trends
DIVERSIONS
Road Warriors
WORKING FROM ANYWHERE is growing in popularity as the young and old alike hit the road on a mission in converted vans
and RVs. For some, the lifestyle sounds glamorous, liberating, exciting, affordable, environmentally sustainable and off-the-grid. The U.S. Census Bureau reported more than 140,000 people were living in vans, recreational vehicles or boats in 2019. But that was before the pandemic. In this issue, Luckbox profiles three road warriors who are working from anywhere to follow either their dreams or their mission. Video bloggers Dan Lieber and Mackenzie Hartrum have lived on the road for almost a year after decking out their black 2020 RAM ProMaster 3500 with plumbing, an electric fireplace, 100% solar-powered energy and two cats. They connected with a larger community through initiatives like Project Van Life on Instagram #vanlife. It’s no joke that comedian Reena Calm has taken her show on the road to 48 states and has no plans to slow down now that she just converted her 2017 Toyota Sienna to a “green room on wheels.” Ultra-endurance athlete and Marine veteran Tom “QuitProof” Jones travels in an RV cross-country to run upwards of 76 marathons in 76 days for a cause he is passionate about. Check out these road warriors working from anywhere.
ROAD WANDERERS By Kendall Polidori
O
n a typical day in their van, Dan Lieber and Mackenzie Hartrum knock out a few hours of remote work. Afterward, they’re driving or enjoying their surroundings, whether that’s hiking, heading toward off-grid locations or exploring unfamiliar towns. Sitting outside the van before an afternoon hike in Boulder, Colorado, Hartrum describes the conversation that launched the couple’s journey: “On one of our first dates, I said, ‘This might sound kind of crazy, but I would love to live in a van.’ Dan was like, ‘No way, so do I.’ So, we’ve always had this goal in mind.” Since September 2021, Hartrum and Lieber have been living out of their black 2020 RAM ProMaster 3500, decked out with plumbing (a toilet, sink and shower), an electric fireplace, solar panels and two cats. Leafy greens and vines line the inside of the van’s doors and windows, and string lights complement them with a soft yellow glow. It took about a year and a half to plan the logistics. Almost two years ago, they bought their new van and, with the help of their family, they spent three months building it out. The modifications cost an estimated $12,000, including $3,000 to $5,000 for mistakes they made in the beginning. But it opened a new chapter in their lives. When they met, Lieber was working a corporate job. With a dream of traveling and working from anywhere, he “made
34
Dan Lieber and Mackenzie Hartrum have lived together out of their van, with their cats, one out of the three years they have been in a relationship.
a plan to escape by creating a small data analytics, operational development consulting agency, where I could pick up a couple of clients and still be able to maintain my lifestyle on the road,” he said. The idea was to have their home base in Philadelphia and travel every few weeks. But thanks to the isolation caused by the pandemic, full-time travel became reality. The two made the transition from
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF DAN LIEBER AND MACKENZIE HARTRUM
WITH A LOVE FOR TRAVELING AND EXPLORING NATURE, THIS COUPLE FINDS COMFORT IN VAN LIFE. HERE’S HOW THEY MAKE IT WORK.
Luckbox | July 2022
2207_TRENDS_Road_Warriors.indd 34
6/17/22 10:03 AM
