#VANLIFE: MEET BRETT AND HIS VINTAGE '74 VW COMBI
A note from staff contributor, Lindsay Vacek:
Meet Brett, another traveller I met while exploring this year. Brett was on a road trip up the east coast of Australia when our paths crossed. I was instantly intrigued by his beautiful vintage van, which he named Valery (after the song by Amy Winehouse) and I was so impressed when I heard he even restored it himself. Check out our little Q&A below because he gives some really great #vanlife tips and advice!
van•life: a rapidly growing lifestyle where people all over the world are converting vans into rolling homes to explore more, connect with nature and the people who live in small towns, and spend more time on their creative passions while lowering the cost of accommodations on longer road trips.
What’s your name? Brett Harris
How old are you? 28
What’s your occupation? Chiropractic student
Where are you from? Loxton North, South Australia (No one knows where that is haha)
When did you first get your home on wheels? When I was 22 years old
What was the build-out like and how long did it take? Any difficult challenges you faced? We (my parents helped a lot) completely gutted the interior, the front end bumper is custom home made, wheels, camper and rear end seals and bumper are all new. The first year of owning it we had some bigger engine problems (alternator rebuild and replacement of some 44 year old wiring). She runs soundly now but there are original parts breaking from time to time, last week my key snapped my door lock barrel so I broke in to drive it home. All part of the fun of looking after something so iconic.
What’s your favorite part of your home? Definitely the upgraded foam eggcup bed. The original rock and roll 2 seater bed is stone hard. Rate a good nights snooze while camping so highly.
Where to next? Tasmania, hopefully for a month next February
Best advice or tip for those wanting to choose #vanlife? Consider the basic comforts. Whilst I love my 46 year old girl, she doesn't feature things like air-conditioning/heating, power steering.
I've found that you can easily get away with a fit out that doesn't include a permanent fridge or gas cooker.
By using a esky you can remove it and use it as a seat/kitchen bench while camping.
Alongside this is my portable gas cooker, again you can pull it out and cook outside of the van. Often use kitchens provided by caravan parks when staying at one.
Dual battery system has got me out of a shit situation so many times, the extra cranking power is so handy \ when on the road. Solar panels are cheap and affordable too, I have one on my roof charging the batteries.
Get creative with storage space if making your own cabinets, you can never get enough storage.
What song is a “must” for the road trip playlist? Alley-Oop (feat. iDA HAWK) by Big Wild, iDA HAWK
How do people find you/connect? (social media/website/etc) You can follow my adventures in instagram: marley_and_me91
FOLLOW BRETT: INSTAGRAM
WOULD YOU EVER WANT TO LIVE IN A VAN OR TINY HOME? COMMENT BELOW AND LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!
Contributed by estCA staff, Lindsay Vacek