VAN

(Enjoying my book? I would be so grateful if you post a review on Amazon here and/or recommend it to some friends!)

John researched for dozens of hours to find the perfect home for three. He bought a 1999 Ford E350 Econoline van. It came with a Sportsmobile pop-up roof, but he switched it out for a Colorado Camper Van roof so that there’d be space for a second, tiny, bed for Lilly.

Here’s how it looked inside when he bought it: (See Lilly hanging over the top?)

He then tore the entire thing apart, removing everything down to the metal floor & walls, and started from scratch

Then he built out this perfect little home for three!

I never staged a beautiful walk-through video when we had the van set up in South America, so please excuse the mess in this video – you get the REAL inside look at what it’s like to live in a van for multiple years:

Water: We have a 20 gallon water tank with two faucets at our sink – one direct plumbed from the tank and the other with an in-line filter so we can drink from the tap. 

Fuel: We have a 45 gallon gas tank plus a secondary of about the same size that we only ever used once (on the Lagunas route in Bolivia). If I were to do it again, I’d skip the secondary tank and use that space for a storage box for climbing gear!

More…

Want to read more stories about our adventures that weren’t included in the book? For example, did you know we camped next to a crocodile and accidentally got on TV in Belize?!

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Want to read my upcoming prequel to Monkeys on the Road, or the children’s book about our van trip written from Lilly’s perspective?

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