A time to plant, a time to reap.

I'm getting tired of saying "OK, change of plans." but that seem to be how it always is. The only thing constant is change.

A few months ago we took our first road trip in the van since we Demetri was born. A long weekend to visit family in Asheville NC. The trip went well but felt very rushed and forced. I was pretty tense the whole way down because I was in quick-have-a-good-time-before-its-too-late mode. There isn't nearly enough travel in my life these days and it tends to make me a nervous wreck about the rare moments when I am able to get away. Plus, travel is my time to share the most important things in my life with the most important people in my life. Not getting to do that often enough dosn't make me a happy camper. Infact, it usually dosn't make me any kind of camper and thats the problem.

At any rate, the coming fall is looking like it will be pretty intense work-wise. Major building projects and an abundance of side jobs won't leave much time for road tripping. Thats frustrating spiritually, but it looks like it could be a fairly comfortable winter financially. Plus it will help me save up for my new van.

New van?!?!

Yea, thats the (latest) change of plans in my personal vanning world. The Casual Turtle 5 has endured 29 years of mistreatment at the hands of the previous owner and 3 years of driving the hell out of it and not being able to afford the repairs it needs by yours truly. It's got plenty of miles left in it, but it's in pretty bad shape. Major rust issues on the body thanks to the p.o.'s pop rivet repairs that just trapped more water in, the constantly malfunctioning electrical system, and the aging motor mean quite a bit of time and money to get it where I really want it. So, the Casual Turtle 5 will become a full time work van to replace WorkingClass Zero which met it's fate this past winter. Out come the cozy bits and in go racks and parts bins. I plan on trying to leave the folding couch in there in a less obtrusive position so that it can still be taken camping if the opportunity presents itself. Then, come winter, the hunt will be on for a candidate to become (regal trumpets sounding) The Casual Turtle VI!

OK, so I have been through a few vans in my time.

I have learned much from each of my vans and a fairly complete picture of exactly what I want out of a traveling van is established. This next van will be dedicated to travel only (and some cruising too) and will not have to make sacrifices in the name of being a commuter or work truck. The new layout is well underway and maximizes space while providing comfort and openness. This will be the van built with the express purpose of making those big trips and taking us across, and out of, the United States. It seems like it's forever away for someone who so badly wants to leave tomorrow but I have a chance to do it right from scratch, so I will just dream (and plan) for now...

One van wrecked and another reborn.

Well, its been a while since I worked on the old blog. A lot has happened with my vanning situation since I last took the time to write.

Firstly, I had to bid farewell to my trusty work van "Working Class Zero". During the last big snow of the year, some klutz in a big SUV was going far too fast for conditions and slammed into me totalling my van. Even though it wasn't my fault, I ended up with the short end of the stick since the insurance company decided the vehicle that I counted on for my livelihood was only worth about 600 bucks. I was in a pretty tight spot and had to bum a lot of rides and borrow a few different vehicles to get where I needed to be for a while.

I had long standing plans to get down to S.C. and rescue my GMC van from storage at my aunt's place and now was the time. My mother arranged for the van to be taken to a shop down there to have the electrical problems fixed. When we got word that the repairs had been completed, we piled the family into my wife's Volvo, left from Pittsburgh and headed south. Only after the shop had been payed, the van picked up and we headed back home did I come to realize that the mechanics had done only the bare minimum of work possible to fix a handful of visible problems but totally ignored my requests to fix the bulk of the problems. In addition, the work that they actually did do was very shoddy. Their craptastic workmanship ended up causing a lengthy breakdown on my return trip and, after returning home, necessitated my having to redo some of the work I had payed them to do including replacing the junk alternator that they they had installed. The moral of the story is if you have car problems in Charleston SC, avoid Eagle Automotive in West Ashley at all costs.

Anyways, the Casual Turtle 5 has made its return to driving status. It ended up needing a transmission rebuild and some other adjustments but its driving better than ever. It's still a ways off from being where I want it but at least its drivable and fairly sturdy. Many improvements lay ahead for the ol girl including some much needed body work, a new interior and a healthy dose of tuning and tweaking.

My original enthusiasm for using the big Vandura as both my daily driver for work and also as my road-trip vehicle has dwindled. Life as a contractors work truck is a tough one. In only a few months of driving my van to work I have had to load lumber and pipe across my couch, plop my dusty, sooty butt down on my tan captain's chairs, and haul pails of scrap metal and recycling on my "living room" carpet. Making this van work for a living will be quite hard on the interior, especially considering my future remodeling plans. Single digit gas mileage in stop and go Pittsburgh city driving isn't doing much to endear the hulking van to me as a daily driver either. It will do for now, but near future plans include a small pickup for work and returning the van to cruising/traveling status.

At any rate, I am happy to have my beloved van back from its slumber and back on the blacktop. In a few weeks we set off for Asheville NC for a very special occasion, my son's very first vanning road trip. It's something I have looked forward to since shortly after I learned he was on the way. Never am I more at home than when I am on the road. Being on the highway with my wife and my dogs is as happy as I get and the opportunity to introduce my child into this wonderful adventure is as good as it gets. Things are moving forward and the future is looking bright.

The Space Van

Just before dawn tomorrow morning the Space Shuttle Endeavour is scheduled (or rather rescheduled) to launch. It will be the final night launch for the shuttle program and only 4 more launches will follow before the 3 remaining shuttles (Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour) are retired for good. Manned spaceflight will carry on with the Russian Soyuz platform, the future Orion spacecraft from NASA and commercial providers, but this will be the end of a great era. The Space Shuttle is truly a space van.

Unlike other manned space flight vehicles we have seen over the years, the shuttle was very much the van of the space program. It had the heavy hauling capacity, the pimped out living quarters and of course was a product of the 70's. No other spacecraft allowed you to load it full of stuff and take it with you like the shuttle did. The same things that have fascinated me about the space shuttle are also many of the same things that fascinate me about vans.

As mentioned earlier, I was always the kid that played in big cardboard boxes. They were never castles or race cars for me, but always spacecraft. I had long been intrigued by the self contained nature of the space shuttle (the spacecraft of my generation) and the way people were able to simultaneously travel and live inside. Poor eyesight and poorer math skills made astronaut an unlikely career, but the dreams of my own self contained space shuttle to explore my universe never faded. Having a van is the grown up manifestation of this childhood fantasy. After all, I am still playing in a box.

I have always viewed my vans as if they were spacecraft. In them I would leave behind the safety and familiarity of my home and venture into the unknown with only myself and my ship to rely on. Of course the back highways of America are significantly less hostile than the frigid vacuum of space, but the concept is similar. During my voyage I would rely on my craft to support all of my life's functions just like the astronauts aboard the shuttle. Eating, sleeping, storing my expendable supplies and so on. Extravehicular Activities (EVA's) required far less effort on my part but still called for me to exit the protective cocoon of my ship to see what was out there.

Even at 30 years old it's not uncommon to find myself daydreaming behind the wheel of my van that rather than the Earth touching my wheels it is a few hundred miles beneath me. Through my windshield are not billboards and asphalt but the soft blue haze of the atmosphere curving away from me. As I pass from the pilots seat to the aft, I still fantasize that I am floating back, free of the confines of gravity. I will miss the Space Shuttle and as I have for years before I will daydream of it often. Part of my vanning passion and hunger for exploration will always be indebted to the big space van.

Ladder to stealth.

Since I work as a builder a ladder rack atop a van is a common site and a very useful item. I have a ladder rack on top of my current van which normally carries a 16' extension ladder and a 6' step ladder. It also holds any long lumber that is unable to fit inside the van.

It has also occurred to me how handy a ladder rack would be for stealth vanning.

Seeing a professional looking rack with a ladder on top of a van screams "Work Van!". No one thinks twice about them. If you have a plain, windowless van, adding a ladder rack almost makes it impossible for someone to think that the inside contains a little living room rather than racks of tools and parts. For this reason no one would find it suspect that the windows have been blocked. They will just assume that you are hiding your valuable tools from prying eyes. This little addition could make it even easier to park overnight in front of a business or residential area without looking like you are sleeping inside.

Also, having a ladder on the rack can come in very handy. If you pick up odd jobs as you travel, a ladder will allow you to have more versatility in the things you do. If you are only going to own one ladder, buy a multi position ladder such as the "Little Giant Ladder" or the less expensive version made by Werner and available at Home Depot. It can be a step ladder, an extension ladder, scaffolding etc.

In addition to the ladder, many plumbers and electricians carry a large lenght of PVC or ABS plastic pipe on their ladder rack that is capped on the ends in which to carry smaller sizes of pipe and conduit. Having this setup atop your van adds to the professional look of your rig and also makes perfect storage for things like fishing rods, tent poles, rolled up rugs for the campsite etc. You could also use the black ABS pipe, seal it up, add a fill spout and a spigot and have a big solar water heater on top of your van. Be sure to use a sturdy rack and secure it well if you do this, it will be very heavy when filled.

If you do a good amount of stealth camping, the more your van looks like a work van the better.

Road Pasta

Before I set out on one of the first journeys in my VW bus at the age of 19, my mother and grandmother (who were always so supportive of my crazy endeavours) put together a box of supplies for me to take along. The box contained mostly dry goods many of which were cans of tomato soup and boxes of macaroni and cheese.

The macaroni and cheese stayed in the box for a good while because it was rare that I had the recommended milk and butter to make it with. However, one afternoon I tried a little cooking experiment and it turned out a lot better than I thought it would.

In a pot I boiled the pasta as usual until cooked.

Then I drained the water and dumped a full can of tomato soup onto the pasta and cooked until hot.

Then I added the cheese packet and continued to cook until some of the moisture left the soup and it began to thicken.

There you have it. A little something I began to call "road pasta". It's cheap and simple plus requires no refrigeration. There are many variations to the basic preparation. Being a little more health conscious now I make it with Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese and a good all-natural tomato soup. You could use pasta sauce instead of tomato soup. Different things can be added like hot dogs, veggies, the days catch etc.

It's a little something that reminds me that sometimes the simplest meal can taste amazing when it's eaten in the freedom of the great wide open.

Vans vs. Recreational Vehicles, one mans take.

For those of us who have chosen a converted van to travel in or live in fulltime, one of the most frequently asked questions is "why not just buy an RV?". While there is nothing wrong with living or traveling in a factory made motorhome, vanners chose their mode of transport for many different and specific reasons. Here are some of the answers I could give for that question (in no particular order).

1. Vans tend to be more affordable than most other motorized RVs. When you are buying an RV, either from a dealership or from a private seller, you are buying a luxury item. No one really needs an RV per say, and because of that they can be priced higher. In addition, ready made RVs contain a lot of specialized equipment and modifications which ad to the price. There are far more work vans out there than there are motorhomes, so the volume of choices makes it easier to find one that suits your needs and budget.

2. Vans are common. This provides several advantages. It is easier to get them worked on than a motorhome which may often need to be serviced at specialty shops. Parts are easier to find and more affordable. It also allows them to stand out less on the streets which can help avoid unwanted attention from both sides of the law.

3. Vans are built to suit the person who will be using them. Commercially produced RVs are layed out and equipped as to what the manufacturer thinks will appeal to the most people. Customizing an empty van to not only suit your style but also to contain only the features you need arranged how you want them makes for a much more efficient and comfortable living space. When you are done doing the work, the van is truly yours and will feel much more like home. Plus it can be endlessly redesigned and rebuilt as your needs or wants evolve.

4. Vans are simple. RVs come equipped with tons of complex systems built into every nook and cranny. Most vanners prefer simplicity so having a blank canvas and only making it as complex as you want gives control to the end user. In addition, when customizing a van for yourself, you are the one who put the systems in place so you know how they work. No need to pour through manuals (that may often not come with a used RV) or try and figure out someone else's work when something breaks. Simplicity and self reliance equals peace of mind.

5. Vans fit. Motorhomes, even ones based on van chassis, are often too tall and heavy to go everywhere an adventurous soul may want to trod. Vans fit into regular parking spaces, most parking garages, under low trees, down narrow trails, etc. Since they are basically trucks, the can also be easily modified to have increased ground clearance, off road suspensions, or even 4 wheel drive for those who wish to go way off the beaten path.

6. Vans are just cool. From the adorable VW bus to the macho Detroit models, vans are in a class all their own. The 1970's fad still holds its ground with the idea that a personally customized ride that can also be lived in is something awesome. Vans, and their cult status, are very appealing.

We all have our reasons for choosing vans to live or travel in and I welcome other vanners to add their answers to this question in the comments section.

My New Era of Vanning.

There are quite a few van dwelling related websites and blogs out there. A lot of the information that I have learned through my own experiences and will share here may mirror what others have written. Good ideas are universal and can be stumbled upon by one's self without knowing that others have been doing the same thing for years. That's part of the fun of vanning, a true involvement in your daily existence where you learn and adapt each day.

There are, however, two subjects that I don't see with much frequency in the van community which I intend to make central themes in my blog. Vanning with kids, and Green Vanning.

Vanning with Kids.

Many people who share info on vanning are often single or divorced and seldom have young children that are involved in vanning with them. There is a wealth of information about traveling with kids, and also RVing with kids all of which can apply to the van traveler with young ones on board. Almost 4 months ago my first son was born. Anyone who has a child can tell you all about how life changes with a baby, but I intend to do my best to write about how vanning changes with a baby. I will include all the tips and techniques I discover as my son begins to travel in the family van. Also along for every trip are our two Boston Terriers and I will include extensive writings on my experiences traveling with pets.

Green Vanning

I am a home improvement professional by trade and I am heavily influenced by green design. I have a strong personal conviction to caring for this world for future generations and to protecting our immediate health. Many of the techniques I have learned about green building and living are directly applicable to life in a van. In the confined space of a van (especially for full-timers) indoor air quality becomes a major concern. Also, waste and the way we deal with it in that small space can have an effect on the vanner as well as the planet. Look forward to numerous posts about ways that you can make your van healthier for you and for the world around you.

I am, by no means an expert on any subject. I do, however, hope that the information I share here will be able to help others who are interested or at least inspire them towards their own solutions. I welcome any ideas from those who have done it for themselves also.

A brief history of my vans

When I was 18 I owned my first car, a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle. It was a great car and I traveled extensively in it. Why I didn't choose a van as my first wheels, I have no clue but it wasn't long before I decided that I should have. I scoured the newspapers, the auto trader magazines and a new tool that I was beginning to learn called the Internet to try and find my first van. As an established VW fan the choice was clear, a VW bus. My first VW bus was a 73 camper that I purchased from a stoner in Ohio. It was a mess and the engine was sitting on the back seat. The price was cheap and with more enthusiasm than sense, I bought it. Despite his hesitations, my dad rented a Uhaul and a trailer and we went and hauled it straight to the yard of a local VW shop that I had begun to haunt. There it would stay until the day the shop closed and it was hauled to the scrap yard with all the other junkers out back. Just before I left the shop for the last time, I wrote 'Casual Turtle' on the front of the van with a sharpie. I never drove it, but still it was my first van and I thought it should receive the honor of making its last journey with a name.



The beetle sold and some cash in hand I began my search again. I came home with a 72 camper that actually drove. It was rough, but operable. It was a standard Westfalia interior with the folding bed, sink and table. From the moment I put the key into the ignition to drive it home it was far more than another vehicle, it was my first apartment. I immediately set about customizing it to suit me. I recovered the seats with tie dye and made curtains to match. My mother worked all her sewing magic to make a custom tie dyed canvas top for the pop up, something I was tremendously proud of since I never saw another like it. I covered the folding table with a US road map and plastered the windows with stickers. It was home. I took many trips with it, including a 4 month stretch of living in it while traveling all over the east coast. I hung onto it long after it stopped running and it was eventually sold to someone who, I hope, got it back on the road. The Casual Turtle 2 will always have a special place in my heart.



During the Casual Turtle 2 days I was attending community college. In the campus library one day I stumbled on a book that captivated me. The Do-It-Yourself Custom Van Book by Franklynn Peterson and Judi R Kesselman. It was a 1977 how-to manual for customizing a van produced at the height of the 70's custom van craze. It was very detailed in its instruction even going as far as how to lay out parts on a sheet of plywood to minimize waste. I checked it out, paid for it as if it was lost, and still have it to this day. When the VW bus stopped running properly, I stored it at a relatives and began a stint of driving my late grandmother's old Plymouth Horizon all the while dreaming of the next van. I poured through that book over and over and when some cash found its way into my pocket, I became the proud owner of a 1985 Ford Econoline. The Casual Turtle 3 was born. I built the interior from scratch, largely from plans in the book. I had it painted in green with a custom white stripe across the hood and down the side. It was my pride and joy and was played a large role in the beginning of my relationship with the woman who would become my wife (not like that, get your mind out of the gutter). It was my mobile apartment where we could spend time alone and get to know each other in addition to taking many road trips together. I spent all the money I had replacing the motor when it seized up from blown oil line (the oil light is no help if the bulb is burned out, so check them often). When the transmission went I had no money to fix it and it was taken to a small car lot my grandfather was the landlord of. It was sold to a man who wanted to take it to Nashville and live in while he followed his dream of becoming a country singer. That man lived in the van right on the car lot for several months before a fire in the office trailer claimed it along with several other cars. A computer crash cost me all but one picture of the van's interior in its completed state, the picture on the 'for sale' flyer I had made for it.

The Casual Turtle 4 was a short lived 88 Astrovan that only made one successful road trip before major recurring electrical problems took it off the road. The interior was nothing more than a futon mattress layed in the back.

My Current van is a 1978 GMC Vandura. I purchased it from the original owner who customized it with van catalog accessories in the waining years of the van craze. I have used it mostly in the state I purchased it. It has a tough reliable drive train attached to a rats nest of an electrical system. It has been on several road trips so far and is currently sitting in storage in South Carolina awaiting some funds to repair its molested wires. Its interior will be redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up, so stay tuned for that.

Although not a member of the Casual Turtle family, honorable mention goes to 'Working Class Zero' my 93 Dodge C/V (the cargo model of the Caravan). It is my work truck and daily driver. With a quarter of a million miles on the clock it is approaching retirement. It will be replaced by the redesign of the Casual Turtle 5 which will incorporate both living and working functions into its layout. The little dodge is a beast and has earned a lot of respect from me.

an old cargo vehicle, or a window into the soul?

What is vanning anyways?

I'm sure that like anything, it depends on who you ask. Basically though, vanning is an interest in customizing and traveling in vans. It's a fairly straightforward hobby that pupated in the 60's, spread its wings and fluttered joyfully through the 70's and then died in the 80's splattered across the windshield of a wood paneled Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Like the phoenix, vanning would rise from its own ashes and transform itself from a shag carpet covered fad into a die hard subculture of people who saw something more. There was something more there than just a big custom car with room for airbrushed murals and velvet covered beds. There was a vehicle that could transform the very way a person lived and perceived the world.

I took an interest in vans even before I really noticed them as a vehicle. I was the kid that would scour the neighborhood trash, waiting for someone to buy a new refrigerator or washing machine so I could drag the empty box home and haul it up into my room. I would draw dials and controls all over the inside and put my radio and sleeping bag in. I would sneak out of my bed at night so I could sleep in the box that I had made all my own. Something in me preferred the small space. Inside there, everything was how I wanted it, and it all made sense to me.

I had always loved to travel. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of family road trips from Pittsburgh to visit relatives in New Jersey or Maryland. Predawn departures, CB radio chatter, watching the scenery fly by all captivated me. I always got such a kick out of making up my little bed in the back seat to sleep during the drive. The back seat became my own personal house for the duration of the voyage. I watched the Muppet Movie over and over on our Beta max, lusting over the idea of a cross country journey and of seeking my fortune on the open highway.

When I was young, my mother worked for a plumber. I recall one day being in the back of one of the company's brand new Chevy Astrovans. It was still empty, without racks of parts and tools. I was probably around 8 or somewhere around that. I remember being in the back of that empty van, looking at the open space around me and thinking for the first time "Hey, I could live in here.". I have never looked at a van again without thinking the same thing.

It's that concept of a small efficient and mobile home that drives the vanning subculture today. Inside the back of a van, everything is usually installed, arranged and maintained by the person who occupies it. Everything makes sense and can be dealt with in a way that most people can't apply to large complex home. Above it all is the sense of freedom. To be able to drive anywhere and always have your little home right behind you. The freedom to explore at will without having to worry about where you would sleep that night. It's a lifestyle of simplicity and self sufficiency that provides more security than many people could ever fathom. John Steinbeck wrote in Travels with Charley of his camping truck, saying that he was "a kind of casual turtle, carrying his house on his back." That line always stuck with me and I am currently on my 5Th van named "The Casual Turtle 5".

The internet has lead me to know of others out there who share this philosophy and embrace this lifestyle either full time or part time. This blog is my attempt to join in and become an active part of this online community of van dwellers. To share what I have learned and to learn what others have to share with me on the subject. To stoke the embers of a passion that more than any other in my life has defined who I am.

So you've decided to blog...

Let me get one thing out of the way to start with, I don't like the term "blog". It doesn't sound right coming off the tongue, and it lacks legitimacy as a contraction. My reluctance to ever start a blog of my own came largely from my aversion to the word itself. However, a resolution to begin writing again, and the fact that I am unlikely to uproot the word blog from popular culture have brought me here.

There are things swimming around in my head, thoughts, memories, aspirations and fears, that shape the way I see the world. As much for myself as for anyone who may read this, I have decided to use the all powerful interweb to lay out some of those synaptic pearls in an order that may begin to make some sense.

But what to write about...

Without choosing a theme for my blog it would descend into chaos. A post about a passionate political issue on Monday followed on Tuesday by a rant about how some canned foods stack better than others. Not that my writings (and the thoughts that produce them) will ever fall into a sensible order, but at least with a central subject uniting them it may not be as scary.

There are many things that I am passionate about and many more things that interest me (see my profile for a taste), but above all, there has been one area of interest that has defined my outlook more than any other.

Vanning.