Not every van life fan can commit to it full time. This Oregon-based woman with a passion for off-grid getaways held on to her regular corporate job but chose to make the most out of her weekend getaways with the help of an all-season adventure camper van.
“Forest” is an appropriate name for a camper van that was meant to offer the cozy comfort of a ski cabin while taking its owner on exciting weekend getaways. It wasn’t a DIY project, as Sam preferred to let the experienced Colorado-based van builders from Dave and Matt Vans convert her RAM 2500 Promaster into the perfect all-season van. According to Treehugger, she wanted a ski cabin on wheels, a versatile van that would work just as fine for winter holidays or summer trips.
The 19-foot (5.7 meters) layout was kept very simple but practical. Everything inside has a clear purpose and takes as little space as possible. For example, the kitchen’s pull-down sink faucet can also be used as a shower head, together with a shower tent, by simply pulling it out the window. There’s a single clip-on handle that can be used for all the pots and pans.
The table in the center of the van, between two benches, sits on an adjustable arm so that it can swivel. This way, it can be used either as a dining table or as a desk. Of course, the benches and the area under the bed double as storage compartments, including one for the cassette toilet. A bathroom would have taken too much room, so Sam opted for the shower head and cassette toilet instead.
The kitchenette has all the basic stuff for cooking, and there’s enough storage room inside the van for useful equipment such as a dehumidifier and sleeping bags. The Forest camper van boasts a 340 amp-hour battery that can be charged while driving, a 2,000-watt inverter, and 320 watts of solar power, which should be enough for supplying electrical power.
Sam is currently enjoying her cabin on wheels both during the summer and in wintertime. One of the advantages of not living full-time in a van is that it can also be rented out, which Sam does when she’s not traveling.
The 19-foot (5.7 meters) layout was kept very simple but practical. Everything inside has a clear purpose and takes as little space as possible. For example, the kitchen’s pull-down sink faucet can also be used as a shower head, together with a shower tent, by simply pulling it out the window. There’s a single clip-on handle that can be used for all the pots and pans.
The table in the center of the van, between two benches, sits on an adjustable arm so that it can swivel. This way, it can be used either as a dining table or as a desk. Of course, the benches and the area under the bed double as storage compartments, including one for the cassette toilet. A bathroom would have taken too much room, so Sam opted for the shower head and cassette toilet instead.
The kitchenette has all the basic stuff for cooking, and there’s enough storage room inside the van for useful equipment such as a dehumidifier and sleeping bags. The Forest camper van boasts a 340 amp-hour battery that can be charged while driving, a 2,000-watt inverter, and 320 watts of solar power, which should be enough for supplying electrical power.
Sam is currently enjoying her cabin on wheels both during the summer and in wintertime. One of the advantages of not living full-time in a van is that it can also be rented out, which Sam does when she’s not traveling.