Our Rigs

Modifying Vehicles for a Shifting Landscape

From #Vanlife To Vintage Truck Camper

While our interest in nomadic living has been a common thread since we left our San Francisco home base in 2015, how we did it has undergone constant change. We started traveling with a 1986 Ram 3500 van but we soon discovered that what we wanted was a 4-wheel truck and truck camper. In the following years, we have worked towards our dream home with a 1970 Avion C11 truck camper.

OUR VEHICLES

It’s been a long road to the right rig.

Our beloved vehicles have taken us across the country and back again. They are part of our story, shaping our route and trajectory. Our 1986 Dodge Ram van, Dodgy, and its successor Dodgy II—a 2015 3500 Dodge Ram truck—have each brought specific capabilities and limitations to the table. We’ve dirtied our hands with renovations and augmentations. Other times, we’ve had magnificent plans that have just fallen through. Either way, it all contributes to our story on Roam Lab.

Dodgy I
1986 Dodge 3500 Commuter Van
2015 Ram 3500 4x4 Truck in the Eastern Sierras
Dodgy II
2015 Ram 3500 4×4 Truck
1970 Avion C11
Truck Camper
1970 Avion C11 truck camper overlanding in the Alabama Hills of California's Eastern Sierras.
Camper Conversion
Our Gut & Restoration

Other Rigs

While we have found our ideal adventuremobile in a 1970 Avion C11 truck camper, there are so many different solutions to nomadic living. We still love to meet other nomads, and see other rigs that have traveled the country. Whether it’s RV museums, factory tours, or an overland event, we’ve encountered many an exciting home on wheels.

Visiting the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum in Amarillo, Texas
Jack Sisemore Traveland
RV Museum
This is a fully expanded XP Camper. The section above the truck cab is fabric but everything else has hard siding. You can see a line along the center of the body where the top section slides over the bottom section when the camper is compressed. The side entrance allows a full width table with picture window at the back but means that this camper is not a slide in. The truck bed is converted to allow a full width camper. See the industrial metal base that is substituted for a truck bed.
XP Camper
Factory Tour
Global Expedition Vehicles rig at the Overland Expo East 2018
Overland Expo East
2018 Event
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Custom Renovation Work

We love having a project. So, whether it is our 1986 van or a 1970 truck camper, we always bring out our own flair to the rig with our own renovation work. We learned a lot from our van gut on the importance of having a solid base to work with. Recently, we have done a complete gut on our vintage truck camper. The results, thus far, have been fantastic!

Replacing Wings
Fresh support for jack points and tie-downs
Rotten Floor Boards
Taking the floor out from under us
Extending The Cabover
Venturing into uncharted territory
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Visiting the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum in Amarillo, Texas

Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum

May 5, 2018
A lot of our route is flexible, given the winter weather. But the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum has been on our list of stops ever since we discovered that they also have an 1970 Avion truck camper on display—the same year as ours! Unlike ours, it has been maintained in its original condition. This includes the original and rather strange three jack point formation and period interior.
Read more: Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum