Meet Our Contributors

Janine Pettit – Girl Camper

Janine Pettit is a lifelong lover of camping who took a 25-year sabbatical when she married a “resort” type guy. She re-discovered her love of camping when on a whim she joined a friend on a last-minute- road trip adventure. That weekend getaway grew into a full-fledged camping movement with a popular website, Girl Camper Chapters nationwide, a weekly podcast, camping events, Camper Colleges at dealerships nationwide and now a new Girl Camper Magazine!  For any solo woman traveler who is just starting out and needs advice or encouragement, Girl Camper will help you every step of the way. Find out more at girlcamper.com.

Mark Polk – RV Education 101

Mark is one of the most trusted RV experts in the industry.  He has spent the past 20+ years educating millions of RV consumers on how to properly and safely use and maintain their RVs. Mark’s favorite past times are RVing with his wife Dawn in their 35-foot Type A motorhome with their two dogs Gracie and Roxie and restoring vintage RVs, classic cars, and trucks. For more information on using, enjoying, and maintaining your RV, visit RV Education 101.

Jeremy & Stephanie Puglisi – The RV Atlas

After buying their very first pop up camper six years ago, Jeremy and Stephanie caught the RV bug in a big way, and now spend over 70 nights a year in their travel trailer with their three sons, Theo, Max, and Wes, and sweet Maggie the pup. They’re the co-hosts of the weekly The RV Atlas and Campground of the Week podcasts, creators of the RVFTA Podcast Network, authors of The Idiots Guide to RV Vacations and the Acadia National Park Adventure Guide. You can follow along on their adventures (and misadventures) over at www.rvatlas.com.

Sandra Crespo and Luis Class - 1st Class RV Adventures

In 2016, Luis and Sandra decided it was time for their family to start collecting experiences and not junk. Now, as a full-time RVing family of four, they work to inspire others to live their definition of freedom while they teach their children by example. Follow along as they fulfill their passion for travel and personal development at 1st Class RV Adventures.

Melissa

Melissa is a new RVer with a few skills up her sleeve. Melissa is a DIY/craft expert, a recipe creator, a gardening wiz, an organizational genius, and to top it all off, a super mom. Traveling is just one of her many passions and RVing has allowed her to do even more of her favorite hobbies while still seeing the country. To learn more about Melissa and to see her tips, recipes, and projects, visit her website.

Jeff Crider

Jeff Crider is the President and CEO of Crider Public Relations, and has been involved in covering the campground industry for over 25 years. Jeff has worked as a freelance writer for publications such as RV Business, Motor Home Magazine, Trailer Life, Highways and other Affinity Group Inc. publications since 1995. In addition to writing, Jeff is also a talented photographer and humanitarian. To learn more about Jeff and his work, visit his website.

Melody Pittman

Melody is a wife, mother, and dog mom who travels the country with her husband in their fifth-wheel RV. Originally from Vero Beach, Florida, she and her husband decided to take an extended vacation and see the country. Melody has been all over the USA, and blogs about her adventures along the way on her website. Her trip guides include great places to eat, where to stay, and things to do in each state.

Melissa Fuller

Melissa Fuller is a singer and songwriter from Nashville, TN who has taken to the road with her husband and two young boys. She shares her journey of finding her inspiration and exploring her creativity by experiencing beautiful places and vast landscapes. Through travel, she can truly be herself and share her most authentic voice as she blends her greatest passions of singing, songwriting, travel, and her family.

Kita Roberts

Kita Roberts, also known as “Girl Carnivore”, is a recipe developer, photographer, and content creator. Kita is an expert in all things meat and has created hundreds of recipes which she shares on her website. In a male-dominated industry, Kita continues to be a trail blazer in the culinary world.

Lentine Alexis 

Lentine Alexis is a classically trained chef, cookbook author, and former professional endurance athlete. She spent nine years as a professional endurance triathlete and yoga instructor, living in Asia, Europe and the United States. After her time as an athlete and instructor, Lentine cultivated a career in international diplomacy, which taught her what it meant to fuel life and sport. Eventually, she realized that the work she longed to do through policy couldn’t compare to the kind of change she wanted to make in the world by sharing, enjoying, connecting, and exploring food. In her Class-B RV, Lentine travels to places where she can do what she loves most: train, be one with nature, and cook real food. To learn more about her story and see her recipes, visit her website.

Lesa McDermott

Lesa McDermott is the Girl Camper Guide for the Black Hills/South Dakota Chapter and a contributing writer for the Girl Camper Magazine. Lesa is a passionate outdoor adventurer who loves spending time in the mountains or scuba diving in remote places around the world. Visit the Girl Camper website here.

Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich

Rob Mariano and his wife Amber were both contestants on the hit reality TV series, Survivor. After their time on the show, they went on to compete on CBS’s Amazing Race. Rob then went on to host his own TV show and make guest appearances on various others. Rob and Amber are now happily married with four daughters. The family embarked on an epic RV adventure in a Class-A down the east coast during the summer of 2021 and documented their trip along the way. See their story here.

Cory Lee

Cory Lee was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at age 2 but that didn’t stop his love of travel or prevent him from becoming an award-winning international travel blogger focused on accessibility. Cory Lee has traversed all 7 continents, frequently speaks about accessible travel at international conferences, and has been featured on the Travel Channel, CBS News, National Geographic, Forbes, and more. His blog answers questions about how to travel while in a wheelchair; what to know when traveling abroad; provides recommendations on the most accessible hotels and cities; and how his travel experiences enrich his life. See Cory Lee’s website here.

RV Technical Institute

The mission of the RV Technical Institute is to provide world-class training for RV maintenance and repair to technicians across the country and increase the number of certified technicians at RV dealerships. They offer hands-on training and instruction to provide students with the experience and expertise needed by manufacturers, dealerships and repair shops nationwide. Learn more on their website.

Outside

Outside is a resource for outdoor enthusiasts which provides its members the best-in-class travel, sports, storytelling, gear reviews, fitness, online courses, discounted event access, magazines, and more.Visit their site.

Will and Britta Brown

Will and Britta Brown are a married couple who swapped their house for an RV. After living in an RV full-time, they now have an apartment in Michigan and enjoy RVing part-time. Will and Britta aim to prove that African Americans can RV and camp too. The dynamic duo shares their travel experiences on their website .

Matt Light

Matt Light is a former offensive tackle who played for the New England Patriots for 11 years. During his time in the NFL, he made 5 Super Bowl appearances, won 3 Super Bowl championships, and made 3 trips to the Pro Bowl. Matt is now an avid RVer post-football career. In addition to his travels, he spends his time running the Light Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving at-risk kids a better chance at leading healthy lives by using the great outdoors to learn and grow. The Light Foundation also provides academic scholarships to deserving young student leaders in Ohio and New England and gives kids opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have to get outside and take on a challenge or to strive for excellence in their academic pursuits. Learn more about Matt, his career, travels, and philanthropy on his website. ​​​​

Julie Sojot

Julie is originally from the island of Oahu but now calls Washington State home. She is a wife and mother who loves to go on adventures with her family. Many of their RV adventures take place in the Pacific Northwest and northern Midwest of the USA. You can follow them on their adventures on Instagram HERE. 

The Mom Trotter

Karen is a wife, mother, world traveler, and creator of The Mom Trotter blog. Her blog focuses on sharing budget travel tips, homeschooling life, and parenting tips. She and her family travel in their RV around the USA, and share their adventures along the way. See her blog here.

Robert and Jessica Meinhoffer 

Robert, Jessica, Daniel, and Nadia are a self-described Latino RVing family that learn and travel together in their 2016 Forest River Grey Wolf Travel Trailer. They are balancing life, fun, and roadschooling as they explore local life throughout the country.

Fresh Off the Grid

Fresh Off the Grid was started by Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet. They believe that it’s possible to enjoy delicious, healthy-ish meals while camping without buying a ton of different ingredients or dirtying a ton of dishes. They strive to develop recipes that require a low effort but have a big payoff. See their story and recipes here.

Brody Leven

Brody Leven is a professional skier and climber who is known for being a climate change activist and conservationist. With a passion for the outdoors early on, he graduated from Westminster College and then chose to pursue his career in climbing and skiing. He now travels around the USA in his Class-B RV skiing, hiking, climbing, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Jerome and Jennifer Braga

The Bragas are a family of 4 (plus their dog Chance), RVing since 2013. When life hit them with several close friends' tragedies, the Bragas knew they needed to live a more fulfilled life. So, with snowcapped mountains and warm sandy beaches on their mind, the Bragas hit the road in 2015 with a bucket list dream of experiencing the quintessential cross-country road trip. However, they never thought that what they assumed would be their 1 Chance to experience such a life-changing journey would become a lifestyle mission.

They began vacationing in 2013 in a renovated travel trailer; simply as an opportunity to get out and explore while keeping their environment safe from deadly food allergies that plague their youngest daughter. With weekend getaways filling their hearts and building their confidence, they set their sights on a cross-country journey that would take them from Connecticut to California and back.  

What started as a simple winter getaway has turned into a journey that keeps getting more fulfilling at every passing exit ramp. With over 110,000 towing miles logged, the Bragas have experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that come with RV traveling. They can be found online at www.our1chance.com and on social media at @our1chance.