People who are truly passionate about their dreams will do just about anything to pursue them. Some are willing to leave full-time jobs just to take a leap of faith and try something new.
That's exactly the case for Zach Both, a filmmaker who travels all over North America in his van named Rocket. In 2014, he left his job as an art director at a tech start-up and decided to pursue his dreams.
According to Both, the filmmaking process is inherently nomadic. He knew he was going to be on the move constantly and, being a budding artist, most likely didn't want to pay the price of staying at a hotel on each filming location.
In order to accommodate his new lifestyle, Both decided to build his own mobile studio and sleeping space out of an old rusty van. Now he's able to travel comfortably and affordably while doing business.
Scroll down to see how he was able to turn an old van into the workspace of his dreams, and let us know what you think of this incredible project in the comments below!
Zach Broth began his lengthy project by purchasing a 2003 Chevy Express van.
It was a bit rusty and had plenty of years' worth of dirt on it, but it was the perfect size.
He took his time vacuuming surfaces that hadn't been touched in well over a decade.
There was a bit of surface rust that he took care of with an angle grinder.
He painted over the newly cleaned floors with a standard gloss spray paint and began cutting out Reflectix insulation.
He glued those pieces of insulation down with a strong spray adhesive.
At this point, the inside looked a bit like a spaceship, but he had every intention of sleeping in this van, so it needed to stay warm at night!
Spray foam was used to insulate any cracks or crevices found throughout the van.
After laying down some hard foam insulation on the floor and ceiling, he got started on the template for the floor.
He used half-inch birchwood and screwed it down to the metal floors of the van.
After staining and securing plywood to the braces of the van's roof, he enlisted his dad for this next step.
As you can see, his father began puncturing a hole in the van's roof. You'll see why in just a few steps!
To give the inside of the van some character, he stained some old plaster lath and attached it to the roof of the van using a pin nailer.
Next, he installed a fan in the hole his father had cut out in the ceiling to allow airflow.
The wires used to make this equipment work were installed between the plywood and insulation.
Next, plywood walls and custom pieces were made to cover insulation and various gaps throughout the van.
After the plywood was set up and the sheet metal pop-out windows were set in place, he set down vinyl flooring.
The DIY-er said this part was actually pretty simple, thanks to some helpful YouTube videos!
Next, he put in some boxes to cover the wheel wells on the inside.
This would eventually also be a part of his bed frame design.
For the "kitchen" area of the van, the structure was built using plywood and braces, and was intended to hold and conceal a stove, mini fridge, and water dispenser.
The clever design allows him to use the pop-up features during mealtime, and when he's done, he closes it all up and it becomes a desk!
He built himself a small stool that doubles as a trash receptacle and covered the desk/kitchen area with more of the beautiful stained laths.
With some help from his mom, he was able to install an old futon from IKEA onto the bed frame he built.
During the day, it's set up like a couch, and in the evening, that's where he sleeps!
Now, Both is able to travel from location to location for work and not have to worry about where he's going to sleep that night!
What do you think of this amazing traveling studio van? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE with the avid travelers in your life!
