Van Life for Beginners

Cherie Wilson is a writer, workshop leader, and full-time van dweller. After a decade in Seattle's marketing industry, she sold most of what she owned, bought a used 2015 Ford Transit, and converted it herself on a $6,000 budget. That first build was meant to be a one-year experiment. More than 150,000 miles later, it has become her life's work.

Since 2017, Cherie has traveled across all 48 contiguous states, Canada, and Mexico, living year-round in a series of Ford Transits she built and rebuilt with her own hands. She is the founder of the Rolling Home newsletter, where she writes practical guides on van conversions, nomadic budgeting, remote work on the road, and the emotional realities of living small. Her workshops and talks at gatherings like the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous have helped hundreds of aspiring road dwellers plan their first year with clear eyes instead of rose-colored ones.

Cherie writes from a single conviction: that the best adventures are the ones taken with open eyes and a balanced budget. She believes a smaller home makes room for a bigger life—and that the door of a van opens wider than most people imagine. She currently splits her time between the desert Southwest in winter and the Pacific Northwest in summer, following the mild weather and the open road wherever it leads her next.