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Legal Garage ADU + Sprinter Van: Couple’s Dual Tiny Living Setup in Portland

This is one couple’s unique tiny house lifestyle where they live in a converted garage legally permitted as an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) in conjunction with a campervan that they also converted themselves.

Whenever they want to adventure, they’ve got the van to jump into and take off. When they want to be home, they have a beautiful tiny home with minimal maintenance. The best part? They rent out their attached 3-bedroom house, and even rent out the garage ADU when they’re on the road—creating income while they travel.

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Garage ADU Exterior with Modern Design

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Images via Faircompanies


Custom DIY Sprinter Van Conversion

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Micro-Studio on Wheels for Travel Adventures

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Converted Garage Creates Spacious Living Area

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

No Road Restrictions Means More Square Footage

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Modern Kitchen Rivals Full-Size Homes

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Clean Modern Interior Design

Couples Garage Tiny Home and Van Lifestyle via Faircompanies

Images via Faircompanies

Video Tour: Garage ADU + Campervan Lifestyle

Design Details

  • Owners: Bryan and Jen Danger
  • Location: Portland, Oregon
  • Home Base: Legally converted garage ADU (accessory dwelling unit)
  • Travel Home: DIY converted Sprinter van
  • ADU Style: Modern design with full kitchen
  • Van Design: Custom micro-studio on wheels
  • Rental Income: 3-bedroom main house + ADU (when traveling)
  • ADU Advantage: More spacious than THOWs (no road width/height restrictions)
  • Kitchen: Commercial-style modern kitchen in ADU
  • Legal Status: Fully permitted ADU conversion

Lessons from This Build

  • Two Tiny Homes Beats One: A stationary ADU for home base plus a van for travel gives the best of both worlds—stability when you want it, adventure when you need it
  • Legal ADUs Avoid Zoning Headaches: Converting a garage to a permitted ADU means no parking violations, no uncertainty, and the ability to rent it out legally
  • Garages Aren’t Size-Restricted: Unlike tiny houses on wheels limited by road dimensions, garage ADUs can be as wide and tall as the existing structure allows
  • Rent Your Spaces When Traveling: Bryan and Jen generate income from both the main house and the ADU while living in their van—their tiny living funds their adventures
  • Design Companies Can Emerge from Lifestyle: Their experience led to Zenbox Design (ADU architecture) and Zenvanz (van conversions)—passion projects that became businesses

Learn More

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Alex

Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.
{ 4 comments… add one }
  • Sheila Plourde
    August 13, 2018, 3:19 pm

    Wow, dark but I do love this. Cleverly designed. Scrolled back up. Guess windows make it dark. Light really shows how nice it really is. Very comfortable look.

  • Susan
    May 15, 2019, 11:05 am

    Pretty close to perfect! Small home on a foundation, AND a nifty travel van. Win win…

  • Nancy
    August 20, 2020, 8:59 am

    I love this tiny garage home! It’s such a great use of space, I think. The only thing that bothers me is the doors being open with no screens! I live in the Southeast so we have lots of bugs that I don’t want in the house but maybe they are not such a problem in the Northwest? Otherwise, I think it’s so creative what they’ve done with the garage as well as the van.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      August 21, 2020, 1:08 pm

      I have to imagine they at least have mosquitoes? Not sure though!

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