Roaming About

A Life Less Ordinary

Tag: F350 pickup

Welcome Aboard Our Home on Wheels, “Thirsty Bella” – Video Tour & Introduction of Our Lance 830/Ford F-350 4X4 Truck Camper

October 1, 2022 / / 59 Comments

Even though Mark and I have been nomads for almost twenty years and traveled in a handful of mobile tiny homes, I have never shown anyone around virtually (except when trying to sell our campers or when Skyping with my family). Yet, witnessing where and how we live provides a better understanding of our lifestyle, our passion, and our challenges.

I planned to post a video of Zesty, our amazing 19ft Sprinter Westfalia campervan, once Bob Wells (yes, of the movie Nomadland fame) – who spent two days filming us, our special van, and our lifestyle in Quartzsite, Arizona, one winter- published his features about us, but he “lost” the footage and none of this exposure (or a movie) happened. We didn’t own our previous truck camper, Temp, a Cirrus 820, long enough to focus on a tour or video.

So here it is, my first tour and full-length, non-edited video, of our current home on wheels. Bear with me these 17 minutes as I don’t find some of my words and forget to mention a bunch of features. 🙂

To that extent, I’d like to point out that our vehicle is a 2016 Ford F-350 pickup truck that is 4WD (4X4), SRW (single rear wheel, not a dually), and has a short bed and gasoline engine. Our truck camper is a Lance 830 model from 2008, which was the first year these were built.

Us and Bella in Austin, Texas

The main reasons we opted for this kind of rig are its affordability, durability, unique and roomier floorplan, and small footprint (compared to most RVs) – because of our shorter wheelbase, making U-turns and parking are easier and we tried to keep an as low as possible profile by not having an air conditioner or rack on the roof (we even cut off the top part of the ladder) and adding thin, flexible solar panels. We don’t own a generator either. Not possessing an AC unit also provides tall Mark with enough headspace inside.

As always, I happily address – and appreciate and encourage – any questions you might have in the comment section. Welcome aboard Thirsty Bella!

Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:

Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

Available on Amazon and elsewhere

eBook: US$ 5.99

Paperback: US$ 13.99

Introducing Our New Home on Wheels & How Does a Truck Camper Compare to a Campervan?

November 18, 2021 / / 64 Comments

Mark, Maya, and I have been back on the road in this new-to-us camper for two months now. It’s time to properly introduce our new set-up. I haven’t done this earlier, because the post would be on the longer side (and require a lot of time to create), we have been contemplating a name for the two components, and I wanted to get a feel for our home on wheels first. Some of you might have been wondering how our changed living quarters are working out, why we swapped modes of transportation/accommodation, or how a truck camper compares to a campervan.

Meet T&T

Picking names is difficult for me – my book title, our dog, our previous sailboats, the marine product we invented and developed. The decision process takes ages and the label has to be fitting. Mark and I really liked the name of our campervan, Zesty, which we sold in April of this year. Once we finally found the right truck (which we bought after the slide-in camper), more naming was in order.

(Hover over or click on photos to read their captions in galleries.)

Thirsty without cargo
The tailgate had to be removed (and stored) to fit the camper in the truck bed.

For reasons you might guess, we have decided to call our black Ford F350 short-bed, extended cab, 4X4 gasoline pickup truck Thirsty. If you’ve followed our current expense reports, you would agree this is a suitable name for a vehicle of this caliber. Of course, our truck – like us – is thirsty for adventure and freedom as well.

Temp disconnected & rebuilding the truck camper frame in Newburyport, MA – take 1

It might come as a surprise that our nuCamp Cirrus 820 is not our ideal camper to take to South America. I’ll elaborate on why later, but we have been on the look-out for another truck camper (a Northstar Arrow U) for seven months. Because our current camper is supposed to be a temporary solution, the in-between version, we are calling it Temp. This particular brand and model – modern, streamlined, and fancy – was very tempting to buy and our #2 on the list. Add to that, that all campers can be temperamental… Since irony plays a big role in my life, I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually end up keeping Temp, needing to explain its name with sarcasm. There is a lot to love about him.

Rebuilding the truck camper frame at a Home Depot in Albuquerque, NM – take 2

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