Your name: Thayer Low
Location: Berthoud, Colorado (No one has heard of it- it's just north of Boulder in farmland)
Nickname: Layla
Make & Model: Land Rover LR4
Year: 2012, Auto
HEST products: Two 25” HEST Sleep Systems and two Pillows
Critical dimensions for your bed platform:
We have a few different set-ups and the Sleep Systems give us some flexibility; I use a single HEST memory foam pad when sleeping alone in the back of my truck, however by having another single available, my husband, two daughters and I use both in our 3-ish person RTT which perfectly takes the place of the rather uncomfortable original mattress.
Is this your daily driver or getaway car?
Layla gets to do everything from grocery and school duty to all of our overlanding adventures.
Tips for others looking to do the same to their vehicle?
Start small and with what you have. Getting out is the most important part! Some of my favorite vehicle ideas came from people I traveled with.
On your average weekend adventure, what is the gear set up you bring with you? How did you navigate gear storage needs into your rig set up?
After a few years of constantly scrambling to make sure I had the essentials I started keeping things like recovery gear, a medical kit, and my fridge in the car. Now to get ready for a trip I just add clothing, a sleeping bag and some food. I use a built-in drawer in the back of the truck for the stuff we (hopefully) don't need, and some super heavy duty totes for other supplies. It is still a system in flux, but works pretty well even for our longer adventures.
Any cool custom details you’re proud of?
You know that saying "If you don’t turn around, look back at your car, and smile after you park it you're driving the wrong car?" I recently redid Layla's wrap due to wear and tear (the reason for having it, right?) and her current one has a couple hidden details that I'm in love with! One is her name on the gas tank, but only ever so slightly, still in the same color!
Sickest place you’ve taken your rig to?
Camping on the beaches in Baja has been my favorite so far, both sides of the peninsula. Being in absolute seclusion and sleeping with the sound of the surf is magical. A few times now I've been lucky enough to see dolphins jumping in the waves- that alone is a reason for traveling in my mind!
