Editor's Note: Macky Franklin and his girlfriend Syd Schulz are not only professional mountain bikers, but expert dirtbaggers. Like so many of us, living the dream only happens when you figure out how to live on a budget, and so Macky is sharing their incredible feat of putting together a pro-level #vanlife setup for under $6,000... van included. Badass!
Introducing Great White, the Adventure Van.
We bought Great White the Adventure Van on Craigslist in late 2014, much to the chagrin of pretty much everyone we knew. A 1998 Ford E-250 cargo van previously owned by AT&T and bearing the sticker residue evidence of such. She was perfect. Which is to say, the price was right; she cost $1400. She had high miles (168,000) and the sort of rust you would expect from a 17-year-old vehicle from Ohio.
Our test drive had been questionably informative, as we weren't able to hear the engine over the clanking of the metal cabinets that filled the back. But we had faith. When we pulled up the foot mat on the driver's side, we discovered well, not much. No floor, just a gaping hole and an excellent view of the pavement whizzing by beneath. But we patched the floor, and yeah, she was perfect.
Great White on a full moon night outside of St. George, UT.
We hoisted a car top tent (Autohome, $2900) on top of Great White, attached a custom hinging bike rack to the hitch ($600 and our own design), filled the back with dirt bikes and other toys, and moved our life onto the road.
Excluding the car-top tent (which was a loan/gift), our "conversion" cost us under $1,500 because we eschewed standard van conversion requirements–namely aesthetics–and focused on making the van the ultimate toy hauler. In addition to the car-top tent and the bike rack, we purchased a rotating seat base ($250), moto chocks ($70), a K2 cooler that holds ice for days ($329), some tape LED lighting ($8) and built some shelving out of discarded lumber (free). Then we called it a day and hit the road.
Moab, Utah.
Packed full with dirt bikes, clothes, cooking equipment–of course–beer.
After all, for us, living in a van is about financial freedom and pursuing our dreams of racing bikes professionally–not sinking $20,000 into a conversion. As long as we can ride our bikes everyday, we're happy cooking outdoors ( Eureka collapsable table, Jetboil Genesis stove and a plain ol' refillable propane tank) and sleeping in the fresh air.
Home, sweet camp.
Since November 2014, we've logged 15,000 miles in Great White traveling to mountain bike races around the U.S. We've hit 12 states, numerous trailheads, and many mountaintop sunrises and sunsets.
Check out the detail photos and van tour video below to get to know our perfect van:
Inside, sans dirt bikes.
Some details (the license plate and custom bike rack) are our own. The rust and random phone numbers scribbled on the ceiling are relics of a previous life.
Shelving for helmets, bikes, shoes, and other sundries.
The little stuff–hat rack and sticker wall–makes it home.
Inside the rooftop bedroom.
Here's the packing process:
See you on the road!
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Max Ritter
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Well, I’ll be frank. Mountain biking is pretty a damn expensive way to have fun on two wheels. Prices of high-end carbon dream machines have reached into the five-figure range, and the average entry-level full-suspension mountain bike still costs thousands. Simply put, it's prohibitive, but does the bike industry even care? Quick answer: Yes. In recent years, an entirely new business model has started making waves in the bicycle industry. Thanks to the rise of Internet shopping, brands have
Op-Ed: We Can Thank Racing For The Current State of the MTB Industry
Op-Ed: We Can Thank Racing For The Current State of the MTB Industry
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Branham Snyder
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The history of mountain biking is littered with stories about the origins of the sport, and although bikes were ridden off road in the past, it wasn’t until the mid 1960s when a group of Marin County youths took to bombing and racing down those California hills on singlespeed coaster-brake bikes that mountain biking began to gain recognition and appeal as a sport. For years to come, mountain biking was almost entirely a race-oriented sport predominantly made up of roadies looking to get
Crested Butte’s Evolution Bike Park Should Be On Every Rider’s Bucket List
Crested Butte’s Evolution Bike Park Should Be On Every Rider’s Bucket List
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Max Ritter
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After riding enough bike parks, they all start feeling the same. Flow trail after flow trail, jump after jump, they all seem to melt together into one. Well, Crested Butte’s Evolution Bike Park somehow manages to stand out in a stacked field of competitors. I couldn’t tell if it was the lack of crowds or crazy Aussies (that’s you I’m talking about Whistler), the insanely beautiful views, the perfectly built and maintained trails, or the low-key, down-to-earth attitude, but this place does
Recon Racks
June 16th, 2016
“Bike rack of our own design…” I love that part…
mackyfranklin
June 16th, 2016
We actually didn’t design the bike rack, we bought it from a friend, who bought it from a friend, who built it 4 or 5 years ago, it was the hinging hitch receiver that we designed. Stoked you commented though, have been seeing your racks around and trying to figure out who made them! They look rad!
Recon Racks
June 17th, 2016
Wasn’t intending to sound quite so pissed about it, hard to comment in a Starbucks drive thru before hitting the freeway again. Got my heart into these things, a bit overprotective yet to say the least. 8 years of broken racks and trashed bikes searching for the answer only to have people measure them in a parking lot then hack one together. Starting to get those emails with pics of broken copies asking if they’re mine! Frustrating!
But your setup is insane, much jealous, I don’t leave the shop much these days!
m13f98
June 2nd, 2017
Nice post
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m13f98
June 2nd, 2017
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panchosdad
June 7th, 2017
Great setup as long as the weather is good.
m04806
June 12th, 2017
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