Author: FWC Admin

Dirt roads offer mystery and adventure, and while sometimes they’re dead ends, sometimes they lead to epic campsites and amazing trails. For many road-trippers—myself included—a random dirt road holds an undeniable allure. Where does it lead? What will I discover along the way? From sandy, arrow-straight tracks disappearing into barren deserts, to rocky roads climbing high into mountains, dirt roads practically beg to be explored. They promise (mis)adventure and freedom, campsites with jawdropping views, and beautiful solitude. If you’re lucky, the bars on your cell phone disappear with the miles in your rearview mirror. Devoid of technology, we pick up books and read them, play card games with family, or simply lie on the ground beneath a blanket of stars, Read More…

A rough map of Dinosaur National Monument’s Echo Park doesn’t look like much but don’t let that fool you. Start by drawing several zig-zags that extend into a long tail that opens up into a horseshoe. At about three quarters of the length, add a few small squares on either side of the tail followed by a bird wing and cone. Finally, draw a meandering line that closely follows the radius of the horseshoe and continues on. The result is a rough map that reflects the less than smooth entrance to Echo Park but begs for exploration.   When traveling in our Four Wheel Camper Flatbed Hawk, Gretchen and I rarely stay in one location more than a day. That Read More…

 Parked Without A Plan  I arrived in Sacramento for a 7-day solo trip in one of Four Wheel Campers’ model rigs with nothing but a scarce idea of a handful of places I hoped to see. I wasn’t exactly surprised to suddenly find myself somewhat frozen after the logistics were taken care of.  I sat in the parking lot of Food 4 Less on the outskirts of the city, staring at Google Maps on my phone and listening to the gentle roar of the diesel truck.   I’d be driving for the next seven days. I had made my cross-country flight. I had picked up the rig. I had secured provisions to get me through the week.  Now what…?  When In Read More…

 by Alexandria Gallizioli  It was starting to feel as if I had tried it all – I grew up camping in tents and RV’s, bought my first van in early adulthood, and more recently, converted a school bus to live in full-time with my dog, Terra. And while these methods of overland travel are all great in their own way, there was always a fatal flaw that rendered them short of ideal.  Tent camping is amazing until winter (my favorite season) sets in, RV’s seem cool until you have to run a generator 24/7, and the van/bus life movements are fun until you realize how limited you are on where you are able venture. I found myself surrounded by hundreds Read More…

The first time I visited Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, I felt like I had traveled back in time to the Wild West. I was blown away by the vastness of the Sonoran desert grassland, and the next morning I was treated to some of the most incredible alpenglow I’ve ever seen on the Baboquivari Mountains. It was at that exact moment that I fell madly in love with the place. On my final day, I bumped into two seasonal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteers, and I left feeling inspired. I returned a few months later to document their work for Arizona Highways — and to spend several days volunteering with Friends of Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge (Friends of Read More…

There’s a little green light glowing from just under my little standup desk. The light is coming from a tiny digital screen counting numbers down as I drain its battery. Like many nights in the camper, I’m standing in the darkness tinkering away. My computer screen lights up my small corner of the world filled with cameras, hard drives, and notes. Our pup Sequoia in the galley way just under my feet snoring. The furnace kicks on again just before a slight chill sets in. The girls are sound asleep in our king- sized bed that rolls high above our Tacoma’s four wheels. Just outside is the massive remote wilderness of Alaska. I’m preparing for a shoot here in Denali National Read More…

Dinner was over and the campfire was beginning. It was an old school evening. No propane or smartphone apps. Crackling flames, against a dark backdrop of Ponderosa soldiers, kept us warm on the outside. A peaty scotch whiskey would take care of the inside. Topo maps were spread out on a weathered burl table. Flakes of ash temporarily interrupted the contour lines. The topic was ‘Honey Holes’ – camping locations that checked all the boxes. A theme Grayson and I often gravitated towards during similar evenings. Without a prelude, Grayson simply said ‘Steens Mountain’ and handed me a book of the same name. We had lived in Sisters Oregon for 7 years. Although we explored and camped at many locations Read More…

Today’s review of the Four Wheel Campers Hawk pop-up camper is very, very different in a lot of ways. The biggest change in this is that I got to spend ten days in the camper touring some wonderful spots on the West Coast. Life experience I often do these reviews from the standpoint of either seeing the rigs in person or seeing a well-done video of them. (Thank you, Josh Winters!) But this one was done having borrowed the camper and spending almost two weeks out on the road with it. It certainly gave me a unique perspective and appreciation for it and the pickup camper lifestyle. This was not unlike how I used to do reviews of new vehicles. Read More…

A family adventure with relatable mishaps while planning to travel overland to Baja, Mexico As the sun reflects off my keyboard, I sit in an open area of a little café. Yellow and orange tiles spread out in makeshift patterns below me. The wind rustles the nearby palm trees and there’s a small hum coming from the cafe fridge lined with indiscernible ingredients. There are ramblings coming from children playing in the open square next to me. I take a sip of an ice-cold drink and catch my breath. I’m happy to be here and really glad the family is back at the RV park taking a break from the road we just came down; the many miles of road Read More…

“What is this?” “Wow!” “Are you serious?” “This is unbelievable!” Those were just a few of the questions and comments I received when I test drove Four Wheel Campers (FWC) new vehicle/camper build. Over a four-week period, I tested the vehicle/camper in the wilds of Montana and Wyoming (view recent web article: Western Ramble on the OutdoorX4 website HERE). Simply put, it performed exceptionally. As I conversed on the phone with Dan Welty, FWC’s Vice President, he informed me that FWC intentionally built this vehicle/camper combination to accommodate and highlight long term travel and adventure. Sounds like a recipe for van life, right? Well, the combination of a diesel-powered truck, a flatbed, and pop-top camper created much more than a Read More…