Truck Camping With a Wheelchair: Inside a Paralympian's Tiny Home
Channing, a Team USA Paralympian Kayaker, is taking her love of sports and adventure and using it to travel nationwide in her Toyota Tacoma camper truck.
Channing designed her DIY truck camper to meet her needs as a person who uses a wheelchair. She went for floor storage and opted not to spend money on extras that involved overhead storage or utilities that can only be used while standing. She also has hand-controls on the truck that allow her to drive without using her legs.
Channing went for a rustic aesthetic for her camper makeover. Many of the materials in the wheelchair-accessible tiny home are upcycled. For example, the windows are made out of old materials that Channing’s friend found; together, they spray-painted them and used them for her camper.
She carries her kayak and paddles on her camper truck and also has spare chairs and a table that can be used to set up outdoor seating if she has friends over.
Truck camping with a wheelchair
For Channing, who travels to many different places to participate in kayaking competitions, truck camping with a wheelchair provided a good alternative to plane travel, which can be extremely uncomfortable for wheelchair users.
In addition, traveling in her 2017 Toyota Tacoma allows Channing to take detours and to see different parts of the country for leisure. Camping allows her to have that homey feeling, without having to pay for a hotel.
Channing makes money on the road in different ways, ranging from projects with national parks working to increase accessibility, to gigs in commercials and TV.
She loves the freedom and sense of being in control over her own life that she gets from being on the open road.
For more van life stories, learn about this unique ambulance camper conversion or this cat-friendly DIY ProMaster camper van.
To see more videos, check out the Tiny Home Tours YouTube channel.
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