When it comes to our DIY van conversion, the process has been anything but glamorous. Buying a house and a van in the span of a year has left us financially limited. Instead of going big from the start, we’ve gone straight to having fun on trips. Everything done to make the van a mobile […]
Van Life
After years of saving and planning, we finally bought a van. Built-up with minimal skills and minimal budget, over the last two years it's evolved from a slapped together treehouse in a car to an almost respectable adventure mobile. Though we're still tied to the 9-5, come Friday we live the #vanlife.
Read about the evolution of our build: DIY Camper Van
Winnebago Travato 59k
The Travato 59K is an RV from Winnebago that is based on the Ram ProMaster chassis. As you’d expect, it’s packed with features and all the comforts of a full-size RV, including a gas stove, refrigerator, microwave, tv and more. It runs a lithium energy system called Pure3. The 48V lithium energy storage provides […]
WizGear Universal Stick on Magnetic Cell Phone Holder
A lot of us rely on our phones for navigation while traveling. However, finding a suitable mount has been a challenge for us. We’ve tried a number of products – suction cup mounted holders, clip-on mounts that go on the vents, and well – they’ve all ended up sucking. Ironically, when I discovered the WizGear […]
Rent a Van or RV to Test Drive the VanLife
Buying a van and transforming it into a mobile adventure base is a massive commitment. It took us two years of peering at builds and how-to articles on Instagram or Pinterest (plus a move) before we committed to that plunge. After all, building out a van is a pricey proposition, whether you do it yourself […]
Canyon Cooler Outfitter 55 Ice Chest Review
Based in Flagstaff, Arizona, Canyon Coolers specializes in making high quality coolers and accessories for expeditions and adventures. Built tough enough to resist a grizzly bear, Canyon Coolers utilize a roto-molded PE Construction with a 2.7″ thick wall. The Outfitter series is their line of premium ice chests. We joined the #vanlife movement last year […]
VanLife Part 4: the (1st) Rebuild
With the long, wet Oregon winters, getting out of town and spending some time on the road is what having a van is all about. Before taking off for our winter hiatus from the rat race, it was time to sort out some details in our budget van conversion. After a summer of playing as […]
Promaster Vanlife Upgrade: EuroCampers Sportscraft Seat Swivel
#VanConversion achievement, unlocked: adding a seat swivel. This is an upgrade I regret not implementing on our Promaster van immediately. The van swivel seat base adapter allows the driver or passenger seat to swivel around and adding one is a major upgrade for any DIY van conversion. Recently installing one in our Promaster, the addition […]
Wayfarer Vans Plug-N-Play Camper Conversion Kits
Wayfarer Vans has created a plug and play van conversion kit for the Dodge Ram Promaster that is 100% modular and easily installed at fraction of the price charged by custom outfitters.
VanLife Weekend with the Goal Zero Yeti 150 Portable Power Station
The Goal Zero Yeti 150 Portable Power Station is a plug and play source of electricity designed to keep lights, phones and laptops going through any situation. At $199, its the base model in a collection of 7 power options that range from $199 to $3,000. Interested in a budget plug and play solution for […]
Rydawell Woodworks Van Conversions
Since acquiring our Dodge Promaster, I’ve sunk countless hours into research van conversions looking for inspiration. Most the van conversions posted have been using Sprinters, but Promasters and Transits have been popping up with more frequency. When I spotted this impressive Promaster build out by Ryan Wells of Rydawell Woodworks in Seattle, I had to […]
Van Life Part 3: Living the #VanLife
After weeks of work, we finally take our DIY van conversion on the road and log our first trips to find what worked, what needs work, and what to focus on next.
Camelbak Kickbak Insulated Tumbler Mug
Is the Camelbak Kickbak an insulated coffee mug, water bottle or camping pint glass? For us, it’s serving well doing all the above. Vacuum insulated with a double wall design to maintain the temperature of your drink, Camelbak claims it will keep drinks cold for 8 hours and hot for 4. While we have yet […]