Our Vans
Our vanlife story started with a 2019 Ford Transit that we converted ourselves. Today, we own a 2027 Winnebago Revel 44E. Here, you can meet the van we’re getting to know now and look back at the one we built and lived in full time.
Our Current Van: The Revel
The Revel is our current van, and it marks our return to sharing vanlife here. This time, we’re starting with a manufacturer-built van. The Transit began as a cargo van and a conversion project; the Revel gives us a different starting point as owners.
Life looks different now, too. We both balance full-time jobs, teaching, and training for ultramarathons. We’re bringing the van into that routine and sharing what we learn along the way.
Life with the Revel
Our new-van announcement is the place to start. It introduces the Revel and the kind of updates we want to keep sharing: photos, practical details, and honest accounts of ownership. The small details of owning a van have always had a place on this site, and we want to keep making room for them as we get to know the Revel.
Our First Van: The Transit
Our first van was a 2019 Ford Transit 250 with a high roof. We found it in Ohio and took on a DIY conversion with a 30-day timeline. Other vanlifers’ blogs helped us plan, and friends and family helped us finish the work.
After the build, the Transit became our full-time home. We kept adapting it as we used it. Getting ready for a longer trip meant securing small items with Velcro, organizing our water, and working out where the bikes could go. When they didn’t fit under the bed, they shared the living area with us and Acadia.
The Transit was also where we handled everyday tasks between stops. At Crater Lake in 2021, snow changed our hiking plans, and we spent part of the day reading and working from the van with a view of the lake.
The Transit Build and Stories
These posts follow the Transit from our original introduction to the practical details of taking it on the road. They’re accounts of that van and that time in our lives.
Our Van - 2019 Ford Transit
February 2, 2021
How we chose the Transit and took on a DIY conversion, with a look at the van before it became our home.
Preparing the van for 100 days on the road
April 20, 2021
The adjustments we made before a longer trip, from keeping small items in place to fitting the bikes into our living space.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
June 22, 2021
Snow-covered trails, changed hiking plans, and the view from our parking spot during our 2021 visit.
Follow Along
Visit the blog for our latest posts and more of the Transit archive. You can also subscribe using the form at the bottom of the page. Thanks for following along with us.