I am deeply addicted to living on the road. When not in a vehicle of my own I have traveled extensively walking with a backpack. Or hitchhiking. Or flying. Many years on the road, in the air, on water. This blog is about truck camping hints.
I started off traveling by land in a Ford Bronco in 1968. With a tent. With a winch on front, new fuel filter, and cooking gear in the back, a box of tools, a box of kitchen equipment and some clothes. A husband and two French hitchhikers. To Bolivia. And back. 1 year’s worth of excitement and discovery.
Next came an old pickup with an aluminum topper, living in Mexico and Costa Rica for several years, by myself. Two chairs to confuse people. The most comfortable. The safest feeling. It was a horrible body with a brand new engine and low, low 4wd. I called her “The Big Blue Fart”. We went through jungles and cities with the greatest of ease.
Then came fancy and with a class-too-small rv called “Chela”. Chela and I toured the USA for two years. Blown brakes, leaky this and leaky that, never a comfortable ambiance. She always stood out. She was grossly under powered. Grossly under pinned (shocks, wheels, bearings). But she kept me dry and warm. And I learned much about travel in the USA.
Next was a VW bus to canoe swamps and rice fields and Okefenokee and the Everglades. Was fine ’til the engine caught on fire. I loved the ability to carry the canoe. Never had a great deal of trust in this vehicle. Never even had a name.
Then the dually, which turned into a great 4wd camper, adding only a few pvc poles and some tarps. Her name was Boadicea. I knew and loved this truck. She had a willing heart and fierce elegance… and an easy engine to work on. Lots of room under the hood.
Now truck camping is with “Lilith”, a 2006 Toyota Tacoma with an ARE topper.
She is perfect. Always starts, never hesitates going over rough/muddy/icy spots. She can crawl up a dried river of bedrock. She offers shade and a windbreak. Her dents and my wrinkles are aging well. She has 74,000 miles. She has no heat or air conditioning in the back, but she has wheels that can carry us to warmer/cooler land. We have been together for 14 years, 5 years on the road. Her full name is Lilith Mochila. My name is Pickett.
Truck Camper Hints 
Hi Pickett,
Love the blog! We all laughed loud because it’s authentic you! We really enjoyed our one day in McPhee campgrounds! We are the girls from California that couldn’t get the water going! 😂
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Love that you took a look at the blog. So sorry that we didn’t get more of a chance to visit. Electrical got fixed, never found tha was nest. Hope to meet up with y’all one day!!
On Tue, Aug 11, 2020 at 8:43 PM Truck Camper Hints wrote:
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I love your site! Can you tell me what them you are using? I am really enjoying the fonts and your information is easy to read and pics are great! Very informative!
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I just noticed my typo, I am asking about your theme. Just love your site!
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The WordPress theme is called twenty ten. One of their early ones. I like it cuz there is little distraction. Thanks for paying such close attention! Thanks, also, for reading the blog.
On Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 5:32 AM Truck Camper Hints wrote:
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Pickett- Howdy! The Bronco and VW bus were mighty cool. Current truck looks like the best.
Thanks so much for the package. My mom and sister are out at the beach on long island with us this weekend. Eleanor is going to keep the necklace. She doesn’t really wear jewelry much but wrapping it like a bracelet was a hit. She is going to eventually give it to Eleanor Keith Huffines (a rising sophmore at Episcopal High School). Eleanor likes the picture too and will take it back to Alaska.
Hope that your trip is going well and that we get to see you soon. Call me sometime if the mood strikes!
Robbie
9178656759
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Thanks Robbie! I wore it as a bracelet, too. Having fun in Colorado, eventually headed to NM and AZ. Maybe. You never know what cool place will pop up on the road.
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YO Yo Picket ~peace to you from Alpine TEXAS!
This is Casey from ThreeRiversBLM.
Glad we crossed paths! Love ur blog and I haven’t even read any posts yet; just a qwik chekkit of ur “About”. After seeing you, we hit ValleyOfFires for a walk thru and liked it a lot ~the Same but Different from Craters of the Moon in ID. I suppose you are camping there now, unless your plan changed_?; nice BLM campground as usual. We were saddened by the extent of 2012s LittleBear Fire in the WhiteMtnWilderness and camped at the USFS OakGrove area; SkyLine vicinity was pretty much decimated, so we looked and continued south after chekn Bonito Lake which was torched too. Woke to 39*F at 8600′ and wild gobblers moving thru; nice, no other campers. We arrive home to find that the Coyote fire in GuMo is still burning @ 70% containment and about 15k acres so far; fuknSux !!! I understand they are prioritizing keeping it out of the Lincoln NF across the state line, but in Texas, it has moved into the Bowl and the headwater zone of SMcKittrick. The LNF all around Queen NM has a ton of nooksNcranies you’d find pleasing; usual caveats ~lotta wind, little water –lotta camping locs, little crowds and some stunning views accessible with short ridge walks…
Please keep in touch and let Carmen and I know what new cool stuff you are discovering. You have friends here in FarWestTexas and we hope you make it over here next season; SO So much to show you around here. Plus, we’ll be back in TheLandofEnchantment a few times before it gets cold… don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything ~we’ll surely help if we can.
Keep LivinLarge and sharing that Big Smile !
SafeTravels, Casey and Carmen.
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Great to meet you and Carmen. Am looking forward to Big Bend, and will surely let you know when I am in the area. Great meeting you both.
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