Stories From The Road

Since hitting the road in July 2018, Summer Slevin has made her way from Illinois to Alaska, Texas, Florida, Maine, and Wyoming, making her way to America’s Best Idea. Summer’s superpowers are connecting with others and telling stories of the people she meets around the world. She spends her time on the road making a podcast about the strangers she meets in the Parks, creating a YouTube Channel about her Real Life Van Life, and teaching entrepreneurs how to find, hire, and onboard the perfect virtual assistant. When Summer isn’t talking to strangers, you can probably find her eating delicious food, taking a nap, or playing in the grass with her puppy. You can follow Summer’s adventures behind the scenes on Instagram @SumSlev. In this episode, Sam talks to Summer about van life, mental health on the road, and how her passion for National Parks helped her fall back in love with America. Some highlights from this episode: 1:50 - Current travels and National Park stories 12:00 - Upcoming travels and hard to reac

Marshall Wendler has been full-time RVing since April of 2014 in his Lance travel trailer. Having felt the nomadic pull for most of his adult life, he decided to act on it after finding himself widowed in his early 40's. Marshall shares his love of the RVing lifestyle through Camp Addict, an RV product education website. He enjoys boondocking and traveling at a leisurely pace. Marshall describes himself as "a working man with a changing backyard". He doesn't feel the need to be in tourist mode all the time because RVing is his lifestyle, one which he plans to continue for a very long time. In this episode, Sam chats with Marshall about moochdocking, caravanning as a solo traveler, and running a business on the road. Some highlights from this episode: 1:30 - Moochdocking and boondocking 4:00 - Journey to full-time RVing and RV community 9:30 - Co-founding Camp Addict 17:00 - Memorable moments from the road 22:00 - Surprisingly awesome places to visit Connect with Marshall and learn more about this episode

In this episode, Sam and Kelsey talk about recent travels, upcoming summer travel plans, Sam's love of RVing and tent camping, and Kelsey's upcoming book about growing up roadschooled.  Some highlights from this episode: 1:00 - Sam's summer camping plans 3:30 - Why Sam loves tent camping 5:30 - Kelsey's camping set up and recent travels 10:00 - Kelsey's new book 15:00 - The Fulltime Families community and why it's so awesome 17:00 - Sam brainstorms title ideas for Kelsey's book Read the shownotes for this episode and learn more about this episode here!

Josh and Brittain are the husband+wife duo behind OutofNorm.al - where their mantra is life, unwasted. The two of them have been galavanting all over the country in an '88 Airstream for the past 2.5 years...and counting. They seek out small towns, BLM lands and the next vintage camper they can renovate for their AirBNB glamping business.     They were inspired to live life on the road after a date to an RV show in their hometown of Kansas City. Their jobs at the time required 100% travel, making life on the road only a choice away. After a wedding and the purchase of their Airstream, they gave themselves a kick out the door to life on the road.   They're currently posted up in Nashville where they've found a 1987 Airstream 345 motorcoach to add to their BnB fleet. This classy coach - affectionately named "Maxwell" - will soon be available for glamping in the Nashville area.   Some highlights from this episode: 1:00 - Finding the 345 motorcoach 4:30 - Getting into RVing 7:00 - Life before RVing 11:00 - Advic

Jorn and Hannah Vangoidtsenhoven from Vango Photos work as a freelance duo on the road, sharing their stories and wildlife photographs in books and magazines as they travel through the US, Mexico, and Central America. They've traveled by Airstream, truck camper, and now a Casita trailer. In this episode, Sam interviews Jorn and Hannah about camping and RVing in Mexico, their favorite international camping destinations, and capturing incredible wildlife photography. Some highlights from this episode: 1:00 - Intro to traveling North America 5:00 - From Airstream to truck camper to Casita 7:30 - Travels in Mexico 13:00 - Campgrounds in Mexico 16:00 - Favorite experiences in Mexico and Central America 19:30 - Best travel destinations 24:00 - What’s next? 27:00 - Wildlife photography Connect with Vango Photos and learn more about this episode here!

In this episode, Sam interviews Wade Barrett, a sailor and van lifer from Alabama. They recorded this interview in the parking lot of the RV Entrepreneur Summit, while hanging out inside of Wade's amazing renovated van! Tune in for stories of living on a sailboat and what it's like to renovate a van. Some highlights from this episode: 0:45 - Live from Wade’s van + renovation talk 5:00 - Full-time van life 7:40 - Stories from sailing and boat life 14:15 - Handling storms in a boat 19:00 - Buying a different boat and future travel plans 21:00 - Costs of renovating Wade’s van 25:00 - Advice for aspiring van lifers and sailors Connect with Wade and learn more about this episode here!

In this episode, Sam catches up with Dan and Lindsay from Follow Your Detour, who have been up to A LOT! Between launching the Happy Camper Bucket List show with Camping World, Lindsay’s new book “Follow Your Detour”, and co-founding a new project called Nomad Collab, Dan and Lindsay have much to share with us. Tune in to hear about their favorite bucket list experiences and the inspiration behind Lindsay’s new book.   Some highlights from this episode: 2:00 - Caravanning with friends on the road 3:30 - Happy Camper Bucket List 7:30 - Visiting historic sites 11:00 - Lindsay’s new book! 18:30 - What’s next for Follow Your Detour 23:00 - Transitioning to part-time travel 27:00 - Looking back over 2 years of RVing Connect with Dan and Lindsay and learn more about this episode here!

Ari and Jessi from Trekers.org are on a mission to hike, camp, and boldly go on adventures in their Class B Roadtrek RV. In this interview, Sam chats with Ari and Jessi at The RV Entrepreneur Summit. You’ll hear about their learnings from the event, Jessi’s epic Simon Says win during the conference, and their current plans to visit all of the state parks in Michigan.   Some highlights from this episode: 1:00 - Leaning into RV life and community 6:00 - Buying the Roadtrek 11:00 - Travel plans for Michigan state parks 16:30 - Bucket list travel destinations 19:00 - Opportunities for working on the road 21:00 - Jessi’s Simon Says talents 24:00 - Learnings from The RV Entrepreneur Summit Connect with the Trekers and learn more about this episode here!

Ken and April Pishna run the website Living a Stout Life and have a YouTube show called Stout Conversations. Their mission is to travel the country full-time in their RV, searching for interesting stories to share about the craft beer community and the very interesting individuals who make craft beer. In this episode, Sam had the opportunity to interview Ken and April on location in their RV named Raif at the RV Entrepreneur Summit. Tune in for some stout conversations and stories from the road! What we talk about in this episode: 2:00 - What does it mean to live a stout life? 6:00 - Stout Conversations 10:00 - Best beer cities in the US 14:30 - Making the most of life and moving into an RV 19:00 - Stories from the RV Entrepreneur Summit 26:00 - Plans for RVing and Living a Stout Life 30:00 - Advice for others Connect with Ken and April and learn more about this episode here.

Today on the podcast, Sam interviews Rachel and Nick from The Gray Adventure. After 13 months on the road, the Gray's have built up quite the YouTube following, sharing their adventures and tips on everything from downsizing to RV travel budgets! Tune in to hear about their favorite travel experiences and stories from the road. What we talk about in this episode: 1:00 - Current travels and Full-time Families Rally 4:00 - Hitting the road 7:00 - RV Renovation and travel preparation 13:30 - Downsizing tips 16:00 - Starting a YouTube channel and sharing RV budgeting tips 23:00 - Favorite travel destinations and experiences   Connect with Rachel and Nick and learn more about this episode here!

In honor of Sam’s first trip to The RV Entrepreneur Summit, check out these clips of how this event has impacted guests on the Stories from the Road podcast! Plus, hear Heath Padgett, from HeathandAlyssa.com and The RV Entrepreneur Podcast, tell the story behind the event and how it got started.

Today on the podcast, Sam interviews Mark and Shanae from Trail Mix & Chocolate. Mark is an agriculturalist and Shanae is a teacher and artist. They are currently in their third year of traveling full-time in an RV and enjoy getting out in nature whenever possible, especially at National Parks! What we talk about in this episode: 1:00 - Heading to RV Entrepreneur Summit 3:00 - Meeting their “RV parents” and intro to RV community 9:30 - Thoughts on tiny living 12:30 - Becoming Trail Mix & Chocolate 18:00 - Favorite experiences 25:30 - Travel and Life Goals 30:00 - Combining travel and art 34:00 - Turning the interview around on Sam! 37:00 - National Parks Connect with Mark and Shanae and learn more about this episode here!

Spring is just around the corner and if you haven't started planning your Spring Break vacation yet, you better get to it! Whether you have some ideas in mind or you're stumped on where to go, we've got you covered in this Camping Conversations episode. Sam and Kelsey talk all about Spring Break RV vacations (local, far away, simple, and grand!), how to find the best things to do on your RV vacation, and also share a fun travel game to take on your road trip. What we talk about in this episode: 0:30 - Different types of Spring Break RV vacations 3:00 - Dream Spring Break vacations 7:45 - Types of RVs to take on vacation 10:00 - Local getaways and epic ideas for your Spring Break vacation 14:45 - How to find the best things to do on your RV vacation 25:00 - 501 Questions: A Travel Game Check out the show notes for this episode here.

In this episode, Sam interviews Sami Womack, the budgeting coach, motivational speaker, + podcaster behind A Sunny Side Up Life. Sami is the wife of her high school sweetheart, Daniel, and a homeschooling momma to their three daughters. This family used to be living paycheck-to-paycheck + drowning in $490,000 worth of debt, but after they hit rock bottom everything changed!   Sami shares her family’s story of becoming debt-free, downsizing their lifestyle, and buying a boat, truck, and camper all in cash by living on a budget. What we talk about in this episode: 1:20 - Sami’s debt free journey  6:40 - Rock bottom moments and obstacles to becoming debt-free 10:00 - Homeschooling benefits and family time 14:30 - Buying a truck/trailer and future camping plans 18:50 - Mishaps and first trip in the camper 21:50 - A Sunny Side Up Life origin 24:15 - Budgeting and debt free tips 27:30 - Sunny Money Method Budgeting Course 30:00 - A Sunny Side Up Life Podcast Learn more about Sami and this episode here.

In this episode, Sam interviews Tom and Tammy Fromm, who have been traveling around the country in an RV for the past three years and roadschooling their two daughters, Savannah and Vanessa. When the Fromm family started traveling more than they were home (and the public school system started complaining about their travel schedule and Savannah's studies), they decided to make the shift to homeschooling and look into RV life. When their house didn't sell as quickly as they hoped, they decided to buy an RV and jump in anyways. After RVing for a few months, they discovered an RV community, sold their house, and didn't look back! Along the way, they transitioned their lives and careers to RV life, even co-founding the new outdoor/RV product Venture Wipes. What we talk about in this episode: 00:30 - Transition to RV life and roadschooling 06:25 - Downsizing from a 7,000 sq ft. house to an RV 09:25 - Adapting professional lives and creating Venture Wipes 14:00 - Favorite travel destinations and stories from the r

In this episode of Stories from the Road, Sam interviews Marc and Julie Bennett of RV Love. Marc and Julie are full-time RVers and co-authors of the bestselling book “Living the RV Life – Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road”.   They share their adventures as “RVLove” at their blog, YouTube Channel and on social media, and recently appeared in the RV Nomads movie. They also run run online courses to help you hit the road as an RVer at RV Success School. What we talk about in this episode: 2:50 – Tampa RV super show 7:40 – Camping at the Tampa Show 12:43 – The Bennet’s Rig and the “Ultimate RV Makeover” 18:20 – Living the RV Life 24:40 – Most memorable trips 33:47 – RV Love’s origin 39:05 – Stories from the Road Connect with Marc and Julie and learn more about this episode here.

In this episode, Sam Nuerminger has an informal conversation with Kelsey Henry of the Positively Delighted podcast. We'll be publishing episodes in this from time to time—let us know what you think! Some topics we covered this week: 1:40 - Favorite experiences in 2018   7:20 - Staying organized on the road   10:30 - Travel snacks   14:50 - Next big adventures   17:08 - RV talk   19:45 - RV shows

Having started her first business at 15, Kathryn Cockrell has always been up for anything. After meeting a traveling couple at her local coffee shop, she decided to buy and renovate an Airstream Trailer, lived out of a van for several months, and currently lives on a 1985 yacht, becoming part of a small but awesome group of individuals who ditched the 9-5 grind to start their own business adventures. Some things we covered: 3:24 - Going nomad   7:32 - The adventure begins   11:30 - Becoming a boondocker   16:00 - Death Valley   18:27 - Ending the RV trip   25:00 - Getting through adversity   30:55 - Safety on the road

Thanks for a great first year of Stories from the Road! In this episode, we're looking back at some of the best stories that have shared so far: from acts of heroism to hilarious breakdowns. Enjoy!

In a change of pace, today we're talking to Camping World's product specialist, Ian Baker. In this podcast, we talk about the future of RVs, Ian's life-long love of camping, and answer some common questions from his series of RV Reviews on YouTube. We'll also learn his personal must-have RV features after doing in-depth reviews of thousands of RVs over the years. Be sure to catch all of his RV Reviews on the Camping World YouTube Channel!