My Self-Built Van in Summer Attire

Poor van has been a moving vehicle, renovation truck, and junk hauler since last fall. It has carried beds, sofas, and dishes, as well as renovation waste, summer tires, and leftover paints. It has endured the odors of bathroom tiles scratching its walls and the smell of waterproofing containers, along with lumber loads delivered by forklift at the hardware store.

Most recently, this week, it had to manage a couple of trips to the recycling center as we took the last of the renovation debris away from the corners of the barn. Oh, poor thing.

Now it’s back in its summer attire. It was about time!

For those of you who don’t know, my van has served as my camper for the past two summers. I built it out for the first time on my own two summers ago and lived in it all summer, traveling through Finnish and Norwegian Lapland and enjoying my life immensely. I had no travel plans; I lived and went wherever each day took me. That summer remains etched in my memory as the summer of dreams.

Last spring, E and I updated the van for two people to live in. At the same time, we added some charm, with the walls getting a beautiful wood paneling. The bed was turned around, but otherwise, the same amenities stayed intact.

We traveled for just over a month in early summer in Northern Norway, in the Lofoten Islands and a bit further south. The trip wasn’t exactly what I imagined, but it was still absolutely wonderful, and living in the van felt immensely liberating.

This year, nothing new was added to the van. We fixed a few creaky hinges and a door that didn’t open well. I put fresh, summer-flower sheets on the bed. Otherwise, the van has been working brilliantly as it is, so there’s no need to change what’s already good.

This time, there won’t be a separate video showcasing what the inside of the van looks like, as it’s in the same condition as last summer, aside from the new sheets.

If you want to take a deeper look into the van’s interiors and see how we’ve tackled the water systems, storage spaces, and cooking challenges, you can check it out in this video I made last spring:

And of course, if you want to watch more videos, there are plenty available!

I’ve made videos about my trips in both summers. I believe they give a deeper sense of the atmosphere and the joy of living in the van through both visuals and narrative. You can find more videos on my YouTube channel.

Phew, that was quite the writing and video blast! If you don’t feel like diving into everything right now, you can always come back on a lovely summer rainy day with a cup of tea and explore my journey with the van.

If you’re considering getting and building your own van and are wondering if it’s worth it, I can tell you, without knowing much more, that it definitely is.

♥: Sanna