3 Things I've Learned After Living In a Truck Camper Full Time For 1 Month
How'd I end up here?
I have traveled extensively throughout my adult life. It all started when I got a job traveling at 18. After being on the run for 8 years with that job I tried to settle down back home and realized it was too late for me. There was no way I could return to that lifestyle and be happy.
In early 2021 my husband and I had a conversation. We were going to sell our things and go backpack Europe (again) but this time we would make it into a lifestyle instead of going on a trip for a month... We were going to start in November that year.
We told our family our big plans and started slowly selling our belongings. Then we got a call from my husbands sister, she wanted to take over our lease when we left. We half serious, half joking asked her if she wanted to move in now and buy our furniture. Little did we know she needed new furniture as well. So then we put this plan into motion and we spent months traveling Europe.
Well we missed our dog who loves to travel with us. We officially return in late 2022 to purchase a new vehicle and truck camper. However we still have every intention on spending vast amounts of time overseas in between.
We officially started this journey on January 17, 2023. Now let's get to the reason behind this blog.
1. Truck Camper Life / Van Life / Rv Life Lifestyle
Can be Any Price Range
In the past month we have stayed overnight in a variety of places. We have stayed in parking lots, rest stops, boondocked, RV parks, trailer parks, in a cabin, National Park campgrounds, and State Park campgrounds.
Prices range from $0-$45 a night and $130-$330 a week. We have seen monthly prices for $300 a month plus electricity.... Not Bad!
The key to our happiness has been mixing it up. We stay at an RV park to have more privileges and then boondock for a few days (thanks to solar power and our awesome generator). If we are going long distance and only want to stay somewhere for a night then we typically look for a free option like a rest stop for the night or a Walmart parking lot.
When we want to see the surrounding area or going to difficult to reach areas we book an RV site and drop our camper so we can take our 4x4 out for a good adventure.
Weekly deals are easy to find... unless you are in Arizona for the snowbird season. When you move slower, you save more money on gas and you don't wear yourself out as fast. I'll Probably do another blog specifically on this topic because there is a lot to cover but you can even get free RV sites when you work at the site during your stay.
2. Weather is Absolutely Unpredictable
Because our journey started in January we have been faced with some terrible weather but hey that's the name of the game. We started our journey in California and have taken the most southern route you can take across the United States.
Even though we took the most southern route we have seen days of rain, snow, and high winds. My least favorite is the wind. We have looked at the weather ahead of time and most of the time it was incorrect. Down to weather the day of researching.
If you are planning on living this lifestyle get yourself a rain poncho and at least 1 outfit for every type of weather! You can thank me later.
3. Truck Campers Are Small
We went with a small camper specifically because we wanted a Chevy Silverado 1500 extended cab. We decided to opt out of a bathroom, slides, and extra space because we wanted to be able to use the truck by itself without spending an arm and a leg on gas. The combo we have has been perfect for us but because we have faced lots of bad weather we have spent a lot of time in the camper.
Thankfully our time in Europe and our combined lifestyle have actually made us fond of minimalism and smaller living spaces... but if you're planning on going from a big space into a tiny space, you will indeed have to adjust. It will take time but hey, it may be the life you always dreamed of, I know it's mine.
To Be Continued...
There are so many things to learn about this lifestyle and there are many things that you will learn about yourself along the way. Whether you are dreaming of this life or you just want to give it a try there are so many considerations.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and found it insightful! Don't forget to follow my blog and check out my YouTube Channel and subscribe if you like it!
Want to support our travels? Check out our postcards and itineraries on Etsy using original photography we have captured on the road.
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