A Big, Fat Van Post About Big, Fat Topics: Van Progress and COVID-19

It’s still a lot to do, but I’m definitely on the home stretch. Besides, it’s good I’ve got plenty to do, since I’m out of work for at least three weeks.

Pre-TripCarson CostaMarch 17, 2020Vanlife, Van Build, Health, Coronavirus, COVID-19, isolation, Working, Apocalypse, video game, Danica, Cabinets, Bed, Benches, Blogging, America, Experience, Goals, History, Inspiration, Marathon March, Overcoming problems, United States, Subfloor, Worried, DIYComment

Making Great Headway

For about 60 seconds I felt like I was going to pass out with horror, but the solution is pretty obvious and not that big of a deal, even if it wasn’t going to turn out super pretty.

Construction 101: My Journey From Clueless to Clued-In

I don’t think I’d ever so much as touched a saw of any kind, I had no idea that 2x4 really meant 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches, and the descriptions of some of these screws sounded like gibberish to me (how can a screw be both a Phillip’s and flat? Why is it a #8 but it’s 2 inches long?).

Pre-TripCarson CostaMay 31, 2019Carpentry, Wood Working, Drills, Things Breaking, Progress, Problems, Walls, Flowers, Vanlife, Van Build, Furring, Framing, Learning, Sealant, Subfloor, Self-doubt, Inner Thoughts, Planning, Mishaps, Time Crunch, Tools, Layout, Trial Run Comments

Getting Back on Track

Home Depot and the local hardware stores have become such a milk run that I‘ve actually gone to them in the same clothes I slept in the night before, without brushing my hair (but I did brush my teeth, I still have some standards).

Pre-TripCarson CostaMay 27, 2019Van Build, Vanlife, Subfloor, Electrical, Exhaustion, Dan, DMV, Tools Comments

The Universe Tells Me to Sit Down and Hire a Professional....

…And all I could think was: “The VanGods have spoken.”

The First Major Mishap (And Hopefully the Last)

We tugged, and yanked, and pulled, and wiggled, and pled. It was completely anchored down, not moving an inch, and I realized I’d made a massive mistake.

Pre-TripCarson CostaApril 21, 2019Mishaps, Insulation, Panic, Progress, Self-doubt, Van Build, Vanlife, Subfloor, Framing, Step, Time Crunch, Stress Comments

Van Build, or Comedy of Errors?

I was adamant, though, that I was going to break ground on this thing today. So we finished the prep work — cleaning the surface and marking off the exact places we were going to drill— and got out the drill.

Pre-TripCarson CostaApril 2, 2019Vanlife, Van Build, Mishaps, Comedy of Errors, Indiana Jones, KonMari, Marie Kondo, Tidying Up, Ventilation, Fan Install, Subfloor, Insulation, Electrical, Wiring, Solar, Solar PanelsComment

The Open Road is an iconic image.