36-year-old lives in truck full-time for $1,305/month

2025-07-19 16:00:01

In 2019, Ashley Kay made a diving trip to Honduras that changed her life.

On that trip, Kai met a full -time person, and the conversation they helped realize that she wanted to leave her career and life in Wisconsin behind her and continue to travel.

“Tell me that he hopes he would have done it soon because it is much easier and cheaper than you think. This is not all for me,” Kay CNBC told. “I went home and worked more and more until she resigned next year.”

Kai spent three years traveling around the world before she started gently.

Ashley Kai

When Kai left her function in 2020, she says she got about $ 37,000 of savings, but she fought with more than others had no job to fill her time.

“I didn’t know how to do nothing. The first few months were really difficult and I was not sure whether I was making the right decision,” she says.

“Once I entered the rhythm of travel and develop my confidence through that experience, I never looked back and I have no single regret for leaving.”

Kai has spent the next three years traveling around the world, including South Africa. In 2022, a couple with Kai contacted Instagram to ask about her time there and shared their own experience in the Toyota truck with the cart.

Overlanding is a form of self -travel travel that includes adventure for distant destinations, usually in a car of some kind.

Kai estimated that she spent more than $ 50,000 on renovations.

Ashley Kai

After doing a few of her private research, Kai was all and bought the Toyota Tacoma truck for $ 42,934, according to the documents reviewed by CNBC Make.

Kai picked up the truck in South Dakota and returned to Wisconsin, where she just sold her childhood for $ 320,000.

In March 2023, Kay went to Baja California, Mexico, where she spent time arranging the necessary renovations to make the truck more suitable for living.

“My life resembles” the plan is the lack of a plan. “Most people are planning this type of adventure for years.

“It was a very incentive at the moment, so you needed to stop and get to know things.”

It is estimated that it has spent more than $ 50,000 on renovations. The costs included buying the cart, adding solar energy, replacing the truck bed, upgrading the suspension, new tires, customizing the bumper, and installing an electric cooler.

Kai Toyota Tacoma bought 42,934 dollars.

Ashley Kai

When the truck was ready, Kay decided the American highway, starting from Denver. The highway from PRUDHOE Bay, Alaska extends to USHUAIA, Argentina.

“It is really a great way to travel because you will put your own bird, and if you find a beautiful and peaceful place, you can stay as long as you want,” says Kai.

“But there are positives and negatives for every way of traveling and a lot of borders across the red tape and logistics. This may be exhausted, especially when you are alone. You have to find a suitable balance for you, but in general, it is definitely one of the most wonderful adventures in my life.”

Kai had been replaced by the truck’s bed in September 2023.

Ashley Kai

How life looks on the road

Kaye’s time is divided on the road between travel days and entertainment days. On the day of travel, you wake up early to break everything and secure everything in the cart before starting a five to seven hours. On average, Kaye is estimated to spend $ 556 per month on gas and $ 453 per month on food.

“The easiest part for me is to be comfortable in very small spaces and I am completely satisfied. I can spend every day inside the cart and do not feel strangled or fearful of fear,” says Kai. “I constantly see many vast spaces within nature that I am really satisfied.”

Once she reaches her destination, Kai loves to stay for two to three nights before moving to the next stage. Since the Kaye truck does not contain a bath, it uses a box toilet and a portable shower bag.

“I am trying to organize everything in the truck and the cart, so that the way it is supposed to be. Working below is a type of goal on the second day,” says Kai.

Other Kaye expenses include $ 96 per month for its mobile phone bill and $ 200 per month for its Internet. It also spent more than $ 6000 for unique experiences such as a week -long diving trip in the Galapagus Islands.

Kaye does not have any remorse for selling the house in which she grew up to travel around the world.

Ashley Kai

Kay has been living in the truck for years, but he says that the most challenging part is still the creation and destruction of the vehicle.

“Although it is very simple, it is one of those things that you have to do every time,” she says. “If you are a person who makes your bed every time, this is no problem, but if you are someone not, this looks like a burden.”

While Kai is still not over from the American Highway, she is considering selling the truck at the beginning of next year.

She says: “A part of me only wants to get rid of it and move to the next chapter of my life, but then the greater part of me is like” no, maybe I wait because I want to see some other places and cold only. “I just want to finish my adventure. I am not tired of living in the cart and I am not tired of this lifestyle, but I am tired of driving. “

Kai traveled to more than 20 countries in Toyota Takoma.

Ashley Kai

Kai does not know where to settle if she is selling the truck ever, but returning to the United States is completely unlikely. If you buy another house in the United States, Kai says it will be an investment and an income source if you decide to rent it.

She is currently studying life in southern France, Spain or Italy.

“Each of them has its challenges. For me, it comes to finding a place I want to be in, and then I can deal with any challenges and collars that come with that,” she says.

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