The Process, of Finding and Financing.
Finding My Perfect Home on Wheels: The Van Life Journey
If you’ve ever wondered what it truly takes to find your perfect home on wheels, here’s my story. Every van life journey is unique, but I faced challenges that many newcomers don’t anticipate—from the search process to financing and building my dream van.
The Search Begins
In August 2020, I shared with Steve my dream of living the van life. For months, I scoured Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace, considering pre-converted vans. While many options existed, I wasn’t comfortable buying a van that had already been lived in—I knew nothing about assessing a vehicle under the hood. All I had was a vision.
We quickly realized a DIY conversion was the way to go. After brainstorming options, Steve connected me with Builder Allen, a skilled carpenter and general contractor with years of experience learned from his father. With Allen on board, the van hunt officially began.
The Van Hunt: Pandemic Challenges
Finding the right van proved harder than I imagined. Due to the pandemic, companies like Amazon and FedEx were buying most new vans, and availability in Alberta was extremely limited.
Thanks to networking, Steve reached out on Facebook and connected us with Mike, a former commercial vehicle sales expert. Through Mike, we met Kevin, a van finder with access to listings from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. After weeks of searching, Kevin found the one: a 2020 mid-roof Ford Transit 250 with only 9,000 kilometers.
I cried when I saw it. It was slightly over budget, but perfect.
Financing the Van
Next came the bank process, which was chaotic and drawn out. After securing approval for a loan, I had to coordinate two bank drafts to cover the van cost. This process took nearly a month due to paperwork delays—but eventually, the money reached Kevin, and the delivery company could pick up the van.
The van arrived in March, spotless and ready for the next step: the conversion process.
Building the Dream: Conversion and Planning
With the van in hand, the build began. Electrical, solar, and water systems were critical, so I drove to Canmore multiple times to work with specialists on pre-wiring the van for solar panels and plumbing.
Key lessons from my build:
Find a skilled woodworker and an electrician, or hire a professional van conversion company.
Be prepared for logistics when sourcing a van out of province.
Organization is everything—especially when managing shipping, payments, and builder schedules.
From February (search) to final build completion seven months later, the process included ups, downs, and unexpected surprises—but it was entirely worth it.
Final Thoughts
Finding and converting my van taught me patience, resourcefulness, and the value of community. The journey from van search to fully built, adventure-ready van was challenging, but now I have my dream home on wheels.
Check out the full video documenting the entire process from start to finish here.
