Zoe and Kelby Jecker spend up to six months a year traveling in their van and sharing their adventures online
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- Zoe and Kelby Jecker spend up to six months a year traveling in their van and sharing their adventures online
- The couple says van life challenges include constant unpredictability and finding safe places to sleep each night
- They are preparing to launch a new platform to help outdoor enthusiasts shop sustainably and connect across the U.S.
Although living on the road for months at a time can be exciting, Zoe and Kelby Jecker say the lifestyle doesn’t come without its challenges.
The couple — both 29 — first met in 2019 while living in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and have since built a life centered around travel, adventure and the outdoors. Now based in Lake Tahoe, Calif. the pair spend four to six months out of every year traveling in their van while documenting their experiences online for more than 257,000 followers on TikTok and 718,000 followers on Instagram.
“We had both camped before, dabbled a little bit in climbing and talked about wanting to do more, but we didn’t really know where to start,” they tell PEOPLE exclusively. “We’ve truly learned almost everything we know about travel and adventure sports together.”
“It’s wild to think about our first few trips — learning from YouTube videos, reading blogs and being scared out of our minds to sleep in the backcountry or climb outside,” they add. “Now, those experiences feel like a completely different lifetime.”
Still, they’re quick to point out that life on the road isn’t always as glamorous as it may appear online.
“When you’re traveling in a vehicle, small tasks and decisions suddenly become a really big deal,” Zoe explains. “Every day, you have to do chores, make sure you have enough water, dump your toilet, find a place to shower, get gas and figure out where you’re sleeping that night. One small road bump can completely take over your day.”
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The couple adds how constant unpredictability can become exhausting, especially because there’s rarely an opportunity to fully “turn off” the way they would at home.
“It’s a really unique experience sharing such a tiny space with your partner while also dealing with all of those added stressors,” they admit. “It’s definitely a test of a relationship.”
Of all the challenges, though, the couple says finding a safe and legal place to sleep each night can be one of the most stressful parts of life on the road.
Thankfully, they say the van life community has made traveling much easier over the years through apps that help people locate water, campsites, laundry facilities and showers. Still, some moments nearly pushed them to give up entirely.
“In our first truck camper, we were breaking down nearly every week because the truck was so old and it was all we could afford,” Zoe recalls. “There was one particular time in Washington when we broke down and ended up sleeping in an O’Reilly’s parking lot for two nights while trying to fix it.”
@theadventureaddicts
& now I can think properly again 😌 take care of your gear and it will take care of you!!! Sorry David 🤪 #gearwall #hikinggear #camping
♬ OUT OF MY LEAGUE – xpepporoniz
Employees at the store even began helping them work on the truck. But after finally getting the vehicle running again, the couple says they only made it about 20 miles down the road before breaking down once more with an entirely different issue.
“We really wanted to give up on road life completely,” the couple admits. “We weren’t sure if it was worth it anymore.”
But after spending another full day repairing the vehicle, they managed to continue the trip — a moment they now look back on fondly.
“I think we’ve had a lot of moments that really tested us, our relationship and what we could handle,” they say. “But every single one of those moments brought us closer, built trust and became memories we laugh about now.”
“We know we can count on each other in any situation,” they add. “Even when it feels like rock bottom, we know we’ll get through it together.”
@theadventureaddicts
I have to know if we are the only couple who does this?? #vanlife #dolomites #camping #europe
♬ original sound – noahksticks
Now, after years of constantly being on the move, the couple says they’re hoping to slow down and spend more time appreciating the place they call home in Lake Tahoe.
As they enter their next chapter, the pair say they’ve spent much of 2026 building something new for their online community that is set to launch in September. While they aren’t ready to publicly reveal exactly what they’ve been working on just yet, they say they’re “very, very excited” to begin rolling it out later this summer.
“Our community has given us everything, and it felt like the next best step was to create something for them,” they explain. “We’re hoping to provide a platform that allows more people to get outdoors, creates a sustainable way to shop for outdoor gear and builds a community of outdoor lovers across the U.S.”
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