Hi! I'm Kate, an adventurous dog-lover in her 30s taking a year off from my career as a veterinarian. Call it an adult gap year, a sabbatical, a mini-retirement, or just some time off. But regardless of how you label it, I quit my job, sold my house, and am taking a year off to travel and pursue some passion projects.
My year of adventure started in the summer of 2023 when my Dad and I built a custom truck camper for my Toyota Tacoma. As soon as it was complete, I drove it to Alaska. Throughout the next 12 months, I plan to drive throughout North America to adventure and hike with my dog, Glia, and the friends and family who will join us along the way.
Overall, I am very excited and looking forward to a sabbatical year in order to recharge, explore different interests, gain new experiences, and travel. After this year, I do hope to return to veterinary medicine in some form with increased motivation and productivity.
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Here is the tip, never sandwich l wood. 1st frame, 2nd panel, 3d insulation, interior canvas. You can sandwich metals but not wood as it shrinks and expands.
Heading that way 2025 or 2026. Hoping 2025. 60 day or more in a class b+ RV. We are able to do 90 if she dont get sick of it. Looking forward to #1 and #2 on my bucket list. Alaska and the Dempster. We are budgeting 30k or more. One in a lifetime. If we get a second chance I will do it again and again. Do you have plans to go again in the future?
My favorite is mosquito ridge state park. 10 mosquitos per inch of your body guaranteed!
Not enough cold, mosquitoes, water, or deathly gray skies to last you a lifetime in MN/WI?
Thank you for sharing. I was very curious what it would cost. It would be different for me as I would be coming from California but this gives a great place to start from.
Consider checking where your spare tire is dropped out from under the truck bed. It's possible you covered the hole used to insert the long rod that is used to lower the spare tire. It looks roughly where my old Toyota 4Runner had a hole for the spare tire removal. I'm looking at 0:08 in the video and see the hole, just above the license plate. A quick Google search seems to suggest that is the hole used to lower the spare tire for a 2023 Toyota Tacoma.
We went up the Dalton last summer. Gas and diesel at the Yukon river gas station was $7.50/gal. In Valdez it was $5/gal.
1:23 What is that thing called your camper bolts to, a "rail"? I see you have the camper bolted to each side, but you can bolt it down in front, too. Either order the front rail at a dealership, or a junkyard, screw it on in the places provided, and you could then have several more mounting points for the inside front of your camper, making it more secure. Apparently, previous years of Tacomas had this rail, and money was saved(?!) not having one as standard on newer Tacomas.
2:07 I think some people are putting a thin, bicycle innertube between the cab and the camper shell, to keep the wind out of that gap above the cab. Just inflate a little, till it fills the gap about right. For the 3rd Gen 2018 Tacoma, no shell and HT tires, 2.7l 4 cylinder auto trans, I get 28mpg going back and forth over the Sierras from the High desert, thru Tehachapi and back. Same mpg going hundreds of miles up and down Highway 395 going fishing. Tootling around town is 23ish, offroading 20mpg. Currently at mixed town, highway and offroading, I'm sitting at 25mpg.
We slow drove from central Virginia to Alaska and back in 2022. A 5 month, 15,000 mile trip with our F150 towing a Lance 1685 trailer. Fuel costs at the time were $7,500. So worth it.
It's a good weight, about as light as any commercial wedge camper. Good Job
Kate, thanks for your video. How much Canadian currency did you need? I'm concerned that some of the remote locations might not take a credit card.
My wife and I were driving from Winnipeg to lloydminster in 2013 and we almost ran out of gas. All the gas stations were a ways off the highway in small towns. Our GPS showed a gas station right on the highway and we got there and it required that companies charge card. Once we were on the Alcan there were plenty of places to stop. We got bad mileage as we were towing a 19’ camp trailer that was near capacity as I was moving someone from Connecticut to Alaska. The only other time I drove it was in 1979 when I moved here. I did that in April and very few places were open. The ALCAN was mostly gravel then. I drove from Connecticut to Alaska in 5 days with a 2 1/2 yo back then.
@@Chris_at_Home Back in 1979 I lived alongside the Alaska hwy as a kid at what we referred to as a wide spot in the road as there was almost nothing there. I remember the narrow, windy, dusty, gravel road it was back then very well. We hosted a few people over the years who broke down on their way to and from Alaska and made some good friends that way.
You can get a prepaid credit card and just add funds as you go.
2023 trip to Alaska from West Virginia, nearly 11000 miles driven. Spent a little over $5000. Ate out a few times, couple souvenirs. Stayed in camp grounds seven nights. Boondock the rest of the time.
you have good teeth
We took our Sprinter campervan to the Arctic Ocean (Dempster) from New Mexico Aug/Sept. 2023. Here's our info: Diesel - $3400, Ferry (Bellingham to Skagway plus cabin for 3 nights): $2800, Camping/lodging (63 nights, 1 hotel, 6 nights family, the rest camping): $750. We did not bother keeping track of food since it is not different than what we would spend at home for groceries and eating out. We also did not include souvenirs, showers or dump stations as those were minimal (except for the $40 shower and dump in Tok!)
Please look up HOT WIRE foam cutter. Works very well - clean cuts.
Thanks...bucket list trip.
Always wanted to make that trip North and back. Speaking for myself, I'd love to see photos of scenery and overview of what is most memorable. Thanks for sharing!
What an interesting glimpse. What was popping your tires? Rocks? Nails?
I worked along the Dalton Highway for 15 years and most flats I saw were a rock punctures on the inside sidewalls of the tire. Rocks from another tire come across and do this. I’ve seen people get multiple flats because of excess speed. We used heavy duty tires on our pickups and SUVs and I only changed a few tires in all those years. I used to help tourists change tires if I had time as I carried a small electric impact wrench.
The level of privilege to be able to take two months and thousands of dollars to drive around Alaska is astounding.
Yes! It took a lot of hard work and years of savings, but I am very privileged to have had the good health and the right circumstances to have been able to take the time for this travel.
Bitter much? Some people know how to set a goal and work hard to achieve it. I bet you're a riot on the cruise channels.
She is enjoying living her life, and she’s sharing something she learned. Leave her alone
That's funny, people drop thousands every day on vacations to Europe or the latest tropical getaway, or their toys. But some girl spends two months driving to Alaska and you call her out for her privilege, nice.
@@scleco93 Troll.
Is your truck paid for? if not thats also a expense.
Good point! That is another expense to consider.
How’s that? She would be paying a truck note if she was on the trip or not.
THANKS !! great info. Bucket list trip
Thanks for sharing you cost. Cheers
Excellent!! Impressive.
Just got back from a 6k mile Yukon trip. Costs have not been organized yet. I ate out 3 times a week & did not pay for a single camp site. iOverkander was my friend👍 My 2017 Transit van got 19.81 mpg (8k lbs - trip ready weight) I was driving at a leisurely SAFE speed most of the time That was 3 mpg better than previous trips where I was generally going faster and spent more time in urban environments.
A 6k mile Yukon trip sounds amazing! Did you have any favorite spots you visited? I have been mostly using freecampsites.net, but I'll have to try iOverlander.
@@WanderwithKate The recommendations on iOverlander are very similar as free campsites. Lots of times I would simply see a side road and pull in to spend the night. Lots of areas up there with no cel service as well. Queen Charlotte Islands (aka Haida Guai) was amazing & going north on the Steward Cassiar Hwy a/w all the great side roads off it.
I just use an old bicycle tire pump for my airbags.
gives a idea at what too expect. this trip is the bucket list, like you starting from mn. doing westeren cananda into alaska. have done easteren canada & the other 49 states.
I averaged $100 a day for 33 days and just over 11k miles. Video series on my channel.
What a trip of lifetime. To be under $100 per day is awesome. And average 18 miles/gallon is very good. Got me dreaming of a trip.
If she had a Nissan Frontier she would have gotten better gas mileage. 😊
Wow, you did great at $91 per day! Thanks for the breakdown.
Thank you!
Awesome video and well done on capturing your adventure! What type of truck camper did you use?
Thank you! I built my truck camper for this trip, so it is a DIY build made primarily from wood and poor man's fiberglass with some foam.
I think I much rather the house then travel cars😅
Truck camper for stealth camping
Yes, it is definitely hard to stealth camp in a travel trailer.
Thanks for such a good clear video on this subject. It makes a lot of sense to me. I have been toying with the idea of camper like yours. Softroadingthewest has a Topo Topper that I like the look of and is not to expensive. I could build one my self but I would rather just buy one already to go.
My wife and I have a 16 foot trailer and love it. Just right set up for us two. I am in process of setting up Nissan Titan as an overland rig to get to remote areas; not into to rock crawling just good dirt trails to camp in. We used our trailer 2years ago to attend the Homesteaders Conference in Virginia and it was great to not only camp on way out from California and the conference site had hook ups for lot of attendees. It was nice to just stay and talk with others and not head back to hotel.
Great points! Another thing to consider is space for kids, they need room to play and more stuff to bring.
Yes. It would be hard to camp in my DIY truck camper with kids. But I have camped with my nieces and nephews in the travel trailer and it works great.
I'm one lottery ticket away from buying one of those Earthroamers! 🤣 You get a very capable rig with all of the creature comforts. And they're only about $1.1 million bucks.
Yes! If I ever win the lottery, I agree. The EarthRoamers look like the best of both worlds. Luxury and remote access.
Fully agree. KZreadrs I like to watch are overlanding type like Ozark Overloading Adventures and SUVrving among yours and few other topics. SYVrving drives for a couple weeks, discussed history of an area then goes climbing and hiking. I feel jealous sometimes because I want to go. Over the last year been re-evaluating my future and what I want. I have been home since April on medical leave but will return work next couple months. I really want to do more service for my church and travel more. I may not be able to do mini retirement but can plan more and get out more. Thanks.
Hallo, à quelle date êtes vous allés dans l’Utah ? Et bravo pour vos voyages avec votre chien 👌👍
I just got back from driving the Dalton to Deadhorse. One day up, the next day a quick dip in the Arctic, then the drive back to Fairbanks. It was a tough drive but worth it. All your tips are true. Ride the middle until you need to pass, dodge the giant holes the best you can, and I air-down my tires to reduce the chances of a sharp rock cutting the tire. Somehow my old 4runner made it up and back without any problems. I thinking about the Dempster now.
Just curious, how far did you air down your tires? I was nervous about airing down further, but it would help reduce sharp rock abrasion. And you should 100% do the Dempster next. I loved it!
@@WanderwithKate I was nervous about going down too much as well, so I only went down 5lbs on all the tires. It seem to help. I installed trail rated tires about a month before I left NY. I also had a plug kit, compressor, two spares, and other tools. Thankfully, I didn't need them.
I had three flat tires on the Dempster. If you happen to get a flat near Inuvik, I can't recommend Polar Tire more. Quite the character that runs the place
Thanks for the recommendation of a good tire repair place!
Air bags are great upgrade. If you’re going off road a bit look into air down all tires. Most off-roaders will air down from 35psi to 20-18 psi. You go slower but helps with ride on wash board roads and grip over rocks. When get back to pavement air back up. Takes time but saves your back.
Thanks for the tip! I have been running around 30psi on the dirt roads, but haven't been below that. I'll have to try going down to 20-25psi. Do you have a good recommendation for a system for putting air back in the tires? Do you re-air at gas stations/tire shops or do you carry your own air pump? I have a small air pump for emergencies, but it would take a while to do all four tires.
Hi Kate, I watch a few overland KZreadrs and one is Ozark Overland Adventures. He and his wife both have rigs. He likes the Morrflate 10.6 Pro and is a dual pump which you can have system to air all 4 tires at once and preset air pressure automatically. Amazon list $325. The next Morrflate down is $230 but is not automatic but can do all 4 tires. Another one is Thor Lightning: one is automatic for $266 and other Thor $$199. Lot others use ARB but can be pricey. I’m saving up for one of these two. Usually you air down before trail and at end of trail before hitting pavement you air back up. If loose or sandy road or beach airing down is good; some say 10-15 psi but check some research. I am learning as you are.
It works! Difference in getting clean is that you’re not living in your rig full time but staying few days to week or so. Basic set up just enough to rise off dirt and get in bed clean. Good idea.
All the technique you and your dad did are great. The design is really nice. I want to build out my Nissan Titan and looking all kinds of designs. Love to buy a pop up camper and go buy looking at $8-10,000. Building your own is more rewarding.
I agree that building your own is very rewarding and more budget friendly. I hope your Nissan Titan build-out goes well!
Got a little bit lost in calculations but I think once get on website and put in factors will get more clear., Thanks for going over it. Most others don’t go into detail as you showed. Very helpful.
Thank you for sharing this research.
Thanks for tip about ironing fabric when glueing. It made a big difference in smoothing out.
always nice to have a better view for safety.
Yes! I'm loving having a the ability to see right behind the bumper again!
Once again, you've come up with a creative solution. Keep up the great work!