Rv Life

We’ve camped in tents, tow-behinds, and van conversions, and this is the story of how we fell in love with our RV, Peaches.

It was 2018, and we were juggling a very busy entrepreneurial life, working 24/7 in our studio factory in Toronto’s Junction area and commuting home to our condo in Liberty Village (condo land!). Surrounded by skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of the city, we were craving a slower pace and nature.

Well, those who say social media doesn’t influence are liars! One evening, Dawn was on Instagram, and some design buddies in Chicago shared a #VanLife trip they’d taken, renting a vehicle from Explore Campervans. It looked exactly like the type of trip we needed. We messaged them while they were on the road, asked a few questions, and before we knew it, we had booked our very own #VanLife trip to the American Southwest (Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas) for April/May 2019. Being in tech, we knew that even though we had a business to run, we could do it from the road.

Enter Escape Campervans and our ride, Livingston (today, this would be a van in their Maverick Series). It was perfect for two, and we hit the road, leaving Phoenix in our rearview and the Marfa Myths Music Festival on our horizon.

It was a great trip, and we enjoyed our camper experience, but it was just the gateway drug to our new life. We knew we needed a vehicle that suited our needs better and had the creature comforts we craved (hello, full-sized fridge and bathroom!) while also being a bit more stealthy.

By summer 2019, our YouTube playlist was filled with camper van conversions, slide-in truck camper options, and VanLifers sharing their rigs and comparing them to others. Like many, we were leaning towards converting our own Promaster.

Then one day, while scrolling through Facebook Marketplace in 2020, we saw a 19ft Adventurer Alp with a middle dinette for sale nearby. We dove into the specs and pictures, and learned there was a rear dinette option that we liked even more, though those were harder to find.

Much like the content online, we couldn’t find many details or lifestyle videos of Adventurer Alp RVs on the road, but we were hooked. Could this seemingly plain and conventional RV really be what we were looking for all along?

Were we really RV people?

What is an RV person?

Were we really going to do this?

Within a few short weeks, we found a 19ft Adventurer Alp RD RV at a nearby Fraserway dealership. We put down a deposit before even setting foot inside. Within 48 hours, we were walking through the RV, scheming about where our clothes, dog, and cat would go.

Turns out... we were RV people.

Our camper came with all the modern amenities: wet bath, stove, oven, microwave, sleeping space for four adults, full-sized fridge, and storage (so much storage!). It also included a large water tank, some solar, and big black and grey tanks. There were things we thought we wouldn’t use (air conditioner), things we thought we’d use (outdoor shower), and things we had no idea if we’d use (indoor shower), but we just loved it all. The layout and flow were perfect for our needs, and we were itching to hit the road.

Before leaving Ontario on our first big trip, we did some personal upgrades: custom exterior vinyl using 3M car wrap, upgraded solar so we could be fully off-grid, powder-coated the grill (purely aesthetic, but it looks more badass), and upgraded the tires for better handling on trickier terrain (especially since we aren’t 4x4). Detailed tech specs for those upgrades can be found here.

Peaches is incredibly easy to handle, back into parking spots, and maneuver around. We don’t have a lift kit or added suspension/airbags and are completely factory-built in that regard. We had zero issues driving through Canada, the U.S., and all over Baja Mexico and mainland Mexico. After 50,000km of driving, the only complaint Dawn has is that we’re a bit wide for Mexico, but we make it work.

Most people think we’re driving a box truck from the outside, and when they tour the inside (because everyone asks for a tour), they’re floored to learn that we’re in a factory RV. I think we’ve changed a lot of minds about the $200K Sprinter vs. our $75K Adventurer Alp (note: we bought our girl used from Fraserway, but with only 18,000 km, she was road-ready).

We have zero regrets about skipping the trendy Sprinter/Promaster builds because we got what we needed immediately for under $100K and hit the road.

Versatile, easy to drive, and comfortable with all the amenities of home.

We are, in fact, RV people now.