Category: Camping Trip Reports

Mario Marez Growing up in the 70s and 80s my fondest memories were taking family camping trips in my father’s 3/4 ton truck and a medium size camper. Fast forward decades, my parents and I were each temporarily displaced from our homes during the 2021 Caldera fire in Pollock Pines and South Lake Tahoe. We both knew what it was like to be temporarily homeless and knew the fear of possibly never coming back to our homes. That experience led both of us to have discussions about purchasing a trailer or camper together for fun and as an emergency use if evacuating would ever be necessary again in the future, or worse.  In 2022 I purchased an F-150 Lightning extended-range battery Read More…

By Gary Matos My wife once told me that there is nothing wrong with owning two motorcycles—as long as they serve different functions. That led to the purchase of a KLR650 in addition to my dirt bike. I promptly pocketed this axiom of wisdom for the future. Eventually, I decided to see if would apply to trailers. Background Most of our travel is done in our truck camper—a RAM 3500 6.7L Cummins diesel equipped with a Norweld Aluminum Tray and a Four Wheel Camper (FWC) Hawk Flatbed. It is our custom home-on-wheels and is equipped to take use of just about anywhere we want to go. The under bed and dinette seat storage in the flatbed camper are game changers. Even Read More…

By Kristin Hanes If you watch Scott Tatum on Instagram and TikTok, you’ll be struck by his message. He’s open, honest and REAL: staring right into your eyes as he gives you his daily “friendly reminder,” which encourages you to know your worth, live your best life, and take care of yourself. They sound a little like this: • “You are the CEO of your own life and accountable for everything that goes with that. So hire, fire and promote accordingly.” • “Great things take time. I’m talking about you, you’re the great thing. Know your worth.” Visit Scott’s Instagram @ucanoutdoors to see videos. Scott didn’t plan or expect to be a social media celebrity when he started out as Read More…

“Shipping?” was the comment of my wife Ute when I told her to ship our camper to Australia. “We gonna drive there!” The project was born. After some deep analysis of the possible routing, whether via China or via India, we found out that some South-EastAsian countries do not allow to enter with your own vehicle. So, we decided to book an organized group tour with the agency “Abenteuer Touren”. The advantage of using this agency is that they organize all the visa, road permits, camp sites etc. Also, they provide a vast sightseeing program. However, you can drive freely and not in a convoy. It took us about six months to prepare our Toyota Hilux and our Four Wheel Read More…

The first time I visited Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, I felt like I had traveled back in time to the Wild West. I was blown away by the vastness of the Sonoran desert grassland, and the next morning I was treated to some of the most incredible alpenglow I’ve ever seen on the Baboquivari Mountains. It was at that exact moment that I fell madly in love with the place. On my final day, I bumped into two seasonal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteers, and I left feeling inspired. I returned a few months later to document their work for Arizona Highways — and to spend several days volunteering with Friends of Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge (Friends of Read More…

“What is this?” “Wow!” “Are you serious?” “This is unbelievable!” Those were just a few of the questions and comments I received when I test drove Four Wheel Campers (FWC) new vehicle/camper build. Over a four-week period, I tested the vehicle/camper in the wilds of Montana and Wyoming (view recent web article: Western Ramble on the OutdoorX4 website HERE). Simply put, it performed exceptionally. As I conversed on the phone with Dan Welty, FWC’s Vice President, he informed me that FWC intentionally built this vehicle/camper combination to accommodate and highlight long term travel and adventure. Sounds like a recipe for van life, right? Well, the combination of a diesel-powered truck, a flatbed, and pop-top camper created much more than a Read More…

The nation’s first national park, Yellowstone, remains an awe-inspiring place with geysers, mud pots, and wildlife. However, a unique attraction presented itself in the parking lot outside Mammoth, Wyoming: the Four Wheel Campers (FWC) Hawk Flatbed Camper. Tourists gawked and took pictures of our adventure vehicle/camper. The Hawk Flatbed Camper, mounted to a Norweld aluminum tray, and sitting on a 2021 Ram 3500 made this the ultimate Yellowstone attraction. Ha! It creates the ultimate adventure vehicle. “Hello.” “What’s this?” A tourist asked. “It’s a Four Wheel Camper.” I replied. “A what?” Another tourist remarked. Much of the exchanges followed that pattern as my family and I adventured for a few weeks in the states of Wyoming and Montana. And lucky Read More…

Six weeks of dirt, dust and dog food has been cleaned from our camper. We brought home enough of the Southwest, Midwest and Utah to amend a garden. It was a very successful and memorable trip. We saw some incredible sights and were able to connect with family and friends, while comfortably traveling in our new Four Wheel Camper Hawk Flatbed. We even learned a few things about our camper that made us very pleased with our decision to build out a flatbed. But first, let’s wind the clock back. For six years, my wife Gretchen and I enjoyed our beloved Toyota Tacoma equipped with a Four Wheel Camper Fleet. It was nimble and reliable and provided cooking and sleeping comfort Read More…

In the deep cold of Minnesota winter, Ken Barry takes his Four Wheel Camper to frozen lakes and goes ice fishing.  How he stays warm and comfortable is an important lesson for anyone interested in extreme winter camping. As snowbirds who drive south the moment we smell cold, the mere idea of driving onto a frozen lake to ice fish sends chills through us big enough to set off distant seismographs. Of course, we weren’t always so thin-skinned.  Just a few years ago we lived in Pennsylvania, and we were quite accustomed to the annual wintery onslaught.  What’s that weatherman?  Snowmageddon?  Snowpocalypse?  Snow-my-goodness?  Snow-what!  Bring it. The lesson here is simple.  Be very careful with snowbirding.  Once you fly south Read More…

When Justin Chatwin isn’t on set, you may find him on a remote Baja beach, or in a small village in South America.  On camera or in his Four Wheel Camper, he finds purpose, play, and peace between his two extraordinary worlds. The proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” dates back to 1659 and still resonates, but the next line is equally important; “All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.” No matter our station in life, we need a healthy balance between work and play to remain centered and happy.  Without this equilibrium, we are often anxious and unsettled.  The proverb remains true, 362 years later. Reading 38-year old Justin Chatwin’s extensive resume, it would Read More…

The  open road. Nothing compares to that feeling of freedom when the windows are down and there is only open road in front of you. I love plotting out my route: finding the best parks to hit up, places to camp, obscure historical spots to visit, and a few hot springs to soak in. Usually, a road trip with me requires packing the car with all of the camping gear: tent, sleeping bags, cooking gear, sleeping pad, cooler, etc.—the whole shebang. So if  I’ve left enough room for the passengers I’ve done a good job. Even with all of the work that goes into a camping road trip, I’d never considered RV camping. I really enjoy pitching my tent, and the Read More…