11 Mobile Homes That Will Make You Want to Hit the Road in Your Very Own

Do you ever feel trapped in your everyday routine and tied down by the society telling you that you need to work a 9-5 job so you can buy a nice home? Well, we all dream about escaping one day, but here are some people who were courageous and decided to break free from social norms and have been living full time in their own custom mobile homes. They travel around in their awesome vans, living minimally, enriching their lives with culture and adventure that most people dream out. Here are 11 custom mobile homes (in no specific order) that you need to check out on Instagram! 

 

1. @happyhomebodies

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Ruff day? At least it's almost Friday!⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁠ #tinyhouse #livingtinyproject #tinyhome #projectvanlife #vanlife #vanconversion #busconversion #buslifeadventure #skoolie #skoolieconversion #seehowerv #rvinspiration #designyourspaces #homesohard #sodomino #timeouthomes #howwedwell #hunkerhome #affordablehousing #uohome #inmydomaine #homeadore #aabhome #decorcrushing #currentdesignsituation #apartmenttherapy #greatpyrenees #wheatenterrier

A post shared by BusLife | Francesca & Nicholas (@happyhomebodies) on Jan 16, 2020 at 2:30pm PST

Francesca and Nicholas and their three dogs, Sully, Magoo, and Murphy live full-time in a school bus turned tiny home. When you step through their doors, you’d forget that you were on a bus! The bus has a standing shower, full-size kitchen, functioning tiny wood fireplace and a plant corner. 

“Van life has helped us realize what is most important to us, experiences rather than things. You truly never realize how much extra “stuff” you buy, until you live tiny and can’t fit all the stuff anymore. Our old house was filled with things we didn’t need or really even want. Van life has changed our focus on what makes us happy – creating experiences and memories.” – Francesca and Nicholas

 

2. @van.there

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In January, we embark on our 9th cross country trip 🛣 Philly to San Diego for @thevanlifeapp’s meetup on Fiesta Island! This little home on wheels has brought so much freedom and opportunity into my life. But it wasn’t the van that did it, it was me. I took the leap, I did the work, I just didn’t do the driving because Mike @drawn.there does that! 🤭😆 Will you do the work to be able to live your dream life? If so, I hope to see you in San Diego on January 25th at @thevanlifeapp’s kickoff meetup for our Baja to Alaska 2020 event series! Comment below if you’ll be joining us! — #b2a2020 #vanthere #thevanlifeapp #bajatoalaska2020

A post shared by Van.There 🚐✨Vanlife Adventures (@van.there) on Dec 23, 2019 at 7:36am PST

Two bloggers, Jess and Mike, and their adorable dog Vinny, originally from Baltimore, MD have driven across the United States nine times now! their 40×40 van has a queen-size bed and a garage in the back for their bikes and storage. They have running water, a propane stove and a composting toilet. Their van is powered by solar power which allows them to run both of their businesses from their van full time! Jess has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and is now the COO of a startup called VanApp, which is the world’s best database for people living on the road. Mike, is an artist and he draws whatever inspires him on the road. 

 

3. @apricity_bus_life

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Bus conversion kitchen inspo!! 😁 What do you think of it? 😃 It is so spacious and functional. We always loved using this kitchen!! It's bigger than we had in our mortar and brick apartment!!! 🤔 Full Kitchen Details: Generous Full Sized, L shaped kitchen with Laminate bench tops. Cabinetry. Has Corner storage; two door under sink cupboard and 4 Draw bank. Lacquered Tasmanian oak sturdy open shelving 1.8 meters long with safety bar. Polished Stainless steel and also red / black acrylic splash backs with spice shelf. Dual stainless steel sink with sloped drainer board. Plumbed to grey water tank. Contemporary dual Kitchen sink mixer with two spouts; one Pull out and one fixed swivel. Hidden pullout Ironing Board. Under counter space for washing machine or dishwasher. Fixed Triple bucket pullout Rubbish bin, underneath sink. Fridge / freezer, ¾ size. Shiny red to match the splash back and clock. Runs on 240v or solar inverter. Portable Electric cooktop. Mounted Oven / grill, large enough for roast dinners or pizza. Three phase water filter for water purification. Separate drinking water tap. Tasmanian Oak Pop up table, big enough for meal prep or to host a feast, use for office work, jigsaw puzzles, board games or crafts. Pop it down when unused for even more space and a slimline look. Pop up table make of a cubby hole cupboard with plenty of storage. Vent behind clock, and openable windows for air circulation and ventilation. Safety:Co2 and carbon monoxide filter mounted in roof. As well as a window breaking Safety hammer. Solar powered house lights. 240 v normal house power points to run kitchen appliances and washing machine. @tinyhometours @buslifeliving @buslifeinspo @buslifeadventure @skooliehomesofficial @skoolieconversion – – – – – #busconversionaustralia #buslifestyle #buslifeinspo #buslifeadventure #buslifediaries #buslife #busbuild #busconversion #diybus #homeiswhereyouparkit #skoolie #buslifeliving #skooliebuild #skoolielife #skoolieconversion #skooliecommunity #skooliehomesofficial #skooliesofinstragram #schoolbusconversion #vanlife #convertedschoolbus #vanlifeinspo

A post shared by Matthew n Brigitta Warne (@apricity_bus_life) on Jan 14, 2020 at 11:21pm PST

Matthew and Brigitta Warne from Tasmania, Australia bought a 1985 Isuzu school bus in 2017 and spent 2 years converting it into a luxurious mobile home. It has plenty of storage space and does not lack a bit in luxury and comfort. It has a wood-burning fireplace along with a 4 person couch. They took every dead space and turned it into storage and installed solar panels to help power things. Built with a double person bathtub and full-size kitchen, this is one bus I could live on forever. A couple of months ago, Matthew and Brigitta announced that they were selling their bus. We hope that the new owners love it as much as we do! 

 

 

4. @girlwithnocompass

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#12daysof2019 – July 2019 recap! Read on… . . We last left our hero utterly devastated and barely able to hold up her head or quit crying. It was two weeks before I was set to drive off in the van. This was majorly crunch time on the build and I couldn’t drop a ball. I now had to play through the pain and produce like a machine, despite the greatest loss in my adult life, the death of my dog at the end of June. But wait! There’s more. . . The first week of July, my boyfriend and I set out for our “test run” on the van to get a feel what final needs or modifications must be made. In short, this is exactly when my boyfriend decided to dump me. The day after we returned from the trip, I filled the van with all the belongings I’d brought to his house – so much for moving in together. When I went to return some items to the store directly after leaving his place, the van wouldn’t start. It was the starter. It needed a tow, and I needed to call my ex to rescue me and all the fragile items inside before the tow. While that turned into a saga in of itself, all I remember is leaning against the van sobbing in a hardware store parking lot. I hadnt eaten in days. I couldn’t believe how it was just one thing after the next. Anything else? . . All anyone saw on social media that month was the finished shots of the van, and the celebration of actually finishing and rolling away for the maiden voyage. And while that was one of the greatest milestones of my life, behind the scenes I was experiencing the most overwhelming grief, loss, and despair I had ever felt. I do not have words to describe how stressful this felt. The final tasks of the build was a total photo finish, through a screen of tears. Everything was upside down. I had to completely recalibrate my plans, choices, path and life.

A post shared by Theresa (@girlwithnocompass) on Dec 31, 2019 at 3:40pm PST

Theresa traveled for 4 years and in 2007, she decided to buy a 2007 Sprinter to convert into a fully equipped home on wheels. By herself, with no prior carpentry skills, she converted her van into a bohemian chic home. The van has mixtures of wood accents throughout and the bed converts into 2 couches with a table. When she’s not in a different country on a photography gig, she’s either working on the van or driving it on a road trip. 

 

5. @fitetravels

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We are packing up to head out to the east coast, and I can’t believe how time has flown. Yesterday, we had our first snow in Colorado. • The snow reminds me that winter is definitely coming, and that means baby’s arrival is right around the corner! • So, here’s an update: we have SO MUCH to do! Granted, we don’t have a nursery to put together, but we do need to build out the van to accommodate a second child. We’ve been working like crazy, so finding time to carve this out has been close to impossible. • We did build a wall to put Atlas’ murphy bed, and we almost finished the new car seat configuration. Once these are done, I’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief. We’ll be losing our toiletry cabinet to make room for baby things, so we will be building a shelf in our bathroom for toiletries/diapers/etc. Which reminds me, as much as I love parties, a baby shower or “sprinkle” CANNOT happen. We have so little room for anything to sprinkle in here. 😂😂 • We also need to install a heater. The past two winters, we’ve done without and I haven’t minded because I’m a furnace when I sleep. But Mars has finally convinced me that sleeping in the freezing cold isn’t ideal with a newborn. 😂 • I try to take one day at a time and do what I can. This baby is coming ready or not, and as much as I can’t wait to hold his sweet cuddly self, I need him to wait until after Christmas to arrive. • We will be traveling until I’m 36 weeks and then we will finally stay put in the Denver area. Any advice for mobile pregnancies from people out there who have done it??

A post shared by VanLife | Mars & Ash Fite (@fitetravels) on Oct 11, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

This family of four, Mars, Ashley, Everly and their newest addition, Atlas currently reside in a self converted 2016 Ford Transit. They have a full-size bed and then stairs that lead to a loft for their toddler. For their newborn baby, they built baby murphy bed that goes into the wall of the van to maximize the space for the entire family. 

 

6. @sweetvanlife

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EN – No, Poppy is not a T1 Combi as could suggest this new furniture, attached to one of the 2 side doors 😊 Very practical and light enough not to tire the hinges, I find it rather aesthetic with its built-in lamp 😋 I hesitate to make a retractable shelf on the other side 🤔 . FR – Et non, Poppy n’est pas un Combi T1 comme pourrait le laisser suggérer ce nouveau petit meuble, fixé sur l’une des 2 portes latérales 😊 Tres pratique et assez léger pour ne pas fatiguer les charnières, je le trouve plutôt esthétique avec sa lampe baladeuse intégrée 😋 J’hésite à faire une tablette escamotable de l’autre côté 🤔 . . . #vanlife #fiat238 #fiat238camper #vanlifestyle #vanlifediaries

A post shared by 🇫🇷 Ben & Poppy 🚐💨🎥🗺 (@sweetvanlife) on Nov 11, 2019 at 10:03am PST

This Fiat 238 B1 named Poppy was converted by Ben. He’s a very talented carpenter and did the woodwork in his kitchen. He has even made his own kitchen utensils from a tree that was cut in the forest. That’s not only the cool part of the van. It has a rustic stone sink. The coolest part of this is that the table slides out, and a pop-up shower comes up, all hidden under the bed! What a cool design. 

 

7. @_gypsytribe_

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We live in a van because we don’t want to pay rent. We live a van because we think that freedom is more important than living a comfortable life in the same overpriced apartment. For us living in a van is not something weird, it’s our only way to experience the world the way we like it. If we didn’t live in a van, we couldn’t afford to travel and spend days at the best beach towns in California at the moment. We love to make friends everywhere we go and #vanlife allows us to be extra social. Many people are curious about this lifestyle and we always love to show our van and share stories with new friends. Vanlife is not a crime, vanlife is a way of living free looking for endless adventure! 🚐 @_gypsytribe_ 🏄🏼‍♂️ @with_out_bound 🏄🏽‍♀️ @lidia_rico . . . . #vanlifeproject #vanlifecommunity #vanlifedreams #vanlifers #vantravel #vancrush #vanlifeadventures #vanlifediaries #rollinghome #camperconversion #vanagon #camperlifestyle #vanlifeculture #vanlifeing #vantravel #vanlifestyle #vanlifestories #vanlifememories #vanlifesociety #vansweetvan #thisisvanlifeing #dometic #minimalistlife #minimalistlifestyle #orangecountyca #orangecountycalifornia

A post shared by VAN LIFE | GYPSY TRIBE (@_gypsytribe_) on Aug 9, 2019 at 7:57am PDT

Lidia and Philip travel around in 4×4 surfer theme van all around the US, Canada and Mexico. It has light wood panels for the walls and countertops. The van used to be an ambulance and they converted it so it is able to go off-roading. It also has room to store their surfboards and skateboards. The inside has a swivel seat which opens up the space in their van and is very comfortable. What’s cool is that they have a kitchen sink that’s near the doors, so they can then use pull the kitchen faucet out to convert it into an outdoor shower. 

“Van life has changed our way of living. Now we consider ourselves a minimalist couple and we don’t need many things to be happy. We appreciate quality vs quantity. We learned how to be sustainable and how to live off grid. Van life is the only lifestyle that allows us to be free and to spend more time doing the things that we love. We learned that living this lifestyle it’s a balance between losing comfort (unlimited water/electricity/safe places to sleep/etc.) in order to win freedom.” – Lidia and Philip

 

8. @rambleandrevive

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"Though it's been said, many times, many ways. Merry Christmas to you.."

A post shared by VAN LIFE | Kyle + Tiffany (@rambleandrevive) on Dec 24, 2019 at 10:29am PST

The Willis family, Kyle and Tiffany and their two girls, Tinley and Tatum, travel around the US in a Sprinter 170 3500 named Bernadette. Their van has bunk beds for their two girls. Kyle and Tiffany designed the van so it looked very much like a home, with clean, white interiors. They even decorated the entire van for Christmas and got a tree! Kyle and Tiffany are hoping that traveling around in a van will mold their kids into independent, self-confident, respectful and adventurous girls when they grow up. 

 

9. @wjplata

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Nights spent listening to the light tapping of snowy rain on the metal roof of the van & to waves crashing in the near distance – Nights spent connected with the inner light of pure love – Nights spent creating a sacred space of positive energy in my tiny little abode by the sea – The time is always now💕. #love #bliss #heavenishere #heavenisnow #higherconciousness #ageofaquarius #higherfrequency ——– next house addition shall be a wood burning stove, followed by drawer fronts and Roman shades. 😊🙌🏼✨ #vanlife #vanlifeadventures #vanlifeideas #positivebuilding #vanlifediaries #vanlifemovement #vandreams #vanvibes #vanlifesociety

A post shared by @ wjplata on Dec 9, 2017 at 3:13pm PST

WJP and his cat, Silver travel around this home that pretty much looks home you find in a beautiful forest. It looks so cozy especially with all the lights he has hanging around the van. Stand out features include the wood-burning fireplace and his abundant tea drawer! Last but not least, this van has a decked out roof, which includes a sunroof with removable glass and a roof deck to lay out on. 

 

10. @hannahleeduggan

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Ya’ll the iPhone 11 is no joke

A post shared by Hannah Lee 🚐 (@hannahleeduggan) on Oct 22, 2019 at 1:29pm PDT

Hannah Lee Duggan is a frequent traveler, but when she’s back in the US, she’s in her van named Walter. She wakes up in what seems like paradise with light, white curtains hanging, an airy bedroom, and surrounded by plants. The best part is that she gets to wake up to beautiful van views of mountains, beaches and trees everywhere.

 

11. @jadeandkev_

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Welcome to afternoon tea with Jade, Kev & Bert 😆 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Swipe across to see just how riveting this daily ritual is, and just how much Kev loves biscuits 🤣

A post shared by Vanlife | Jade, Kev & Bert 🐶 (@jadeandkev_) on Dec 14, 2019 at 9:54pm PST

Jade and Kevin and their dog Bert live in a sprinter van that comes as fully stocked as an apartment would be! It has a mini washing machine and a full-size shower with a composting toilet. They manage to have a fixed bed with a full kitchen with a gas burner. There is even air conditioning and a decent size fridge! Jade and Kevin both love the water, so they plan on staying near the coast while traveling around in Australia.