The 9-to-5 life as a competitive analyst for a tech company in California’s Silicon Valley was wearing thin on Chris Dunphy. In the mornings he would drive the 100-mile round-trip commute to his demanding job. In the evenings he spent what little personal time that remained to eat and sleep in his apartment in downtown San Francisco.

One day in 2006 he realized something: If he was going to spend all this time in a car, why not upgrade to a recreation vehicle, or RV, and use it to travel to places unknown instead?

“I had always wanted to live in an RV,” says Dunphy, “so I jumped at the opportunity to evict myself from my San Francisco apartment and move into a very tiny travel trailer and hit the road solo.”

Indeed his first trailer was tiny—a 16-foot T@b clamshell trailer that barely had enough living space or a bathroom for his use (he regularly used showers at public campgrounds instead). He outfitted the trailer with solar panels and a wireless Internet connection so he could work as independent consultant, and he’s loved every moment of it.