Why Road Life Hub Exists | Resources for Older Adults Living in Vehicles

If you've spent any time exploring this website, you may have noticed something has changed.

Road Life Hub started as a place where I shared stories about life on the road—travel experiences, parking locations, product reviews, and the everyday realities of living full-time in a vehicle. Those things are still here, and they always will be, because they're part of the journey.

But over the past several months, something became impossible for me to ignore.

The questions people asked were changing.

Instead of asking where to camp for the night, they were asking how to receive Social Security while living in a vehicle. They wanted to know how Medicaid works when you don't have a permanent address. They were trying to figure out healthcare, insurance, banking, mail, driver's licenses, and dozens of other systems that were never designed with a mobile lifestyle in mind.

Those aren't travel questions.

They're life questions.

The turning point for me came after my trip to Tucson in April. I found myself trying to navigate services that were difficult to access simply because I didn't fit the assumptions built into the system.

I wasn't homeless in the way many people picture homelessness. I wasn't living in a house either. I was somewhere in between, and I realized that many older adults living in vehicles were facing the same challenge.

At the same time, I couldn't ignore another part of my own story.

Before I became a full-time vehicle resident, I spent years working with older adults. I loved that work. Even now, when I picture the people I hope this website serves, I don't picture "seniors" as they're often portrayed in the media.

I picture friends like Angela and Sharon, and the many people I've met in the Arizona desert. They're active, independent, resourceful, funny, resilient, and still building meaningful lives. Most are somewhere between 50 and 75 years old. They're simply living differently than society expects.

They're also asking for something remarkably simple.

Reliable information.

Respect.

And to be seen for who they are instead of the stereotypes attached to vehicle living.

That's why Road Life Hub has evolved.

Today, my goal isn't simply to document my travels. It's to help older adults and people with disabilities navigate the practical realities of vehicle living while also sharing the stories that remind us we aren't alone.

Some articles will answer practical questions about healthcare, Social Security, insurance, parking, or everyday logistics.

Some will simply tell stories from the road, because sometimes the greatest comfort comes from realizing someone else has walked a similar path.

I hope both are valuable.

There's another audience I hope finds this website as well.

If you work for a nonprofit, healthcare system, government agency, church, or community organization, I hope Road Life Hub helps you see another side of vehicle residency.

Many professionals meet people only when they're experiencing their worst moments. That's understandable. It's the nature of social services.

But there's another population living quietly across deserts, forests, public lands, campgrounds, and small towns throughout America. Many are retired. Many are disabled. Some chose this lifestyle. Others adapted to it after life changed unexpectedly. They may not fit the image many people have when they hear the word "homeless," but they still encounter barriers that traditional systems weren't built to address.

The more we understand each other, the better we can build services that actually work.

People sometimes ask me why I'm so passionate about this.

The answer is simple.

I've lived both sides.

I've worked with older adults, and now I am one.

I've worked within helping systems, and I've needed those systems myself.

I've lived in a house, and I've lived in an SUV.

Very few people have the opportunity to see all of those perspectives from the inside.

I also believe knowledge is meant to be shared. I've spent years learning, studying, working, making mistakes, and asking questions. It would feel like a waste to keep those experiences to myself if they can make someone else's journey a little easier.

Road Life Hub isn't about having all the answers.

It's about building a place where practical information and lived experience belong together.

If you're living this life yourself, I hope you'll find answers, encouragement, and maybe a few stories that remind you you're in good company.

If you're here because you serve this community professionally, I'm glad you're here too.

We're all trying to understand the same road from different directions.

And I think we'll do a better job if we walk part of it together.

If you'd rather watch than read, I've created a short video introducing Road Life Hub and the mission behind this website. You can watch it on the new YouTube Channel.