Nomads (whether we like it or not)

The moment we’ve been building to has finally arrived. Well, sort of.

If you’ve been following our journey on this blog or one of our other platforms, you know that we decided to abandon a life of sticks and bricks, buy a camper, and live life on the road full-time starting in 2025.

As of March 27th, we have officially moved out of our rental in Tennessee and hit the road, but not in the way we intended.

Read on for an update on our nomadic story and what has (already) gone awry.

Things to know:

Our lease in Tennessee ended on March 27th, leaving us to move or sell all of our things and hit the road. While this was the plan all along, one major component is missing.

Nomads without a camper

We’re big fans of watching people live out their dreams, especially when those dreams align with things we enjoy (like travel and beautiful scenery and adventure).

A final family portrait (on film) before saying goodbye to our house in Tennessee (bonus points if you spot Chowder).

While there are many approaches to a lifestyle of travel, most people share one thing in common–they opt for a home on wheels of some sort. From massive RVs to travel trailers to rooftop tents, practically every nomad we know centers their life around their go-anywhere home.

If you haven’t guessed by now, we are currently nomads without a camper, which you could read as “technically homeless.” That’s not particularly ideal nor is it how we anticipated this transition to full-time RVing going.

What’s going on with the camper?

We documented our process of choosing a camper that we thought would be ideal for us and the way in which we like to travel. To sum it up, we went with a custom flatbed truck camper.

When we opted for a custom camper, we accepted the inherent risks of going the custom route. Namely, that timelines can be unpredictable, and we were likely to encounter some challenges that larger manufacturers don’t often face.

So, while we didn’t anticipate being three (going on four) months behind schedule, we did know that delays were a distinct possibility.

Custom campers from small builders can experience different setbacks than campers from large manufacturers.

Without diving too deep into the details, that’s exactly what’s going on and why the camper is taking longer than predicted to complete–small business growing pains, material delays, and so on. Normal stuff that is mildly frustrating nonetheless!

Thankfully, we shouldn’t be waiting much longer. We project to pick up the camper within a month and hit the road immediately. Obviously, nothing is set in stone, and until the camper is mated to the truck, we are keeping our hopes leveled at a steady “fingers crossed.”

What are we doing in the meantime?

That is a great question. The plan right now is to split time between friends, family, and rentals. If that sounds a little chaotic, it’s because it is.

In an ideal world, we would have had an accurate timeline from the start. Being able to make arrangements ahead of time would have allowed us to rent an apartment or some other long-term solution that was more stable and cost-effective than our current options.

We’re in for a lot of this and avoiding eye contact with our bank accounts.

Unfortunately, that simply wasn’t the case, leaving us to bop around somewhat aimlessly for the foreseeable future. It’s our hope that we can keep this interim period as budget-friendly as possible because rental expenses can add up very quickly.

What about your travel plans?

Because we initially anticipated picking the camper up in January, we had put together a semblance of a route and began making travel arrangements for the first few months of the year.

With those plans now in shambles, we will have to adjust both our timelines and the areas we prioritize visiting. 

Alaska is the crown jewel of our itinerary this year, so it will take precedence. Depending on when the camper is actually completed, we may have to cut even more of our pre-Alaska plans to make it happen.

We’ll have plenty of adventures this year, but our plans have changed to accommodate for the delays.

Thankfully, our journey is dictated almost entirely by our desires and whims, so we can remain flexible and make the most of an uncertain situation. We just need to remind ourselves not to get in a rush as a result of the shifting timeline.

How are y’all holding up?

Our response to the delays and the less-than-ideal circumstances they have created has been as you would likely expect–a mixture of frustration, disappointment, and determination to make the most of something we can’t control.

We’ve been able to keep level heads and balance each other out. When one of us starts to get gloomy, the other is there to lift us up. We work well as a team like that.

Now that we are officially out of our house and wandering aimlessly, we actually feel quite a bit better. It’s almost like this time is a prequel to our real adventure–a bit of adversity that we have to endure to fully appreciate what’s to come.

Despite the disappointment and frustration, we’re making the most of this interim period.

We have never been good at staying in one place for long, and we were in Tennessee for 14 consecutive months (a new record for us). Being back in the chaotic world of the modern nomad feels like a relief, oddly enough.

The only real stress we have about the situation (other than the unknown of when the camper will be ready) is the potential for costs to balloon as we rely on short-term rentals to get by.

It feels as though we have been teasing our shift to full-time RVing for far too long, and now you know why. It was never our intention to draw this thing out and make it into some big, dramatic thing, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbles!

Hopefully, we will be giving you a tour of our custom home-on-wheels very soon. In the meantime, we appreciate you reading our blog, following along on Instagram, and checking us out on YouTube.

Speaking of, you can watch the video below if you’re interested in learning more about the current situation.

Happy trails!

- Riley + Hanna

Our full-time RV fears

Any dramatic shift in life comes with its share of hesitation and uncertainty. Heck, even minor changes can induce a certain level of anxiety.

When we decided to move into a camper full-time, we did so with a healthy dose of excitement and more than a spoonful of nerves. Call it measured optimism or a mix of yeehaw and whoa, Nelly.

As the time approaches for us to pack up our things and call our camper home, we’ve been trying to pinpoint exactly what our full-time RV fears are so that we can face them head-on.

What better way to explore those trepidations than by jotting them down and calling it a blog?

Things to know:

Moving into an RV is a daunting life change, and it comes with some pretty prominent fears. Here, we’re discussing the biggest concerns we have as we transition into full-time RV living.

Full-time travel challenges

We haven’t lived in a camper full-time (yet), but we have done multiple months in a row in a rooftop tent and nearly four straight months in a minimalist truck camper (Scout Kenai), so our list of perceived full-time travel challenges isn’t totally without context.

We’ve had many nights like this.

Still, we know this lifestyle will be an entirely different ballgame, so we’re looking forward to discovering new challenges along the way!

Working full-time on the road

We have to work full-time as we travel, which comes with a host of potential setbacks and frustrations. That makes this particular challenge a lot like opening a can of worms.

There’s no doubt we’ll dedicate future blogs to this topic because it deserves a dedicated space to be fully explored. For now, we’ll break our work-from-the-road dilemmas into some basic categories.

Connecting to the Internet on the road

Anyone who has spent time on the road–whether they have to work or not–has experienced the frustration that comes with limited or spotty connectivity. Whether you’re relying on mobile data or using satellite internet, there’s no such thing as a perfect solution.

We used Starlink on the road in 2023, and it served us well—but it isn’t perfect.

Because we rely on an internet connection nearly every day for our livelihoods, inconsistent access can be more than irritating–it can disrupt our ability to work and bring in an income.

We have enough travel experience to know that this is a big challenge, and while we’re taking steps to mitigate those issues, they are inevitable (to some degree).

Staying focused (and disciplined)

Look, travel is exciting. New places to see, activities to do, and food to eat can get you buzzing with anticipation. It’s part of what makes the nomadic life so appealing.

We have developed a healthy amount of discipline through our years of being self-employed, but we’d be lying if we said it was easy to remain focused in the face of such tempting distractions.

As we adapt to full-time travel and establish routines, this area of concern will surely fade (we hope).

Limited (office) space

For the last year and change, we have had ample space to stretch our legs, separate our work from our relaxation, and do our best to avoid feeling cooped up and cramped.

While the great outdoors will soon be our living room, there’s no question that our living space will be reduced dramatically. No dedicated offices, no individual desks, no dedicated computer monitors… you get the idea.

Cooking and counter space in a camper

We don’t want to project our experience with our previous truck bed camper to the camper we’ll be living in. They are totally different products intended for entirely different usages. They’re also not in the same price bracket.

The Scout Camper Kenai was stylish, rugged, and minimalistic, but counter space was severely limited.

That said, one of our biggest struggles in the Scout Kenai was the limited counter space for food prep and cooking. We had to change our approach to cooking and split up cooking duties so only one of us was in the “kitchen” at a time.

Not only was this frustrating and prone to messiness, but it also discouraged us from cooking as often as we normally do. If our camper is going to feel like home, we need to overcome this challenge and learn to be comfortable and efficient when cooking most of our meals.

Safety and security as nomads

We have a good amount of travel experience and know many people who RV full-time, so we know (logically) that it can be done safely and securely. Still, there is that voice in the back of our heads that questions how safe we actually are and causes a touch of paranoia. The lack of surety of what’s outside our door is enough to set us on edge.

There are inherent security risks in living on the road, but this particular challenge feels more like a mental hurdle than anything. We are confident that we will adapt to our new lifestyle without losing that valuable gut feeling that alerts us to danger.

Full-time travel and the bathroom

Call us divas; we can take it.

We’ve tried a variety of bathroom solutions while on the road. From digging holes to those fancy bags you get at REI, every option has pros and cons.

If you look carefully, you might spot a bathroom tent.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution, and that can be a frustrating barrier that prevents full-time RV life from feeling like a true home. While we think we’ve picked the most convenient option for this camper, even it has a downside–cost.

Full-time RV budgeting

It’s possible to save money with this non-traditional way of life, but it’s not easy. In fact, it can be downright hard, leading to the complete opposite–expenses can pile up real quick.

We’ve gotten a lot better at budgeting in recent years, and Riley has been keeping detailed records for quite some time now, so we know we can stay locked into a reasonable budget.

The question is, will the expenses of frequent travel, eating out, exploring new places, and otherwise leaning into our adventurous side overwhelm our desire to be disciplined? Only time will tell, but it’s bound to be an adjustment either way!

Water usage, hygiene, and relaxation

We’re clean people who enjoy a nice long shower to stay fresh and unwind after a long day. Given the limited water storage of our camper, standing under a steady stream of hot water for more than a few minutes simply isn’t practical.

Campgrounds and vacation rentals can occasionally supplement this lack of endless water, and we have no doubts that we’ll quickly adapt to this relatively minor inconvenience, but we’re also confident that it’ll be a challenge!

Despite our uncertainties, we have no doubt that embracing life on the road will be an exhilarating and rewarding experience for us. So, don’t let us fool you–we’re champing at the bit to pick up our camper and get this adventure underway.

Have you experienced any of these full-time RV fears? Do you have anything else we should worry about? If so, drop your knowledge in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you and welcome you to our little community.

If you’re interested in following our journey, you’re in the right place. We’ll be posting weekly blogs, as well as regular updates on YouTube and Instagram. For a more in-depth look into our life on the road, we even set up a Patreon.

Thanks for reading. We hope to see you on the road!

- Riley + Hanna

Our path to full-time travel

When it comes to people living unorthodox lifestyles–particularly full-time RVers, van lifers, and other nomadic folks–we can’t get enough. It’s amazing to see how people achieve the life they love, navigate the unique challenges of the road, and otherwise embrace full-time travel in a world of sticks and bricks.

As we draw inspiration from them, we thought sharing our own journey to this point might be a fun exercise. We wouldn’t necessarily call our path to full-time travel inspirational, but there’s no harm in laying it out for you to see!

Things to know:

We have a long history of traveling together. From tents to truck campers, we’ve traversed many miles and months on the road, and it has all led us here—to becoming full-time nomads.

From road trippers to full-time RVers

Like many who choose to travel full-time, our interest in the nomadic lifestyle started small. We didn’t jump straight from beach vacations and hotels to living in a camper; instead, the build to this moment was gradual.

The best way to document our journey is to give you a timeline from the early days of traveling together to now. It’s been quite the ride, so buckle up and enjoy!

Cold noses, warm hearts

Before we officially started dating, Riley dragged Hanna on a tent camping adventure in North Carolina. Little did we know that it would set the tone for our future together.

The year was 2016, and we had just reconnected after going our separate ways in college. Riley had been going to western NC with his family since childhood, and as a young adult, he still felt drawn to the area.

Rather than rental houses and hotels, he did what any broke college kid would do–bought a tent from K-Mart (yes, K-Mart) and traveled on the cheap.

After reuniting with Hanna, he had the grand idea to drag her on one of his ventures up I-75. So, we went and spent several nights in the mountains, sleeping as far apart in that little tent as possible.

We’ve been adventure buddies since day one.

We distinctly remember waking up with cold, wet noses from sleeping against opposite sides of the tent, the damp fabric walls pressed up against our faces. Neither of us was willing to break the ice and cross the line into something deeper than friendship.

In hindsight, it’s a hilarious and endearing story, and there’s no question that those adventurous college kids set us on a path for full-time travel today.

Shortly after this and similar trips, Hanna returned the favor. She convinced Riley to get on a plane (for the first time in his adult life) and go to Estes Park, CO. It was his first taste of the West, and he never looked back.

We had no clue what we were getting ourselves into when we flew to Colorado in the winter.

Big sky country and restlessness

By the time Riley got accepted into grad school, we were dating. So, when he decided to take his talents to the University of Montana, we had some decisions to make.

For the first year, he lived in Missoula, MT, while Hanna took up residence near Denver, CO. The long-term thing was difficult, but we both enjoyed experiencing the American West in full for the first time.

After the year apart, Hanna joined Riley in Montana, and we started planning our next steps together.

Our time in Montana only cemented our love for the West.

We weren’t ready to buy a home, and we didn’t really know where we wanted to be, so we did something radical–we bought a Jeep Wrangler, threw a rooftop tent on it, and decided to move into it indefinitely after Riley graduated.

While that didn’t last long–only about two months–it was our first taste of the lifestyle we could attain with a little effort, planning, and commitment.

Tearin’ it up in Tennessee

Our foray into adventure travel may have been brief, but it was just the beginning of our interest in overlanding and extended periods of life on the road. So, we tucked that experience in our back pocket, knowing full well that we would return to it in a more sustainable way in the future.

In the meantime, we decided to bide our time by moving to Tennessee and scratching our adventure itch in a different way–trail riding in Jeeps. This move coincided with Riley’s venture into aftermarket part design and manufacturing, so we bought a Jeep Gladiator as an R&D and marketing vehicle.

Our first stay in Tennessee was filled with days like this.

Equipped with a beastly new truck, we ran with a crew that enjoyed rock crawling, giving us our first exposure to the more extreme side of off-roading. While we still preferred camping (as evidenced by our refusal to ditch the rooftop tent), we enjoyed this new hobby for a year–especially when 2020 hit and we needed a way to stay sane while the whole world felt cooped up.

There and back again (to Montana)

Despite our good run in Tennessee, we craved the West. So, we packed up and headed back to Montana. Riley was still making Jeep parts, so we continued to find trails–this time with an emphasis on the camping at the end of the road.

Montana is a different ballgame from Tennessee in terms of remoteness, so we found ourselves pushing the limits of our backcountry experience. Here, we learned how to be a bit more self-reliant, plan for the worst, and be at home in the great, empty spaces.

You could say 2021 was the biggest shift from where we were to where we are now. Off-roading and camping evolved from hobbies into lifestyles. We knew then that we wanted to build our lives around this form of adventure.

When we got married in September of 2021, this passion for adventure travel was on full display. Instead of a traditional wedding and honeymoon, we lived in our Jeep Gladiator for three months.

Our elopement in Ouray, CO, was out of a fairytale (thanks, Tori of Come to Bliss)

We started in Montana, worked our way down to Ouray, CO, and then spent time in Utah before returning home. Along the way, we camped, explored trails, and eloped in the San Juan Mountains. It was the perfect way to start our marriage.

Even nomads get lost

Married life changed things for us–or so we thought.

Concerned by the trajectory of the world and wanting our new relationship stability to be reflected in our joint life, we decided we wanted to buy a house. Talk about poor timing.

In the post-pandemic market, prices started to soar. Unfortunately, we had already moved out of our apartment in Montana and headed back east in an attempt to find the perfect place to call home.

What followed was two years of biding time in Florida and escaping for a handful of months each year to retain our sanity. While it wasn’t the best use of our time or money–Florida is a long way from the western destinations we love–we made do and counted our blessings.

It didn’t take long for us to realize that the housing market wasn’t conducive to us buying and that we needed to come up with a different plan. Naturally, we went back to what we knew–pushing the limits of how long we could stay on the road at a time.

This prompted us to buy a Scout Camper Kenai–our foray into campers. While minimalist, this setup allowed us to live on the road for around four straight months, traversing from Florida to Washington, and then venturing throughout America.

Our Scout Camper Kenai took us to some unbelievable locations.

In the brief time we had the Scout, we covered over 20,000 miles, explored new places together, and even had the opportunity to represent Scout at Overland Expo East. It was a phenomenal camper, a wonderful experience, and a rewarding opportunity to get to know some rad folks in the industry.

Alas, all good things come to an end.

Returning to Tennessee and scheming for full-time travel

If you’re sensing a theme here, you catch on fast–we have a tendency to return to places we love, especially when we’re figuring out our next steps.

This second (and current) stint in Tennessee fits the bill. After two years in Florida where we paid rent despite being gone nearly half the time, we decided to commit to being in one place for an entire year–something that has been strangely difficult for us.

Tennessee is the perfect place for this phase of life, as it has loads of hiking and outdoor activities to keep our adventurous spirit satiated, a healthy helping of great food in nearby Chattanooga, and a reasonable cost of living compared to much of the country (especially western states).

In 2024, we committed to staying still (for us) and buckling down to advance our business and plan our next step thoroughly. While we flirted with home ownership again, the path forward for us soon became clear–we needed to embrace a full-time travel lifestyle now, or we would always have those lingering “what ifs.”

Round two in Tennessee has been pretty great!

From around August onward, we focused our efforts on determining what full-time RV setup would be best for us, calculating our budget, putting together a loose timeline, and frantically trying to get all our ducks in a row to kick off 2025 on the road.

While we haven’t quite made that goal–our camper is still in production at the time of writing this–we are a few weeks from being fully nomadic for the first time in our lives. Given the investment of time and money in this endeavor, it feels like the first time we’ll be embracing the travel lifestyle without the option of “falling back” on the security of an apartment or home base.

Our journey to this point seems chaotic, and it has certainly been filled with twists and turns. Looking back, however, it all makes sense. From the highs of finding new campsites to the lows of uncertainty, every inspiration and setback has played a part in leading us to this decision.

We’re excited about what this year (and the years to come) has in store, and we hope you’ll follow along as we learn by doing. Life is a big adventure, and we feel incredibly blessed to be on it together.

Feel free to drop a comment below or otherwise engage with our growing little community of wild spirits. We’re happy to have you, stoked to share our story with you, and hope to learn a lot from you as we head off into the unknown!

- Riley + Hanna

Our 2025 full-time travel itinerary, bucket list, and New Year’s goals

Howdy, y’all!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a memorable New Year’s Eve. Since we try to post every Wednesday on this here blog (we fondly call it Wander Wednesday), we figured the first day of the new year falling mid-week was a sign.

So, we’re going to share our hopes, dreams, goals, and plans for 2025 with y’all. Hopefully, doing so will hold us accountable and inspire you to pursue your own big adventures over the next 12 months.

Things to know:

We’re traveling full-time in 2025, and there are a few locations (and activities) on our bucket lists that we can’t wait to check off.

2024 had a lot of this. Here’s to hoping 2025 has even more.

A new season of full-time travel

Not everything on this list will center around our lifestyle shift from homebodies to full-time RVers, but that change is an overarching theme that will surely color our experience this year. Embracing travel as our everyday reality instead of a temporary adventure is a challenge we’re looking forward to and can’t wait to share with you.

With that in mind, let’s kickoff this meandering little blog with some travel-forward thoughts.

Our 2025 travel plans

In the process of picking our camper (and now waiting for its completion), we’ve put a bit of thought into our itinerary for 2025. It’s still a vague calendar, and we can’t solidify any plans until our camper is in our possession, but here’s what we have so far:

• January - March: Florida (family) and the Southeast

• April - May: The Southwest (Arizona and Utah)

• June: The PNW (Oregon and Washington)

• July - September: Canada and Alaska

• October: The PNW (Washington Islands)

• November - December: Texas and back to Florida

It’s a packed schedule that’s subject to change, and we hope we planned enough time in each region to fully immerse and enjoy. If not, I guess we’ll have to run it back in 2026!

Expect the coming year to be filled with amazing views like this.

Our travel bucket list in 2025

While our full-time travel itinerary is dictated by many things–including friends, family, and a handful of events–some bucket list destinations also informed our loose plans. If you notice any glaring “must-see” omissions from our list, please drop a comment below–we don’t want to miss out on anything while we’re in these new-to-us locations!

• The San Juan Islands

• The Oregon coast

• California redwoods

• Jasper, Canada

• Denali

• Vancouver Island

• Moab (and nearby deserts)

Personal goals

Despite the somewhat overwhelming nature of planning out a year of travel, choosing destinations and building timelines is easy compared to setting personal goals. The prospect of full-time travel is new and unfamiliar, making it difficult for us to set clear goals in the context of the relative instability of not having a traditional home and lifestyle.

That said, we have a few personal goals that either transcend the uncertainty of our new lifestyle or apply directly to it.

• Date each other. We’ve found that it has become increasingly difficult to “date” like we did before work and life responsibilities increased. We want to be intentional about getting back to that romanticism in 2025.

• Workout on the road. We both hike regularly and go to the gym faithfully. This will undoubtedly be more difficult while traveling full-time (especially weight lifting), so we are exploring ways to facilitate physical fitness while on the road.

• Balancing work with other interests. We are blessed with the unique opportunity to work for ourselves in an industry that fits our strengths. Still, we want to carve out time (and mental capacity) for our other interests this year–photography, creative writing, reading, and so on.

• Stay in the moment. If there’s one thing we’re good at (especially Riley), it’s dreaming big. Unfortunately, those dreams sometimes distract from the amazing things we’re doing at the moment. This year, we’re going to root ourselves firmly in the moment and appreciate it fully.

Chowder is a big fan of life on the road. We think he’ll love every second of it.

Sharing it with all of you

While we have our private goals–as individuals, a couple, and business owners–we wanted to keep the resolutions shared here brief. Consider them a little taste of what we want to share with you during this year of travel. We hope you’ll hold us accountable and watch us flourish as a result!

What are your goals entering the new year? Do you have any bucket list destinations you’ll visit, lifestyle changes to make, or interpersonal growth to work toward? Drop them in a comment below, and we’ll give you a hearty dose of encouragement.

If you’d like to keep tabs on us as we pursue our full-time travel dreams in 2025, be sure to check back regularly for updates, follow our Instagram for consistent content, and visit our YouTube channel for in-depth looks at how life on the road is treating us.

- Riley + Hanna

Our camper of choice for full-time travel

If you’ve been reading our blog, you know that we’ve put a ton of time, effort, and thought into selecting a truck and a camper to act as our nomadic home in 2025. With full-time travel approaching quickly, we’ve finally landed on the type of camper that we’ll call home in the coming year(s).

While we can’t give you a grand reveal quite yet–the camper isn’t actually in our possession–we do want to give you a preview of the style of camper we chose and some of the key features it will have. We hope you’re as excited as we are because we are HYPED.

Things to know:

We’re traveling full-time in 2025, and we finally picked a camper to facilitate our new nomadic lifestyle. Read on for a preview—we think you’ll love it as much as we do!

The camper we chose for full-time travel

Our list of blogs we wrote to follow our decision-making process includes a lot of “Why we didn’t buy X.” While this process of elimination worked well for us, it did leave some of our friends and readers wondering what type of camper could possibly be left.

The answer? A flatbed camper.

What is a flatbed camper?

The bed on our Ram 3500 will soon go missing.

The concept of a flatbed camper echoes that of a slide-in truck camper. Both are intended to be mounted to the rear of the truck on a temporary or semi-permanent basis, allowing you to tote your home around with you wherever you go.

The primary difference is (you guessed it) that a flatbed camper requires a flatbed truck rather than your standard pickup bed. Flatbed campers are designed with a flat footprint that encompasses the entire surface area of the flatbed rather than being built to accommodate wheel wells and bedsides.

The benefits of flatbed campers

Flatbed campers are not as plentiful as slide-in campers, and there’s an obvious reason for that–consumer trucks come from the factory with boxed beds, making them by far the most common type of truck bed on the road. The demand for slide-in campers is simply much higher.

So, why go through the hassle of swapping to a flatbed and seeking out a flatbed camper manufacturer? The answer is simple–flatbed campers provide some notable advantages over their slide-in brethren, and those benefits appeal to us.

• More floor space. Because a flatbed camper uses the entirety of the flatbed footprint (rather than the space between the wheel wells), you have far more floor space to work with. This means a roomier interior that better facilitates moving around and navigating around your camping partners–a must for full-time living out of a truck camper.

• A more permanent solution than slide-in campers. While flatbed campers can technically be removed (just like slide-in options), they are typically designed to be semi-permanent. This makes them more of a cross between a removable camper and a true RV, and there are advantages to that, including plumbing into your vehicle’s electrical/fuel systems, using more secure mounting systems, and so on.

Why not buy a chassis-mounted camper?

If you choose to go the flatbed truck camper route, there is one primary alternative–a chassis-mounted camper that permanently mates to the frame of your truck. There are advantages of this style of camper, including one that is particularly compelling to us–a pass-through to the cab.

The option to use our truck for truck things is important to us.

In an ideal world, this is the route we would have gone. In many ways, it is preferable to us, but there were two key considerations that held us back from fully committing to a chassis-mounted camper–permanence and versatility.

• Permanence. We have plenty of experience with long-term travel, but we are still viewing this shift to full-time RVing as an experiment. It will last a minimum of a year, with the opportunity to stretch without limits. Because we aren’t committing to a longer period (3+ years), we wanted something semi-permanent that could be removed and sold separately from the truck, if necessary. This also gives us the option to change our camping setup should we desire.

• Versatility. A chassis-mounted camper is a camper through and through. By opting for a flatbed camper that can be removed, we can use the truck as a truck when needed. This grants us flexibility if we purchase a home or want to set up our camper as a home base for a prolonged period of time.

Our flatbed truck camper

Because flatbed campers are relatively rare, most options that are currently on the market fall into the custom or semi-custom categories. As a result, our search ended in choosing a pretty custom camper, and we’ve been working with the builder to achieve our end goal since making our decision.

We want to save the big reveal for when we actually pick up our camper (the excitement is building), but we’re happy to share a few of the main features with you here. Consider it a little preview of what’s to come!

• Open floor plan. We are prioritizing floor space and freedom of movement.

• Off-grid sustainability. We opted for plenty of power, water, and so on to stay off-grid for extended periods.

• Quality. We were willing to spend more for quality rather than opt for quantity and/or a lower price.

With our camper under construction and our 2025 travel itinerary in development, it’s safe to say that the coming months hold some significant changes and excitement for us. We can’t wait to share our adventure with you–from picking up our camper to visiting The Last Frontier. We hope you’ll follow along by reading our blog, checking us out on social media, and watching our YouTube videos!

Please feel free to drop a comment below. We love engaging with and learning from you!

- Riley + Hanna

Why we didn’t buy a travel trailer

Making the decision to become full-time nomads in 2025 was something Hanna and I took very seriously. While we have plenty of travel experience together, there’s a big difference between a few weeks or a couple of months and 365 days of life on the road. So, we wanted to make sure we chose the perfect (okay, there’s no such thing) camper for us.

We weighed a lot of factors during the decision-making process, and while travel trailers definitely have some compelling advantages over other RVs, we ultimately determined that it wasn’t the right route for us. If you find yourself in a similar situation, maybe our thoughts on travel trailers and why we ultimately didn’t buy one will be helpful to you!

Things to know:

Travel trailers offer a lot of advantages for full-time travels. From a built-in base camp to loads of living and storage space, the benefits are undeniable. So, why didn’t we choose to buy one?

Note: By the time you read this, we might already have a camper. Our intent is not to mislead you, we simply wrote these blogs well in advance!

A travel trailer wasn’t right for us - here’s why

For those of you who love travel trailers or don’t have the same priorities as us, keep in mind that this is our story. We actually love the idea of travel trailers and came awfully close to buying a few different models. At the end of the day, our opinions are heavily influenced by our lifestyle and preferences, so filter everything we say through your own experience!

Our history of go-anywhere travel has heavily influenced our camper search.

What we like about travel trailers

This blog may be about why we aren’t buying a travel trailer, but I think it’s important to acknowledge their strengths and admit that we were almost convinced to buy one. They have some real benefits, and they are a great choice for a lot of people. In fact, I’m sure that we would have been perfectly happy if we had decided to get one!

• Loads of living space, making it phenomenal for full-timers, remote workers, and those seeking a homey environment.

• Practically endless brands, models, sizes, floorplans, and features to choose from, allowing you to find a unit that is perfect for you and your family.

• Endless potential for customization, both internally and externally. You can add solar panels, renovate the interior, and otherwise outfit your travel trailer to suit your needs.

• Plenty of support for DIY projects, problem solving, and warranty work thanks to their popularity and widely-accepted use.

• Easy to use as a base camp because you can set up your “home” and have your tow vehicle free to go exploring.

I’m sure there are many other reasons to consider a travel trailer, making them even more compelling for a large portion of the population that is interested in part-time or full-time travel. That said, we determined that it wasn’t the right route for us, and this is why.

We don’t want to tow a trailer (I know, I know…)

We know that many fellow travelers have no issue towing their campers. From tiny teardrop campers to massive fifth-wheels, many adventurers tow their homes behind them with no issue. We deeply admire those people (hats off to you if you’re one of them), but while we have a bit of experience towing trailers, it’s not something that either of us enjoys.

This didn’t immediately rule out travel trailers for us because there are legitimate advantages to them that almost convinced us that it would be worth the sacrifice (more on that later). At the end of the day, though, we didn’t want to be tethered to a trailer and deal with the stress that often accompanies it. Not wanting to tow something around the country was factor number one in deterring us from purchasing a travel trailer.

We like to get off the beaten path

Our travel history consists largely of venturing farther into the backcountry than most RVs and campers can go. We’ve used Jeeps, rooftop tents, and overland-style truck campers to push ourselves into off-grid situations and try to escape the crowds. We love a good campground now and then, but we definitely prefer the boondocking in nature style of travel.

One of our favorite off-grid campsites that we frequently return to.

There are a handful of travel trailers designed to facilitate backcountry camping. Some are built with off-road suspension, feature high-quality fit and finish, and use durable build materials. Unfortunately, those campers tend to be very expensive. At the end of the day, you’re still pulling a trailer down a potentially dangerous road with limited pull-offs and turnarounds. That sounds like a recipe for disaster to us, and it wasn’t a risk we wanted to take.

The price (and quality) vary wildly

One of the most compelling aspects of travel trailers is that you can find something in your budget. Whether you have $10k or $150k, there is a camper out there for you. This is a huge advantage over RVs and other campers. It’s also something that made us hesitant.

Price and quality do not always go hand-in-hand. Sometimes, you can score an amazing product at a budget-friendly price, but those instances are few and far between. When it comes to travel trailers, it was extremely tempting for us to opt for a more budget-friendly camper, then allocate the savings toward other things.

The more campers we toured and the more research we did, however, the more we were unsure. Very few (if any) of the travel trailers on dealer lots inspired confidence. Most felt like they would suffer from quality issues if we dragged them down a rocky road. The higher quality options put some of those concerns to rest, but at much higher prices. All of this left a feeling of uncertainty in our guts that we just couldn’t shake.

Something stinks (it’s the black tank)

There are some advantages to traditional camper bathrooms that utilize a black tank. The residential feel of the bathroom is nice, the need to empty it only on occasion is arguably an advantage, and it’s the most common approach to when ya gotta go on the road. That said, we’ve never been interested in a black tank.

As people who like to go camping in the great outdoors, we don’t love the idea of being beckoned back to civilization by the need to dump our black tank. Sure, we’ll have freshwater and greywater tanks, but those aren’t quite as dire as a black tank. You can limit greywater use and refill your fresh water just about anywhere.

If you look closely, you can probably spot our bathroom tent. No shame!

The added maintenance is also not glamorous or appealing. We realize it’s not a big deal, but we would much rather use an alternative method–such as a dry-flush toilet–than mess with a black tank. Personal preference? Yep! A factor in our camper purchase? You betcha!

Home sweet home

While the plan is to travel full-time, we don’t know what the future holds. If we settle down and buy a house, it might be difficult to store a travel trailer on the property. These campers can be long, and without a suitable place to store them, you’re left paying for a spot in a storage yard. It may not be terribly expensive, but it is still an additional line on the balance sheet that we would rather avoid if the situation arises.

When we are traveling, we are confident that we will want to venture to more remote locations. If we want to go to some of our favorite spots located off of trails, what are we supposed to do with the camper–pay for a spot at a campground while we go sleep in a tent for a night or two? It creates logistical problems for us when we want to embrace the more exploratory side of adventure.

Don’t buy a travel trailer (if you’re us)

There are so many reasons to opt for a travel trailer as a full-time traveler or part-time camper. Many of the benefits of travel trailers really spoke to us. Because it will be our home for at least a year, a camper with adequate space to live, work, and relax is extremely important. The ability to leave the camper behind and take the truck into town or on a day trip is also really appealing. Even the financial side of the equation makes a compelling argument.

At the end of the day, though, we determined that a travel trailer just wasn’t right for us. It’s not because they aren’t great–they truly are, and many people are more than happy using them–but our lifestyle and priorities steered us in a different direction. We can’t wait to share with you exactly what camper we bought.

We’re hitting the road full-time in 2025, and we’d love for you to come along for the ride. Whether you follow our antics on social media, catch up with us on YouTube, or connect with us in the comments, we’re so glad you’re here. We can’t wait to share our journey with you and to continue growing and learning from this amazing community of fellow travelers!

- Riley + Hanna

Class C RVs - A passing grade, but not for us

In our hunt for the ideal full-time travel camper, we have considered darn near every possibility shy of a covered wagon. Along the way, Class C RVs crossed our minds, and I have to say, we were quite tempted by a handful of them.

At the end of the day (spoiler alert), we decided against the Class C route, but that doesn’t mean they’re without merit. In fact, we could very much see ourselves in a Class C at some point in our lives–especially a 4x4 converted option from U-Joint Offroad!

Things to know:

Class C RVs are a fantastic option for couples in our position, but we ultimately decided against purchasing one for our full-time travels.

Note: By the time you read this, we might already have a camper. Our intent is not to mislead you, we simply wrote these blogs well in advance!

Why we didn’t buy a Class C RV

We know several people, including some full-time travelers, who love their Class C RVs. To be honest, we get it–they have some compelling benefits that make them ideal for a lot of adventurers. In the name of full transparency, we almost reached out to a private seller regarding a 4x4 converted Class C but decided against it at the last moment.

In other words, we really like this class of RV. It just wasn’t quite right for us at the moment.

We bought a big old truck instead of an RV.

The benefits of Class C RVs

No one likes a negative Nelly (who is Nelly, anyway?), so we like to kick off these “why we didn’t buy X” blogs with the good stuff–what we like about a particular camper. Thankfully, it isn’t hard to find things to like about Class C RVs. They have a lot going for them, and they’re just about the perfect fit for some folks.

• Self-contained. There’s no need to exit the living area to get to the driver’s seat, and that is a definite benefit when the weather is sour, or safety is a concern. There’s also just something appealing about an all-in-one RV unit.

• Options, options, options. Several manufacturers produce Class C RVs, and most of them make multiple models. When choosing a chassis, engine, length, floorplan, and so on, you really are spoiled for choice.

• Ample living space and a dedicated bathroom. As full-time workers, we will spend a lot of time in our camper. While we’re no strangers to small spaces and making do with a minimalist setup, more living space sounds like a huge benefit to us. Throw in an actual bathroom with walls and a door, and you have a pretty solid case for selecting a Class C!

Class C-ya-later - What stopped us from getting a Class C RV

For all the amazing attributes of Class C RVs, there are a few key characteristics holding them back–for our lifestyle, at least. If we close our eyes and envision life in a Class C, we could picture a happy and fulfilling adventure, but there are a few sticking points that would prevent us from doing some things we love.

We opted against a Class C RV for many of the same reasons we chose a small slide-in camper two years ago.

Can’t C you off-road

The interior space of a Class C is a benefit, but the exterior size is not. As people who want to get off the beaten path and explore forest roads and rougher terrain, the sheer mass of a Class C RV is a detriment. They also tend to be built for asphalt, sporting dinky tires and lackluster suspension.

That leaves us with two options for exploring the way we enjoy. Option A is to tow a secondary vehicle and utilize it for off-road adventures. Option B is to invest in a 4x4 conversion from a company like U-Joint Offroad to make the RV more capable. Both options are expensive and add complexity to the situation, especially when there are off-the-shelf alternatives.

We were driving downtown

Hopefully, you sang the line above to the tune of Copeland’s “Walking Downtown.” If not, I’ll forgive you; it’s an obscure reference.

Because Class C RVs are a single unit, what you see is what you get. You can’t set up camp and then take your truck into town. If you take a break from traveling, you are stuck using your Class C as your primary vehicle–yikes!

No more two-door Jeep life for us.

The solution to this is, of course, to tow a daily driver vehicle. Unfortunately, this adds length, complexity, and expense. We do not plan to have a secondary vehicle when we travel, so we would be accepting our Class C as our only option–that’s a tough pill to swallow.

Solving for X

All of these Class B/Class C conversations are beginning to feel like algebra. For every camper we rule out, we get closer to solving for X–that mystery RV that’s just right for us. That’s the hope, anyway.

While we won’t be purchasing a Class C RV, we are closing in on the perfect camper for our full-time travels starting in 2025. What we’ve learned throughout this process is that every option includes a bit of compromise, and we think we’ve pinpointed which compromises we’re okay with. That said, we’re still young and impressionable.

So, drop your guidance below. Whether you’ve been a weekend warrior for a decade or a full-timer for a month, we want to hear your stories, insights, and opinions. Give us your horror stories, highlights, and must-know tips. We’re here to learn, and there’s no better teacher than you–our tight-knit community of adventurers!

No van life for us - Why we aren't buying a Class B RV

Hanna and I are many things. Young-ish, super hip, a tiny bit grungy, and well on our way to Instagram stardom. Okay, so maybe only one of those things is true (we’ll let you guess which), but we still seem like ideal candidates for #vanlife.

Truthfully, Class B RVs–including vans–are appealing. They are nimble, self-contained, easy to drive, get decent fuel economy, and the list goes on. So, why did we decide against becoming full-blown van lifers? I’ll tell you one thing: it wasn’t because of those “One Less Sprinter” bumper stickers (even though they are hilarious).

Things to know:

While vans are great for full-time travel, we decided against one for our full-time lifestyle. Here, we’ll discuss the pros and cons as we breakdown exactly why we didn’t buy a van.

Note: By the time you read this, we might already have a camper. Our intent is not to mislead you, we simply wrote these blogs well in advance!

The pros and cons of van life

Before we do a deep dive into our not-at-all-scientific approach to removing Class B RVs from the running, we have to come clean–Hanna actually owned and partially converted a van a few years ago. She did all the work herself, and it had loads of potential. When the pandemic hit and prices skyrocketed, she made the difficult decision to sell it and turn a tidy profit.

Hanna posing proudly with her empty Transit Van.

So, we have a tiny bit of van life experience, but not enough to be considered experts (or anything close to it). The majority of this list was based on the here and now–the evolution of our needs and our newfound direction.

Why vans are great

There’s a lot to love about Class B RVs and van conversions. Over the last several months, we’ve flirted with buying one to facilitate our adventurous life–we like them that much! From the easy driving experience to the I’m-on-an-adventure aesthetic, we have to admit that van life is pretty compelling.

As we listed out our top van life pros and cons, there were a handful of benefits that really stood out. Your list may look a little different, but we think these adVANtages really make vans special!

• They’re a single unit, meaning that you can go from sleeping to driving without ever leaving the RV. This is great for a number of reasons, including situations where safety or weather is a concern. It also gives the entire unit a roomier feeling (in our experience, anyway), thanks to the large windshield and open cockpit.

• They get better gas mileage than most (if not all) alternatives. They tend to be compact, aerodynamic, and more efficient. Some people report getting upwards of 20 mpg in certain vans, which goes a long way toward your range on a tank and definitely helps the budget!

• They can be customized. Whether you’re a DIY magician, an RV lot shopper, or someone who wants to order a custom van through a builder, the possibilities are practically endless. This helps you get what you want within your budget. That’s a lot of flexibility!

• Vans are compact, nimble, and have decent aftermarket support for things like suspension and bumpers. All of this means that they are better equipped than most of their RV counterparts to explore off the beaten path, push farther into the backcountry, and facilitate an off-grid camping experience.

Why van life isn’t for us

If that list of van life advantages (yes, I made the same pun. I’ll do it again, too) seems compelling, we’re right there with you. There’s a lot to love about vans, and we would definitely consider going the Class B RV route in the future. Right now, though, there are a few factors that pushed us in another direction.

Hanna in her partially-converted camper van. Photo Credit: Tori of Come to Bliss.

Vans are expensive

To be fair, nearly every RV route has the potential to get expensive. Due to the rising popularity of vans and the proliferation of high-end builders, vans tend to be excessively expensive–at least in our eyes. The bang for your buck just isn’t there, unless you heavily weight quality (which is fair).

When we went through our budgeting process, we compared the vans we liked against other options we could have for the same amount of money. That comparison really raised some eyebrows. For what many of the leading van builders are charging, we could have a pretty incredible truck-based camper, a gorgeous Class C RV, or a host of other really nice rigs. Alternatively, we could save a bit of money by choosing a less expensive camper and put the rest of the budget toward travel!

Let’s talk about bathrooms (‘cause why not?)

Campers and bathrooms are always a bit of a touchy subject. From black tanks to plastic bags, everyone has a different opinion of which is best, but I think we all agree on one thing–there is no perfect solution.

When it comes to Hanna and me, we value a private and semi-comfortable bathroom. I have some digestive issues (messed up pipes, we like to call them), so we have been on a multi-year quest to find the bathroom setup that works best for us when we’re on the road. What we’ve learned is we need to prioritize comfort and normalcy even if it means sacrificing a tiny bit of that wild, let’s-take-the-gnarly-trail spirit we tend to have.

All that is to say, vans often struggle to provide a legitimate bathroom for full-timers. Due to size constraints, they might have a little closet of a wet bath, but most rely on curtains or a turlet (if you’ve seen Impractical Jokers, you get this reference) in the open. We’re no longer about that life.

Hanna cruises past an outdoor store in her van.

A van is a van

My curse (one of many) is that I tend to overanalyze things to death. I think of contingency after contingency, nuance after nuance, and so on. Sometimes, I suffer from analysis paralysis, which drives Hanna banana-nut crazy. So, when choosing a camper, I couldn’t get the nagging questions of “what if” out of my head.

What if we want to leave the camper somewhere and drive into town? What if we stop traveling for a while and only have one car? What if we need to sell the camper, but the camper IS our vehicle?

These thoughts led to a semi-decisive conclusion–we needed something that could either separate from the camper, or we needed a camper that could tow a car.

Why we’re not doing van life

Despite a lengthy list of reasons to choose van life, it just isn’t for us (right now). I think we’ll always flirt with that lifestyle–maybe we’ll even embrace it one day–but we’re going in a different direction this time. With our emphasis on off-road capability, the ability to leave the camper behind, and outfitting our rig with a bathroom that works for us, the deck was stacked against van life. Most of them are just a touch too compact for what we want.

The big reveal (and I mean BIG) is coming soon. With full-time travel on the horizon, we have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure our camper will be ready to be our home by 2025. We hope you’ll stick around, continue checking out the blog, and follow along as we explore this beautiful country.

We also would love to learn from you! If you have camper, truck, or travel experience, please connect with us. From life-changing tips to something as simple as what plates won’t break as we rattle about on forest roads, every little insight helps!

- Riley + Hanna

We bought a truck!

It’s been a long time coming.

If you’ve been following along, you know we’ve been exploring the various considerations that go into making a major purchase–in this case, a one-ton truck platform for the camper that we’ll be living out of starting in 2025. If you haven’t read those ramblings yet, be sure to check them out as they document our journey to this moment–the big reveal.

We’ve picked and purchased our future home, and we have to say, it might be our favorite rig so far (and we’ve had way too many).

Introducing our 2024 Ram 3500 Big Horn.

Our 2024 Ram 3500 Big Horn.

Things to know:

We’ve finally landed on a truck for our full-time travels, and it sure is a doozy. It had to check some pretty specific boxes to fit the needs we foresee, but we feel confident that we found the perfect truck that works for us and landed (almost) within our budget.

Why we bought a RAM

It’s sure to be a controversial decision–the truck brand tribalism seems to be as strong as ever–but we bought a Ram. Here, we’ll detail the specifications of our new truck, as well as why we made the decision we did.

A detailed look at our new Ram

First things first, let’s lay out the specifics of the Ram we purchased. This foundation will provide context so we can dive into our thought processes as we made this massive decision for our new full-time RV lifestyle.

The Basics

Our Ram is a 2024 Ram 3500 with the Big Horn package. It is a crew cab with a long bed and single rear wheel–a shockingly rare combination, it seems (more long bed Rams come with dual rear wheels).

It is equipped with a high-output 6.7L Cummins diesel engine, 6-speed Aisin transmission, and (of course) a 4x4 transfer case.

The Packages

Outside of the Big Horn package (which is essentially a glorified Tradesman), our truck features a handful of upgrades and equipment packages. We didn’t have much interest in adding a bunch of features to our truck (more on that later), so we were more than happy with the additional options on this one.

On top of the Big Horn package and high-output engine, our truck came equipped with:

• Billet Silver Metallic paint

• Cloth bucket seats

• Towing Technology Group

• Night Edition package

• Level 1 Equipment Group

• Auxiliary Switches

• Clearance Lamps

• Side Steps

• 50-Gallon Fuel Tank

• Alpine Sound System

• Trailer Surround-View Camera System

The Ram may be huge, but it is still a capable rig.

Our thoughts on our Ram’s features

To be totally transparent, we were not looking for anything more than a base model. Our budget was the biggest factor in our search for a truck, and we would have been content with a bare-bones truck that fit our functional needs.

With that in mind, we have some initial thoughts on the options our truck came equipped with–including things we’re glad it has, wish it didn’t have, and might have opted for given the chance.

Features we love

Despite not personally selecting the options our Ram was equipped with, it does have a handful of packages that we’re grateful for. We didn’t seek them out, but given that the truck has them, we are happy to have them!

• Towing Technology Group. This package includes some very useful features. We personally love the Surround-View Camera System (great for tight spaces and parking), as well as the Blind-Spot Detection. Both of these features make navigating this massive machine just a little less stressful.

• Night Edition. Call us shallow, but we are glad our truck doesn’t have any chrome on it. The Night Edition package is practically useless (and there’s no way we’d choose it for over $4,000), but the painted bumpers and blacked-out trim are aesthetically pleasing.

• Level 1 Equipment Group. While we could do without most of the things included in this package, we do appreciate the power mirrors. Manually adjusting all four mirrors–including telescoping and folding them–gets old real quick, and this package eliminates that annoyance.

• Auxiliary Switches. Easy wiring and control of accessories? Sign us up!

• 50-Gallon Fuel Tank. 1,000-mile unloaded range. Do we need to say more?

Features we could do without

This section is going to be a little lengthy, so we won’t go into as much detail as we did in the one above. Just because a feature makes this list doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad or not worth the money; it just means that we don’t need it and wouldn’t pay for it if we optioned our truck from the factory.

• Night Edition. Do we like how it looks? Absolutely. Would we pay the premium for it if we were given the option? Absolutely not.

• 12-Inch Display. Does it look nifty? Yep, but we prefer a smaller screen with more physical buttons, dials, and knobs.

• Level 1 Equipment Group. Outside of those handy power mirrors, the majority of the features included in this package are not worth it to us.

• Alpine Sound System. This system sounds wonderful, but it is $600 and eliminates a substantial amount of storage space beneath the rear seat.

• Trailer Surround-View Camera System. This package is intended for those who tow often and want a (you guessed it) surround view of their trailer. At $1,000, it is just excessive–especially when you can find them online for less than half of that price.

• Premium Cloth Bucket Seats. Having a center console is nice, but we would have been happy with a bench seat.

Feature we wished we had

While we aren’t too picky, we would have liked it if a couple of additional features were included–especially with the ridiculous prices of trucks these days.

• An inverter. Okay, Ram–seriously?? What modern truck doesn’t have an inverter?

• LED headlights. If a truck costs more than about $5, it should come standard with LED headlights.

• Remote start. We know, we know–this particular feature is a bit “extra,” as the kids say. Still, it would be nice to let the diesel warm up before hopping into the cab.

• Heated seats. This is a Hanna specialty. She loves heated seats, and though we’ve rarely had them, she always appreciates it when we do.

It sure is a beautiful truck.

Why we chose Ram

Ultimately, we chose Ram because we preferred it to the other options after a few test drives and the price made sense. We got a great deal (as far as cars go these days) at about 25% off MSRP. Heck, Riley flew down to Florida just to snag it.

We will go into more detail in the future, including why we chose Ram over Ford. For now, we just wanted to introduce our new rig and move on to talking about campers. After all, that’s the next big purchase–we need a camper to pair with the truck!

If you have experience with full-time RV travel, diesel trucks, or simply want to share your insights and opinions, please drop a comment below. We’d love to hear from you and engage with our little travel community!

We can’t wait to share our journey with you. From selecting a truck and a camper to adjusting to life on the road, we’ll be documenting every aspect of our experience with full-time travel. We hope you’ll follow along!

- Riley + Hanna

Choosing a truck for full-time travel - Sizes and capacities

The bigger the truck, the better, right? This is America, after all!

All jokes aside, the size and capacities of our future home-on-wheels matter quite a bit. From cab size and bed length to towing and payload capabilities, the potential configurations are many, especially if you factor in the differences between the major manufacturers.

Some of these factors–namely the towing and payload ratings–are primarily dictated by how you intend to use the truck. Others–like interior space–are more up to personal preference.

In this post, we dive into our thoughts on truck sizes and capacities as we try to determine the perfect fit for our full-time travel starting in 2025.

Things to know:

With full-time travel on the horizon, we need to choose a truck that can help us thrive on the road. The capacities and size of the truck are integral parts of our decision-making process, as they determine what the vehicle is capable of and how well it can perform the jobs we ask it to do.

Note: By the time you read this, we might already have a truck. Our intent is not to mislead you, we simply wrote these blogs well in advance!

Picking a truck for full-time travel

If you are familiar with our history, you know that we have owned exactly one full-size truck–a Ford F-250 Tremor with the 7.3-liter “Godzilla” engine.

A fair question to ask is, “Why didn’t you just keep that truck?”

There are a few answers to that question, and they seem worth mentioning before diving into this facet of our decision-making process.

Our F-250 was a phenomenal truck, and we definitely miss it!

1. We didn’t plan to take the leap into full-time travel. We anticipated settling down this year and slowly building back up to part-time travel. We sold the Ford believing that our path was set, but it changed.

2. Even if we had kept the Ford, we might have needed to swap it for something else. More on that later in this blog and in blogs to come.

3. Because we thought we no longer needed the Ford, we wanted to sell it while the market was still relatively hot. We didn’t want to be stuck with an auto loan we no longer needed.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into our thoughts about truck sizes, capacities, and capabilities as we prepare to purchase a three-quarter or one-ton truck!

Interior space and overall length - comfort versus convenience

Because we like to venture off the beaten path, explore dirt roads, and occasionally tackle tough terrain, a smaller truck has some distinct advantages. The shorter the wheelbase, the better the turning radius (as a general rule), which is ideal for off-road adventures.

On the other hand, we know we will be traveling with all of our belongings and our pup, Chowder. Interior space is incredibly important for both storage and comfort. Unfortunately, larger cabs mean longer wheelbases–you see the dilemma.

Chowder is more than a little spoiled.

There are some ways to compromise. You can opt for an extended cab, which has half-doors and less space in the rear, choose the shortest possible bed length, or some combination of these options.

Given our circumstances and priorities, we decided that a crew cab was the right size for us (despite Riley’s dream of one day owning a single-cab truck). That left us with the bed size to determine the overall length of our truck.

Bed length - do you really need a long bed?

The major manufacturers offer two bed lengths on their HD trucks–standard and long. Standard tends to be around 6.5’ to 6.75’ depending on the brand, while long beds are 8’ or longer.

Many people can get away with a standard bed, especially if they are towing a trailer of reasonable weight. There are even plenty of truck campers that fit a standard bed and offer quite a bit of living space.

Keep in mind, though, that a longer bed equals a longer truck, which translates to more stability. If you are towing something extremely long and heavy, a longer truck has the advantage.

The same goes for larger truck campers–if you want to safely haul a big truck bed camper, you should probably opt for a long bed truck. They also tend to be more useful for work if you intend to use your truck outside of recreation.

Navigating tight trails in a big truck can be quite challenging, but the reward is worth it!

The downsides? Well, a long bed makes a truck much harder to turn and maneuver in tight spaces. From the trail to the parking lot, that extra length sneaks up on you and makes daily life a little more difficult and stressful.

Ultimately, we’re leaning toward a long bed because of the direction we think we’re going with our camper setup. If we were going a different route with the camper, we’d probably stick with a standard bed for the convenience.

Payload and towing capacity - just because you can…

…doesn’t mean you should. While we’re as red-blooded, stick-it-to-the-man as they come, we tend to abide by the payload and towing ratings of our vehicles. So, as we hunt for the perfect truck for our upcoming lifestyle shift, we want to make sure we’re buying one that can handle whatever challenges we throw at it.

If you’re buying a pull-behind or fifth-wheel, you’ll want to pay attention to both your payload and towing capacities.

The towing bit is obvious–you want to be safely under the limit your truck is rated for. The payload part of the equation is often overlooked–after all, you’re towing the camper, not loading it into the bed. However, a portion of the weight of your trailer is transferred to the truck, detracting from your payload. Called the hitch or pin weight, you need to account for this when loading up your truck (or in our case, purchasing one).

For truck bed campers, payload is the primary concern. Your truck is only rated to carry so much weight, and while you can compensate with things like airbags and helper springs, staying within factory limits is a good idea. This means factoring in you, your passengers (dogs included), gear, camper, and so on!

We’ve pushed the payload capacities of our Jeeps, and you can feel the effects.

These numbers can be affected by everything from the engine powering your truck to the trim level you choose. We are opting for a one-ton truck and low trim level to maximize our ratings.

What size truck do you need?

With all these things in mind, we feel relatively confident that the truck we’re searching for is a crew cab with a long bed and single rear wheel configuration. We fully recognize that this will hinder us off-road, but we want to ensure that we are just about maximizing the capabilities of our new truck without going overboard (buying a dually, for example).

What do you think–are we on the right track? Would you opt for a different configuration? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts, opinions, and pieces of advice–we’d love to learn from you and take your feedback into consideration as we make this huge decision.

Full-time travel is rapidly approaching, and we can’t wait to share every step of the journey with you. From choosing a truck and picking a camper to actually hitting the road and adjusting to our new lifestyle, we hope you’ll follow along and join our thriving little community of adventurers!

- Riley + Hanna

Why we decided to travel full-time

There’s a strange sense of confusion when you tell someone you plan to break the norm. If you’ve ever deviated from the traditional path of living–whether it’s in your job, your lifestyle, or way back in high school–you know the feeling.

Even the most supportive people in your life exude a sort of quiet uncertainty about your choices. They could love you to death, but they rarely understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. Hanna and I are familiar with this feeling. If you’re reading this, you probably are, too.

We’ve always done things a little bit differently. From school (hello, I have a Master’s Degree in Poetry) to our jobs (we started our own business), we’ve always bucked traditional wisdom and forged our own path. Now, we’re doing it again by choosing the nomadic lifestyle in 2025.

Things to know:

We’re hitting the road full-time in 2025, and it feels like it was a long time coming. Our personalities, individual and joint travel histories, and desires for our lives make this seemingly significant step feel like the most natural decision we’ve ever made.

Full-time travel in 2025

Travel is in our blood - a brief history of our journey to now

The adventurous side of life has always appealed to Hanna and me, both individually and as a couple. Before we became an item, we traveled in our own ways. These individual adventures set the stage for a relationship that would have a bit of wanderlust at its core.

I found myself returning time and again to the mountains of Western North Carolina, chasing the vistas and camping alongside babbling streams. I was driven by the feelings of freedom, independence, and childhood nostalgia. For generations, my father’s family put down roots in the Appalachian mountains. While they had a deep history in Old Florida, his family always seemed called to the mountains. He passed that down to me in the form of a longing for mountains always tugging at my heart.

Exploring the many forest roads of Western NC.

Hanna traveled, too. Her father was in the military and spent years in far-off places. That bold spirit of adventure was passed down to her, and she explored places like Alaska and Costa Rica with her family. She is a brave and passionate person who has traveled the US in a Mazda 6, done work-trade on Orcas Islands, and otherwise lived a life largely unbound from the traditional structure of Western society.

Once we (finally) became a couple, our traveling picked up pace dramatically. We camped in Walmart tents beside lakes, bought Jeeps, stayed in rooftop tents during snowfall, and ended up living in a truck camper for four months in 2023. While this is an extremely condensed version of our evolution to this point, it speaks volumes–we have proven to ourselves over the course of several years that travel is integral to who we are and what we love.

Embracing the adventurous life together as fresh-faced youths.

Starting a business - how we can work on the road full-time

Back in 2017, Hanna took a leap of faith. After doing breaking news at a couple of news outlets in Florida and a brief stint in a marketing position at a small business in St. Pete, she decided to strike out on her own. She left the less-than-stellar job she was working and started pursuing freelance writing projects.

She got her start on Upwork, a popular freelance site, and found herself working for pennies on the dollar. She would spend hours transcribing podcasts and other audio files, only to get paid next to nothing. Heck, her first client took the work and dipped, not paying her at all!

I could write a book about the things I admire about Hanna, and at the center of it all would be her sticktoitiveness. She is a persistent person who will fight for what she knows is right. As my dad would say, “She’s not stubborn; she’s determined.”

Long story short, she worked her tail off, and her career as a freelancer started to blossom. Toward the end of my time in grad school, I started helping out part-time. When I graduated, we both took on the freelance world with the reckless abandon that only young, spirited, and a little bit naive people can.

An early brand shoot we did for Boundless Copy.

Now, we operate a full-scale business. We have retainers with clients, have worked with massive corporations and small businesses, and have grown Hanna’s dream into a company that supports both of us. Are we rich? Absolutely not. But we work for ourselves, and that’s worth a lot more to us than a few extra bucks.

Because our work is all digital–copywriting is our bread and butter–we can work from just about anywhere with an internet connection. It’s truly a blessing, and we don’t want to take it for granted. That’s another reason we’re hitting the road–to enjoy this beautiful world the best we can while we’re able to work remotely.

We’ve tried to settle down - restless souls and a historic housing market

For a long time, Hanna and I have fought against our nature. We’ve tried to split the difference, spending time in one location for six or eight months, then traveling for the rest of the year. We’ve also attempted to purchase a house (a few times). Neither of those routes has worked out well for us, and we’re starting to take it as a sign.

Since I graduated from grad school in 2019, we have mostly followed the formula of renting an apartment somewhere we like, calling that home base, and doing one or two substantial (month+) trips a year. The downside of this approach is obvious–it’s expensive, and there is nothing to show for your rental payment when it’s all said and done. Half the time, we were paying for somewhere to live, and we weren’t even there.

We have also flirted with home ownership. In fact, we’ve tried to purchase a home a handful of times in the last few years. It started with a tiny house, which we actually bought. Due to some issues with the property, it became a money pit and a massive headache, so we cut our losses and sold it. We then made offers on two other, more traditional homes. Neither worked out.

We never stopped searching, but with these downfalls and rising prices and interest rates, we have felt deterred from continuing to seriously consider home ownership–at least for the time being. Throw in the fact that buying a home is expensive–no matter how you slice it–and we knew we’d have to put off future travels for quite a while. No thanks!

You only get one shot - doing life our way

In the midst of yet another stressful conversation as we attempted to buy a home, Hanna and I had a good old-fashioned come-to-Jesus moment. We paused, looked at each other, and came to the conclusion, “Hey, we’ve always done things our way, and it has worked out just fine. We don’t have to buy a home or settle down just because it’s ‘what people do.’ We can live life the way that makes sense to us.”

There was a sense of peace that followed that realization. Traditional wisdom says that there’s a logical order to life. You proceed through the steps sequentially, and each phase corresponds with your age or where in life’s progression you currently are. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and we didn’t need to abandon our unique approach to living that has, by all accounts, worked out pretty well for us.

This conversation was tied to something else I had expressed to Hanna just days earlier. There is a constant battle within me that tries to balance making the most of every moment we have together with the urge to provide for her financially. I tried to summarize this with the following question:

“Is it better to leave you with a heart full of memories or a bank full of money?”

More memories like this, please.

As a kid, I was very sick. I struggled for years with an illness, ended up undergoing two massive surgeries, and am truly blessed to be here today. While I am (by my standards) entirely healthy now, there is always a nagging voice in the back of my head that reminds me tomorrow is never promised and questions what my life expectancy really is.

I don’t want to spend my days squirreling away money in hopes that we find stability and can one day travel with complete financial freedom. I want to make the most of our one shot to experience life together, and I want that time shared to be as beautiful and raw and memorable as humanly possible.

I want to live while I’m alive, and travel is an essential part of that shared experience for Hanna and myself.

Hitting the road - we’re going, and you’re coming with us

I know this blog has been a bit meandering and long-winded. If you’ve stuck it out this far, thank you so much!

In the coming weeks, I’ll dive into the logistics of how we plan to travel, some of the deeper motivations that inspire us, and our process of selecting the (hopefully) perfect camper for us. We’ll share stories from the road, post pictures and videos on social media, and do our very best to take you on our adventure with us.

Thank you for being part of this journey!

But this isn’t just about us–it’s about you. Already, the outpouring of support, excitement, and knowledge has been incredible. We’ve learned an unbelievable amount from experienced full-timers on YouTube, through Instagram, and in real-life conversations. With every comment, howdy, or little wave in a campground, our community grows, and we love that.

So, don’t be shy. Drop a line below, shoot us a message, and join us on our journey. We couldn’t be happier to have you.

- Riley + Hanna