Whether you travel in a compact campervan or chic trailer, life on the open road can be fun. It may not suit everyone but recently the nomad way of life has surged in popularity for those seeking adventure and a simpler way of life. Search the term #vanlife on social media and you'll meet a huge and growing community sharing motorhome makeovers and RV life in support and solidarity of the alternative way of life they have embraced.
We caught up with modern nomad couple Janae and Tucker McCormick, who have turned their lives on the road into a lifestyle brand named Adventures With TuckNae by documenting their alternative life. We've pit-stopped them to learn how their journey started and to find out what motivates them to keep on moving. Click or scroll on and prepare to be inspired...
Janae and Tucker McCormick are an adventure-loving couple who travel the US in their Keystone Montana Fifth Wheel. The young team are slowly renovating their beloved tiny home and racking up a huge RV-inspired following, all while travelling the States (and beyond) with their two dogs: Captain America (Cap for short) and Captain Marvel (also Marvel).
Before meeting through the church and beginning their RV life, this enterprising couple were based in Illinois and Texas, and their adventure actually started as a year-long exploration of the US to get a feel of where to put down roots permanently. But Janae and Tucker soon fell in love with nomadic life and haven't looked back.
Janae explains: "When we got married neither one of us wanted to live in the states where we were from, but didn't know where we wanted to live. So, we decided to live in an RV for a year or so and see what states we liked and would consider moving to. We ended up falling in love with RV life and have spent more than four years living the van life."
After getting married in 2019, the couple purchased a Montana High Country Fifth Wheel RV and named her Evalynn. The 385BR model was their home through 13 states, plenty of boondock sites (more on that later) and the base for countless incredible memories as they learned the RV-living lifestyle.
In 2020, after researching what motorhome layouts would suit them best, the couple decided to start a new chapter in their lives by upgrading to a larger Keystone Montana High Country 335BH that they purchased in Texas.
Living previously in a smaller yet similar RV gave Janae and Tucker a sense of what layout they needed going forward.
The bigger rig has a generous kitchen with a practical island, a double refrigerator and plenty of storage space. The couple lived in their new RV for six months before they started to put their stamp on the vehicle. In that time they learned what styles they liked using Pinterest boards and ideas from other motorhome owners.
Like her predecessor, the new vehicle was also given a name. Ellie the RV has a standard layout with decor in the usual motorhome neutral tones. Janae couldn't wait to give Ellie her favoured homely farmhouse decorating look but didn't rush in.
Although they didn't renovate for some time the couple had fun injecting touches of character by adding cosy and welcoming accessories to walls and layering the space with seasonal soft furnishings and embellishments.
The thrifty couple spread the renovations over a few years instead of a massive undertaking of doing everything at once. That way they could also travel, work and enjoy life at a stress-free pace.
The living room, dining area, kitchen, bedroom and bathrooms were all part of a budget-friendly DIY plan of rooms to refresh. Janae tells us: "We didn't have a set budget, but we did everything ourselves and tried to save as much as possible. Renovations like this almost always cost more than you're are expecting. We did everything 100% ourselves."
Janae and Tucker started their renovations while travelling in Montana, sharing updates on their Instagram as they went along. "We did our bedroom and bathroom to begin with. In the bedroom, we went with bold colors and patterns. We chose a black and white patterned (peel and stick) wallpaper for the walls. Most of the cabinets are painted gray and the closet doors are bright red."
Since the pair completed their renovations on the road they sourced materials while in situ from various places all over the US. Janae clarifies: "Sometimes it was a tiny hardware store in a small town, and other times it was a major DIY chain store like Lowe's or Menards."
The main bathroom has been painted a soothing and neutral grey. A tile effect peel-and-stick wallpaper makes a more practical lighter splashback alternative to heavy tiles.
Red container storage echoes the master bedroom colour scheme and keeps toiletries well-hidden and secure when the van is on the move.
Living on the road comes with its share of challenges and the couple has learned a few van life hacks and necessary tools along the way.
One of the couple's easiest and simply brilliant ways to update their motorhome was replacing the original showerhead with an Oxygenics version. Why? It has more settings, increases water pressure and yet preserves precious water tank reserves.
The RV kitchen remodel was the couple's most challenging but rewarding project, so far. Janae first got to work on the kitchen island by painting it a teal blue colour.
However, the full renovation wasn't completed for another 20 months. After living with blue for almost two years, Janae decided on a different colour scheme for their RV kitchen.
They removed all the cabinets, being super organised with sticky notes to make sure everything went back where it should. Next came cleaning, prepping, taping and, priming. This was a long and tedious process but vital for a long-lasting and professional finish.
Taking inspiration from a rain jacket purchased for a trip to Iceland, Janae and Tucker decided on a softer light green paint shade for the kitchen island and lower cabinets. While soft grey upper cabinets created a two-toned effect that maximised the sense of space.
Finishing touches included hardware sprayed black and new worktops. "We also painted the entire wall below our attic space green, and I love that we did so! The extra pop of color from the accent wall ties everything together perfectly." Janae says on her online RV kitchen remodel reveal.
Describing the stunning motorhome makeover, Janae reveals: "We both love how the kitchen (and the bedroom) turned out. They feel so homey and perfectly reflect our style. We've added extra storage by adding more shelves to the pantry and in the kitchen cupboards."
Very few regular residential kitchens have a dedicated pantry to store food, but Ellie the RV does! As a full-time 'van lifer' Janae has learned a lot about maximising storage spaces and RV pantry organisation is top of the list.
Janae uses fabric storage bins to organise similar items together. Stock-piling certain groceries is wise as you don't know where you might pick up that item again, so to save space repackage bulk buys into one large air-tight labelled container and discard the other boxes. Stick Command hooks to cupboard doors to hang items. Janae also keeps tableware and glassware safe and secure by wrapping them and stacking them in non-slip liners on travel days.
The living space now has fresh white walls and the carpet was replaced with more practical vinyl to create a modern open-plan flow. Janae adds: "We pulled the RV carpet out of the slide and replaced it with vinyl to match the rest of the RV."
The standard yet dated fitted furniture was replaced with large comfortable seating and monochrome dining chairs. The dining table was re-stained to pick out the couple's rustic slide trims.
RV slides are rooms on a vehicle that expand the living space when parked by extending outwards, usually with a flick of a switch.
To create rustic and coordinated focal points the couple replaced the RV slide trims with natural wood frames stained a golden oak tone to suit the couple's shared love of American farmhouse style. Janae says: "We almost always agree which is great! We both have ideas, talk through them and come up with the final results together."
Ellie the RV is 42 feet long when stationary and can sleep up to eight guests. Seeing as it's usually just Janae, Tucker and their dogs on board the couple have wisely converted sleeping quarters into practical storage space.
Living full-time in an RV usually means keeping everything on board, so having a loft space for boxed items such as Christmas decorations, seasonal clothes and shoes is a game changer.
As Janae and Tucker spent more time on the road they soon realised boondocking was their preference over RV park camping. Not only does this give the couple freedom to explore the US to the max, but it saves money compared to expensive trailer parks.
But, what is boondocking? "RV boondocking is basically camping (usually) on free public land without any hookups (access to water, electricity, sewer) which is very freeing. We can get water using our portable bladder. Our holding tanks can usually last up to two weeks without needing to be dumped," says Janae.
To set themselves up for easy off-grid living for as long as possible, Janae and Tucker ensured their new RV was installed with solar panels on the roof as well as a backup generator. A little trial and error led to a few panel and battery additions. Now the couple have enough solar panels to charge three monster batteries that power kitchen appliances, air-con or heating plus home technology – as long as it's sunny!
To extend water during boondocking Tucker uses a water pump and RV hose to transfer the water flow through a water filter. And what exactly is a water bladder? It's a collapsible water storage container with a durable outer shell that can be expanded to hold a large amount of water.
Technical upgrades on Ellie include more storage and an outlet in the under-belly, a 'beefed up" inverter for electrics, a gas supply and a generator. Upgraded wheels and jacks started them off on the road brand-new. The larger rig is towed by their Chevy Silverado 3500HD diesel truck.
Janae explains why it's vital to keep technical elements in top shape: "An RV requires regular maintenance just like any house would. In fact, it's probably even more. We maintain the tyres, the tanks, the slides, the roof, the water heater, etc. regularly."
As the couple primarily like to boondock, you can usually find them in national forests, BLM land and even the odd parking lot. Although they do use the occasional RV park to take advantage of electrical hookups, especially on laundry day as they have a washer-dryer combo unit onboard hidden neatly behind a kitchen cupboard door.
When it comes to grocery shopping, this depends entirely on where on the map they are for what's available. Sometimes it's a tiny gas station in the middle of nowhere and other times they unload a full grocery store trolley straight into their pantry.
Janae is a writer, blogger, Pinterest manager and YouTuber which allows her freedom to work remotely from anywhere. Janae points out: "Sometimes I work upstairs in our bedroom, sometimes in the living room. If it's a nice day I'll work outside in our campsite!"
Their daily life is just like any other. After both working on the road, they will spend the evening together hiking, playing games, watching TV or exploring the area they are parked in.
While the couple weren't specifically inspired by any particular influencers before they hit the road they have since discovered a huge van life online community which is super supportive, inspirational and helpful to be connected with when travelling independently.
Janae and Tucker take huge pride in being part of the RV network and enjoy teaching others what they have learned and experienced while collaborating with other RV owners and brands to reach the nomadic audience that can sometimes feel isolated.
When asked what they love most about RV life Janae's answer, understandably, is: "The freedom that it gives us to explore the world while having our home with us!"
"Sometimes it can be difficult to be away from family and miss out on things 'back home' but my advice for anyone wishing to live the van life is: go for it! Don't overthink it, everything will work out. Ask for advice from those living the lifestyle already and expect the unexpected," continues Janae.
Not wanting to plan too far ahead the couple just go where they feel like going. "We would love to explore more of the West Coast in California, Washington and Idaho too," says Janae.
As well as 28 US states, Janae and Tucker's adventures have taken them overseas to Iceland and Ireland and warmer climates closer to home. When abroad the pair stick to Airbnbs and hotels but would like to experience foreign van life soon. Janae concludes: "We will always travel, whether that is in an RV in the US, or flying overseas. We love travelling and will never stop!"
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