7 Tips for Living on The Road Full Time From Industry Experts

Sometimes it’s the little details that get overlooked when prepping to live on the road full-time in your truck camper rig or van. Coming from industry experts who’ve managed this lifestyle for extended periods, we’ve compiled a list of some of our best tips for living on the road full-time. 

We hope this helps, and we hope 2024 brings you thousands of miles of adventure in your Four Wheel Camper! 

1. Flexible Plans Are The Best Plans 

Living life on the road in your truck camper or truck topper is all about letting go, accepting the unknown, and finding beauty in the journey. We’ll be the first ones to tell you that things will go wrong, and schedules will need to be adjusted. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Going into full-time rig life without a set itinerary is one of the best favors you can do for yourself. 

Being flexible also means in day-to-day life. There will be days where the first campsite you choose will not work out, or the second, or even maybe the third. You’ll have a grand plan of sleeping somewhere beautiful, only to end up in a Walmart parking lot. Your heater is probably going to stop working on the day of the first snow and force you back to the coast. Remember, tough moments typically make for funny stories in the future! 

2. Figure Out Mail/Packages

No matter how much you prep and plan before you leave, you will likely still need to order certain products online. Learning the mail system on the road and pre-planning general delivery post offices will come in handy quicker than you think. 

General delivery will be the easiest way to get packages on the road. It is a service offered by post offices for those without permanent addresses, like those traveling full-time, thru-hiking, or even just moving. To address a package as mail delivery, you will need to know the city, zip code, and four-digit add-on code of the post office. It will look something like this:

John Smith 

GENERAL DELIVERY 

Los Angeles, CA 12345-6789

It is also a good idea to call the post office and confirm general delivery details before sending the package, as pickup and addresses can change slightly depending on the location. 

3. Download Offline Maps & Apps 

We’re going to take a guess and say that you’ll want to explore some remote places, away from the beaten path and out in nature. In doing this, we also will guess that you’ll be out of service often, especially out west. It can save a lot of stress & time to download maps and camping apps offline, so you can navigate to your perfect campsite, no matter the cell phone coverage. We have an entire article dedicated to the best apps for finding campsites. 

Google Maps has an easy way to download geographic regions offline, so even navigation is possible without service. To download regions on Google Maps, follow these steps:

• 1. Open Google Maps: Make sure you have the Google Maps app installed on your device. Open the app.
• 2. Sign In (if not already signed in): Sign in to your Google account. This step is necessary to access certain features, including offline map downloads.
• 3. Search for the Area: Use the search bar to find the area or location for which you want to download the map.
• 4. Open the Location Menu: Tap on the location you want to download. This will open a menu at the bottom of the screen with information about that location.
• 5. Download Map: In the location menu, look for the “Download” button (usually represented by a downward arrow icon). Tap on it.
• 6. Select Download Area: You will be prompted to select the specific area you want to download. Adjust the area by zooming in or out and move the map until the desired region is within the highlighted box.
• 7. Download the map: Great! Now you have the offline map saved and can use it in the Google Maps app, even when out of service. 

4. Go to Meetups 

Whether adventuring in your pop-up truck camper alone or with someone, vanlife, and truck camper meetups are the BEST way to connect with other like-minded travelers on the road. Numerous meetups happen year-round across the country. Here at Four Wheel Campers, we host our own annual owner’s rally, which draws many travelers who use their rigs for all sorts of adventures, whether full-time, part-time or as weekend warriors. 

5. Invest in a Refrigerator & Heater 

There is nothing comfortable about living on the road full-time, that’s part of the adventure! But there are a few creature comforts that can truly help make your truck camper feel like a home on wheels, including investing in a refrigerator & heater. If you have a pop-up or flatbed truck camper from Four Wheel Campers, the refrigerator may have come with your custom camper build. If it didn’t, investing in something like a Dometic portable fridge is highly recommended. 

The same goes for a heater. There are many solutions for heating your truck camper, with most full-timers agreeing diesel heat is the best solution. On a cold winter night with the heat blasting and cold beverage from the fridge, you’ll be thanking us! 

6. Carry Recovery Gear 

Expect the unexpected! You’ll save time, money, and stress by having some important recovery gear in your pop-up truck camper. It could also save you a hefty towing bill! Recovery gear can help get you out of some sticky situations on the road, including flat tires, getting stuck in sand or snow, or helping someone else out of the ditch. Basic recovery gear includes a tire kit, traction mats, a tow strap, and a shovel. You can read our complete outline for everything to have in your off-road recovery kit here. 

7. Travel With The Seasons 

This one may seem obvious, but seasons don’t have to just mean weather, it can also mean tourist seasons. For example, winter is not considered the best weather season to visit Zion National Park, but it is the best tourist season to visit without fighting for camping spots or parking spaces. Decide which is more important to you: better weather or fewer people. 

Many full-timers opt to leave the beautiful summer months to explore places a little more off-the-beaten path that are not typically accessible in the colder months.

It’s also important to note that not every National Park is year-round. For example, the Going-the-Sun road in Glacier National Park is typically only open from late June-September. Similarly, Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks are closed altogether from November – April.