BY: ALEX BROWN
On January 1st, 2016, Justin and Adam Fricke climbed aboard their new 2008 Dodge Sprinter Van and drove north. Their home town of Orlando shrank in the rearview until it disappeared in a vapour of commercial real-estate, 5×2 ft. mahogany desks, plush cubical fetters and the smell of fresh printer-paper. Out of sight, out of mind. If Justin, 25, once belonged to the suit-clad corporate shuffle of Orlando’s “promising” real-estate comeback, it is not obvious at first look: a ruggedly-bearded, cargo shorts-wearing owner of a 82-square-foot mobile home, cavalier to his brother’s piss-jug that fits somewhere between his solar-powered stove and the truckers-pad he uses as a bed.
Adam Fricke, 23, graduated from the University of Florida in 2015, but didn’t need a taste of the cubical life to detect a malodorous hint of death escaping from the heavy office doors—to him, the corporate reek of shiny pin-striped cashmere, squeaky black shoes and leather briefcases posed a distraction from the domesticity he found in a faint waft of formaldehyde. In other words, Adam was dedicated to the simple peripatetic pleasures of freelance photography and filmmaking from the get-go. So for the last two years, the brothers cultivated their escape plan: sock away as much money as possible (they set aside approx. $45,000 living rent-free with their parents), convert a Sprinter Van into mobile living space (total cost: $21,000 + $1,000 in renovations), and spend the next year chasing the highway lines of all 50 American states. So far, the Fricke brothers have ticked 11 states off their list.
Image via: The Bro’d Trip
In order to remain financially afloat, the brothers have learned a few key techniques. One of the first was to secure sponsorships from Merrell and Enerplex, outdoor lifestyle companies that supply apparel and solar-power equipment respectively. “In return for product and a monthly stipend, we provide them with blog posts, photos, video clips, and social media posts that help them connect with their target audience.” The brothers explain to Business Insider. Enerplex supplied the brothers with solar panels to power their electronics and two-burner stove, which they attached to their roof with tape and glue after learning there is no legitimate way of attaching the flexible black strips (with screws and bolts or otherwise). The Frickes also rigged up a collapsable table, mini-kitchen, custom walls and wooden floor, a fake-grass rug leading into the van’s back end to wipe muddy shoes, and a wooden bed-frame that divides the van between the sleeping area on top and storage space below.
Image via: The Bro’d Trip
Their biggest expense is gas, which doesn’t come cheap in a Sprinter Van, though luckily they can split the costs. The second most costly necessity is food. They try to keep to van-cooked meals, occasionally splurging on take-out and beer. The brothers admit that when a campsite isn’t available, 24-hour Walmart parking lots offer a place to sleep as well as lavatories (a little more glamorous than their the alternative, piss jugs) and groceries for midnight snacks and breakfast.
Image via: The Bro’d Trip
The brothers’ road trip—they’ve agreeably named it “the bro’d trip”—has already given them profound insight into the lifestyle they wish to maintain and the passions they aim to fulfill. As they circle the country, chasing state after state, the thought of returning to corporate life becomes increasingly farcical. For now their mission is simple: live-well, follow their passions, and when the year finally ends, who knows—create a documentary of their trip, release a book or photo series, or plan for the next big outing. The beauty, Justin and Adam believe, is that they won’t quite know until they get there.
Image via The Bro’d Trip
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