What are we doing here?
Hello friends!
First time bringing the van home! In our driveway!
So some of you probably expected this from us, some of you are probably surprised, but YES, we bought a van and we are converting it into a camper van.
This ‘van-life’ movement is actually an international movement, of people who live in vans (part-time or full-time), and travel around, exploring and adventuring. It really is a thing that people do!
It’s a little bit different than an RV, mostly in that the vehicle itself is smaller, less-expensive, and more off-road capable than an RV.
A few things that attracted us to ‘van life’:
A van (ie, smaller than a RV, bigger than a car)
Sustainable energy usage (think: solar/battery)
A bed within the van
Relatively affordable
Flexibility and adventure-unbound by time and reservations
There are all kinds of different ways to build a van, and amenities to include or not include. We’ve thought long and hard about this process for many years now, and decided the 2020 Ford Transit would best fit our needs, and our plans. So here we go!
This is also not our first van-life rodeo.
In summer 2015, we borrowed Will’s parents’ converted Ford E-150 passenger van, and spent 6 weeks living in it out west. It was a dreamy vacation, unlike any other. Our plans could change on the fly, we went wherever we wanted, and could stay as long as we wanted. We explored new places and familiar ones, and absolutely loved the adventure of it all. Showers were few-and-far-between, as were laundry amenities, but we were so lost in the adventure of it all to worry about what we didn’t have. We also spent less than $2000 on everything that summer (fuel, food, park passes, etc.)
We loved everything about that first trip. And we knew we absolutely had to do it again.
In summer 2016, we took the same van up to Maine for 2 weeks.
Then in fall 2016, we took it down to Florida for 2 weeks, mostly focused on canoeing adventures.
And finally in October 2017, we spent 2 weeks in the NC and TN mountains, again, living in the van.
This is clearly a travel adventure style we thoroughly enjoy.
The upgrade to a high-roof van means we’ll be a lot more comfortable living out of it, and be able to store a lot more of our adventure toys (bikes, kayaks, etc).
In the end, we are converting our 2020 Ford Transit because we love to travel, and love the lifestyle that living out of a van can provide.
It’s going to be a fun process! You can check in here to see updates on how the conversion is going, and maybe we’ll be able to inspire you too.
See you outside!
Jessica