Living on the road isn’t always easy. But it has the power to fundamentally change the way you approach camping—and life.
Ari and Jessi Adler didn’t expect to move nearly full-time into their Airstream trailer. But ever since they started camping in it in 2015, they found themselves more and more reluctant to leave.
“Every time we left home, we stayed out on the road longer and longer,” Ari says. By 2022, Ari was in his mid-50s and ready to leave his full-time job. His wife Jessi, then 41, worked remotely.
“At one point, were sitting in our house in Michigan, and it was about to be winter, and we looked at each other and said, ‘If we can go anywhere, why are we here?’” Ari recalls.
Not long after that conversation, they packed up their things and moved into their 30-foot Airstream Flying Cloud Office. Jessi continued to work and Ari quit his job, functionally retiring into a post-career gig as a freelance writer (and chief manager of the couple’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/trekers) and website (trekers.org).
Transitioning to full-time life on the road has had its ups and downs. There have been breakdowns and bad weather, not to mention the stress of offloading belongings and paring down a big life into a small space. But over the last three years, Ari and Jessi have had some powerful realizations about living well. Here are their top takeaways—both for life on the road and off.
1. Staying in a place is the only way to understand it. On vacation, most people tend to flit from place to place, barely scratching the surface of each location. But when you stay in a single park, campground, or city for two to three months at a time, you start to notice things you wouldn’t otherwise. “You get off the beaten path and find the local places to visit, the little restaurants, that kind of thing,” Ari says. “That’s enough to get more immersed in the local culture than you would as a transient traveler.”
2. Constant change is good for the soul. One of Ari’s favorite things about living on the road full-time is that the view is constantly changing. “We’re able to revisit the places we’ve loved, but in between we see things we wouldn’t otherwise, meet new people, and try new things,” he says. There’s a sense of constant challenge and problem-solving. That keeps life endlessly interesting (and, by the way, has been shown to help boost brain health and longevity.)
3. The locals know all the best spots. Ari and Jessi like to visit national parks as much as anyone else. But their favorite spots are the ones they hear about from locals in the know. Getting access to that information, however, can take time. “They have to know they can trust you with the information,” Ari says. Take time to talk to locals, and be kind and curious. Invest in relationships, especially during a longer stay, and it can pay off. Plus, who knows. You might get a lifelong friend or a new perspective out of it, as well.
4. The slower you travel, the longer you’ll last. Slowing down isn’t just the secret to avoiding burnout and decision-making fatigue on the road. It’s also an incredible way to be more present in the places you do visit. Plus, Ari adds, you can save a lot of money by lingering in each place you visit. “Sometimes you can get a discount for longer stays,” he says. “And your biggest cost is always going to be fuel, especially if you’re towing something, so staying put helps you minimize that cost.” During the winter months, the Adlers tend to post up and work as campground hosts, which helps them earn free lodging
5. A getaway vehicle can be a huge source of freedom. The Adlers spend most of their time living in their Airstream, but they pull it behind a Ford Econoline van that’s built out for short-term stays. Being able to ditch the trailer and take the smaller vehicle lets them access more remote trailheads and navigate bigger cities. During campground hosting stints, they’re also able to leave their Airstream in place and drive around in the van—a much more fuel-efficient and therefore cost-efficient vehicle.
6. The right campground can make or break your trip. Staying in a sketchy, dirty, or subpar campground can make any visit feel like a downer. Conversely, finding a spot where the views are good and the neighbors are friendly can turn a trip around. To help them find the best spots, Ari and Jessi use The Dyrt app. “We’re always looking at reviews for campgrounds,” Ari says. That helps them sort the beautiful, well-maintained sites from the overpriced or poorly managed ones. “The Dyrt is also great for planning ahead and route finding,” Ari says. “You can say ‘I’m going to drive this many hours or miles a day,’ and it will plan your route for you. That’s super helpful.
7. Life can pass you by when you’re not watching. Big life transitions can be intimidating, and therefore easy to push off. But the Adlers caution against too much hesitation: after all, the years can sneak by while you wring your hands. “When we were first thinking about doing this full-time, we had lost some friends and family to illness and age,” Ari says. “We decided we didn’t want to wait. We wanted to do it while we were both young and healthy enough to enjoy it.
8. Sometimes the biggest obstacle is you. Selling a home is hard. Getting rid of all your belongings is even harder. It can be a big commitment to move into an RV full-time, especially if you’re retiring or are new to the scene. But all those problems are surmountable. “If you think about what’s in your way, there’s probably some way around it,” Ari says. “Sometimes the biggest obstacle is you, and if you can get past that, it might be a big opportunity.”
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