SUV-living: Our Big Adventure

In 2023, I made the big decision to live in my car. Seems crazy, right? For months and months I'd followed countless influencers showcasing their renovated vans and buses. They were living the care-free life, traveling and working remotely, and seeing things I'd only dreamed of seeing. Meanwhile, I was working remotely from the couch in an apartment full of stuff and I wasn't any closer to my money goals than I was to hopping on a spaceship and flying to Mars.

In this economy, and as a single person, I was finding it incredibly hard to make headway towards traveling and seeing the world. Right then and there I made the decision that when my lease was up I was going to make a change. Because, after all, "nothing will change if nothing changes" and I wasn't going to spend another year sedentary. I began researching and I spent months making lists, googling products that would be useful, and putting the pieces in place. In September of 2023, I was finally able to hit the road.

I called it Our Big Adventure - just a middle-aged woman and her geriatric dog SUV-living and touring the U.S. But before our wheels were spinning, I had a lot to do to get the car ready for us.

I looked at vans, both Mercedes Sprinters and Ford Transit Cargo, and I just wasn't sure I wanted to have a higher car payment than I did already. I'm also a use-what-you-got kinda girl, so I looked at my Ford Escape and I told myself I can make it work. And I did! After measuring, measuring again, reworking my design, and measuring once-more, I headed over to Lowe's where they'll even cut the wood for you, as long as you have the dimensions you want and it's a large enough piece for their machine. A friend of mine with some tools came over afterwards and we assembled my bed frame. It came together pretty quickly and my dream of sleeping in my car (yes, I said dream - this is something I actually wanted to do) was starting to come true!

After getting the frame together, I bought some storage units that I had pre-planned to fit underneath and I began filling it with the necessities - toiletries, lotion, sunscreen, cold/flu meds, Kleenex, reusable water bottles, etc. I also spent time organizing my car to find places for my IcyBreeze A/C unit (not sponsored, I just love this product so much because it was a lifesaver for me and Fritz on those hot nights!) and my EcoFlow River 2 that charged my phones, computer, and my IcyBreeze at night. For a full list of the items I used and would recommend for anyone who wants to do SUV-living or Van life, check out my blog full of SUV-living and Van life Essentials.

The cargo unit I borrowed from another friend who wasn't using it and it was so handy for storing bigger/bulkier items - dog crate, heavy winter gear, extra towels, sunshade, folding chair, reusable grocery bags, etc.

Getting everything loaded and ready took some time, and I knew I'd probably rearrange it to fit my needs as I really got the feel for living out of my car, but I was just so excited to finally be hitting the road after months of planning. It was FINALLY time!

Where do you think we went first? Stay tuned and be sure to subscribe so you'll know when I post next!