my wife and i rented a commercial camper van for our honeymoon on the olympic peninsula of washington state. we thoroughly enjoyed our trip and talk about it often. the places we experienced and the memories we made will last a lifetime. this adventure made us want to build one of our own, and as an architect, provided a big design challenge in a small space. we discussed all the pro’s and con’s of the van we rented and sought to incorporate the best parts, but make the space more livable, comfortable, and convenient. The result is big blue, our first campervan. built by us from the biggest, baddest, and most serviceable van that existed on the market, a new chapter in our lives began. big blue is a ford transit 350 hd dually, high roof, extended length, all-wheel drive beast. it’s powerful and easy to drive, which makes navigating big mountain passes a breeze. it also has a separate system to power other equipment on board whether the van is running or not. the van is insulated with wool and finished with sustainable birch plywood, bent to match the contours of the van much like the interior of a fine wooden boat. the kitchenette has a sink, a 4 stage water filter, storage for kitchen supplies and a refrigerated cooler. a pull out table between two bench seats provides a place to eat , or a game on a rainy day. the rear cargo area features a pull-out “truck bed” to make for easy loading and unloading of gear, so you don’t have to climb around under the bed platform. ahh, the bed! the bed is medium firm spring and memory foam and is more comfortable than the one we have at home. When fitted with our 600 thread count organic sheets, non-allergenic pillows and comforter, and organic linen duvets, you will sleep like a dog after a 10 mile hike. for more information about all the cool gear that we have to offer, please visit our “gear kit” section. we hope you enjoy your journey and bring back a bunch of new stories and memories with you!