I’m still reworking my personal website with regard to #vanlife. Before, I had a whole section about The Pirate Van, my 2003 Dodge Ram conversion van that I’d turned into a part-time home on wheels. I sold that van in late 2020 and bought Smokey Da Van to go full-time. We have an entire website dedicated to that van and our current van life.
I still learned a great deal from my first van, though, and it’s worth sharing with the world. FIXD has given me the opportunity to share the story of my no-build van build on their blog. (In fact, it was my editor’s suggestion!) It shows that you don’t need to spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on a fully customized van like I live in now. You can take off for a weekend or even a couple of weeks in whatever you drive now, using camping and household items you may already own, to give it a try and see how you like it.
Hopefully this inspires some people to give it a shot themselves. Certainly this life isn’t for everyone, even part-time. But how do you know unless you try? If you have the interest, give it a try. It doesn’t have to cost much at all.
Justin Hughes 