I haven’t met too many people who don’t romanticize a life on the road. Since Gary and I made this decision, I cannot tell you the number of times people have oohed and ahhed over our plans.
But I’m a realist and a reader—it’s been a year and a half since we decided to sell our home for a camper. I’ve read thousands of first-person perspective articles since then. Many people (like us) have chosen to make their journey public, and fortunately, there are dozens of blogs and YouTube channels following full-time RV travelers.
I’ve read many of them, and I know this journey will not be all sunshine and rainbows… shit happens. Things break. Tires blow. Challenges are inevitable.
“To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.”
oscar wilde
Life on the Road Seeking Peace of Mind
I don’t want to worry—for two years. I want life to be easy, carefree, and on my terms for the duration of this trip. Thus, we’ve taken steps to ensure that we covered everything.
We deliberately purchased a new 2025 Chevy Truck and a new 2025 Rockwood travel trailer. Why brand new? One word. Warranty. I want the assurance that if anything goes wrong while we’re traveling for the next two years, it’s covered under warranty.
But, think about this for a minute – if something breaks in our RV, and needs to go into the shop for repair… that’s our home. Where do you go? What do you do? You have to plan for the unexpected when living life on the road.
We also plan to have ALL the insurance, so anything that isn’t covered under warranty is covered by our insurance plan. This includes full coverage on the truck, full coverage on the RV, and all the extra RV protection packages offered by our dealer. Plus, our RV insurance also covers the expense of a hotel when necessary for repairs.
We also plan to get a GoodSam membership (like AAA for RV travelers) to help when things go awry while we’re on the road. If we’re stranded and need a tow, I want to know it’s covered.
I expect something to go wrong, and I want to know that help is a phone call away.
Life on the Road & Keeping Expenses to a Minimum
If you think living in an RV is cheap, you’ve not done your research. In addition to all those insurance packages and protections I mentioned above, there are also things like gas for travel, overnight stays, and food.
Gasoline isn’t cheap.
Much like you need electricity to power your home, we need gasoline to power ours. Lord knows, gas isn’t exactly “cheap.” However, in an effort to keep those costs at a minimum, we’re enrolling in multiple gas club memberships for the discounts. We’ll also be using Gas Buddy to locate the cheapest gas in the area. Naturally, we’re going to do our best to conserve gas expense, but fuel is a necessity for full-time travelers.
RV Parks aren’t free.
Our RV does allow us to boondock (camp without electricity), but it’s a hard, cold truth that solar power can only power so many things when you’re off-grid. To take advantage of all the creature features that make our RV feel like home, it’s best to park where you have full hookups. RV parks can vary from $30/night to $100/night or more, depending on the location and amenities. However, we’ve found a few ways to reduce our expenses:
- Thousand Trails membership – with this membership, you pay for your membership fee upfront based on the region you plan to be in, and then, you stay for free at participating Thousand Trails campgrounds.
- Harvest Hosts – this membership allows you to boondock for 1-3 days for free on private property – so maybe it’s a farm, or a winery, or someone with land to spare. The only catch is that they ask you to spend a little money on whatever the host is peddling.
- State Parks & BLM land – although state parks aren’t typically free, they do tend to cost less than other private RV parks. BLM is dispersed camping that you can use for up to 14 days at a time for free. However, getting to some of these spots with a 35′ camper can be difficult.
- Friends & Family – of course, as we travel, we plan to visit friends and family along the way. We do have plans to boondock at some of these locations, too. (Got room for us? Let us know!)
- Lowe’s & Walmart – while these definitely aren’t long-term stays, we can stop for a night at these locations to rest up before we continue our travels the next morning. Maybe not ideal, but they’ll serve a purpose when necessary.
Food is expensive everywhere.
Since we’ve been living in the middle of nowhere for nine years, I anticipate a strong temptation to overindulge in a newly rediscovered access to fast food and gas station snacks once we begin life on the road. Therefore, I want to put special emphasis on what we eat. Plan ahead for easy, healthy meals. Create our scrumptious meals over a campfire or on the griddle outside our camper. Indulge in local markets and explore budget-friendly options.
Freelance Discipline
“Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.”
Margaret Thatcher
Since I’m going back to freelancing, once again, I will have to dig deep and muster up the discipline to spend a few hours every day doing something productive. When we first moved to the ranch, it took time to develop the willpower to ignore the beauty outside my door, and I can imagine it will be just as challenging with our life on the road.
On the flip side, I’m going into this with eyes wide open. I know that freelancing can become overwhelming if you don’t set boundaries, and this time, I’m putting my self-care first by limiting my desk time and focusing on the journey.
Just as an athlete envisions a win, by envisioning a schedule, I can see that I am dedicating 5-7 hours a day toward productivity, but I’m also blocking time specifically for physical activity, exploration, and relaxation.
My Envisioned Schedule
The key to discipline while freelancing is to commit to a schedule.
- Wake up between 5 and 6 a.m. Yes, I’m one of those crazy people who like to wake up early. I enjoy the tranquility of a sunrise when the world hasn’t started to stir. This early morning hour allows me to drink my coffee, maybe do some self-care with stretching or meditation, and have time to think and greet the day with a plan.
- Spend a little desk time. I’d like to get 4 to 5 hours of desk time out of the way first thing in the morning so that by 11 am or so, I’m winding down, so we can do something like hiking, exploring, or visiting a destination during the mid-afternoon. However, climate plays a role in timing.
- Mid-Day Exploration. I want us to incorporate exploration into our day, such as finding a hiking trail, going to a disc golf course, or finding a fascinating destination near our stay. Each day we’re parked somewhere, I want us to schedule time to get out and see what’s out there.
- Evening Windown and Debrief. At night, I look forward to cooking meals, relaxing around a campfire, and discussing the day’s events. I want to use this time to review our photos and videos, do some content work, and maybe work in a little social media time.
- Bedtime Self-Care. This journey is about taking care of ourselves, inside and out. Besides basic hygiene and skincare, as a married couple, we also need to care for each other. We want to protect time for intimacy in our marriage.
A Life on the Road Deliberately Lived
This trip isn’t about escape—it’s about intention. It’s about choosing to live deliberately, with eyes wide open and a clear understanding that while the road may be bumpy, the journey is worth it. Gary and I aren’t chasing some idealized Instagram version of van life; we’re embracing every flat tire, unexpected detour, and jaw-dropping vista as part of the package.
We know it won’t always be easy, but we’ve stacked the deck in our favor. We’ve planned, prepped, insured, budgeted, and scheduled. But we’ve also left room for spontaneity, magic, and peace that only comes when you’re not running on someone else’s clock.
So here we go—two people and their dog, one truck, one camper, and an open road ahead. With a bit of grit, a lot of grace, and a good sense of humor, we’re ready to roll. Here’s to the next chapter, written in miles and a chance to live life on the road.
