Russell grew up in England doing surf trips in his dad’s converted VW campers. Whitney grew up in Wisconsin, fell for vanlife on a trip to the south of France in a van called the Blue Beast, and hasn’t looked back. Many years and three kids later, they’re in Florida, chasing waves, and driving Roxanne — a five-person camper van Russell built over nine months of evenings and weekends.
In this episode, they break down the build — fixed bunks, 10-day fridge, A/C, indoor shower, and why every one of those was a deliberate decision — what it actually looks like to do vanlife with three kids without quitting your day job, and the family rental business they’re building around it.
Whitney’s parting thought: a van is never fully built. You keep adding things, taking things away, and figuring out what actually matters.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

www.vanlifeoutfitters.com

What happens when a fine artist builds his first van from scratch — no tutorials, no research, just artistic instinct

and a pile of cardboard boxes?

Troy is the founder of Nanna Vans, a custom van build company based in DeLand, Florida, operating under his

design firm TR Designs. He came to van life not through YouTube or van life forums, but through years of ceramics,

large-scale environmental installations, and high-end residential and commercial design. His van — named Janet,

after his late grandmother — is both his proof of concept and a rolling portfolio that's helped him sign design

contracts off the back table. In this conversation, Troy breaks down how art school thinking changes everything

about the way you design and build.

www.vanlifeoutfitters.com

Tim Jowers quit a 25-year warehouse career in December 2021, bought a ProMaster, and started building vans out of his Texas driveway with his son Ryan. Twenty builds later, he’s still in that driveway — and still loving it.

Tim builds what he calls weekend warrior vans: complete, functional, and specifically without showers. In this episode he walks through why — the condensation issues, drainage problems, and cost math that make showers a non-starter. He also covers why cabinet work is the part that humbles every builder.

Tim’s rattle prevention method, his advice for first-time builders (rent a van before you build), and what it’s like to run a 20-build business out of a driveway with zero advertising.

Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

www.vanlifeoutfitters.com