We’re Sam and Justin.
And don’t forget our four-legged cowboy, Ralphie!
(he's the cute one in the "tuxedo")
These days you’ll find the three of us crisscrossing North America in our hand-built Sprinter campervan, “Harry.” Forty-one states, eight Canadian provinces, and counting…
But just a couple years ago, we were exactly where you are now.
We didn’t build a campervan because we were bored. We built one because everything else felt… small. Routine. Boring. Maybe even pointless.
We loved the idea of hopping in a van and zigzagging the country:
Hidden forests. Quiet beaches. Places we’d only ever seen on postcards.
But the truth is after my mom died – way too suddenly – all those “someday” dreams felt like excuses.
She always loved decorating a home. Always believed you could build something good for your family, even if you didn’t have a lot of money. And I got a lot of that from her.
So when I looked at the cookie-cutter vans on the market and saw cheap cabinetry, “pleather” upholstery, layouts made for “Instagram vanlife” not real living…
I got pissed – I saw price tags that made no sense. I saw designs built for two-weekend getaways, not real travel.
Even the small “custom van builders” weren’t much better – just another version of the same generic layouts, only with long waitlists and even higher prices.
We wanted a van that felt like an actual home – something solid, comfortable, thoughtful, and built for real travel… and we couldn’t afford (or stomach) paying $200K+ for mediocrity.
And I knew: if we really wanted a van that felt like our home, we’d have to build it ourselves.
Sound nuts? Maybe. Definitely terrifying.
Because we didn’t have…
- A garage. Just a tiny gravel driveway.
- A shop. Just a crappy $100 Amazon pop-up tent to shelter us from the rainy Maine weather.
- A lot of free time. We were knee-deep in our busy T-shirt business.
- Professional-builder experience. Just a notebook full of crossed-out ideas and a sinking feeling we might totally screw this thing up.
Every cut felt permanent.
Every decision felt expensive.
We seriously considered bailing.
But then we got smart. We slowed down. We planned every little detail.
Cabinet placement. Insulation. Plumbing. Layout.
Even where Ralphie would get the best sun patch for his naps!
Nine weeks later – in less than 70 days – we climbed inside our van and said:
“Holy s**t… we actually built a home.”
…we built this Toolkit for you.
We didn’t just finish a build….
We built something better than what you get from a factory.
A van made for real travel.
Made the way we wanted it.
Made for real life.
And when we finally were tucked under the redwoods at dusk in a campground in California’s Big Sur – soup simmering on the stove, Ralphie kneading a blanket on the sofa, the van quiet around us – that’s when it hit:
This wasn’t a hotel room on wheels.
This was home.
Now we’re sharing everything we learned – the smart planning, the mistakes we almost made, the little tricks that saved thousands – in our DIY Campervan Design Planner & Toolkit.
Not because we want to brag.
But because we don’t want you to waste time, money, or end up with a van that’s just “meh.”
Because we think you deserve better than “assembly-line vanlife.”
- If you’re tired of bland, overpriced, cookie-cutter vans…
- If you want a van that feels like yours…
- If you want a van that works – not just looks good in photos…