Few things bring people together faster than living in a car. The conversation goes like this.
Person 1: “Where you do live?”
Person 2: “I live in my car.”
Person 1: “That’s great! You wanna drink some beer and go climbing later?”
Person 2: “Sweet! Yeah. I’ve got some green too, so we are all set.”
And BOOM! Just like that, you made a new friend.
Most people doing the van life have a large-sized van to live in. My car, the great Ethel Merman, is small for a living space, even by climber standards. So I always enjoy seeing a fellow car dweller on the forest service roads along the way. Ya know, someone who doesn’t need a Mcmansion of a sprinter van, and makes do with what we can! This was how I met this cool dude, Jeremiah. As I cruised up a dirt road on my way into Jackson Hole, I saw this sweet Tacoma set up which was decked out. I parked, introduced myself, and checked out the rig. He was super cool and totally committed to the van life. He epitomized making the most of what he had set up and gave me some innovative ideas for my own rig.
If you’re considering doing some kind of an adventure, go make it happen. If you look at Jeremiah’s setup, it’s more than you need to be comfortable. I’ve met so many people who are worried about all the things which can go wrong or are too expensive. They see my small space and want no part of it (and I don’t blame them), but this rig has tons of space, and is something many people could make at home.
So stop waiting, and start building your camper car, however it looks. Just make it happen.
UPDATE: I just texted Jeremiah, and he is still in the truck out skiing in Jackson! Nice work, bro!
