Vanalogue chatted to the couple about life and their rolling home named Gourd
Hailing from Canada, Katy, 23, and Allen, 28, have been traveling around America in their home on wheels, Gourd, for several months now. We thought we would let them introduce themselves …
K & A: We have a little bit of a different story…we are only on the road in our van for three months this year. It’s something we dreamed about three years ago and have just been able to financially pull it off. When we realised we had a passion for travel and sustainability, we rented out our house and moved into an off grid, 31ft camper trailer on a piece of land we bought. We return to Canada in April, to work for six months to fund our next adventure & will be back on the road in November! We’re still trying to figure out how people do this for a lifestyle…that would be a dream come true for us. We dreamed of van life to escape the cold of Canada winters but to also learn how people live in other parts of the country. We are volunteering on farms as we travel across America, to learn about sustainable living & organic farming, something we’re both passionate about. We’ve both never travelled, so we thought living the van life would not only allow us to see the world but to learn about green living simultaneously.
V: Where are you currently and where do you plan to go next?
K & A: We are currently in Texas (Fort Stockton) and are making our way to New Mexico next week. We have no plan – just going with the flow.
V: What is the make and model of your van and why did you choose it?
K & A: Our rolling home is a 19 passenger, 1995 Vandura 3500. 6.5 diesel that we’ve converted into a camper and equipped with solar panels, so we can be off grid as much as possible. We initially started with 1997 Chevrolet Express 2500, but it was gas and something about it didn’t click with us. We found this bus on the outskirts of town, from a man who had converted it for him and his wife but they only used it a few times. It was a 6.5L diesel, which Allen is familiar with & fond of as a mechanic, and all mechanical (something Allen says is a must!). We fell in love with it immediately, so we re-did the layout to suit us better. We love “Gourd” because he’s the perfect size, big enough for us and small enough to fit into parking spots downtown.
V: And finally, if you have a dream van what is it?
K & A: Our dream van…realistically, this is it! We looked at a few busses & vans before we found this one and we knew it was the one we were meant to have. We’d like to modify a few things mechanically and make it more aesthetic (it’s pretty basic inside, we wanted to focus on functionality before aesthetically pleasing). That said, if we we’re dreaming – an older mid size bus would be amazing. Like one from the 60s or 70s with more curve and a little more unique.
If you want to know more about Katy and Allen’s adventures, check them out on Twitter and Instagram.
