Emma was looking for complete and total freedom, as well as a way to live more sustainably and create less waste. Vanlife seemed like the perfect lifestyle for her, so she bought a camper van and gutted it, spending a year making it into her home.
Originally from Connecticut, Emma has taken the van cross-country and is enjoying her nomadic lifestyle (although COVID-19 has, unsurprisingly, put a wrench in her travel plans and reduced the number of showers she gets!). Check out the awesome video tour from Allison over at Tiny Home Tours. You can follow Emma’s travels on Instagram here.
Think you need thousands of dollars to renovate van? Full-time students Conor and Mattie spent just 500 Euros (about $556 USD) to transform their van into a home! They used pallet wood and other recycled lumber from friends and family to outfit their travelling home (@our_venturing_van), and the results are incredible.
Right now they live and travel in Ireland, but they have some big plans for September (which are still a secret). What I love about this story is that the couple discussed the idea of vanlife on a Saturday night, and on Tuesday they purchased a van! It’s so easy to overthink things, but these two jumped right in. They had the whole thing largely finished in just two weekends of crazy-fast building!
We got the chance to interview Conor, so don’t miss the Q&A at the end of the post!
Remember our story last week about Virginia’s retirement van-life? Meet Madison and Raynor (@vandmvanlife on Instagram), the masterminds behind her off-grid van renovation. This couple created their own solar-powered van and has created a whole business (Ray Outfitters) helping clients in Canada reach their tiny-living dreams.
After finding out the hard way that a 5th wheel RV can’t stand up to Canadian winters, Raynor — a licensed automotive mechanic — outfitted his own van capable of withstanding -40 Celsius temperatures. They’ve lived in this van for two years and are now in the process of building a permanent workshop where they can assist more clients. Be sure to read our interview with the couple below and watch their full van tour to see where they’ve hidden a composting toilet!
This is Michelle and her van, Carl, named after the man who sold her the vehicle.
Michelle (@michelle.lawrencee) and her dad transformed her van in just about three months into a super-cozy home that she’s taken around the West Coast. After a variety of jobs/gigs that have funded her travels, Michelle is launching her freelance photography (@michellelawrencephotography) business this year.
Enjoy the photo tour of her van below and be sure to read our Q&A with Michelle about her vanlife at the end of the post!
Meet Megan: She’s a CPA who works full-time with small businesses, and she lives in a Mercedes Sprinter Van named “Avo” (short for “Avocado”). She found the van on Craigslist and outfitted it with help from Heartwood Custom Vans (@heartwoodcustomvans on Instagram). The van is black on the outside and green on the inside and, it is actually her second van.
Previously she shared a van with a partner, and now that she has her own space she really made it “home,” which you can tell from all the thoughtful details. Thank you to Allison of Tiny Home Tours for the awesome video tour of Megan’s van you can enjoy below.
Who said van-life was only for youngsters? Virginia (@veevanvoom on Instagram) is an incredible woman from Canada who was inspired by tiny house television shows to retire early in her own van conversion. That’s right, van life retirement!
She worked for 38 years as a massage therapist and with the help of some friends and experts built out her very own custom van home. Virginia even carved out some space in her little van for her massage table! She already traveled through her home country of Canada and is currently traveling through the states, building community and exploring beautiful places as she goes. Thanks Tiny Home Tours/YouTube for the great video tour you can watch below!
This is the story of Lindsey’s 80-square-foot rolling tiny home. It’s a 2011 Sprinter Van that she and her dad converted into a stealthy motorhome.
They did it together, while she worked part-time, in just under 6 months using about $8,000 in materials. Take a look and let us know what you think below. This is our exclusive interview with her. You will also find a treasure trove of resources on help with converting your own van at the bottom of this page, after the interview. Enjoy!
This is a high top camper van conversion tiny house that’s for sale for $7100 in the Sarasota, Florida area.
Well kept, mechanically sound, new air compressor. Motor is a 318, strong engine. Fits in average size parking spot. Clean Carfax report and available upon request.
Enjoy!
High Top Camper Van Converted into Tiny House/Motorhome For Sale in the Sarasota, Florida Area for $7100
It features available solar panels along with an available lithium-ion battery bank to store the power you collect from the sun.
This van is a rebirth of Pleasure-Way’s old Traverse which was built on a Ford Econoline van platform. Take a look below and let me know how you like it in the comments, please!
Pleasure-Way Tofino Pop Up Camper Van: Off-Grid-Ready with Solar Panels and a Lithium-Ion Battery Bank
