Back in 2014, before #vanlife was trending, this couple got a tiny caravan and traveled in it while holding a home base in a small apartment. Eventually they upgraded to a larger rig, moved into full-time vanlife, and kept exploring Europe. But their adventures didn’t end there! They got a Sprinter van, another caravan, a narrow boat, and eventually an abandoned barn in Portugal.
While they thought about just summering in Portugal, 2020 hit and pushed up their barn renovation goals. Now they are fully moved in and in the process of building garden beds and settling down with an amazing homestead. What a cool story!
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Caravans, Sprinters, a Narrow Boat and a Barn!

Images by The Indie Projects
Here’s a look inside their Sprinter van.

Images by The Indie Projects
And here’s one of the caravans they renovated.

Images by The Indie Projects
Here’s the narrow boat they called home.

Images by The Indie Projects
And what their barn home looked like before.

Images by The Indie Projects
And after! Wow!

Images by The Indie Projects
What a transformation.

Images by The Indie Projects
VIDEO: Couple Lives in Tiny Homes for 9 Years
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- They Turned a Sprinter Van into a Cottage!
Our big thanks to James D. for sharing!🙏
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Natalie C. McKee
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I find narrow boats and that lifestyle fascinating. What a great way to go for those who can work remotely out of a home. I’d probably have a garage location somewhere for a “home base” to store my motorcycle and car and work on projects, but that is just me. But always nice to have a home base to visit for tools you did not have with you on the boat. I’m an amateur radio operator so of course my narrow boat would have an “antenna farm” on it.