Guest written by: Rob Nitz
Introduction (by Rachael)
Nature is one of the most underused cures for many mental health disorders. Getting outside allows us to see the big picture, let go of depression, connect with God and his creation, see ourselves as a part of the world and not the whole world, ease anxiety, manage PTSD and so much more. From the ions the earth releases to balance our internal systems, to day and night regulating our circadium rhythm, to the calming effects of blue and green hues, nature is amazing! One of the best ways to enjoy nature (in my opinion) is to get out and sleep in it... aka camp.
There are so many different ways to camp so I thought it would be a great idea to run a series of blogs about the different ways to camp. Since I have friends who do it all, this made for a pretty easy feat. For the next few weeks, I will be releasing some "What Kind of Camper Am I? blogs with different people chiming in on their set-ups and thier choices. There are already some out you may one to check out! Let's dive in.
Why did I make the choice to be a #vanlifer !?
Good day! My name is Rob, and I love being outside. What do I like to do outside? Sometimes I go there to do absolutely nothing.. for hours. Sometimes it’s to have the most grand adventure with my beautiful wife (Rachael) and daughter (Maddie)!
I have this Facebook memory that always makes me smile: circa 2008ish, it says something like “I can’t wait to get back stateside, buy a VW van, and drive it all over America!”
At that time I was most likely floating on a ship in the middle of an ocean in the United States Navy. There inlies the problem . . . the military doesn’t exactly like to share you and let you be a hippy in a van.
Don’t get me wrong, Rachael and I did a lot of hiking, camping, adventuring, etc etc while we were in the military! Some of our best adventures have been crammed into a crazy 48-96 hour window to enjoy God’s beautiful landscape!But I've always been looking for more.
Fast forward 10 years and here I am still watching #vanlife pass me by on youtube while I was still in the navy. Around 2020 Rachael and I started seriously considering moving from tentlife to vanlife.
We woke up one morning in Door County, Wisconsin, it was fall and the night prior had been cold, windy, and rainy. We found out very quickly that the tent wasn’t waterproof anymore! It was that night that solidified that we were “getting too old for this!” We couldn’t keep sleeping on the ground, or on those “comfortable” pads. We didn’t want to have to bundle up, or cut our camping season short due to inclement weather. We live in the midwest and we wanted to experience the warm seasons as well as the cold ones!
After months, ok lets be honest years, of research we picked a company that suited our wants/needs. They aren’t the “aesthetically pleasing” instagram van company. Although their new stuff coming out is pretty awesome! Their build/design is considered utilitarian. It's built with the intention that you are going to use the heck out of it! Van Do It (VDI) wants you to use it for mountain biking, kayaking, camping, tailgating, rock climbing, etc etc fill in the blank!
We are an outdoor family that doesn't want to worry about keeping our van perfectly clean. We knew we were going to be tracking in muddy shoes, sandy feet, and wet snow boots!
I love our van because of it’s size. It is small enough to park in a parking lot, but big enough to be comfortable for my family of 3 on a 2-week road trip across the United States.
Would I change my set up if I were to start again?
YES, I would change my set up if we were to start all over again. And we have!
We are currently on van #2 from Van Do It. Our first van was a gem for 3 years! We LOVED it, but we also learned what we would do if we upgraded. And well if we’re being honest the trips started to get longer, our daughter started to grow up a bit more and wanted a little more privacy. I wasn’t too jazzed on having to tilt my head to one side if I wanted to stand all the way up. Rachael wanted a tad bit more space so we didn’t always have to play tetris with our clothes/gear.
So, we decided to upgrade to van 2.0! It’s a Ford transit EL (Extra long). It’s about 2 feet longer which doesn't sound like a lot of space but It makes a huge difference. And it has dually’s in the back (4 wheels instead of 2), and is about 10” taller than our first van.
Everyone wins, and we all can continue to connect deeper as a family in it!
What are the downsides?
The downsides could potentially be deal breakers for some.
1. Our van is 21 feet long, and about 9’8” tall. So length and height could be too much for some (tenters, overlanders).
2. You drive, and park EVERYTHING. More simply put, it’s not like a truck towing a camper. You can’t just drop off the camper, and then hop in the truck to go drive to a nearby hike or lake.
3. It’s small enough for National Parks, but too big for some of the more niche off road hot spots.
4. Gas. We average 11.5 MPG, which isn’t THAT bad.
5. No real shower/toilet room, we have a 5 gallon cassette toilet and give each other privacy.
All in all, this van was the best choice for our family. We have taken some amazing trips, met some great friends, and created the best memories we hope our daughter takes with her for years to come.
Connect With Rob
Rob runs our family travel instagram and we would love for you to follow along on our journeys.
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