjoy the views of the Million Dollar Highway without ever leaving your vehicle, we found the best way to explore the road is to pull off at overlooks, read signage about the history, and even go on half- or full-day adventures in the area.
Without stops, the drive from Silverton to Ouray is only around 45 minutes, but we recommend giving yourself at least two hours to stop and enjoy the views. However, if you want to do all the activities listed below, you’ll need closer to three days to fit it all in. No matter how much time you spend, you’ll definitely be wowed by the scenery!
Silverton is a small historic mining town at the southern end of the Million Dollar Highway. The town was established in 1874 and still has many of its original buildings, which makes walking around feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
Where to eat: We loved the coffee at Coffee Bear, which is also home to square breakfast burritos and a killer rooftop patio! We also suggest
Red Mountain Pass is the highest point along the Million Dollar Highway at 11,018 feet. Along this pass you’ll have views of orangeand red-colored mountains, which are unlike anything else in the area. We suggest stopping at the wide pull off right before the first big S curve and soaking in the views.
The Red Mountain Mining District is just down the road from Red Mountain Pass and was once home to 40 mines. There is a great pull off where you can learn more about mining in the area, see remaining structures and an old mining trestle, and peek into some old employee housing.
This small roadside lake is located in a valley surrounded by mountains and is a perfect spot to have a picnic, stretch your legs, and snap some photos.
The Uncompahgre Gorge will be the next major destination along the Million Dollar Highway. With rugged rocks, waterfalls, and some steep drop-offs, this deep canyon provides much different scenery than the previous stops. There isn’t a major overlook to view the gorge, but you’ll have a great view from the car!
checking out Handlebars for burgers, Rocky Mountain Funnel Cake Factory for different flavors of funnel cakes, and The Eureka Station for a variety of American dishes.
Things to do: If you have a couple of hours to spare, tour the Old Hundred Gold Mine to ride in a vintage electric-powered mine train and see demonstrations of mining equipment from the 1930s. Have a full day? Rent a Jeep or ATV and go on some of the 4x4 trails in the area. Animas Forks is a great option and was once one of the highest mining camps in the nation at 11,200 feet. Only 12 miles northeast of Silverton, there are 9 restored buildings, including a mill, that you can still see today and walk through.
After passing through the stunning Uncompahgre Gorge, you’ll reach Bear Creek Falls, which is a powerful waterfall underneath a bridge along the Million Dollar Highway. This was one of our favorite stops, and we even got lucky enough to see another waterfall from snow melt directly across from Bear Creek Falls. There is a small parking area and overlook for the falls which helps you get a closer look at the waterfall itself and the gorgeous surroundings.
Hooray, you made it to Ouray! Ouray marks the northern end of the Million Dollar Highway and is a historic mining town tucked into a valley. While the town is nicknamed “the Switzerland of America” because of its beauty, the name Ouray comes from Chief Ouray of the Ute Tribe, who for centuries traveled to Ouray during the summer months to fish, hunt, and soak in what they called their “sacred miracle waters.”
Where to eat: For coffee and post-hike desserts, head to Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee, and for a snack on the trail, we loved grabbing some items from the Ouray Meat & Cheese Market. We also recommend checking out Maggie’s Kitchen for burgers, Bon Ton Restaurant for Italian food, and Ouray Brewery.
For a quick stop, visit Box Canyon Falls, which is a 285-foot waterfall that drops thousands of gallons of water per minute inside a narrow canyon. It costs $5 per adult to visit, and we were majorly impressed by how powerful it is!
If you want to relax, head to the Ouray Hot Springs. This is more of a swimming pool environment with pools ranging from 75–106 degrees, but the water is sourced from Box Canyon.
The best way to see Ouray is from the Perimeter Trail. This six-mile trail circles the town of Ouray and has five bridges and four waterfalls, including the beautiful Cascade Falls. And the best part? You’re never more than 500 feet vertically or one mile horizontally from Ouray’s city limits, so you can hop into town during part of the hike if you’d like.
If you haven’t rented a jeep in Silverton already, we highly recommend renting one in Ouray! There are a handful of fun and beautiful 4x4 trails close by, including Yankee Boy Basin, Corkscrew Gulch, Imogene Pass, and Engineer Pass.
The San Juan Mountain region of Colorado stole our hearts with its beauty, history, and adventure. We hope you enjoy the Million Dollar Highway and the surrounding area as much as we did.
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By Candice Ciesla and Jordan Schilling
THE SUMMIT WAS socked in with clouds, and though we couldn’t see two feet in front of us, the smell of sulfur from the cauldron of the volcano was strong. It didn’t matter what it looked like; we had made it. We were on top of the tallest active volcano on the planet! You only get a couple of minutes to really celebrate the fact that you brought yourself to this spot, which, in our case, included trudging in deep snow and mixed rain for six hours. When climbing up the mountain, you are totally in the moment. There is literally nothing on your mind other than putting one foot in front of the other, aside from the occasional almond or M&M you scarfed down during your three-minute break every hour. After our brief celebratory moment on top, it was time to get back down safely. Sitting pretty at 19,347 feet, the Cotopaxi Volcano in Ecuador was a mountain we had always wanted to climb and something I still can’t believe we did.
On our descent, we saw other small climbing groups and gave them lethargic ice axe high fives as we passed. One girl puked, and another two guys were dizzy and really hurting from the altitude. Other guides addressed our guide, Jorge, respectfully as “maestro,” as he had kicked steps in deep snow the whole way up for them to follow. On the climb up, Jorge would say, “I think the weather is getting worse … maybe … maybe another hundred meters.” Then we would walk for an hour
and have the same conversation. This pattern continued until we were just below the summit.
Our legs and minds were beyond fuzzy, so the trek down was brutal. You have to keep your awareness and balance, which is so difficult to do while climbing at that altitude. The views opened up, allowing us to see for miles around Cotopaxi Park, and helping us forget about how our kneecaps were exploding out of our legs. We got back to the Refugio around 9 a.m. Breakfast was waiting for us and we gobbled it down like ravenous wolves, or “los lobos” as they say in Spanish.
We thanked Jorge a million times for having enough faith in us to not make us turn around in the bad conditions. We were so beat at this point that all we wanted to do was sleep, but after breakfast Jorge said he was ready to go down to the vehicle. We had foolishly agreed to drive him home so he didn’t have to take the bus—plus, it gave us a small discount on his maestro services. This realization was harsh, but even more so when we found out Jorge lived 3 hours and 45 minutes away.
We got back to the van about an hour after we left the Refugio. Our poor van, Bagheera, sputtered black smoke when we started him up, which was to be expected at such high altitude and low temperature. Now we had to endure the challenge of staying awake long enough to drive almost four hours, after climbing since the previous midnight. We had about 15 minutes of small talk before Jorge passed out hard, giving us very
little help on directions. We arrived in his town of Riobamba and he thanked us as he left the van. Now we were tired as hell in a place with very few sleeping options. We tried a few hostels and parking lots, but they said no, so we found a pizza joint and ate two large pies in less than six minutes. We found a farm on iOverlander that seemed promising and decided to check it out—it was a bit out of town, but it had a shower, so that was enough of a selling point for us.
The finca (farm) was called Castillo de Altura. A small sign pointed to this gorgeous spot, set back from the road and surrounded by lilies and wildflowers. We barely took in the surroundings as we only had enough energy and brain power to speak some introductory Spanish. But then we met the owner, Juan. His energy and excitement to meet travellers gave us a boost as he showed us around their organic garden. He is a young, fit, family man who loves cycling and dreams of climbing Chimborazo someday—one of the tallest mountains in the world just down the street from his house. He showed us his gallery-like museum of photos featuring all the overlanders and cyclists who stayed at the Castillo before us, each one framed in the common room with an accompanying story. At this point the sun had set and our Spanish was exhausted. Shockingly, this was still the same day we had summited Cotopaxi.
As we said our goodnights
to Juan by the big, bare orange wall near the entrance of the finca, Juan said, “You know, my dream is to someday have a mural painted on this wall.” Being an artist I said, “Well, I paint murals.” Juan then jumped into the air doing backflips with fireworks coming out of his behind, or so it seemed to our tired brains. That sealed the deal—our next five days would be spent painting a mural at Castillo de Altura in San Juan, Riobamba, Ecuador.
In the morning, we took a photo of the wall and mocked up a design on my ancient computer. The design featured mount Chimborazo, a Vacuna, which is a wild camelid native to
Juan said, “You know, my dream is to someday have a mural painted on this wall.” Being an artist I said, “Well, I paint murals.”
Ecuador, a truck overlander, wild Ecuadorian plants, Juan on his bike and our van, Bagheera. Juan approved the sketch and we set off to buy paint in town. That night we laid everything out on the wall until about 2 a.m.
The next morning, we met Juan’s dad, Juan Senior. He brought us bananas for breakfast. Juan Senior is the sweetest guy—super smiley, full of great dad jokes, and an excellent English speaker. In the early afternoon, we took a painting break to pick up laundry in town, and when we returned, the Juans were setting up a fire to grill chorizos to share. They were set up with fresh bread and beers, chanting “Fuego Carne” (meat fire). The meat party was an all-day affair, so the goodness just kept on coming. With our tummies full of great food and delicious beer, we painted into the night.
Friendly distractions were a dime a dozen in these parts, so most work was getting done in the wee hours of the morning or late into the night. I went to rinse off some paint brushes and
crossed paths with Renè, the farm’s rooster. I was warned of his “cocky attitude,” if you will. Maybe I gave him a wrong look or made a questionable move—for whatever reason, Renè felt the need to attack, and I did not win the fight.
After I rinsed my wounds, Juan invited us into the house for Coca-Cola pork and traditional choclo corn. His young daughter, Emilia, was there, and sang us songs at the table while we ate. The night before, I had promised Emilia and her friend Erika a drawing lesson. Erika lived behind the Juans’ house—her mom, Dolores, tended the farm. They all joined in a lesson on how to draw a few animals, and then Dolores invited me to try and milk one of the cows. She tried her best to teach me, but I only got a few good squirts, which was honestly still impressive to me. We also met Leo, who rode his bike all the way from Venezuela and was spending a few days at the finca. He played his ukulele for us, sharing with us one of the most catchy Pan-American Highway songs ever written while we
painted into the night.
On the fourth morning, a classic Dodge Coronet rolled up to the farm—an old-school adventure-mobile packed with all the overlanding goodies. Carlos was from Colombia and he was driving the Southern portion of the Pan-American, adding to our lovely little posse of travelers. A decently productive painting day ended in wine and songs about life, love, and traveling as we finished a few details on the wall by headlamp and moonlight.
We were particularly determined to finish the next morning and head out to the nearby city of Guranda to celebrate Carnaval. Juan, his wife, and Emilia pulled up a bench to watch as we put the final touches on the mural. When they weren’t looking, we painted nine hidden cuys (guinea pigs) in the mural, but we told them there were ten, so they’ll never find the last one. Or, wait ... were there actually ten?
We said goodbye for now to the family and drove the
winding, hilly roads to Guaranda. We found a semi-safe place to park a bit away from the festivities and walked into town, and we quickly found out these people really know how to party. Every float, every coordinated dance, and every detail was on point. There are a few rules we learned that we feel it’s important to know before any carnaval in Ecuador. First, and most important, wear sunglasses, because everyone is participating in a spray foam war. I was battling an 8-year-old and I’m pretty sure I lost. Second, watch out for buckets of water, as they can be dumped on you at any minute. Third, sharing is caring—a local guy was giving out Leche Tigre shots, (Tiger’s Milk) a very strong alcoholic milk drink that he concocted at home, and of course we indulged.
The parade went on for more than seven hours the first day, and as the sun went down, a huge crowd gathered in front of a stage spraying foam into the air every four minutes or so. They were ending the festivities with a concert as the rain started to
The next few days were spent rock climbing under the shadow of Mount Chimborazo; driving dirt roads into the distance until they stopped in fields of vacunas.
Candice is a professional artist, nature lover, and avid volunteer who sees the true importance of giving back. During her travels, she enjoys painting murals and teaching kids how to draw. Jordan is a YouTube-taught van builder. When not exploring the world by vehicle or on foot, he works as a visual effects compositor for films. Over the last 15 years, he’s developed a love for shooting photos instead of just editing them. They both enjoy telling the stories that inspired them to click the shutter in the first place. To them, “be old later” means living life to the fullest here and now and never letting your age hold you back from doing the things that excite you. Follow their adventures on Instagram at @beoldlater
really come down. We had purchased a reused water bottle filled with a drink called Pajaro Azul (Blue Bird) from a man in the crowd. I can’t imagine this was the most sanitary thing to do, but hey—when at carnaval, drink Pajaro Azul, even if it was made in someone’s bathtub. The taste was a mix of moonshine and everclear, but surprisingly smooth. I imagine it would probably remove nail polish pretty well. We stayed to watch some of the famous Bolivian flute band, Kjarkas, play and then made it back to the van with foam still behind our ears as we passed out.
The next few days were spent rock climbing under the shadow of Mount Chimborazo; driving dirt roads into the distance until they stopped in fields of vacunas. We made our way back to Juan’s to say goodbye and were surprised to see his entire family at the finca. They excitedly invited us to join them for their big Carnaval feast. The table was full of delicious salads, a massive plate of pork, and of course an entire tray of home-raised cuy from the family finca. And you know what? It
tasted like chicken.
Juan asked us if we found Pajaro Azul, so we immediately brought out our bottle to share at the dinner table. This led to a chanting game where we would all slap our hands on the table as the family sang a song in Spanish, and the bottle full of alcoholic paint thinner was passed around until it was empty. The rest of the night was a fabulous blur of family stories, delicious desserts, and me drawing sharpie tattoo caricatures of Juan’s aunts and uncles on their opposing bosoms.
Juan and his family took us in as their own and showered us with kindness, meat parties, and love. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and it felt truly amazing to actually leave our mark in the form of a giant mural on the side of a family’s farmhouse in the middle of Ecuador. It goes to show you that travel isn’t always about covering distance, going to popular destinations, or marking something off a bucket list; it’s about the rich memories you make when you slow down for a while, taking a chance on an experience.
It goes to show you that travel isn’t always about covering distance, going to popular destinations, or marking something off a bucket list; it’s about the rich memories you make when you slow down for a while, taking a chance on an experience.
GPS: 36.2152, -115.9586
Wheeler Pass Dispersed Camping, a Bureau of Land Management site located in Pahrump, Nevada, is the perfect spot to work as a digital nomad for up to 14 days at a time. The site itself is gorgeous—abundant desert flora, including Joshua trees and cholla cacti, dot the ground, with soaring snow-capped mountains as the backdrop. If that’s not enough majestic Mojave Desert for you, there are also 60 wild horses
that call this land home, although they’re rather elusive. I saw their tracks all over my campsite but never spotted one during my six-day stay. While portions of the site could certainly use some TLC—there are a few seemingly broken-down RVs sprinkled throughout the area—the site itself is massive and there are virtually endless campsites to choose from. With the land's large footprint, you can pick a totally private, quiet space that meets your needs. In addition to never spotting the wild horses, I also didn’t see another human being during my stay here! Due to the spot’s proximity to Pahrump, it has every digital nomad’s best friend: awesome internet connectivity. With my mobile router and Mimo antenna, I was able to get 70 Mbps down and 25 Mbps up on AT&T! Close proximity to Pahrump also lends the added benefit of providing easy access to amenities like laundry facilities, grocery stores, dump stations, and potable water.
Wheeler Pass is conveniently located about an hour east of the eastern entrance of Death Valley and a little over an hour west of the Las Vegas Strip. Whether you’re looking for a launchpad to work from while you explore Death Valley (which largely has zero cell reception) or in search of some solitude in nature after some time in Sin City, Wheeler Pass will be a welcome respite.
Jessica Schmit @uprootedtravelerGPS coordinates 29.3268, -103.5414
Big Bend National Park is a beautiful park located in rural West Texas. Camping in the area is limited to campgrounds within the national park or RV parks outside of the park boundaries. Unfortunately, there aren’t any public lands with boondocking locations close by. If you’re unable to reserve a campsite within Big Bend National Park, the dry campsites at RoadRunner Travelers RV Park are a great option. RoadRunner is located in Terlingua, Texas and is only 10 minutes from the West Entrance of Big Bend National Park, and they actually offer dry camping spots in their campground.
Not only is RoadRunner Travelers RV Park conveniently located to both Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park, it also offers great amenities and has beautiful views of Bee Mountain! Dry campground amenities can vary, and prices range from $30–$40 a night, depending on the season. This RV park offers access to the dump station and fresh water. Other amenities include Wi-Fi and a community area with a fire pit, picnic table, lawn games, and grill.
One thing to note—since it’s a dry campground, this RV park does not have bathrooms and your RV must be fully self-contained.
Chris & Molly @theflyinghens
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Lisa Paulos
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Volume 2 | Issue 12 | November/December 2021
Publisher Demian Ross
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