What is the SchadPad?

It's a place, but it's rarely the same place. A shifting mood. An idea.

To plot it on the map, triangulate between Margaritaville, Neverland, and Valhalla. Follow the river to where the trout rise, then on to the mountains, then the desert.

You'll detect traces of woodsmoke, Doc Bronner's peppermint soap, and wafting bourbon. Listen for the sound of the blues.

Once you get there you can share my campfire and a cold drink.

Out with the Trailer, in the Van.

July, 2024. Kelly and I were on our way to Oregon.

It was the second day, in the Badlands, towing our Airstream Basecamp 20x behind us. We had spent the two days on the road navigating gas stations, trying to back into parking places, worrying about all of the sounds the hitch was making, and just generally looking over our shoulder all of the time. I realized that I was just not comfortable with the set-up. I know that some people have no problem towing, seemingly without a care in the world. I see them in campgrounds, at boat ramps, and all over the place. I am not one of those people. The idea of towing just does not seem natural or enjoyable to me. (It’s also well known that I have a traumatic past with trailer operation, which is another story.

I decided, then and there, that we would make a change, and probably by the end of the trip. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the seeds of going back to van life had been planted months before and just needed the proper on the road watering to reach full fruition. I had been happy with Airstream and had it in my head that we would move to one of their travel vans. So I began to look at the dealers along the route, get some bids, and try to make it happen.

It’s not easy to make a deal on the road, get all the paperwork done, take delivery, and shake it down, but that’s exactly what we did after a four day stay in Spokane, Washington. We settled on a new Airstream Interstate 24x, which is the “rugged” version of their popular vans based on the Mercedes Sprinter Chassis.

It was love at first sight. It’s like the old Sportsmobile, only sleeker, roomier, and way more comfortable inside. Vans have come a long way. The lithium ion/solar revolution, the Sprinter chassis, the indoor bathroom, the amenities. The perfect mix of comfort but with enough clearance to get to some off the beaten path sites.

After Spokane, we continued on to Oregon. Kelly drove back home with the SUV while I trucked around Idaho and Montana with my sons, breaking in the van and trying to figure out all of the systems. I plan on making a full report, but the short version is that we’re pretty pleased. It’s so much more freeing to drive a van than a trailer. Hard to explain just how much less anxiety there is all the time without checking off every item on the doomsday checklist.