Now that I think about it I am not sure if we ever formally introduced you all to the newest member of our family; our big (very big) 170WB, high roof 2015 Freightliner Sprinter named Betty White. She joined Jesse, myself, MoeJoe, and Tootsie (my orange Subaru) back in September of 2019. After much debate and searching both the internet and car dealerships we found her at Draper Auto and just had to have it. Jesse drove a Ford Transit but loved how the Sprinter drove in comparison. The Dodge Promaster was not really on our radar since I think the ground clearance is not high enough. The very much beloved Jeep and the trailer were traded in when we bought the van. It was a really good deal and we felt it was another of those moments where the universe was like, “yep you are doing the right thing”.
The idea of getting a van first popped into our heads when we were in the Grand Canyon, North Rim. We spoke with an older gentleman at the visitor center that told us how he lived in a giant luxury RV and worked seasonally at National Parks. It sounded like the most glorious way to live and Jesse and I talked a great deal about what that would be like while we hiked the trail below the rim. A giant luxury RV would be nice but a bit outside our budget and the thought of driving that thing around would be more than I could handle. We eventually landed on the idea of a Sprinter Van. I have a week off from work every other week and it would give us the opportunity to go car camping way more comfortably than cramming into my Subaru Crosstrek. Plus Jesse feels he has the skills to use it as his daily driver (he does, but don’t expect me to drive that thing unless it is an emergency). The idea of tent camping is not really our jam. I spent quite a bit of my childhood sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag in Lake George at the Hearthstone campground. I am kinda done sleeping on the ground and getting wet when it rains. Also setting up a tent with a spouse is a great way to have lots of really pointless arguments.
After coming back from the Canyon we spent some more time thinking and researching before finding Betty. Jesse had to buy it while I was out of town (I was in NY visiting my family). Lots of phone calls later and trips back and forth to the bank and the dealer he was able to leave with the van.
The very first most important thing to do was put to install a backup camera. It is a cargo van so there are no windows in any of the sides or back doors. We hit up the Goodwill and I sewed a curtain out of a bed sheet to hang between the cab and cargo area. Once that was done we took her on her maiden voyage to Santa Maria, CA for an event that we love called Back on the Ranch. I was so excited to have it. Being able to stand up while peeling off sweaty clothes was so much better than trying to do it in my little car. Also sleeping was way more comfortable since Jesse could lay flat. Although it would have been even better if the air mattress we had stayed inflated. It was cold at night though so we knew we needed insulation before the next adventure. I was just so happy to be off the ground. Too many tarantulas and other odd bugs crawling around; I am a wuss when it comes to that. While sleeping in the Subaru at one of these events I could near something crawling around under the wheel well and almost lost it!
After that was done we had two MaxxAir vent fans installed and a small side window above where the bed will end up going. We are going pretty subdued compared to some of what you see on #vanlife. There will be no toilet or shower, no blender or small fridge, no recessed lighting. We ended up getting a Yeti cooler, a few Goal Zero lights and batteries, one solar panel (still need to have it installed), a percolator coffee pot and a two burner camp stove. For us that is all we will need since we plan on staying in campgrounds, RV parks, and going to our running events. Like I said, I am done with tents and this is just going to be a great place to sleep and keep our running gear. I love the idea of cooking outside, having real coffee in the morning and just enjoying being outside.
The outside is something we are missing terribly. This pandemic is just not great for Jesse and I since he was laid off from his restaurant and I took a leave of absence from my job in order to help the company save money, plus my department had a lot less work to do since I am not involved in COVID-19 testing. We are doing well and very grateful we have a place to live and we were able to get unemployment. Since we have a great deal of time on our hands we decided to work on the van even though we won’t be taking it anywhere in the very near future.
As I mentioned before this thing was in dire need of some insulation. Since it is white it doesn’t heat up too much, even when in direct sun, but it gets real cold real fast at night. You can feel the cold radiating off the metal while you are laying down under the covers. After so much research we decided to go with wool from Havelock Wool in Reno, NV. Our original plan was to make a trip out of it and go and explore Reno. That went out the window because pandemic so we had it shipped to us here in Utah. That was our project for today. It is easy to work with, super soft, cuts well with scissors, no itchy bits and no need for any PPE (although we did get a bunch of it in our mouth when we were putting up the ceiling parts).
It comes in two inch batts and so far we are happy with the progress we made. Once all of this is up we are going to get some fun fabric to put up on the walls and ceiling to make it a bit more homey. I also found a foam mattress on sale along with sheets and pillows. It will be ready for a trip in no time.
There is so much more to be done and many decisions to be made as to how we want to set it up but for now we will enjoy what we have. We are so grateful for the ability to work on the van and to take it somewhere soon, once it is safe and things are a bit more open. Utah is doing a great job and thankfully we have a hell of a lot of empty space in this state for you to find a place to be alone and outside.
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