There are lots of videos online about people upgrading their rigs (motorhomes, trailers, vans, slide-ins). There aren’t as many videos about people buying a van, an empty van, and then building it out to be a camping van. Not very many people do all of that work because it’s a lot of work and takes planning and knowledge and skill … and tools … and time. For most people, it’s easier and faster to buy a rig, and then make a few modifications or upgrades.
But, if you want what you want … and you want to save money … and you want your rig to be precisely what you want (did I already say that?) … and you are able to do it yourself … then doing it yourself really pays off.
Here’s a video of one woman’s van build. I think she did a great job! She hired the electrical work done … the rest, everything else, (the cabinets, the walls and flooring, the bed, the plumbing, the shelves, etc) she did herself, and she did ALL of the planning for it.
I’m not too sure about the title of the video, with the interviewer’s emphasis on the van owner’s age of 79. Sure, most people who are 79 are not building-out vans or doing home remodels or rebuilding car engines, etc, but we sure can … and we sure do. On the other hand, to see a person do that sort of work at 79 years of age is certainly incentive to other people. Let’s keep on doing, going, walking, exercising … at ANY age. And, let’s stop encouraging the idea that people in their 70s or 80s (or 90s) are old and that it’s so unusual to have a life at that age.
Walk, exercise, take your vitamins, eat your Wheaties (ok, maybe eat oat bran which is better for anyone of any age), and enjoy life. Just like the woman in the video below. 🙂
Early in the video you’ll see a great way to hold drawers in place while driving down the road … with just a simple small wooden dowel. Lots of other really good ideas here.
As mentioned in the video, Kate is a member of Escapees RV Club. I am too. “Escapees” is the largest organization of RVers in the USA, maybe in the world. They hold in-person and online training sessions for RV maintenance. They produce an informative and fun monthly magazine (not just a newsletter). They/we have advocates in state and federal government. For instance, several years ago there was a move afoot to restrict the rights of people who lived in their RVs … calling those people “homeless”. Escapees RV Club reps stepped up and educated the folks in Congress … and reminded them that there are more than 1,000,000 (one million!) full time RVers in the USA … and they vote and they pay taxes … and they DO have a home. Their home happens to be their RV. They are not homeless. And even those of us who travel in an RV only parttime would have been affected by the proposed legislation, even though we also rent or own a “stick-built” home. In the end, the proposed legislation to restrict the rights of people who live in their RVs was removed thanks to the Escapees RV Club lobbyists that our club dues pay for.
Escapees club members have gatherings all over the USA and Canada. And the Escapees organization owns entire RV campgrounds … one of them is in Oregon and that’s where Kate lives in her permanently parked larger travel trailer (and then she travels the country in the van that she built out). I stayed in an Escapees campground in Chimacum, WA, last year. It was super clean and super great.
Here are Kate’s suggestions for other solo RVers when traveling across the country, from one location to another, things that have helped her:
- I never travel after dark if I can help it.
- I usually stay in free or low-cost spots. Forest service campsites, BLM land, truck stops and rest areas (when allowed). I never stay in a rest stop if there is only one car over-nighting there. One other RV is ok, one trucker, etc, but never just one car.
- I have never plugged in. My 100W solar panel and two 100-amp-hour LiFePo batteries are enough (at least so far).
- Truckers are generally wonderful. I woke one up in the middle of the night because I had gotten seriously ill. He probably saved my life.
So, if you come across people who live in their RVs, give them a wave and say hi. We are all neighbors on this planet, after all. And if you ever come across Kate (above) in her van, please thank her for sharing her van build and this part of her life with us.
Happy travels everyone!
That’s wonderful. I don’t have the skills to do a build out on my own, but I can sure appreciate another woman doing it. I also have great hope that when I’m her age I’ll be traveling the country like I’ve always dreamed of.
I hope you’re traveling the country too, Dawn, and soon. Grab that puppy and go. 🙂 I keep reminding myself about time and age and the reasons to do things now!
That’s impressive! I wouldn’t know where to start, or how. She’s super!
From the video, it sounds like she learned a lot while doing this build … asking questions, reading, looking online. She sure must have wanted to do this to learn all of that, and it sure paid off.
I’m in my late 60s and not sure I’d want to tackle something like that rebuild. Good for her! I like how she lined the van with wood mostly, it feels warm and cozy just looking at it. I also like the teddy bear. 🙂
🙂 Oh, the teddy bear, best part. Thanks Mark.
We’ve been talking about this all evening. We were thinking we were too “old” to do more work/projects inside our rig. Well, we aren’t! We now have a list of projects, items to buy, a tool or two, and we’re going to make our rig even better so that we can keep on traveling and loving it. We won’t be working 8 hours a day, but we’ll be doing things that will make our rig look so much better and be more comfortable. Like you said, what a great incentive Kate is. We needed just that boost to get out of our chairs and DO something.
Janey
You are not too old. 🙂 You are the perfect age with the perfect wisdom. I’m so glad you’ve decided to improve the rig and keep on RVing, Janey. We all need a boost from time to time. Me too. If you ever get down to the states, give me a shout and I’ll come meet you wherever you are. How cool that would be.
This sure opened up my options! I thought I’d be buying an RV, already built. But I don’t find one I like. Escape Trailer Industry trailers like you have Ann are the closest to perfect, but still not really what I want. What I’d like is to buy a fiberglass shell and then build it out myself. But I’ve been afraid to. There is a company in Canada that will sell me a fiberglass shell. I now have pencil to paper and may stay up all night NOT dreaming but figuring out how and what and when.
The Escapees RV Club (not associated with Escape Trailers), as you mention, is another great option for information. I’ve been meaning to write and ask for their input. Ok, ok, I’m doing it! 🙂 I’m “only” in my 40s, but you never know.
I liked the wood in her rig too, and the teddy bear too. 🙂
Hi Emily. Yes, you’ve been talking about buying an RV since you started reading this blog. I’ve been hoping you’d buy one. But you’re right, there just aren’t that many out there that are perfect, so indeed why not build out your own. I thought about doing that too, with that Canadian company that would sell just the shell of the trailer. In the end, I chose not to do the work, but to buy from ETI (Escape Trailers), and do some modifications. There are still things in my ETI trailer that I wish were different, but not very much. In the end, those things just weren’t “bad” enough to make me do that. Those ETI trailers are so close to perfect.
But if you have the time and knowledge and like doing that stuff (I would have loved it) then I’d say go for it … buy that shell and build your own … and tell us about it. I’d love to see it. Really would. Yes, don’t dream … do! Keep us posted. 🙂
Like the wood. Makes it feel like a home. Haven’t ever seen a commercially built RV that feels that nice. 79 years (not old) and having a great life.
I like the wood too, Ben. I wish more of my trailer was like that, but now I’m thinking I could add that … hmmm. 79 years of excellent life, and more to come. 🙂
Go Kate! Live your dream. Get out and go! What an incentive to all of us, and a gorgeous RV. What a kind human being.
Thanks Judy. I liked that Kate was so kind too, such a kind soul. And that she smiled a lot and loved her van and her work, and was proud of her work. Yes, an incentive indeed. 🙂
She’s impressive! She sure must know stuff about how to build walls and pipes for water and other things. And her van is really warm and cozy. We’ve talked about re-designing and or rebuilding our home … we should hire Kate!
We didn’t like the references to Kate’s age either. But we sure love that’s she’s living a dream, no matter her age!!!
Yes, Kate must know stuff, or learned a lot, or both. She’s an incentive to anyone of any age to get out and learn, research, read, go online, take a class, talk to people. Age doesn’t matter. The number of years doesn’t matter. Thanks M2. 🙂
Great built out. A friend of mine did that and had a super van, really gorgeous, but fought with all manner of ways to hold a drawer in, never thought about a simple dowel like Kate did. Me too, I really like the comfortable wood interior of Kate’s.
Ha! Yes, that dowel idea was perfect, and so simple. That wood interior of Kate’s sure is great. Thanks Bill.