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Saturday, May 4, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Monday, April 22, 2019
Meet Robin!
Author: Kelli
Now before we REALLY get started, we would like you to meet our van. Robin is the name we chose for adventure vehicle. We chose the name Robin because we were originally calling our van the Ban Van from our last name Bangerter and Ban Van sort of sounded like Batman and then we were like "Robin!" and the name just stuck.
Robin was specifically designed to fit our needs. We definitely wanted a place to put our bikes, a stove, a sink and a decent amount of storage. With that criteria, I drew out a few different layouts and the one we ended up with met the majority of that criteria. Then all the small details just fell into place. Since we weren't sure if we would install windows or not, I wanted to make sure that the van felt bright and big. Robin wasn't going to be your typical camper van, she was going to be modern, eclectic and awesome.
We installed a swivel seat on the passenger chair, which adds an extra seating element in the van. In front of the swivel seat is a foot stool that we made because the chair was just a little too tall and we thought it would be nice for a place to put our feet instead of dangling. Oh and inside our foot stool is a TOILET! Just lift the lid and BOOM there's toilet inside. I was very hesitant on having a toilet in the van just because I thought it would be stinky and gross but Jeff convinced me that it wouldn't be and we could disguise it so it doesn't look like a toilet. I was very pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoy having a toilet in the van.
Going with our modern eclectic feel of the van, I wanted a warm stained butcher block countertop. We were debating just putting on an Ikea countertop but those were somewhat expensive and cheaply made. Then we remember that my cousin Dan is a very talented wood worker. So we talked to my cousin to make our countertop. It came out so beautiful and perfect for what we needed. THANKS DAN!
The bed had to be a very specific height to fit our mountain bikes underneath but also had enough room between the bed and the ceiling so we don't hit our heads every time we get into bed. The mattress is a 4 inch memory foam mattress and it is quite comfortable. Though we still hit our heads occasionally on the ceiling, the height of the bed is as good as it could be.
Now look as that ceiling! I think the ceiling is my favorite part of the van. I could just stare at it all day. Every plank is different and unique. It add the perfect amount of rustic flare in the van. The ceiling is made from wood pallets that we got for $25 on OfferUp. It was the biggest pain to dissemble, sand and seal the planks but it turned out so awesome that I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ooooo Ahhhhh The "Garage" or the space underneath the bed. We have our bikes, storage bins, The battery, the inverter, the water tank, the propane tank and the trash bin. There's so much storage in the garage we almost had a difficult time filling up the space.... well not actually. We filled up almost every inch of the space in the garage. We are still working through the storage space next to the shelving unit but as of now everything has a place. Like I said before, everything is so specifically built that everything fits just right. We had to make the shelving unit a certain height that still allows the bikes to be slid out and not hitting anything.
oh hai Jeff!
Both the mountain bikes and the shelving unit are on track sliders, allowing better access to them. The sliders were a little expensive but very much worth it. We also keep hoses for the shower and towels within the doors. Now personally I think the doors can look a little more finished but what we've found out thus far on our trip is that the van is really never finish, i.e. our refrigerator is currently broken and we are on our way to pick up our new refrigerator in Santa Fe.
So this is Robin, our prized possession, our dream adventure vehicle and everything we've ever wanted to make this trip happen. We hope you enjoy following Robin, Banger, Jeff and myself on our journey. Until next time!
Now before we REALLY get started, we would like you to meet our van. Robin is the name we chose for adventure vehicle. We chose the name Robin because we were originally calling our van the Ban Van from our last name Bangerter and Ban Van sort of sounded like Batman and then we were like "Robin!" and the name just stuck.
Robin was specifically designed to fit our needs. We definitely wanted a place to put our bikes, a stove, a sink and a decent amount of storage. With that criteria, I drew out a few different layouts and the one we ended up with met the majority of that criteria. Then all the small details just fell into place. Since we weren't sure if we would install windows or not, I wanted to make sure that the van felt bright and big. Robin wasn't going to be your typical camper van, she was going to be modern, eclectic and awesome.
We installed a swivel seat on the passenger chair, which adds an extra seating element in the van. In front of the swivel seat is a foot stool that we made because the chair was just a little too tall and we thought it would be nice for a place to put our feet instead of dangling. Oh and inside our foot stool is a TOILET! Just lift the lid and BOOM there's toilet inside. I was very hesitant on having a toilet in the van just because I thought it would be stinky and gross but Jeff convinced me that it wouldn't be and we could disguise it so it doesn't look like a toilet. I was very pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoy having a toilet in the van.
Going with our modern eclectic feel of the van, I wanted a warm stained butcher block countertop. We were debating just putting on an Ikea countertop but those were somewhat expensive and cheaply made. Then we remember that my cousin Dan is a very talented wood worker. So we talked to my cousin to make our countertop. It came out so beautiful and perfect for what we needed. THANKS DAN!
The bench is where we keep all of our clothes and shoes. We really had to pair down our clothes when getting ready for our trip and we basically have two weeks worth of clothes each in the bench. We keep kitchen utensils and little random necessities in the two drawers and under the sink is where we keep our two pots for cooking and cleaning stuff like paper towels, a small hand broom and dish soap. In the upper cabinets we have our plates, cups, food and books. If any of you would like to know more about the appliances we used and the specific spec information please comment below and we will respond.
The bed had to be a very specific height to fit our mountain bikes underneath but also had enough room between the bed and the ceiling so we don't hit our heads every time we get into bed. The mattress is a 4 inch memory foam mattress and it is quite comfortable. Though we still hit our heads occasionally on the ceiling, the height of the bed is as good as it could be.
Now look as that ceiling! I think the ceiling is my favorite part of the van. I could just stare at it all day. Every plank is different and unique. It add the perfect amount of rustic flare in the van. The ceiling is made from wood pallets that we got for $25 on OfferUp. It was the biggest pain to dissemble, sand and seal the planks but it turned out so awesome that I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ooooo Ahhhhh The "Garage" or the space underneath the bed. We have our bikes, storage bins, The battery, the inverter, the water tank, the propane tank and the trash bin. There's so much storage in the garage we almost had a difficult time filling up the space.... well not actually. We filled up almost every inch of the space in the garage. We are still working through the storage space next to the shelving unit but as of now everything has a place. Like I said before, everything is so specifically built that everything fits just right. We had to make the shelving unit a certain height that still allows the bikes to be slid out and not hitting anything.
oh hai Jeff!
Both the mountain bikes and the shelving unit are on track sliders, allowing better access to them. The sliders were a little expensive but very much worth it. We also keep hoses for the shower and towels within the doors. Now personally I think the doors can look a little more finished but what we've found out thus far on our trip is that the van is really never finish, i.e. our refrigerator is currently broken and we are on our way to pick up our new refrigerator in Santa Fe.
So this is Robin, our prized possession, our dream adventure vehicle and everything we've ever wanted to make this trip happen. We hope you enjoy following Robin, Banger, Jeff and myself on our journey. Until next time!
Monday, April 15, 2019
Off on a Grand Adventure
Welcome to blog of Kelli, Jeff, and Banger! We're a traveling group comprising a married couple and a bear! We will be posting videos, pictures, and podcasts about our travels here!
Some background: We love traveling and we have been dreaming of traveling the United States for a long time. There's so much to see that we have never had the chance to see, so it's always been on the list. A while back, we bought a van that we wanted to build into a camper. We have always loved camping and have wanted an awesome adventure rig for some time. I initially bought a truck with the intent of putting a camper or camper shell on it, but ended up feeling that the van was a better vehicle for a DIY solution. With the van converted into a camper, it became increasingly obvious that this would be a great way to travel the US. With a little planning and some nerve-wracking decisions, we quit our jobs in order to travel for the next 6 months or so.
Our current plan for the trip is to start out in Southern California and travel through the southern-most states, namely Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisana, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. Past that the plans gets a little looser, but we really want to spend some time in Tennessee, D.C., Philly, New York, Boston, Maine, Quebec, Toronto, Michigan, Chicago, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. There will probably be a lot of changes along the way, but that's a really basic outline of what we would like to see.
We would love to see people we know and meet more people along the way, so please feel free to reach out to us! Also, if you have recommendations about things we should see or do along the way, please let us know.
Our first stop is in Sedona for some mountain biking. Can't wait!
You can follow along on Instagram @vanward.bound and @bangerthebear
When we start doing videos and podcasts, we will post the information on this site for you to follow.
-Jeff
Some background: We love traveling and we have been dreaming of traveling the United States for a long time. There's so much to see that we have never had the chance to see, so it's always been on the list. A while back, we bought a van that we wanted to build into a camper. We have always loved camping and have wanted an awesome adventure rig for some time. I initially bought a truck with the intent of putting a camper or camper shell on it, but ended up feeling that the van was a better vehicle for a DIY solution. With the van converted into a camper, it became increasingly obvious that this would be a great way to travel the US. With a little planning and some nerve-wracking decisions, we quit our jobs in order to travel for the next 6 months or so.
Our current plan for the trip is to start out in Southern California and travel through the southern-most states, namely Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisana, Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. Past that the plans gets a little looser, but we really want to spend some time in Tennessee, D.C., Philly, New York, Boston, Maine, Quebec, Toronto, Michigan, Chicago, Minnesota, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. There will probably be a lot of changes along the way, but that's a really basic outline of what we would like to see.
We would love to see people we know and meet more people along the way, so please feel free to reach out to us! Also, if you have recommendations about things we should see or do along the way, please let us know.
Our first stop is in Sedona for some mountain biking. Can't wait!
You can follow along on Instagram @vanward.bound and @bangerthebear
When we start doing videos and podcasts, we will post the information on this site for you to follow.
-Jeff
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