After trading her corporate career for life on the road, Maria and her Australian Shepherd Blue have spent years exploring America in their ex-military Land Rover Defender. Their journey represents the ultimate escape—proving that with courage and determination, the road less traveled can become home.
We were stepping out of a Maverik gas station during the Easter Jeep Safari when we spotted this OD green Defender in the parking lot. I’ll be the first to admit that anything donning olive drab gets five “cool” stars, but this Landy had icebergs clinging to the fenders.
An Australian Shepherd sat in the driver’s seat, apparently awaiting its owner’s return. Rick Péwé and I walked around to the passenger side where an attractive young girl waited as well. We then realized there was a steering wheel in front of her, and we were looking at a right-hand-drive import.
She stealthily locked the door as we (two bearded, creepy-looking old guys) approached and motioned to roll the window down. Throwing caution to the wind, she complied and found herself fielding a barrage of questions.
Her name was Maria, her canine pal was Blue, and the Rover was Poe—so named for a raven graphic on the door and Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem. Together they are Roaming Reckless, and their stopover in Moab was part of the 50-state Road Trip. A girl, dog and badass Rover… we couldn’t help but ask her to join us for a trail ride.
Stepping off the Bridge
When we meet someone who has the guts to drop everything and hit the road, we need to know more.
What motivated them? Did their friends and family say they were crazy? How do they pay for it all? As a hostage of the jet-set business world, Maria had two loves—travel, and her dog.
While frequent assignments in Europe were checking the first box, extended time away from Blue weighed heavily on her soul. The solution was to take a hiatus from work, and the duo headed out on what developed into a multi-year overland adventure… in a Subaru. Yes, they lived in the palatial expanses of a Subaru wagon for three years.
Surviving on Maria’s savings, they slept in Walmart parking lots, cooked ramen on a Jet Boil, and grabbed free showers when the opportunity arose.
Not shy in front of a camera, she began documenting the trip, and she and Blue slowly built a YouTube following.
After several years of neck pain from being curled up in the back of a rolling sarcophagus, she decided it was time to move up to something with more room and a capable four-wheel-drive system. Enter the new member of Roaming Reckless. Poe.
Reckless Rover
Poe, a 1997 Land Rover 110 three-door wagon, cut its teeth working for the British military. While we don’t know its deployment history, we do know it was assigned to the RAF and the Mil-Spec version was slightly different than civilian models in that it had a much stronger frame.
Under the bonnet rests a 300Tdi, Land Rover’s tried-and-tested 2.5-liter turbodiesel. Although the 300 was never revered for its earth-shattering performance—a whopping 111 peak horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque—the little four-banger has a reputation for reliability and was an upgrade over the previous 200Tdi.
Non North American models, which weren’t strangled to death with emissions controls, were also rated at an impressive 29 mpg. Fitted with a 21-gallon fuel cell, one can expect a 500-mile range per fill-up.
Power is sent aft via an R380 five-speed manual gearbox and LT230T two-speed transfer case with a manually locking center differential. Underneath are factory Salisbury rear and Hotchkiss front axles, and on each corner are disc brakes and BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrains wrapped around factory rims.
Maria started with a blank canvas, and the first order of business was creating a livable space. With the help of a friend, she built a cabinet system that includes a slide-out double bed, heaps of storage (compared to a Subaru), and a basic power grid and lighting.
The roof-mounted solar panel feeds a Jackery Explorer power station, which in turn runs a fridge-freezer and other accessories. Out back is a Dometic water system and sink, and up top a Hi-Lift jack and Yakima pod ride on a full-length rack system from Baja Racks.
Defender cabs are designed for function rather than bling, and high-tech options include manual windows (don’t have to worry about malfunction), a heater, and electric windshield wipers—no Laurel and Hardy action here.
Maria did add a JBL Bluetooth speaker for those long days on the road. Other than that, the rest of the rig is ready-for-the-trail vintage.
Since we met, Maria has installed an Alu-Cab pop-up top, auxiliary lights, a security system, diesel heater, and has upgraded to a Dometic fridge-freezer. Next will be moving the spare tire to a rear rack so she can open the hood without an engine hoist.
Reckless Advice
After her seven years, two vehicles, 22 states and 200,000 miles on the road, we wanted to know more about her vagabond life, YouTube success, what the future holds and any advice she has for anyone dreaming of following suit. It went like this.
What are the challenges of living on the road?
One thing is not being able to shower as consistently as I’d like. Sometimes extreme weather can make travel annoying, when you’re in -55ºF in Alaska or 115ºF in Joshua Tree. I don’t mind suffering through, but it’s challenging to keep Blue comfortable.
Do you think solo travel is more difficult for a woman?
I’ve never felt like I have a harder time than the guys. I know I’m capable of figuring out any situation I get myself into and trust my abilities to problem-solve. I may not be as technically gifted as some, but I can get myself out of trouble. If I can’t, I find someone who can help me out. The road is tough, you’ve just got to be tougher. Male or female, the same principles apply. Be smart, stay safe, be aware of your surroundings and trust your gut.
You spent the winter in Alaska; how do you and Blue cope with sub-zero temperatures?
Blue is an Aussie and double-coated, so he loves the cold. He has a winter jacket and boots when it’s in the negatives, but he prefers the extreme cold to the heat. He’s the perfect road trip partner; not much fazes him. I’ve recently had a diesel heater put in the truck and that has made a world of a difference.
Tell us about your relationship with Blue.
It’s very symbiotic and hard to articulate. When we left in 2017 Blue was a year old, still very much a puppy, and I had no clue what I was doing when it came to dog training. We had some growing pains but figured it out quickly and we are aware of our roles. He barks at threats and demands to play fetch all day, and I do everything else [she laughs]. Never spending a day apart has made us as close as you can get… you might argue codependent. Blue is a protector by nature. I know that dog would die for me, and I sorta feel like I’ve got a 9mm on my hip.
How has your YouTube success changed your life, and how often do you run into subscribers?
Well, my food budget isn’t $60 a week anymore like when I first started out! But besides being able to afford more groceries, I’m still on the road doing what I love, and I’d be doing this whether or not success came with it. My subscribers have been the biggest blessing in my life. I feel like I have an online family, and like family they are not afraid to call me out when I do something dumb. We’ve built trust and rapport, and if I need a second opinion I ask them. I know they’re not going to sugar-coat things.
Do you have a favorite place so far, and what is the plan after you visit all 50 states?
Alaska. The extreme weather has been brutal, but this is because I wasn’t prepared for the winter. After making some upgrades to the Defender we’re doing much better, but I will 100-percent be setting up a home base in Alaska someday. There’s absolutely no place like it.
After North America we will be going international. I want to ship the Defender back to England where it’s from and explore the U.K. and Europe. Eventually Iceland, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Don’t worry, the 50-state road trip is just the beginning.
Do you have advice for someone dreaming of hitting the road?
Life is way too short—you only get one, and there are no do-overs. Don’t waste time being unhappy, unfulfilled, wondering “what if” and not living life to its fullest. You’ll have hurdles, stuff will go wrong, but have a positive outlook and keep on going.
Learn more about Maria, Blue and Poe on roamingreckless.com and join their adventures on YouTube and Instagram @roamingreckless.
25-Year Import
You might be wondering how Maria got her hands on a British 110. Back in the ’70s and ’80s there was a flood of new non-North American cars being imported on the gray market (specifically Mercedes-Benz), which was putting the pinch on sales numbers.
Rumor has it the three-point-star brand and other European manufacturers lobbied congress to eliminate these imports for “public safety” concerns. The Motor Vehicle Safety Compliance Act passed, but was amended in 1998 to allow vehicles older than 25 years to be legally imported.
That opened the door for companies like Power Stance Import Export (where Maria sourced Poe) to import all of the cool international platforms previously reserved for daydreams and trips abroad.
| Vehicle Specs | Roaming Reckless Mil-Spec Defender 110 |
|---|---|
| Base Vehicle | 1997 Land Rover Defender 110 (Mil-Spec) |
| Importer | Power Stance Import Export, Oxford, MI |
| Engine | 300Tdi 2.5-liter I4 turbodiesel, Mantec raised air intake |
| Output | 111hp, 195 lb.-ft. of torque |
| Performance | 0-60 in 17.4 sec., 19.8 sec ¼ mile |
| Fuel capacity/range | 21 gal., 500+ miles |
| Transmission/transfer case | R380 manual 5-speed, LT230T t-case, center diff lock |
| Axles | Salisbury full-floating 9.75-inch rear, Land Rover Hotchkiss-style front, 354:1 ratio |
| Wheels & Tires | Factory 6.5-inch steel wheels; BFGoodrich KO2 All-Terrain (235/85R16) |
| Upgrades & Accessories | Custom interior, solar panel, Jackery power supply, Dometic fridge-freezer, Baja Rack, Hi-Lift jack, Yakama pod, JBL Bluetooth speaker, Ardcase dual-pedal security lock |
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This article originally appeared in OVR Issue 08. For more informative articles like this, consider subscribing to OVR Magazine in print or digital versions here. You can also find the print edition of OVR at your local newsstand by using our Magazine Finder.
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