It’s not easy to venture out of your comfort zone, but such concerns never stopped Anthony and Benedicte Rigo. This adventurous couple left their home in France to travel across the US, despite not speaking a word of English.
Their journey began in 2012 when the couple decided they were done with living a typical domestic life. Anthony, an auto mechanic, purchased an L-series Mercedes Benz 1113 4×4, and with a bit of elbow grease transformed the decaying fire truck into a family-friendly overland RV. He installed solar panels and a 90 gallon clean water tank to keep their home-away-from-home as self-sufficient as possible. Though the massive vehicle still guzzles gas at a rate of 10 gallons every 100 miles or so.
While Anthony toiled on the overland RV’s mechanics, Benedicte put the atheistic eye she had developed as a hairdresser to good use by designing the interior. The result includes a dining room, full kitchen, full bathroom, two bunk beds for their children, and a loft bed over the living space. From the outside, few would guess that inside this RV is a modern and expertly designed, cozy space. They called their new home Tao, signifying harmony with the natural universe, and chronicled their travels on their site Tao-En-Vadrouille.com.
Once Anthony and Benedicte finished restoring the old fire truck, they transported it across the Atlantic to begin their adventures in North America. They brought their two daughters – Chiara, 5, and Lou, 8 – along for their trip, determined to help them see more of the world before they were fully grown.
In 2012 they departed from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Halifax in Nova Scotia and begin their travels. Slowly they began to learn and understand English, although they often struggled with the many accents they’ve encountered. Their travels have all-but forced them to make friends across the US. Whether with people on the street, or the many mechanics who worked on their Mercedes during its numerous breakdowns. While the fire truck’s parts are common throughout much of the world, they remain a rarity in North America.
They traveled down the east coast of the US before heading west along the Gulf Coast, into the Southwest and finally up through California. Despite their many stops, they’ve come nowhere close to finishing the ambitious trip they planned.
The family originally intended to end their travels in Ushuaia on the southern islands of Argentina, after traveling through Mexico, Central America and the west coast of South America, but due to the RV’s recent engine problems, they’ve put the remainder of the trip on hold with every intention of continuing someday.
“We return to France much earlier than expected,” Anthony writes, “but with a huge desire to leave… later.”
For now, they’ve created and logged plenty of memories, along with a few tips and tricks for planning your own ambitious vacation, which you can find on their website. When they do return, they’ll be doing it without their precious Tao, which is now, sadly, for sale.
