“Homer” (2012 Provan Bengal Tiger)

We picked up Homer, our 1st Adventure Vehicle/RV, new from the Provan factory in 2012 then we promptly quit our jobs, sold our house and most of our belongings and headed out on a year long adventure throughout the USA. We made the difficult decision to sell Homer in 2015 after Tony went back to work and the vehicle was not getting used regularly.

“Hector” (modified 2016 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro)

It became quickly apparent to us after selling Homer, that we missed the ability to travel comfortably in an adventure vehicle, even if it was just for weekends or short trips. We were past the time of our lives where we actually enjoyed tent camping and we knew we needed another adventure vehicle. We purchased Hector and added a roof rack, roof top tent, rock sliders, winch, after-market front bumper, lightbar, house battery and a 12 Volt refrigerator. This vehicle allowed us to do more true off-roading and we explored some amazing places, but in the end it lacked many of the comforts of Homer which we had become accustomed to and realized we still wanted.

“Tofu” (2020 Ford Transit AWD – DIY Conversion)

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we placed an order for a highly upgraded Ford Transit van with the plans to self-convert it. After waiting 6 months for the van and no delivery date in sight, we elected to purchase a basic, non-upgraded van that the dealer had in stock. Over the next 6 months and during the summer heat in the Sonoran Desert, we converted this panel van into a campervan complete with a refrigerator, window, fans, propane stove, composting toilet, dinette and a queen sized bed. Tofu isn’t pretty inside, but she is solidly built and completely customized for our travel needs. We still own Tofu and have put 57,000 miles on it in just over 6 years and when we aren’t traveling in it, it is stored in a swanky indoor, temperature controlled storage facility away from the packrats which previously damaged the electrical systems…twice. We plan to use Tofu during the winter months.

“Chickpea” (2024 Hymer Free S)

We have talked about exploring Europe for years and seriously considered shipping Tofu over for our travels. For a litany of reasons, we decided that wasn’t the best choice for us and we elected to purchase a 2nd van for use exclusively in Europe. We submitted an order with Hymer in February 2023 for a customized 2024 Hymer Free S and it was delivered in May 2024 to a dealership just north of Paris, France. Our plan is to travel for 5-6 months throughout Europe in this van for the the next 5+ years all the while doing the “Schengen Shuffle” since we are only allowed to stay in the EU for 90 days out of every 180 days. After 2 years of traveling in this vehicle throughout Europe, we have 14,000 km on the odometer. Chickpea is also stored in a (slightly less) swanky indoor, temperature controlled storage facility when not in use.