Meet Totally Lost:
Andres, a sound engineer, immigrated from Argentina to the United States in hopes of living the American Dream and traveling the world. He said he spent the past 20 years living a materialistic lifestyle, a factor in their decision to hit the road and live minimally. Andres didn’t want to wait for retirement. Figuring they are young and healthy now, it is the best time to do so.
Talking about lithium, Andres knows he can trust our ever-available technical sales team, in addition to our friends Tom and Cait of Mortons on the Move, for any questions he may have. With Spanish speakers on the team, Andres knows that he can communicate efficiently with our team in either language.
It took five weeks from start to finish to complete their install, and you can watch the process here. The batteries live in a “dead zone” area near the foot of the bed and enjoyed building out a system in that small space.
“We call it our electric bed, and despite that name it’s very safe,” Andres joked.
The Totally Lost crew is also able to power so much more in their 5th wheel, whether it’s online coding programs for their son Matthias or games of Minecraft for daughter Sofia and her friends. Andres notes that they also can keep the lights on, making life more comfortable.
They were able to boondock a good majority of the days during the spring immediately after installing our batteries. In addition to having extra power to do what they want, when they want, the Rossis can meet their recent goal of wanting to visit the five National Parks in Utah, which they have nicknamed “the Fantastic Five”.
Here’s what Totally Lost is running in their rig, a 2018 Keystone Cougar 32DBH 5th wheel:
-6 BB10012 Battle Born Batteries
-3000W Magnum 3012RV
-ME-RC-L Remote Panel
-BMV 712 Battery monitor
-Victron SmartSolar MPPT Solar Charge Controller 150/100
-ANL 400 Fuse Kit
-MicroAir EasyStart
For a bundle similar to the system Andres and his family are running, check out our motorized and RV options at our online store.
Their battery system is able to charge more than 75 percent in half a day whenever they recharge, thanks to our superior LiFePO4 technology. While they’ve gotten a lot of questions about why they chose lithium and if it’s safe, Andres recently made a video that debunks a lot of these myths. You can watch it here (with English-translated closed captions!)
As for advantages and disadvantages to living on the road in a 5th wheel, giving teenagers enough space is often difficult for them. Also being on the road during a pandemic is tough as well because, before COVID, the family often met up with their followers and viewers in person. It makes socializing hard to do and with teenagers onboard, it’s important for them to be social.
“RVs with three rooms aren’t made yet, so privacy is a challenge,” Andres said. “We do like to keep it real and showcase all of the aspects of RV living that are not so great.”
However, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages: Andres notes they were recently able to see the darkest skies possible without any light pollution in a remote part of Utah and could easily see the Starlink satellites passing over them. The Rossis also loved seeing buffalos and bear cubs walk right in front of their home on wheels when visiting National Parks, and overall feel very connected to nature.
“It’s those magic moments that supersede any of the bad things that happen,” Andres said.
As for advice, Andres wants people to understand that being on the road will be uncomfortable for many people at first, and it’ll take time to find your footing. Right now, one of the biggest struggles for them is having enough water, since they’ve got a big rig and big responsibilities.
The Rossis know that some people view their lifestyle as one big vacation, but it involves a lot more planning. Whether you pursue the route of also documenting it all on a YouTube channel or not, they believe it’s worth it a thousand percent. Many people also ask them if they’ll be on the road forever, but Andres and his family note that they’ll only stop when they come back to their senses.
“It’s like the scene in the Matrix where Morpheus offers the red or the blue pill,” joked Andres. “It’ll be really, really hard to go back to a normal lifestyle.” He said that while his kids have a long way to go in their lives and growing up overall, Andres wants them to understand that there are more things to lose if you don’t take the initiative to do something you really want to do.
If you’re interested in learning more about Andres and his family, visit their YouTube channel, Instagram and website.
