Trailer Life – How One Woman Travelled The World In A Tiny Trailer

If you have spent any amount of time living the van life or travelling in a van, then you’ll know the incredible sense of freedom that comes with the digital nomad lifestyle. Every day we get more and more comments from people who are desperate to get off the grid, to leave their mundane 9 to 5 lives behind and to do something bold and outrageous. Vandwellers on Van Life Instagram accounts are helping people to see that any one of us can get out there and see the world, and who knows, maybe you’ll even be able to make a career out of your travels with all of the free time that you’ll have on your hands. This article is about one woman who did just that, and how trailer life changed her world forever. 

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Solo Female Traveller Living The Trailer Life!

trailer life - impulse

A few years ago, Mandy Lea dropped everything in her life and set off on a journey to live the trailer life around the world. She decided to do the unthinkable; leaving her job, friends and family behind and heading off on an adventure. It’s the stuff that tales are made of (no seriously, this is basically the premise of the Hobbit), and now Mandy has made memories in her tiny home in countries all around the globe. 

The object of Mandy’s desire was a dinky little teardrop trailer, the kind that you would expect anyone setting off on an epic trip to have in tow. She claims to this day that her tiny eco house called to her as she passed, that it was the answer to all of her troubles and worries about not making her own way in the world. I know her feeling all too well, as I also had these same troubles and feelings of heading down a dead-end street before I started travelling in a van full time, and like Mandy, I’m happier now than I have ever been! But this isn’t about me; we’re here to read about an incredible trailer life story!

trailer life - photography

Embarking On An Off Grid Adventure!

The idea of trailer life came to Mandy on a trip out into the mountains, as all good ideas usually do; it’s something about the clean air and calm surroundings that make us want to say goodbye to the hustle and bustle of office city life. Mandy realised that she shouldn’t be living a life that she was expected to live, and wanted to combine her burning desire to scratch her wanderlust itch with her passion of Photography and Art in a bid to avoid ‘burning out’. “In that very moment,” says Mandy, “I thought to myself ‘I don’t know how my life is going to change, but it is never going to be the same.’ I could not waste another moment of my life to fear, as that leads to nothing but regret.”

trailer life - the old

The Perfect Vehicle For The Trailer Life

Mandy’s adventure almost ground to a halt when her beloved off grid trailer was stolen before she had even set off. Devastated, she took to social media to ask for help in retrieving her off grid camper, a plea that went viral and eventually received the full support of the police. Sadly, the travel trailer that started her dream was found trashed and unsuitable for the adventure of a lifetime. This is a story that happens all too often, which makes gadgets like the Owl Car Cam security system a must for new builds and one of the most crucial van life essentials when travelling solo.

trailer life - phoenix

Thankfully Mandy found herself a new teardrop camper, and it’s the kind of off road trailer that vanlife blogs dream of writing about. It’s a colourful tiny trailer with heaps of personality, making it the perfect partner for taking around the world with you. There’s room on the top to hold a kayak, and the dual side paint job gives this tiny house a quirky feel. The main door into the camper looks very quaint and looks like the perfect place to sit and watch the world go by while letting your creative juices flowing. 

trailer life - the wilderness

This new camper, aptly named ‘The Pheonix’ in honour of Mandy’s dream rising from the ashes, has all of the trailer life essentials for alternative living on the road. She has added a few special home comforts and home furnishings, and this teardrop camper has plenty indoor shelving, cabinets that make the most of all the tiny space, a comfy bed, and an outdoor kitchen space at the back. Whoever said that trailer life couldn’t feel homely obviously didn’t know Mandy!

Tell Us About This Trailer Life Trip!

Mandy clocked up 33’000 miles in the first nine months of her adventure, ticking off three countries with ease. She has travelled all over America with her tiny home in tow, living in some of the most idyllic places on earth and enjoying life on her own terms. Now, after covering many more miles and adding a new trailer to her life, she’s currently living the trailer life in Mexico, taking photos and speaking to others about her experience in a bid to educate people on a slower pace of life. “Simplifying my life was the best thing I ever did,” says Mandy in one of her Instagram posts, and to be honest we think she is right. You don’t see any trace of worry on her face when you look at her photos, and the dread of the 9-5 life seems to have left her for good. 

trailer life - adventure

We love stories like this at Van Clan and would love to hear from more people who have taken the plunge and thrown themselves into a new way of life. Trailer life is the perfect way to get off the grid in a relatively cheap camper and see the world at your own pace, and we salute anyone who is brave enough to follow their dreams. It’s tough for creatively minded people to make their way in this world, but van life and trailer life give you the precious time that you need to make, write, snap and do whatever it is that get’s your blood pumping. 

trailer life - new trailer
Mandy’s new trailer might look swish and funky fresh, but she’ll always have a soft spot for Pheonix.

You can follow Mandy’s adventure on Instagram, and I’m sure that she would love to answer any more questions that you might have!

All photos copyright @mandyleaphoto

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