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More than anything else, Truck Camper Magazine is about the truck camper community and our passion for the truck camping lifestyle. This is why you'll find more lifestyle stories than any other kind of content in Truck Camper Magazine. We hope that you love reading these stories as much as we love writing them.
TRUCK CAMPER LIFESTYLE STORIES
Greg Vernovage: From Gold to Everest to Truck Camper
After coaching Dain Blanton and Eric Fonoimoana to win gold at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games, there’s no mountain high enough for Greg Vernovage.
Dan Spedding: Fly Fishing Across America
When the final June school bell rings, high school teacher Dan Spedding hits the road in his Lance Camper, fly rods ready to go.
Stephn Lewis: Two People, Two Cats, One Four Wheel Camper
If there’s anything truck campers often like more than their campers, it’s their pets. Stephn Lewis and his wife, Lee, give us their pointers on truck camping with pets.
Rodger and Arlene Brill: A Delicious Truck Camping Recipe for Two
Light the campfire and break out the cast iron Dutch Ovens. It’s time to cook like the cowboys do. Just don’t burn your biscuits!
Bob Volger: Come Experience America’s Wilderness
As a volunteer for Back Country Horsemen of America, Bob Volger explores America’s West and works to bring its rich experiences to the next generation.
Down John’s Road: The Beginning
In his book Down John's Road, journalist John R. Olson recreates John Steinbeck’s iconic 1960 Travels With Charley journey in a GMC pick-up truck and Wolverine camper.
Down John's Road: The Middle
John R. Olson continues in John Steinbeck’s tire tracks through Indiana’s Amish country, Deer Isle, Maine, Groton, Connecticut, Sag Harbor, Long Island, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Down John's Road: The End
Our final excerpts from Down John’s Road finds John R. Olson traveling the South, through New Orleans’ French Quarter, into Winslow, Arizona, winding through Salinas, and up Fremont Peak.
Thumbs Up in Michigan: Our Palomino Maverick Max 2902 Experience
With a 2011 Palomino Maverick Max 2902, we explore Michigan’s thumb and the shores of Lake Huron. We discover piers, lighthouses, and some seriously delicious shakes.
Jack Dykinga: Images Born in Inclement Weather
Pulitzer prize winning landscape photographer Jack Dykinga is back with more stunning photography he took while boondocking in the desert with his Four Wheel Camper.
Hot, Hot, and Away: Our Northstar Escape Pod 750 Experience
It all started when we drove into a field with a Northstar Escape Pod 750 to join the North-East Truck Camping Jamboree. Then things got hot, ballooned, and exploded.
Catherine Porrier and Lori Miller: Just Roll With It
It’s time to make a fun list. First, travel beyond cell range. Second, find the rally party. And third, bring as many boats as possible. Meet Catherine and Lori. Let the fun begin.
Karin LaPointe: Don’t Wait
After surviving cancer, Karin LaPointe discovered truck camping and the open road. Today she’s a new woman, hungry for adventure. Welcome to Ladies' Week 2011.
Rick Johnson: Mods, Boondocking, and Beyond
Rick Johnson boondocks from Alaska to Dinosaur, plans everything ahead, let’s the trip take him, and modifies everything to suit his needs. Even his water is modified.
Laurel DeLong: Eating Up the Road
Laurel’s recipe: [1] Purge everything. [2] Put house up for rent. [3] Buy a truck and camper. [4] Live your truck camping dreams one delicious dish at a time.
Mike Tassinari: The North-East Truck Camping Jamboree
Mike Tassinari takes us behind the scenes of the North-East Truck Camping Jamboree and tells us how to launch our own rallies. Let’s get this rally started!
Warrior Dash: Our 2011 Lance 1050S Experience
For reasons that cannot be explained, Angela White, Editor of Truck Camper Magazine, took on the Warrior Dash. To keep things clean, we borrowed a 2011 Lance 1050S.
Ed Krech: Truck Camper Helps Tornado Victims in Alabama
Ed Krech volunteers in Alabama with his truck camper helping victims of the April 27th tornado outbreak. Here’s his story and some information on how we can all get involved, and help.
Lance McClain: From Georgia to Key West
With a truck camper that bears his name, Lance McClain shares his camping insights from the coast of Georgia to the Florida Keys. And to dog shows. Sit!
Jack Purdy: Thirty-Five Years, One Truck, One Camper
In an age when most of us don’t keep a car more than ten years, Jack Purdy has been using the same truck and camper for over thirty-five.
Matt Rivard: The Redneck Express
Matt Rivard lives full time in his 1973 Kit truck camper. He calls his rig the “Redneck Express” and writes a blog by the same name. This is his story.
MATCR 2011: Food, Friends, and a Flood
Angela, Harley, and I talked, ate, laughed, and just generally had a blast for our four days at the Mid-Atlantic Truck Camper rally. Here’s what was so fun, and funny.
Duffy Hurwin: Equine Truck Camping in California
From Point Reyes National Seashore to Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Duffy Hurwin and her Arabian horses love to ride the trails. Duffy's base camp of choice? A truck camper of course!
Eric Williams: An Alaskan Family Tradition
When Eric was a boy, his parents took him camping in their Alaskan Camper. Thirty years later, Eric takes his own son camping in his Alaskan Camper. From father to son, Alaskan to Alaskan.
Mike Church: Author, Adventurer, and Truck Camper
Mike and Terri Church have published seven RV travel books including Mexico, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, and Europe. Guess what type of RV they have?
Ken Rogman: Top Spots in Colorado
With his custom Phoenix pop-up truck camper, hiking enthusiast Ken Rogman loves camping at his favorite Colorado boondocking sites and hitting the trail. Don't miss Ken's top spots list!
Dave Ruane: The Hunt for Adventure
2011 TCM Calendar Contest winner Dave Ruane ventures out on Friday afternoons and finds a boondocking spot in the dark of night. Where he wakes is the real surprise.
Mark Burgess: Bassmaster Pro
Get ready to start the truck, load the camper, hook-up the boat, and hit the road for professional bass fishing with Mark Burgess. Bassmaster pro, here we go!
Roger and Charlotte Baxter: Pop Up To Alaska
The Baxters ditched their fifth for a Hallmark pop up camper they call “Popeye” and never looked back. Now they enjoy exploring the greatest hits off their backroads album.
Sylvie Mathis: Doing More and Spending Less in a Truck Camper
Inspired by our truck camping experiences, I wrote the following article on how we, “Do More and Spend Less” in our Northern Lite truck camper.
Linda Hylton: Take the Camper. Keep the Fifth.
One truck. One camper. One fifth wheel? In a complete turn around for Truck Camper Magazine, we embrace the fifth wheel as an excellent truck camper accessory.
Rich and Gladys Janssen: Stitching An American Dream
Eight months ago, Rich and Gladys Janssen bought a Lance Camper with a Stable-Lift system. Since then, they’ve traveled over 14,000 miles.
Bonnie Belza: BLM Wisdom As Good As Gold
Bonnie Belza gives us her insights from working at the Arizona Bureau of Land Management Office in Phoenix. Oh, and she and her husband are truck camping gold prospectors!
2010
From eBay to the Autobahn
This is the story of how a badly neglected twenty-eight year old pop-up truck camper on German eBay becomes a fully-restored stainless steel wonder.
Russ and Donna Miller: Take Two Hits the Road
Russ and Donna Miller play sweet music together and chase their dreams one gig at at time. Their tour bus of choice? A truck camper of course!
Mitch Polinsky: Soaring Like a Hawk
Mitch Polinsky loves truck camping, but his head is in the clouds. Is he full of hot air, or has he just gone thermal? We get to the plane truth on this soaring subject.
Jim Davis: Preserving the Desert Light
After decades of rock climbing, Jim Davis set out into the southeastern Oregon desert to capture the light of endangered wilderness.
Sharon Stillwater and Wayne Brock: The Road Work of Art
Sharon illustrates the people, architecture, and landscapes she discovers while exploring the southwestern US and Mexico in a Hallmark K2 / Guanella.
Whazoo’s Funundrum Continuum: An Epic Adventure Of A Lifetime
Dave Rogers turns in a report that takes us up the passes of Colorado, through Wyoming, into Idaho, and back to Arizona by way of Montana
Dave MacQuaid: An Amerigo Camper Restoration
Everyone has a story about finding a diamond in the rough. Maybe it was a car. Maybe it was an antique. Maybe it was your spouse. For Dave, it was his truck camper.
From Hard-Side to Pop-Up: A Four Wheel Camper Experience
For the first time, Gordon and I step out of our hard-side truck camper comfort zone and enter the world of pop-up truck campers.
Mountains or Coast? Whazoo's Funundrum
Dave Rogers, aka Whazoo, tackles a truck camping funundrum to the degree of ten to the hundredth power. Come see where such a funundrum can lead, and remember to bring your oxygen mask.
Tom and Heidi Baldacci: Newbie Adventure in an Adventurer
Tom and Heidi Baldacci had never been RVing, never been to California, never been to a National Park, and had never been truck camping... until now.
Tom Watson: A Picture Perfect Alaskan
After a forty year career as a photographer, Tom Watson is not about to put his camera down. Instead, he picked up an Alaskan Camper and is ready to capture new landscapes.
Duncan Crawford: Off the Ground, Off the Grid, and On the Trail
After a final frigid night of tent camping, Duncan Crawford and his wife had had it. Now the tent is out, the camper is in, and they hike, bike, and canoe across the continent.
Mike Johnson: Honeymoon Suite To Go
Why go to one honeymoon destination for a week when you can go anywhere and camp anywhere for the rest of your life? It’s time to renew our vows.
Curt Preston: Vision Quest By Design
Award winning home designer Curt Preston brings his unique vision to truck campers and takes us deep into the magic and majesty of the Rocky Mountains.
Mia Tucholke: Pop-Up, and Up, and Up
From her Hallmark Guanella pop-up camper, Mia Tucholke ropes us in and takes us vertical up rock walls, frozen waterfalls, and mountains. Take us higher Mia!
Brent Haywood: From Negative to Photo Opportunity
Facing a major downturn in California, real estate agent Brent Haywood turned to his camera, and his camper, and opened a whole new door.
Eric Dye: Lance Owners of America
This week, the Lance Owners of America (LOA) introduced their brand new website. To learn more about the LOA, we talk to LOA President and Co-Founder, Eric Dye.
Chuck and Chris Woods: Point the Truck and Go
What do you do after you’ve lived a couple winters on a boat in Sitka, Alaska? You buy a truck camper and hit the road, of course!
Lex Carstensen's Bruiser Custom Camper
What happens when a Hollywood starwagon manufacturer makes his dream truck camper after hours, on his own time, no holds barred? Meet Lex Carstensen's Bruiser.
Dan Forry: Ranger Out West
Dan Forry has seen thousands of RVs in his twenty-eight years as an Iowa Park Ranger. So after watching all those RVs pass by, what kind of RV did Dan get?
Ladies' Week Part 1: Anne Brown Takes the Wheel
Get into the passenger seat as Anne Brown charts a course, takes the wheel, and drives us to Northeast Jamborees, cross-country, and beyond. It's Ladies' Week!
Ladies' Week Part 2: The Adventures of Barbara Hartman
Barbara Hartman has canoed with alligators in Florida, hiked Root Glacier in Alaska, crossed the Arctic Circle, and viewed Mount McKinley in Denali NP.
Mike Schwitters: A Wild Goose Chase
Mike Schwitters takes us on a wild goose chase across the United States in his Phoenix pop-up camper. This is one truck camper that is truly up to fowl play.
Tom Blanchette: Building a Custom Truck Bed
For most of us, there's never enough exterior storage. Here's how Tom Blanchette took this problem head on and built a custom aluminum truck bed.
2009
Jim Glitch: Surfing Big Sur to Baja
Jim Glitch takes us boondocking on the beaches of Baja in his tricked out Hallmark and Aluminess camper. The waves are calling. Let's ride.
Andy & Guinness Spedden: Adventures in New England
Together in their 2007 Northstar 8.5 Arrow, Andy and Guinness Spedden seek adventure from Nova Scotia to New York City to the thrills of Dollywood.
Phil Carroll: Horsing Around with a Six-Pac
Phil Carroll tells us about towing a horse trailer and the many advantages of a truck camper for horseback riding enthusiasts. Saddle up. It's time to ride.
TWINS' WEEK PART 1: The Geese Have Landed
Dave Casal and the Barlows take their twin Northern Lite 10-2 CD Special Editions on a Nova Scotia adventure. That's right, two geese fly north.
TWINS' WEEK PART 2: Two Crazy About Foxes
Mike Barrow and Steve Singhose take their "twin" Arctic Foxes to Kalaloch State Park, Vancouver Island, and beyond. When it comes to truck camping, they're crazy about foxes.
David Wilson: Cycling to Win
David and Jen Wilson love the challenge of off-road trails in single-speed mountain bike racing. And a Lance camper is their home base at the race.
Jim Jeffries: Right Fit For a Phoenix
Jim Jeffries had a vision for a pop-up truck camper that would fit into his garage while mounted on his truck. This is one story that didn't have an inch to spare.
Randy and LaWana Smith: Northstar On a Roll
Randy and LaWana Smith show us their creative camper modifications from wheels on their camper jacks to LED lighting to an almost obscenely large bed in their Northstar pop-up.
Jerry and Paula Gale: Tales of Fun, Funny, and Fantastico
Jerry and Paula Gale share their new south of the border adventures, good times with the mOOners, and a funny encounter with Octo Man in underpants.
Ken and Kris Cardwell: mOOners In Mexico
As sailors, Ken and Kris Cardwell were once known to drop more than their anchors. Now they spend their life "sailing" their land yacht from Northern California to Mexico.
Gary Handsher: River Rising
A truck camper can go anywhere a truck can go. That said, there are some places a truck should not go. This is what happens to a truck camper when a river runs through it.
John and Linda Ross: Fox Hunt For Adventure
From the sandy beaches of North Carolina, to the majestic National Parks of the American West, John and Linda Ross take "Fox" on a hunt for fun and adventure.
John Montalbano: A Break From Television
By day, John Montalbano is a live television cameraman. This is the story of what happens when he puts the camera down, loads his truck camper, and hits the road to adventure.
Don Schwanke: Fifth to Camper in Ten
In part two of our "Ditch the Fifth" week, Don Schwanke tells us why he took his fifth, sold it, and upgraded to a truck camper. Don's decision took less than ten minutes.
Ken Harris: Kissing the Fifth Goodbye
In part one of our "Ditch the Fifth" week, Ken Harris shares his story of how he and his wife, Ina, ditched their fifth wheel for a truck camper. So long fiver!
John Bull: From Emergency to Adventure
John Bull shares his truck camping stories from visiting grandchildren to exploring Big Bend to using his camper as a Family Emergency Vehicle.
Todd Salat: Auroras In Motion
Todd is back from another mid-winter northern Alaska aurora hunting season in his pop-up camper. This time he's got something all-new to show us; "Aurora Hunting" on DVD!
Gary Birenkott: Rally On!
Gary Birenkott loves truck camper rallies. In fact, Gary the guy behind NATCOA's annual Fall Caravan. Now he's up to something top secret for next Spring. Rally on, Gary!
Greg Gaskill: Travel Lite With Llamas
When Greg Gaskill told us, "We tow an eighteen-foot aluminum custom livestock trailer for our llamas and alpacas", we just knew we had a story for Truck Camper Magazine.
Gary Veeder: From Key West to the Yukon
Gary Veeder has taken his Northern Lite from Key West to the Yukon to Maine. His advice to those who have not yet taken the plunge into truck camping is simple, "Don't wait".
Jake Schultz: Challenging Camper Design
At Boeing, Jake Schultz works as a Technical Analyst on the 787 Dreamliner design team. On his own time, Jake designs and builds his own airplanes, canopies, and truck campers.
Dr. Byron Thomas: The Big Tow Prescription
Dr. Bryron Thomas prescribes his cure to the adverse symptoms that can occur while towing a large boat. It's time to come out of the waiting room with the big tow.
Phil Patterson: Man On a Mission
When Phil isn’t flying around with the Air Force Reserves, he loves nothing more than hitting the road with his 2009 Eagle Cap 995 truck camper.
Scott Park: From NASCAR to Mountain Top
Scott Park, winner of our Camper Mod Showdown, gives us the inside track on truck camping at NASCAR races and takes us to the top of the mountain where other RVs don't dare go.
Jack Dykinga: From Pulitzer to Pop-Up
Internationally celebrated landscape photographer Jack Dykinga and his eternal search for solitude, intimacy with nature, and Arizona’s desert light.
Truck Camping Pirates Map the Free Campsites
Paid campsites? We don't need no stinking paid campsites! We're truck campers, and we camp where we please. BLM here. USFS there. And WMA over yonder... Arrr!
Barbara Linsley: Dreams On the Oregon Trail
5th grade New York school teacher, children's book author, and nature photographer, Barbara Linsley, shares her truck camping adventures and creative spirit with us.
Rik Palieri: Journey of Doubt, Determination, and Friendship
Road kill stew, hobos, sheep, pipestone, the American West, and yes, truck camping.
2007 - 2008
Mexico Week Part 2: People, Butterflies, and Architecture
The second installment of Jerry and Paula Gale's truck camping adventures in Mexico.
Mexico Week Part 1: Feast for the Senses
Today we kick off a week of articles about truck camping in Mexico. It's Mexico Week! Jerry and Paula Gale will be our guides.
Hallmark's Adventure Test in Moab
Matt Ward and the Hallmark team recently returned from a product testing adventure in Moab, Utah.
Ladies’ Week Part 3: Sally Stomberg's Pastime Passion
Sally Stromberg, Treasurer of NATCOA, actually owns 15 truck campers - at the same time. The largest camper in her collection has even been carefully preserved by her two boys to prevent it from going stale. This is something you will have to see to believe.
Ladies’ Week Part 2: The Solo Adventures of Mary Anne Pugin
We learned about Mary Anne Pugin from David Yavalak and Rhonda Morgan of Galaxy Campers. We think you'll find her solo truck camping story to be as inspirational as it is fun. Go Mary Anne!
Ladies' Week Part 1: Kathy Lordier Lets the Dogs Out
Kathy has been exploring the west since her childhood. Now she explores in style with her husband, two dogs, and a Host truck camper. Burning dunes, animal rescues, and good truck camping times.
Gary Love's On a Roll
Gary Love is a passionate nature photographer with an Okanagan 116, a Ford F-550, and a good story to tell.
Round Trip With Skip
From a VW Bus, to a forty-foot sail boat, to a truck camper; Skip and Linda Bosley have truly lived life as a journey.
Ramblin' Ralph's RV Roamings
Ralph has kept a simple and informative web site detailing his campground experiences from the perspective of a truck camper.
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