Road Wanderers

ROAD WANDERERS

By Kendall Polidori

On 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 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 operational development to more digital marketing, social media management and content creation for clients.

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.

“There’s so many ways to make money on the road,” Hartrum said. “People do all kinds of 9-to- 5 remote jobs, and there’s apps where you can pick up shifts or be a bartender for a few weeks.”

Luckily, money has not been an issue. They swapped out rent for a van payment, insurance, food and gas. Each month, they only spend about $1,400 altogether.

By buying a new van, the couple has dodged major repairs. But living on the road doesn’t come without challenges.

With a van that’s solar-powered, they have to chase the sun. Before upgrading to lithium batteries, their lead-acid batteries weren’t efficient on gloomy, rainy days. There would be days where they had to conserve as much energy as possible: eating out, making only one cup of coffee and keeping the lights off. Since upgrading the batteries, power has not been much of an issue.

“This way of living is a more mindful way of being,” Hartrum said. “We have toalways monitor how much water we have and are using, and we have to always make sure we’re not using too much of our energy.”

But they still like to stay connected. Hartrum has documented their journey since the start, and they’ve recently attracted a larger social media following. They post multiple photos and videos each week, as well as occasional blog posts on their website. At press time, their Instagram profile, vanziehartlieb, has 14,800 followers.

The couple uses Instagram to connect with new friends, as well as to form partnerships with brands that resonate with them. They also leveraged Lieber’s knowledge of data analytics to their advantage to gain more followers.

“It’s so cool with van life because you just skip the small talk. This kind of sounds gross, but I swear one of the first conversations you have with another van lifer is, ‘So, where do you go to the bathroom?’” Hartrum said with a giggle.

Van lifers looking for community can take advantage of apps and organizations—including Project Van Life—that provide advice on how to make the transition to life on the road.

Earlier this year, Dan and Mackenzie spent some time on the beach at Bahía Concepción, a bay on the Gulf of California, with friends they met through the van life community.

Project Van Life was started in 2016 to document van lifers’ experiences—offering a platform to showcase the community, present visuals illustrating the lifestyle and connect likeminded folks.

Sami Syed, Project Van Life’s chief marketing officer, said the platform strives to make people’s introduction to van life as easy as possible.

“I would recommend getting educated on the lifestyle because a lot of people get interested in van life based on what they see on Instagram,” Syed said. “That’s not very accurate because on Instagram, people are showcasing theinspirational and dreamy side of it.”

The platform has about 3 million followers who tap into educational articles and videos. Project Van Life also showcases people’s van stories, including the van owned by Hartrum and Lieber.

“We want to empower people with unique tools and resources that help them solve different problems related to transitioning to van life,” Syed said.

Lieber notes that adjusting to van life has a learning curve, but they’ve found their groove over the past few months. Van life, he said, introduced them to a tight-knit community, outweighing the burden of facing situations they can’t always control.

As for the long-term, they see themselves owning a van or bus for the rest of their lives but would like to find a home base to settle down in. Lieber says they’re just taking it day by day, and when it doesn’t feel right anymore, they’ll look for somewhere to call home. But for now, the two find comfort in feeling at home wherever they go. “It’s a lot of what you make it,” Lieber said. “The lifestyle can be anything you want it to be. If the road is calling you and nature’s calling you, and you have the ability to be flexible in terms of the way you’re living, then it’s a really beautiful way to live a slower, more deliberate life.”

$444.29

Cost of gas for a trip from Philadelphia to Boulder, Colorado

12 Million

Number of Instagram posts associated with #vanlife