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Currently RoamingLyons, Colorado

Life Is Better on the Open Road

Van life guides, gear reviews, and real adventures from someone who traded walls for windshields. Started with $200 and a 1999 Dakota — eight years and four vehicles later, still rolling.

I'm Already On the Road I'm Still Researching

200+

Articles Published

5

Travel Vehicles

30+

Countries Covered

Since 2018

On the Road

Van Life Without the Filter

Camp Van Life started in 2018 when I left home with a backpack and $200 and drove off in a 1999 Dodge Dakota with a camper shell. Since then I've lived out of pick-up trucks, shuttle buses, camper vans, and everything in between — crossing the US, Europe, South America, and beyond.

This isn't a curated feed of glamping spots. It's practical, experience-backed information for people who want to actually do this — buy the right gear, pick the right vehicle, survive the hard nights, and enjoy the great ones.

Van Life Without the Filter

What You'll Find Here

No fluff — field-tested guides on every aspect of van life, from buying your first truck to crossing international borders.

Van Life Guides

Stealth camping, borders, power systems, winter heat — the stuff nobody warns you about.

Gear Reviews

Honest reviews of equipment that actually matters — solar, power stations, and gear I've broken.

Travel Destinations

USA road trips, Europe routes, South America, and the off-grid campsites worth driving for.

Vehicle Living

Pick-up camping to full skoolie conversions. How to set up and live out of any rig you can afford.

RV & Camping Tips

Class B, pull-behind, or tent — practical tips for making any outdoor setup feel like home.

Remote Income

Make money while traveling — freelancing, writing, music, odd jobs that keep gas in the tank.

Latest from the Road

Recent dispatches — kayak transport, mobile-office sprinter builds, South America road-tripping, and the practical stuff in between.

Browse All Articles →

From the day I left home with $200 to right now. Every flag is a place I parked the rig and slept.

USA
2018
Started in Loose Lucy
Mexico
2019
Baja peninsula
Spain
2020
Picked up Kenny
Morocco
2021
Atlas Mountains
France
2022
Provence campsites
Iceland
2023
Ring Road in 14 days
Colombia
2024
South America leg
New Mexico
2026
Currently roaming

Past Travel Vehicles

Eight years, four rigs, two continents. Each one taught me something different about living light and finding home wherever the road leads.

"Loose Lucy" — 1999 Dodge Dakota

My first rig: a pick-up truck with a camper shell, a futon, and $200 to my name. Minimal, stealthy, and everything I needed to start.

"Starship Enterprise" — 2004 Ford E-350

An 18-passenger shuttle bus converted for a 6-person touring band. Full couch, hammock, inverter, and a wheelchair ramp for loading gear.

"Kenny" — 1998 LDV Convoy 12-Passenger

A high-top van picked up in England — solid, simple, and built for European backroads. Border crossings, ferry queues, and a year of UK lay-bys.

"Bessie" — 1990s Ford E-450 Custom Box

Box truck conversion with full kitchen, bed-loft, and a real wood-paneled interior. The biggest house I've ever lived in — on wheels.

Ready to Hit the Road?

Questions about van life, gear, or planning your first trip? Send a message — I read everything.

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