We have recently pulled off the road after 7 years, 4 were spent driving from Alaska to Argentina, and we wanted to start a thread for anyone that may have questions that are more specific to the long term lifestyle. While we only traveled through 17 countries, many of the questions we have fielded over the years are a bit more generic than country specific. We don't portend to know it all so we will do our best to either provide our advice or to point anyone to a resource that may be better suited to the question at hand. We know there are others on this forum that have similar experience so we encourage everyone to contribute as much as they can. To start if off here's a few common questions:
What was the hardest part?
Leaving. Even though we had made the decision to drive the Americas a year before we actually left, walking away from everything we had ever known was the most terrifying moment we had ever experienced. We have told many that the first 1/3 of full time travel happens before you ever hit the road. The second hardest was getting out of debt.
How did you afford it?
We saved for 7 years by cutting almost all of our spending and did everything we could to earn extra money. We dropped all services/subscriptions, paired down to a single vehicle, stopped eating out, downsized, sold everything we didn't need, visited family and friends for vacations (when we couldn't get extra work), and eventually I (John) worked two full-time jobs for almost a year. It wasn't easy but once we broke free from having debt our savings grew and it became very addictive to keep it going.
Do I need a 4x4?
No, but if you plan on running remote tracks or getting to some of the off-the-beaten places then yes. 4x4 is a tool, driving a nail with a wrench is possible but the results usually aren't very pretty. We recommend having a 4x4 but 2x4 VW vans (Kombi) are driving all over the American continents...and others as well. It comes down to your preferences and what you are comfortable doing. If you become a nervous wreck every time you leave the pavement, maybe drive something less capable (and more comfortable) and hire public transport for those harder to reach places. There is no shame in knowing your limits, in fact, quite the opposite.
Is it really a bunch of camping?
Depends. We spent 73% of our time in our van, the rest in some sort of accommodation. A friend of ours spent over 95% of her time in accommodations and didn't buy a RTT until Peru. We know of motorcyclists that didn't carry any camping gear, they only stayed in the available lodging. The world isn't as movie studio wild as we have been led to believe.
What about safety?
Again, that comes down to you and your preferences. If you aren't comfortable in a tent, don't get anything with tenting, maybe a hightop van or a full height truck camper. While we did have a couple instances that were tense or could have gone sideways, both times we had no issues and trusted our instincts. That is probably the most important unspoken rule. No matter what, if one member of the group isn't feeling it, you leave. No questions or convincing. Everyone must be comfortable and we all have differing abilities at reading situations, trust is the pillar that must be maintained. On the subject of firearms, it's illegal to carry them or even a single spent shell casing in many countries so unless you want the authentic experience of being jailed outside of the US...leave them in the States.
How did you not kill one another in such a small space?
This has also been presented as "my husband and I couldn't live that close together, how in the world do you do it?". Respect. Of course we've had our bad days, but we are closer today than we have ever been. The overland lifestyle is not for everyone, nor is vanlife, so maybe living in a vehicle isn't the best idea. Does that mean you cannot drive through other countries, of course not. Renting places and spending time in larger towns and cities can break up the stressful drives and provide the environment that better represents your relationship. There is no right way, everyone's trip is different.
What was the hardest part?
Leaving. Even though we had made the decision to drive the Americas a year before we actually left, walking away from everything we had ever known was the most terrifying moment we had ever experienced. We have told many that the first 1/3 of full time travel happens before you ever hit the road. The second hardest was getting out of debt.
How did you afford it?
We saved for 7 years by cutting almost all of our spending and did everything we could to earn extra money. We dropped all services/subscriptions, paired down to a single vehicle, stopped eating out, downsized, sold everything we didn't need, visited family and friends for vacations (when we couldn't get extra work), and eventually I (John) worked two full-time jobs for almost a year. It wasn't easy but once we broke free from having debt our savings grew and it became very addictive to keep it going.
Do I need a 4x4?
No, but if you plan on running remote tracks or getting to some of the off-the-beaten places then yes. 4x4 is a tool, driving a nail with a wrench is possible but the results usually aren't very pretty. We recommend having a 4x4 but 2x4 VW vans (Kombi) are driving all over the American continents...and others as well. It comes down to your preferences and what you are comfortable doing. If you become a nervous wreck every time you leave the pavement, maybe drive something less capable (and more comfortable) and hire public transport for those harder to reach places. There is no shame in knowing your limits, in fact, quite the opposite.
Is it really a bunch of camping?
Depends. We spent 73% of our time in our van, the rest in some sort of accommodation. A friend of ours spent over 95% of her time in accommodations and didn't buy a RTT until Peru. We know of motorcyclists that didn't carry any camping gear, they only stayed in the available lodging. The world isn't as movie studio wild as we have been led to believe.
What about safety?
Again, that comes down to you and your preferences. If you aren't comfortable in a tent, don't get anything with tenting, maybe a hightop van or a full height truck camper. While we did have a couple instances that were tense or could have gone sideways, both times we had no issues and trusted our instincts. That is probably the most important unspoken rule. No matter what, if one member of the group isn't feeling it, you leave. No questions or convincing. Everyone must be comfortable and we all have differing abilities at reading situations, trust is the pillar that must be maintained. On the subject of firearms, it's illegal to carry them or even a single spent shell casing in many countries so unless you want the authentic experience of being jailed outside of the US...leave them in the States.
How did you not kill one another in such a small space?
This has also been presented as "my husband and I couldn't live that close together, how in the world do you do it?". Respect. Of course we've had our bad days, but we are closer today than we have ever been. The overland lifestyle is not for everyone, nor is vanlife, so maybe living in a vehicle isn't the best idea. Does that mean you cannot drive through other countries, of course not. Renting places and spending time in larger towns and cities can break up the stressful drives and provide the environment that better represents your relationship. There is no right way, everyone's trip is different.
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