November 2026

It’s never really done. Just like a house, or any living quarters that are occupied for an extended period of time, maintenance, especially preventative maintenance, is vital. Things that squeak, leak, or don’t operate correctly need to be investigated. Over time, we’ve repaired lots of things, and replaced or upgraded others.

Equipment that’s made for occasional vacation camping just doesn’t hold up to every day, fulltime use. For example, cook stoves and cookware. If you’re considering this lifestyle, don’t assume anything is a “once and done.” Replacing things is what we refer to as a CDB – a cost of doing business.

Our most costly repair was replacing the engine at 175,000 miles. Besides the expense, it represented a renewed commitment to continuing this lifestyle.

Luckily, my traveling partner enjoys the challenges presented by electrical mysteries (like the ceiling fan that learned how to turn on by itself…) and motor misfires. So, the van build and our journey continue.

April-June 2020

Making every inch count

During our “spring break,” while waiting out the Covid quarantine, John worked on the van. He installed a propane furnace and a locker for fuel storage. The project was the first domino in a cascade of adjustments to make room for this upgrade. In terms of space, the van is so tightly configured, that if one thing moves, then other things need to scootch over or find a new spot. Bottom line – we ended up emptying the van and removing most of the cabinetry, in order to access wiring, switches, etc. When finished, everything was reinstalled. Twice.

We also added a custom spice rack near the sink. Bungees hold the containers in place, so they don’t go flying when the van is on the road. So much of our van life depends on bungees, velcro and high bond glue…we should have bought some stock in 3M.

Some creative thinking identified two other places that could provide more storage: a thin, flat pantry in the sink cabinet and the addition of an upper cabinet for dishware and utensils.

Early days of van build