My family and I bought a Ford Transit last spring, and it felt like a dirty secret. Despite being a relatively svelte RV, the typical Class B camper gets 16 to 20 miles per gallon and emits far more greenhouse-gas emissions than my Prius or bike, both my long-preferred modes of transit.
Vans are traditionally converted using toxic materials, such as foam insulation, chemically treated plywood, vinyl, and various other plastic
parts. Surprising, right? Scrolling through thousands of #vanlife photos, one might have the impression that it’s a vehicle for woke nature enthusiasts and families raising the next generation of Greta Thunbergs. Amid the pandemic, vanlife felt like a safe mode of travel, so my husband and I decided to free our two young kids from routine (or what was left of it) and transform a former Enterprise cargo van into an 85-square-foot home for weekend escapes and road-trip vacations. But I knew I would have a hard time enjoying the adventures—first to Acadia National Park in Maine and then to Siesta Key in Florida—if we didn’t do the greenest build possible (and plant trees to offset each trip).