These Newlyweds Lived In A Camper For 11 Months To Become Debt-Free

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Forget post-martial bliss. What started out as a casual money talk after a Bahamian honeymoon, the McCullocks went rogue, living in a camper full-time to pay down their mountain of student debt and car loans.

After their honeymoon, the couple figured, “we are doing this adult thing, let's sit down and talk about our finances,” recalls Zack McCullock. At the time, Zack was 27 and Jenna was 24.

Although they were open to all options, they had no idea where this conversation would take them in one year's time.

The McCullock's lived in a 30-foot camper for nearly a year to pay down $50,000 and become debt-free. Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

“I came from a great middle class family but we didn’t talk abut money that much,” said Zack. When he and his wife Jenna started to think about their financial future, he says, “We really felt unprepared.”

Get Momentum to Tackle the Easy Debt 

“We did the math on how long it would take us if we just did our minimum payments," says Zack. "I realized we’d either have to make a lot more money or hack our way out."

Their cringe-worthy sum? Over $50,000 in student and car loans. Their goal: debt-free living.

At first, the Oklahoma couple doubled down on ways to reduce their expenses – cutting the cable cord, calling insurance companies and negotiating for lower rates. Although at the time these measures were saving the couple tens of dollars a month, Zack remembers celebrating the small wins with Jenna. He believes that this strategy helped them gain the momentum to bite the big bullet: moving into a camper.

Although the couple was making progress, after four months they felt the itch to get out of debt faster.

“I’m lucky enough to have someone that I married that wants to care about [debt],” says Zack. The millennial believes that half the battle of destroying debt is having someone who is on the same financial page and can help motivate you.

At the time, they had been talking about starting their own business and perhaps trying to travel full-time while freelancing. Admitting it was a “city-on-a-hill” idea, Zack thinks that this dream contributed to their ultimate goal: getting debt free by living in a camper for 11 months.

The couple was eating at one of their favorite restaurants in Oklahoma City at the time and was talking about taking an extended road trip for a few months. They began thinking, what if they cut out the trip, and just lived in a camper full-time instead? They could pay off their debts and be closer to their dream of running their own business.

“Emotionally, ideas like that are really fun," recalls Zack, who admits that implementing them can be a bit trickier.

Do Your Research Before Making the Jump to RV-Life

When it came to the camper, the couple had a few criteria: the trailer had to be in decent shape, inexpensive and livable, which they defined as having a shower and little kitchen.

“Eating out every meal wasn’t realistic. It adds up,” said Zack. The couple contemplated using their gym memberships to shower in the morning after working out, but that seemed “too extreme.”

Browsing Craigslist while he was at work, Zack knew that they wanted something in the $3,000 to $4,000 range, that was not too used and could connect to his car. Using the automative pricing website,, Zack cross-referenced postings to ensure he was getting the best deal.

For this millennial couple, living in a camper for nearly a year was worth become debt-free. Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

When they found a keeper - a 30 foot TrailManor camper listed at around $3,000 but in great condition - Zack barely had enough money in his accounts to purchase the trailer; he had to take a cash advance of $1,000. Thinking back, he says it was  a "scary moment" but he knew that the camper had a possible re-sale value of around $8,000, so it seemed like a good investment.

When choosing a trailer,  consider what you’ll do with the vehicle at the end of the stay, advises Zack. If you don’t want to keep it forever, consider flipping it. The McCullocks did this, selling their camper for triple what they originally paid after putting a few weeks of sweat equity into the trailer to renovate it.

Their pop-up camper was in good condition when they purchased it and was a deal at around $3,500, but needed an update.  Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

The newlyweds were lucky enough to park their camper on some land that Zack’s parents owned. They paid the electric costs and invested in a storage unit that cost $90 a month. Located 15 minutes away from their camper, Zack called the storage unit “invaluable.” They swapped out summer and winter clothes easily and would be able to stop by and grab books or appliances that they needed.

After a few weeks of work and some sweat equity, the McCullock's camper was decidedly more modern and elegant. The update helped the couple stay longer in their cramped quarters. Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

“You don't want to have to buy and sell all your stuff,” says Zack. “Having the storage unit was the key thing that made it work for us.”

When the couple first moved in, it was nearly summertime and, save for a near disaster when they realized their AC unit couldn't power off of their trailer, was smooth sailing. They grilled out on their mini-porch deck nearly every night and said that it felt like a vacation.

Thanks to an outside deck and bright lights, the McCullock's spent most of their summer grilling outside when they first moved into their camper. Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

However, after a few months when the weather began to turn, parts of trailer living started to catch up to them.

“Anything that is left out in the camper feels cluttered,” said Zack, who felt like they were constantly doing dishes, thanks to a small sink and limited amount of plates. “It is this constant battle to create a space and environment to live in.”

Aside from not being able to have a lot of possessions, they also didn’t have internet. Zack describes the unintended technology detox as “by far the hardest thing.” In addition to books, Zack would download podcasts at work to listen to after dinner. The couple would relax on opposite sides of the camper, Zack on the bed a mere five feet away from Jenna who would watch the TV, which got three channels.

After five months, the couple was about to call it quits, between an ice storm, the weekly dumping of the “black tank” (yes, that’s what you think it is) and the small 10 gallon hot water tank, life in 30 feet long was looking grim.

“I'm dumping my own shit to pay off debt. How [crazy] is that? Some days it was so frustrating," admits Zack. However, thanks to having a partner who was dedicated to the same long-term goal, Zack believes the pair was able to push through together, eventually staying in the camper one month longer than expected.

“When you set long-term goals, you are going to fluctuate in your emotional response to that/sometimes you are going to be excited sometimes you're going to frustrated," says Zack.

Now, the 29-year-old runs a personal finance blog, FreeUp, where he writes about crushing debt, living in a camper and everything in between. The couple hopes to be financially independent one day so that they can take to the road. As for living in a camper again, Zack says it's not off the table.

Living Large... But Within Reason

In the meantime, the couple is living in downtown Oklahoma City, with all the fixings. Zack says, “We have Hulu back, we have Amazon Prime back and we have a high-speed internet.”

Jenna McCullock celebrating debt-free life in an apartment after living in a camper for nearly a year. Photo credit: Zack McCullock.

Zack McCullock.

Although Zack says they are less concerned about “that $10 Netflix bill” than they were before, their biggest takeaway is to not be caught up in the consumption culture, instead prioritizing their long-term goals of financial independence and debt-free living.

“Culturally, it's so easy to be caught up in what you should be doing….getting married, having kids, getting houses, rapidly trying to follow the rules of life. Let’s rethink this and this is really for us right now," says Zack. "One of the most empowering things is being OK with not going along with what everyone else is doing.”

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