Hi, I’m Dan.
I’ve always had an itch for adventure. From as early as I can remember, I wanted to leave my small town and travel to see the sights of the world and experience other cultures.
After serving in the Marine Corps and doing just that, the itch only grew stronger. During my time in the service, I was able to travel the world and visit many different countries. I experienced things I had only dreamed about as a kid, and it opened my eyes to how much there is to see beyond your own backyard.
When my active service ended, I went to college and began building a career, but that desire to explore never went away. Even while working in the RV industry, I found myself drawn more and more to the lifestyle itself. I was constantly learning about rigs, layouts, and the realities of life on the road, imagining what it would be like to create something of my own.
Eventually, I decided it was time to turn that interest into action.
Rather than purchasing a ready-made RV, I chose to build my own. I’m a DIYer at heart and love the challenge of creating something exactly the way I envision it. Converting my own van allowed me to design a space tailored to my needs, and the satisfaction of seeing it all come together made the journey just as rewarding as the miles that followed.
Camper Van Conversion
I custom built my van from start to finish and ended up with a fully-functioning home on wheels. It has taken me to many places but I am only getting started. I have a whole bucket list of places and hope to use my van to check a lot of them off the list.
I created this website to document my progress and help others who may be on the same journey. If I can contribute at least one idea or fix for your van conversion, then the website is doing its job. I also hope to inspire others to take that trip they’ve been putting off or do something a little outside the box.
View my van conversion image gallery
I have written many blog posts about the exact steps I took during my van conversion. With detailed instructions and pictures to help you accomplish the same. You can read my most recent posts by clicking on the images below.
You can also view all posts I wrote during my van conversion here.
Beyond my initial van conversion, I’m always tinkering and improving areas that I didn’t get right the first time around. After all, converting a van is a learning experience for an amateur and only time spent living in one will give you insights into improvements that can be made.
Recent Van Conversion Posts
Travel
My van was not just a fun project to work on but something that I use to travel with. It’s great to have a little home-on-wheels that you can drive anywhere you want. It makes traveling easier and it makes for a more comfortable ride for myself, my wife, and our small dog.
I enjoy landscape photography and my van is a tool that I use to travel to some amazing destinations.
Traveling in a camper van makes life so much easier! It’s just so convenient to hop in the van and get on the road. You can go anywhere, park anywhere, take a nap along the way, use the toilet, make a meal, coffee, or other drink, while never leaving the vehicle.
I truly miss this convenience when not traveling in the van. While I don’t live full-time in my van, It’s the perfect setup for the type of traveling that I do.
It has taken me to mountains, oceans, deserts, woodlands, and everywhere in between. As mentioned earlier, I’m just getting started and hope to travel in it for many years to come.
Blog
I enjoy writing and the Camper Van Traveler blog gives me a great way to share my experiences throughout my journeys. It’s a way for me to document my experiences for reference and also a great way to share that information with others. I hope you’ll find my blog posts helpful and enjoy reading them.
It’s Not Just About the Camper Van.
Although I do write about various topics on my camper van and class B RVs in general, I’m also an avid outdoorsman so write about general outdoor topics as well. Beyond camper van topics, you will also find topics about hiking, biking, outdoor survival, and other general outdoor topics. All of the topics I write about center around the outdoor lifestyle and might appeal to those who are interested in RV travel or camping.
I also write reviews from time to time and all of the reviews you find on this blog are real and honest. I only write reviews on products I own and have put to the test.
You can read some of my latest blog posts below.
What about you?
If you’re considering a van conversion or trying to decide between building and buying, I hope what I share here helps you make a confident, informed choice. There’s no single right way to do it. There’s only what fits your life, your goals, and the kind of experiences you want to have.
Maybe you’ve felt that pull to see places beyond your backyard. Maybe you have a quiet list of destinations you’d love to explore someday. Travel doesn’t have to mean selling everything and disappearing into the wilderness. Sometimes it simply means creating more space for adventure in the life you already have.
For me, building a camper van was a practical way to turn that long-standing curiosity into something tangible. It gave me flexibility, a mobile basecamp, and a new way to experience the country at my own pace. I still work, but I’ve built my projects in a way that allows me to work remotely, which makes life on the road possible.
If you’re even a little curious about van life, I encourage you to explore it. Ask questions. Run the numbers. Learn from others. You might find, like I did, that the journey of building and traveling is just as rewarding as the destinations themselves.