A couple have revealed how they quit their jobs and sold their house to travel the world in a former Army truck.
Craig Saunders and Kerry Whitelegg, who are originally from Bristol, bought the vehicle – which they’ve called ‘Penelope’ – back in 2019.
The married couple then spent two years turning the DAF T244 truck into a fully-functional motorhome – complete with a mini kitchen, toilet and TV.
Speaking to Bristol Post, the pair explained how they packed up their lives in the UK in 2021 and currently have no plans to return.
As a result of the Covid-lockdowns, Craig, who used to work in a brewery, said they finally wanted to make their lifelong dream a reality while they still could.
Craig Saunders and Kerry Whitelegg (pictured in Istanbul in December 2022), who are originally from Bristol, have been travelling the world for the past two years
The couple spent two years turning their old Army truck ‘Penelope’ into their dream motorhome. Pictured in Greece
Kerry – who previously worked as a freelance yoga teacher – said: ‘We were very much unhappy with the way our lives were headed: careers, the house needed work, I needed a new car.
‘It was a question of investing in our lives as they were and carrying on, or committing to ourselves and flipping it all to take a chance of being happy.’
Since making that life-changing decision, Craig and Kerry have travelled through France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and are currently exploring Cyprus.
Although the pair inevitably had to downgrade the size of their living space when they moved, they now feel as if the van is almost too big for them – as they spend most of their time behind the wheel.
As well as fitting a shower in the bathroom, the pair also managed to find room for their king-size bed – which is a necessity for 6ft 4″ Craig.
What’s more, the cosy van also doubles up as a home cinema thanks to a projecttor they’ve installed on the far wall.
While visiting his mother in Cyprus recently, the pair said that they found her home too large and joked: ‘We did not sleep very well. We missed the van!’
The adventurous duo are hoping that they will have the chance to go to Morocco soon as well as Kazakhstan.
Pictured: what the couple’s motorhome ‘Penelope’ looked like back when they bought it in 2019
Pictured: the pair’s living space in the old Army truck, which doubles up as an at-home cinema for when they want to have a night-in
At first, Kerry says that friends thought they were ‘ridiculous’ to pack up their lives – but she now claims she has pals back in the UK who have now bought vans to take on their own adventures.
What’s more, Craig says their lifestyle has down wonders for both their stress levels and highlighted how he no longer struggles with recurrent migraines.
In order to fund their lifestyle, Kerry also works as a virtual PA for various businesses a few hours each day.
Meanwhile, Craig has been keeping busy by writing a book about their travels and running their Instagram and YouTube channel.
He added: ‘Knowing that we don’t owe anybody any money is a nice feeling. Living in the UK, you don’t realise just how stressful your life is. So you step away and see it from the other side and go, ‘how did I survive?’
The couple (pictured in front of Penelope) said friends thought they were ‘ridiculous’ to take their lives on the road back in 2021
Kerry pictured in front of their motorhome Penelope in Switzerland last year. The former yoga instructor now works as a virtual PA to fund their lifestyle
‘You’re told, “you have to earn money, you have to pay these bills, you have to have a pension, you must have a house, you must have a car’. But you don’t need to do those things.
Before setting off on their adventure, the couple also worked towards a saving goals and also have an emergency amount stashed away.
At first, they thought they would only be able to sustain their jet-setting lifestyle for a year – but thanks to their disciplined spending, they currently don’t have a date in which they’ll return to their old lives.
Offering advice to people who are tempted by the idea of a life on the road, the couple advised easing yourself in slowly.
Rather than jumping straight in and buying a motorhome, they recommended hiring a campervan for a few weekends away to see if it suits.
