RVs aren’t the only way to travel the country full-time. Larissa Runkle is opting even smaller, outfitting a camper van and alternating between national parks and events for her life on the road. She talked to us about the challenges she has faced building the van, how bare minimalism helps her focus, and her best advice for jumping into this with someone else along for the ride.
You can keep up with Larissa via Instagram, or learn about some of her writing projects on her website.
Episode highlights
- 2:34 – Way, way back to the beginning.
- 9:27 – Living on the road with like-minded people.
- 13:00 – Minimalism, simplicity, and focus.
- 16:00 – Building a customized camper van.
- 26:57 – Where she’s going.
- 30:53 – The experience that made her make the jump.
- 36:48 – The best advice for doing this with a friend.
Advice for building a camper van
- More stuff = more problems. Bring only what you need on your adventures. Minimalism is the way to go.
- Your first van build will always take longer than you think it will. There can be a bit of a learning curve. You’ll spend as much time researching as you do building and outfitting your van.
- Reach out to the van life community for ideas and advice during your van build.
- Building a camper van is such a great experience. You can customize it exactly the way you want it to be.
- Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to get your van build finished quickly. Take your time to make it how you want and do it right.
- If you’re building a camper van with a partner, make sure that your relationship is ready for the commitment. Your partner needs to be willing to work with you and communicate on each step of the process.
- For more help in the building and designing of your RV, check out the Camping World Design Center. With over 46 locations nationwide, Camping World Design Centers help RVers plan and create custom interior design projects unique to their RV.
