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
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
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
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
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
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
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_
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
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
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
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_
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.