People all over NWA are trading in traditional homes for one on wheels.

By Martin McGrath

Thomas Rhines, 23, brought his passion for fixing cars to college at the U of A. After working closely with people who consider themselves “VanLifers” at Backwoods Adventure Mods, Rhines found his soulmate- a steel blue 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia.

It was love at first sight for Rhines and the van after he set his eyes on the vintage machine and he as soon as he saw it he thought ‘yep that’s the one I want,’ Rhines said. 

While the inspiration for buying the vintage van came from his job, Rhines said the nature and outdoor resources that are easily accessible quickly became a benefit to having an all-in-one mobile home. 

“The van is very slow- it doesn’t go many places, but it’s so fun to just get it out, take it on some back roads and camp in it,” he said. “Camping, for me, in college was a really good way to connect with friends like you can hang out, you can go to Dickson, you can do whatever but none of that will compare to camping.” 

In 2023, more and more people are moving their life into a home not much more than 300 square feet, and it can go anywhere there’s a road. For most people, a dream home has a vast amount of luxury features. Perhaps, a wrap-around porch on a big plot of land, a media room with a screen fit for the theater, a library full of books or a pool in the backyard but for others the dream is being able to travel all over. 

With the flexibility of working from home, more people are taking the opportunity to travel and work all at once. The trending lifestyle is known as “van life.”

According to Statista, over three million people live in vans as of 2022.

The state of Arkansas is ranked the third best van life state, according to Satellite Internet.  

Arkansas is full of outdoor activities that allow for van life to grow as much as it has. The Buffalo River provides a fly fisher’s  paradise, Hot Springs provides access to the Ouachita Mountains and Bentonville serves as a treasure trove for mountain bikers.

“The access you have to all these things is almost year round,” Rhines said while pointing to the green grass outside. “You get some snow and ice, but realistically you can go mountain biking in Bentonville in January, you can go fly fishing on the White River in February and the thing I took for granted most was the mild climate.”

With the Natural State being so high on the list for best van life states, there are various businesses in NWA that specialize in the renovations of these vehicles- turned-homes, such as Open Road Campers.

Co-Owner Bill Harris, 40, started building a van for a family of five to live in full time in 2019. The project finished, the emails started flooding his inbox and he and his business partner quit their full-time jobs to start their business.

“The challenge and creativity of building in such a small space and trying to fit so many of the creature’s comforts into that small space is challenging but very rewarding at the same time,” Harris said. “Each day is something new.”

The process consists of curating designs that fit the needs of the customer while taking into account the small scale of the van. Each renovation is usually custom due to the various uses of these tiny mobile homes, including aspects suited for adventure or everyday living. The home is fit for  van owners are able to travel, work remotely and live a sort of vagabond lifestyle on the road. 

“You can bring your toys with you and have a mobile base camp with your necessities in there, a spot to cook your food, a bed, and plenty of room to put all your things so it works really well for Arkansas,” Harris said.

These renovated vehicles typically have at least one bed, a kitchen and seating area all in the back where passengers would usually sit during the drive. Special customs for Open Road Campers have included indoor and outdoor shower attachments, flush toilets, hot air and water as well as a stove and oven combo. 

According to Muse & Co. Outdoors the average price for a brand new camper van with high quality amenities can range between $200,000 and $300,000. 

The amenities and creative freedoms that go into these vans act as a testament to how much the trend has taken off.  On social media, the hashtag ‘#vanlife’ has been used over 14 million times and various accounts exist with pages dedicated to all things van living. 

With the popularization of the van life culture, many people have reevaluated what matters to them and what the want to spend their life doing. Thomas Rhines was just a kid in college with a love of fixing things and the outdoors. Bill Harris started with just one custom build for a family who reached out. 

Both of them have cultivated what most people would consider the dream life: roaming around the world and taking in the beauty in the most unexpected of places.