Santa Cruz-Based Van Conversion Company Inspired by Bay Area's Steep Rental Prices
By Rebecca Greenway ••
It’s no secret that living in the Bay Area is expensive, and the number of people living out of cars and vans in San Mateo County has reportedly spiked in recent years.
Ben and Mande Tucker
Ben and Mande Tucker's Instagram (@fernthebus)
Ben and Mande Tucker's Fern the Bus (@fernthebus) became Instagram famous after the couple shared before and after images of their converted school bus. (June 26, 2017)
Ben and Mande Tucker Instagram (@fernthebus)
And the results were pretty unbelievable. (June 26, 2017)
Ben and Mande Tucker's Instagram (@fernthebus)
“Our daily lives became too habitual,” said Ben and Mande Tucker. “Taking life on the road is our way of breaking out of those habits and shifting momentum in a new direction.”
Sabrina Horel's Instagram @SabrinaHorel
Sabrina and Jimmy Horel, from Montclair, California, run the blog Wandxr.co and bought a converted 1973 Volkswagon to live and travel in full time.
Sabrina Horel's Instagram @SabrinaHorel
"What the world has to offer is more valuable than any house I could ever own," Horel wrote about choosing to live full-time in her van.
Instagram: @Vanabundos
Another couple from Switzerland shared a look at the inside of their new home.
Instagram: @Vanabundos
“We wanted to be as free and independent as possible in shaping our future. So, we decided living in a van and freelancing is the best way to do that,” the couple wrote. (June 26, 2017)
Instagram: @Vanabundos
On their Instagram page (@Vanabundos), the couple jokes and writes about some of the setbacks of living in a van as well.
Nicolas & Francesca Instagram: @goofyvagabonds
Nicolas and Francesca have been documenting their conversion to living in a van for the last year. “It gives us the freedom to wake up in a different place every morning and makes us rediscover and appreciate simple things in life,” the couple said.
Nicolas & Francesca Instagram: @goofyvagabonds
True to their Instagram handle (@goofyvagabonds) the couple doesn't take themselves so seriously. They make sure to share some jokes of the daily realities of the #vanlife as well.
Jayme and John Nymeria’s Instagram @gnomad_home
"We were stuck in the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle feeling drained and unfulfilled," the couple said. "So, we decided to sell everything we own, quit our jobs, started some online businesses and built our van, Gnomie." Jayme and John Nymeria now advocate for the #vanlife on their website, GnomadHome.com
Jayme and John Nymeria’s Instagram @gnomad_home
"Life is too short and temporary to wait decades to do something you long to do now," Jayme and John Nymeria said.
Q&A have been edited for brevity:
Where did the idea for the Advanture Co. come from?
"[Co-founder Brandon Nelson] was actually working at GoPro in San Mateo for a couple years and was unable to afford rent in the Bay Area," said Scott Nelson, co-founder of the Santa Cruz-based company. "Him and a couple of other people decided to live in Sprinter vans with mattresses."
His small business has been rolling out customized vans now for about a year-and-a-half and has evolved into a lifestyle brand, which advocates for what it says is a more affordable and flexible living option than home ownership.
"After four or five months of living on a mattress, we decided to take it to another level. We built out his van over eight months," Nelson said. "So that’s kind of how it started.”
The van conversion company has already converted and built vans for a folk band, physical therapist, photographers and more.
"The whole idea is basically allowing yourself the freedom to do anything you want," Nelson said. "That’s the bottom line."
What’s the process like?
"Everything’s custom, totally varied," Nelson said.
The company works with each client to determine pricing and needs. Depending on the use of the van — whether for work, touring or leisure — can change the outfit of the van, according to Nelson.
Juliana Linder
Richmond Hollen works to install a roof fan into the top of the $12,000 Sprinter Van.
Juliana Linder
Linder and Hollen gave up their life in the city to travel together just four months into their relationship.
Juliana Linder
The couple outlined the van's design in 3D modeling programs before constructing their home.
Juliana Linder
Linder recalled that the couple would sleep in their workshop parking lot before driving to watch the sunrise.
Juliana Linder
Linder and Hollen traveled to all terrains, from the beaches of Baja to the Redwood Forests and Northern California.
Juliana Linder
Linder and Hollen began their trip in March 2016 and plan to finish their travels this year in Baja.
Juliana Linder
The couple captured a large following after documenting their travels on Instagram.
Juliana Linder
The van includes a bed, removable table, stovetop, small kitchen and storage cupboards.
Juliana Linder
Richmond Hollen was able to live out his dreams of surfing the California Coast.
Do you think the number of people living in vans is going to keep going up?
"I think it’s going to keep going up if housing keeps going up,” Nelson said. "We live in one of the most expensive places to live in the world."
Perhaps because of this, the perception of those living in cars has started to change.
"At first it was thought of as a weird homeless situation, but it’s now being viewed as more for mobility, to not throw away $2,000 plus dollars rent, to get rid of the mortgage,” Nelson said. "It’s really an investment if you do it right."
What is the biggest hurdle to joining the #VanLife?
"At the end of the day, to do the "vanlife," you do have to downsize your wardrobe," Nelson said.
But, he says, it isn’t a lifestyle restricted to couples and single people.
"You could have a family of four in there if you build it right," Nelson said. "Set up to live small. Don’t try to cram all your stuff into it. You don’t have to."
And, he says, it comes with a big payoff.
"It simplifies everything," Nelson said. "There are all of these costs that you can eliminate. Every appliance in the vans runs on solar. The only thing you need is diesel fuel and new tires every five to 10,000 miles."
The Advanture Co. will be producing a series of short films with photographer Chris Burkard, after completing his own van. After that, the small team is looking at expanding their company into tiny homes, Airstream travel trailers as well as other cities that might be interested in van conversion services.
