It’s been a few weeks since my last post and there’s been a ton of progress on the van. Since the bed went in it’s been a mad dash to the finish and I’ve been running around like a maniac. I’ve worked 12+ hour days, 7 days a week for the last 4 weeks straight. But now I’m… done?… Or at least road ready.
My lease was up July 31st, so I was planning to leave Boston on August 1st. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I needed a few extra days to finish iVan’s construction. My landlord (aka saints) were kind enough to let me use their guest bedroom, so I grabbed a couple pillows and moved upstairs. I should take a few moments to re-emphasize how unbelievably kind of them it was to take me in. I owe them a debt of gratitude. All of my other worldly belongings went into a 10’x10′ storage locker. And of course it was raining on moving day. Lovely.
So here’s iVan in all his glory. Since I was running low on time, I enlisted the help of my buddy Matt Thomas to help build my kitchen counters. We worked out a design together and then Matt built them in one long 12 hour day. Very impressive. He did a great job. While I’m posting credits I should mention that Michael Cohen sacrificed a night of climbing to help me sand down the countertops, which was very kind of him. Matt and I installed the counters and then I gave everything a coat of wood finish/paint. I also added a couple shelves to help divide up the space in the big counter.
The grey box with the blue top is the fridge. The top lifts up like a cooler.
I also built two hanging shelves for clothes and food storage.
The gear room (aka the garage, aka the basement). 6 storage bins (27 gallons each), 4 ropes (60m doubles, 70m single, 70 static), 3 kites (14m, 12m, 9m), 1 kiteboard (getting another soon), 1 bike, and 1 yoga mat. So ready. Come at me bro.
The electrical system with solar charge controller, fuse box, meter & shunt, and master kill switch. The battery is just to the left. This panel lives in the space under the fridge. Need to clean up some of the extra wires… Also, I don’t recommend putting your fingers too close to that shunt…
My home for the next 12 months. As you can see, things are evolving. I still have some things to do while I’m on the road. BTW, I can’t believe my luck with that green ottoman storage bin thingy. It fits perfectly and goes nicely with the accent color on the counter (Kelp Forest Green if you must know). Guess that’s what happens when you spend a nice little Saturday at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
I can hardly believe it, but it’s finally time to hit the road. The last two month have been intense. If only i could take a year long vacation… So long Boston, you will be missed.
