Full-time truck camper travel with Heather & Dana

When we first started spending our winters in Baja four years ago, I never would have guessed what would become one of my most favorite aspects of traveling along this 1,000 mile long peninsula in Mexico. While the fish tacos and the beaches also reside on my list of favorite things, it’s the like-minded people we meet every year that have really made an impression on me. There’s something about Baja that attracts laid-back, free-spirited, outdoor-loving folks; many of those people living on the road full-time just like us. I’m usually not the type to strike up a conversation with a stranger, but Baja is slowly changing me because more often than not, we learn something interesting or meet someone awesome.

Enter Heather & Dana; two awesome humans who happened to be camping on the same beach as us back in March. One afternoon I overheard Heather say that she’s “technically from Colorado”. I could deeply relate to this unusual answer. Only a full-time traveler would have such a response. There’s no straightforward answer to being asked where you’re from when you live in a home-on-wheels and the view out your door is ever-changing. Since I too am technically from Colorado, I was eager to say hello, so I walked across the beach and introduced myself. Due to several common threads, conversation flowed with ease. And then my enthusiasm skyrocketed when I learned that their plan is to continue south all the way to South America.

Everyone we meet on the road has a story to tell; a story about what drew them to the road and a story that continues to unfold as they discover more about themselves and the world around them during their travels. This is why, when I meet people like Heather & Dana, I can’t help but ask if they would be interested in sharing their story here. There’s nothing that inspires me more than everyday people making unconventional choices to create a fulfilling life. That’s exactly what Heather & Dana have done since moving onto the road in 2023.

I hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as I did.

What prompted your decision to hit the road full-time? 

Early in our relationship, in 2015, we moved from Vermont to California together. Dana had accepted a job in the Bay Area, and we had a month to get there. We packed all of our belongings into a Subaru Outback and road tripped our way across the country, camping in national parks and with friends along the way. Though we didn’t know it at the time, this would be the start of our love for vehicle based travel. Fast forward many years, multiple jobs, and a few more cross-country moves later, and we were desperately trying to buy our first home together in Colorado. The market was impossibly soul crushing, and after 2 years of failed attempts at buying a house, we finally realized that maybe it just wasn’t meant to happen. With no mortgage, no kids, and dog that loves to travel, we decided to trade our weekend trips for a life of full-time travel, and we set off on the road indefinitely in September of 2023!

You recently downsized from a self-built expedition rig to a pop-up truck camper.  What inspired the change and how is it going so far?

Our expedition truck was an amazing rig, and we feel super proud that we built it. However, when we planned the build, we did it with the incorrect assumption that bigger is better. The living space was super comfortable and spacious, but driving a massive truck like that just wasn’t our cup of tea. After a year+ of full-time living, we decided it was worth the compromise to downsize into something easier (and more efficient) to drive. We are really happy with our setup now; the truck handles incredibly well (on and off road), and the living space is actually perfect for our lifestyle. We are definitely confident in our decision to switch things up, especially as we head further south on the Pan American and inevitably start driving through smaller towns that would have been very stressful in our old rig!

Note: Heather & Dana currently live & travel in a Phoenix pop-up camper. Learn more about Phoenix truck campers here.

You spent last summer traveling around Alaska.  What is one of the most interesting and/or memorable experiences from your time up north?

How do we choose?! The entire trip was incredible, but the experiences that stand out the most were when we ventured deep into the Alaskan wilderness. Here are our two most memorable:

• In mid-July, we rented sea kayaks from an outfitter in Homer, and were dropped off via water taxi at a small island in Kachemak Bay. We spent the next three days exploring the inlets and islands, and camping on remote beaches.  It was one of the most intimate experiences with nature that we’ve ever had, and it left us wanting to explore more by water in the future. We were amazed at how “Wild West” this experience felt- no waivers to sign, no aptitude tests, no detailed itinerary- just two humans and a dog dropped off in the middle of nowhere with a plan to meet our return taxi at a pinned spot on a map in three days. Don’t let the busy cruise ship towns fool you- Alaska is still WILD!
• Later in the summer, we rented a cabin at a private hot spring outside of Fairbanks. This may sound fancy, but I assure you it was quite a rugged experience! A grueling 10 mile hike in grizzly country through boggy lowlands eventually brought us to the tiny cabin, which was equipped with a wood stove and bunk beds. As backpackers, we were pretty stoked to have something more than a tent to sleep in, and the hot springs were an incredible reward after slogging through the mud all day with our heavy packs. The best part? Nobody rented out the other 2 cabins, so we had the site completely to ourselves for three days! We soaked in the springs, hiked, explored, and played card games. It was the perfect escape into wilderness

What has full-time travel provided you that stationary living could not?

Full time travel has given us the opportunity to see so much more of this world. In our old life, working our old jobs, we had hardly any free time to travel outside of weekends and holidays. We took full advantage of this time, and had the privilege of exploring SO much of our nearby environment. We would drive hours and hours through the night just to get a day or 2 at a campsite before heading home in time to get to work on Monday.  Now, we go so much further and spend so much more time in the places we love, with none of the dreaded “Sunday Scaries.”

What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned (either about yourself, travel, or the world) since pursuing this way of life?

We have learned that no matter what you hear on the news, there are good people EVERYWHERE. People who are willing to lend a hand, offer a local recommendation, or simply give a smile or a high five. We have learned that local knowledge is so much more valuable than anything we read on the internet- fear is what keeps so many people from truly experiencing the world. We’ve learned how little we actually need to be happy. There are very few material goods that we miss from our “normal life,” and being forced out of a consumerism mindset has been amazing for our mental health (and bank accounts!) We have also learned a lot about ourselves as a couple- continuously working on our communication skills and learning how to navigate challenges while living in a small space has made our relationship even stronger. 

What do you do for a living?  How do you fund your travels?

Heather is a Registered Nurse and Dana is a data analyst, but we both quit our jobs to pursue our dream of driving the Pan American Highway. We’re currently making a small amount of money doing some part-time marketing work and through growing our YouTube channel, but we’re mostly living off of the savings we had originally set aside to buy a house. We are very frugal- our only major living expenses for this trip are food, fuel, and insurance, and we are really trying to stretch our money as much as possible! 

What is some advice you would give someone dreaming of full-time vehicle-based travel but is nervous to take the leap?

Our biggest advice is to just start with what you have and go for it! Spend some time traveling in whatever you already own, and figure out what is most important to you, then fine tune your set-up as you go. There is no “perfect” vehicle for this lifestyle, and every single option will come with sacrifices, so don’t try to over-engineer your first build. For example, with our expedition truck we went way overboard (for us) with comfort and space, at the expense of drivability and cost. Until you are really living in it, you won’t know what to prioritize, so just get out there with whatever you already have! 

We also live by the idea that no decision is permanent. If you take a chance on full-time travel and find out it isn’t right for you, you can always go back to “normal life.” You can always change your mind or try a different option, but if you don’t take that initial leap, you’ll never know! Our only regret is that we didn’t start sooner!

Top 3 favorite pieces of gear or tech that you couldn’t live without?

1.  Our backpacking tent. We love having this as a way to get out and explore, and we try to plan backpacking trips as often as possible. We love a 1 or 2 night trip into the backcountry, and it’s such a great way to get to places that most people never have a chance to see.  Our tent is also a really important part of our safety plan. Last year we experienced some major mechanical issues in Baja, and ended up stuck without our truck (and home!) for a week. We were able to stay nearby at a campground, and our tent became our back up house while we waited for the truck to be fixed. Had we not had that tent, we would have paid a lot of money for a last minute, dog-friendly hotel stay. (Bonus: it also functions as a “guest room” when friends come to visit us on our travels!)
2. Our Instant Pot is probably the thing that takes up the most amount of space in our kitchen, but it is priceless to us! We cook a lot, and the Instant Pot is used almost daily. It’s energy efficient and super versatile for a ton of different types of cooking. We don’t have an oven in our truck, but between our camp stove and the Instant Pot, we can make almost anything.
3. Cameras! We are certainly not professionals, but we couldn’t imagine not being able to document our travels. Aside from sharing our adventures on social media, we truly love capturing the big and little moments in life. Memories are fleeting and unreliable, and we know that the photos and videos of this trip will become extremely precious to us later in life! 

What are you most excited about for the future?

We are so, so excited for this entire Pan American journey! We are currently in mainland Mexico, exploring the coastline of Nayarit, and we plan to spend another few months all over the southern states of Mexico, before heading into Belize, Guatemala, and beyond. We are excited to plan some big outdoor adventures in the varied terrains that we will encounter, and to experience the many different people and cultures of Central and South America. This trip will take us roughly 18 months, and we feel so privileged and grateful to be able to go on this grand overlanding expedition! 

Thank you so much to Heather & Dana for taking the time to share their story with us. If you’re interested in following their travels, check them out at the links below!

Instagram: HD.Adventuring
YouTube: HD.Adventuring
Patreon: HD.Adventuring