All 48

All 48

The Ultimate RV Road Trip

In March of 2022, my family made a decision that felt massive at the time and obvious in hindsight. We were going to leave our life behind for six months, buy a 40 foot fifth wheel, and drive across the United States to all 48 contiguous states. We were not RV people. We had done the occasional weekend, but nothing that suggested this was a natural next step. What pushed us out the door was simple. California was locked down, the kids were not going back to school anytime soon, and sitting still in a version of life that felt increasingly small was not something I was willing to accept.

So instead of waiting it out, we opted in.

We built a mission around it. All 48 states. Six months. A goal with shape and purpose. More importantly, something my kids could be part of. This wasn't just travel. It was a commitment.

We left Los Angeles on March 1st in a 40-foot fifth wheel pulled by a Freightliner Sport Chassis, a truck built for ranchers and long hauls, with air brakes and the kind of towing capacity that makes something that large feel surprisingly manageable. I want to say a word about that truck because everyone who ever heard about this trip asked about it first. I did the research, concluded it was the safest and most practical option available without requiring a CDL license, and it was one of the best decisions of the whole adventure. What could have been stressful became effortless. And that set the tone for everything that followed.

Our rules were simple. Never drive more than five hours in a single stretch. Stay roughly three days in each location. We were not racing. We were living. Some states required more time; Texas alone stretched into four or five stops, but the principle held throughout. Every stop had the same framework: find what the place is known for and go do it, eat the food it is famous for, and most importantly, sit down for dinner with someone local. That last part became the heartbeat of the entire trip.

The route took us through Nevada and Arizona, across New Mexico and Texas, down to Florida, up through Tennessee and Kentucky, along the East Coast to Maine, back through the Midwest, up through the Dakotas, and down through Utah, Idaho, and Montana before finally pointing home. We pulled back into our driveway on September 1st, exactly six months to the day.

What We Actually Learned

The first thing that hit us was how little you actually need. Going from a large home in Los Angeles to roughly 400 square feet should have felt restrictive. It felt efficient. Most of what you own never gets touched. Life became simpler, more focused, and honestly more enjoyable. That lesson has stayed with me in every extended trip since.

The second realization was about community. The RV world is one of the most welcoming environments I have ever been part of. People compare rigs, trade tips, and offer help without being asked. One of the most memorable moments of the entire trip happened in Texas, where we crossed paths with a large African American RV caravan, hundreds of people traveling together, organizing trips, building friendships around a shared love of the road. The number of things we had in common was staggering. I remember thinking the world needs so much more of this.

The third thing I noticed was something I did not expect. Recreation is the actual backbone of this country. Everywhere we went, people were outside, fishing, grilling, gathering, doing things together. It clarified something for me that living in Los Angeles had obscured. In most of the country, work is part of the day, but what people actually care about fills everything else. They prioritize doing things. One of the best illustrations of this is mini golf. There is a course in almost every town in America. Not because mini golf is extraordinary but because it is accessible. It gives people something to go do tonight, with the people they love, without a lot of planning.

People are not looking for better ideas. They are looking for simpler ones.

I also learned that distance changes your relationships far less than you expect. Most communication already happens by text, phone, and email. The number of people you actually see in person in any given week is smaller than you think. Being on the road for six months clarified which relationships mattered most, and not a single one suffered for it.

The People You Meet

Early in the trip, just two days in, we met Steve and Karen in Las Vegas. They had just sold everything and committed to full-time RV life. My kids connected with them immediately and we followed each other's journeys from that point forward. What started as an experiment for them grew into a full lifestyle and career, a YouTube channel, events they called RV Huddles, and eventually a brand new rig and a life built entirely around showing people what this world looks like. Watching that unfold in real time was one of the most inspiring things about the whole experience.

Connectivity was non-negotiable for us, and I want to be direct about this because it is the number one concern people raise. The infrastructure is already out there. A company called Mobile Must Have outfitted our rig with everything we needed and in six months on the road I never once had a connection problem. In several places I had better signal than I do at home in Los Angeles.

Why You Should Do This

When people ask how I made the leap to 52 countries in 52 weeks, my answer is always the same. Because I did this first. Six months across America taught me how to live on the road, how to find the best of every place quickly, how to keep moving without it feeling like chaos. It was the blueprint for everything that followed.

Here is the other thing I want you to take away from all of this. People are better than you think. If you consume the world through screens, it feels divided and loud and negative. But when you get out into it, when you sit across from people and share meals and have real conversations, you find that almost everyone is focused on living their lives, taking care of the people they love, and finding more ways to enjoy the time they have. That was true in every single state we visited. Everyone.

My daughter's 18th birthday fell just after we got home. For her gift, I reached out to every single person we had met along the way across those six months and asked them to send her a birthday video. The guide in Pigeon Forge. The stereo repair guy in Orlando. The golf caddie in Washington. The double amputee we met in Washington state. Every single person responded. Every one of them made a personal video for a girl they had spent maybe a few hours with, months earlier, on the road.

I edited them all together and watched her watch it, and I can tell you honestly it was one of the most proud and overwhelming moments of my life. That is what real human connection looks like. Not a follower count. Not a like. A stranger who remembered your kid and took five minutes to make her feel seen on her birthday. That is what this country actually is, and you will never find it sitting still.

Rent an RV for a weekend. Try it. Go somewhere you have never been. The RV community is one of the friendliest you will ever find, and platforms like Outdoorsy and RV Share make it easier than ever to get started. I have met very few people who tried it and did not love it. Because once you start, it is very hard to go back to the idea that life is something you take a break from. It becomes something you build.