A CARPENTER who felt he was “stuck in life” decided to give van life a go and turned a van into a camper.
Taylor ‘Freddy’ Fredericks converted a 2021 Ram Promaster so he could start his nomadic lifestyle and see something of the world.
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeFreddy says he felt ‘stuck’ before deciding to try out van life[/caption]
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeThe shower is hidden away under the cushions[/caption]
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeAlso hidden away is the toilet which is tucked away under the bed[/caption]
Taking to the YouTube channel ‘Tiny Home Tours’ he explained the appeal and why he had decided to give it a go.
He said: “The reason is that I just have been feeling stuck where I’ve been for the last 12 years.
“I mean I have a great friendships, they’re great relationships, they’re everything; it’s just I wanted to see what else was out there before I fully committed to a certain place to kind of try and set roots and the van life was my idea of the perfect way to do that.
“I’m now able to travel the country see places that I never thought I’d be able to go to and do it for an extended period of time not just a quick vacation, a quick trip.”
He added: “I’m able to like live in these places and experience how it works and experience the lifestyles.
“It’s been a great thing for me like I’ve really enjoyed being able to see all these places and understand that there is more out there and just trying to figure out where to actually plant those roots.”
Freddy starts his guided tour off in the kitchen area which is equipped with a propane oven, although he admits he is “not much of a cook”.
Next to that is a compact 65 litre fridge although he says that if he was going to build another one he would make it a bit larger at 110 litres, adding that he could do with a little bit more extra space.
There is also a small window that helps with the air flow inside the van.
Freddy said: “I have this awning style window the only one in my van just in case it rained I need some kind of air flow so the fan and that cycle the flow from the kitchen pretty well.”
Next to the fridge is the sink, with the cover doubling as a chopping board.
There are also a number of cupboards and drawers to keep everything neatly packed away.
Freddy said: “Honestly building the kitchen part was kind of more easy for me it was more basic because I was able to build house style cabinets.
“I watched videos on how to build cabinets for the van and I just I didn’t really get it.
“I built the most structural cabinet I could they’ve been holding together really well.”
The bedroom is large enough to fit a full-size mattress with an area measuring 6’3” in length, allowing him to full stretch out at night.
He also has two reading lights fitted which are dimmable and overhead are his ‘n’ hers cabinets for storing clothes.
A particularly nifty feature is his “hidden shower” which is stashed under the couch, opposite the kitchen.
Underneath the seating is a tiled floor with a drain which Freddy designed and built and he then fixes up a shower curtain around it.
He admitted though that his toilet was “the worst part”, which is hidden away under the bed.
Freddy said: “It is a cassette toilet, I personally don’t recommend getting a cassette toilet it’s like carrying around a porter potty.
“They stink, absolutely stink especially when it gets really hot.
“So I empty it as frequently as possible.”
Freddy said that while van life had been “great” he admitted it had also been “hard”.
He said: “I want to have all my stuff but I can’t carry it all, there’s just not enough room and I don’t want to tow a trailer so being able to have everything in one place at my old apartment was really nice.
“However I do feel like the trade-offs are way better, I think living in the van is an incredible experience that if you have any thoughts or any wants to try it out I would just do it.
“I mean give it a try because you meet so many new people, so many people that are actually like into the same thing as you because we’re all doing the same thing.
“We’re all out here to be more outdoors than indoors and that’s what the van gives us – the outdoors as our front yard as our living room.”
It comes after a man revealed he moved into a minivan seven years ago after “life got too expensive” but now saves thousands by living on the road.
A woman who lives in a van has shown how she keeps it warm in the winter even without heating.
It comes after one woman was labelled mad by her family and friends after she bought a bus to use on her weekly shop.
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeThe window in his van helps with air flow[/caption]
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeFreddy admits he isn’t much of a cook but uses a propane oven for his meals[/caption]
Tiny Home Tours/YoutubeVan life has given Freddy the chance to travel about and experience different lifestyles[/caption]