What started with camping trips and weekend getaways eventually changed the direction of our lives.
How It Started
In 2019, we bought our first travel trailer.
At the time, we weren’t planning to live on the road. We simply wanted another way to get away, spend time together and vacation.
The more we traveled, the more we wanted to see.
Camping trips became longer trips. In 2022 we went on our longest trip yet, almost three weeks. After that trip we decided we wanted to experience the RV life full time. We developed a plan and set it in motion.
Somewhere along the way, Campfires & Motors became more than a name for our adventures. It became part of how we lived.
Taking the Leap
In December 2024, we sold our home, downsized what we owned and moved into our RV full-time.
It was a major change, but it gave us something we valued even more: the freedom to explore at our own pace.
It felt liberating to get rid of things we had accumulated over time. Throwing things out, selling and donating other items felt good. We do maintain a small storage unit with some items we wanted to keep.
Our RV is now our home, and the country outside our front door is constantly changing. One week might mean waking up beside the mountains. Another might put us in the desert, along the coast or tucked into a campground somewhere we had never heard of a few months earlier.
There is always something new around the next bend.
The Family Behind Campfires & Motors
Campfires & Motors is a family adventure.
Steve handles much of the driving, maintenance, repairs, photography and video production that keep both the RV and the channel moving.
Ashley keeps plenty of things running behind the scenes while also being part of the adventures, campground stays, travel days and everything else that comes with full-time RV life.
Our kids are teens now and they are still loving the travel life. Of course there are good and bad days, ups and downs. But you have that no matter where you are.
Another part of our adventures is our crazy Belgium Malinois, Tango. He deffinatly can make things interesting!
It isn’t always easy, and it definitely isn’t always glamorous. That is part of the story.
Why We Share It
We enjoy showing incredible places, but some of the most useful things we share happen between the destinations.
Things break. Plans change. Weather gets in the way. Campgrounds don’t always look like the pictures. Gear that sounds great on paper doesn’t always work well after thousands of miles on the road.
Living this lifestyle full-time gives us the chance to put things to the test in the real world.
When we talk about RV equipment, maintenance, campgrounds, travel routes or products we use, we try to share what we have actually experienced rather than simply repeating what someone else says.
Sometimes something works great. Sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, we think that is worth sharing.
More Than Checking Places Off a List
We love national parks, scenic drives, hikes and seeing new parts of the country, but Campfires & Motors has never been about racing from one destination to the next.
The places matter, but so do the experiences along the way: a quiet campsite, a road we weren’t planning to take, a conversation around a campfire, a repair that teaches us something new, or finding a place that makes us want to stay just a little longer.
Those are often the moments we remember most.
Keep Traveling With Us
There is still a lot of this country we haven’t seen, and that is exactly how we like it.
We’ll keep exploring new places, learning as we go and sharing the adventure along the way.
If our travels help you discover somewhere new, solve an RV problem or finally decide to take an adventure of your own, even better.