ADDING A MOTOVAN TO YOUR ADVENTURES

I’ve had my MotoVan since August 2013 and it’s taken me on some epic adventures… So I thought I’d share some reasons why I believe every MOTO ADVENTURER should add some sort of MotoVan to their stable. Let me be clear, I’m talking about a van that can haul your motorcycles, gear AND provide sleeping accommodations, if all you are doing is hauling your bike to the track, then sure a truck will do just fine.

First things first, yes purchasing another vehicle for your adventures may be out of your budget, but as you will see it can save you money in other expenses along the way. And if you can use your MotoVan as an every day vehicle like I do, it’s a no brainer. Just be prepared for all the “Candy van” jokes!!!

I paid $6,000 for my 2009 Chevy G2500 Express Extended 4.8L cargo van, with 148.xxx miles on it. Currently, I have around 190,xxx and going strong!

Reasons To Buy a MotoVan

The reasons are endless… but instead of making a huge long list, I’ll tell you what I’ve realized are the main benefits of the MotoVan / Van Camper life!

Stealth Travels

Having the ability to carry my precious, expensive moto, gear, and tools in the back of the van without anyone seeing it or knowing it’s there is huge! There are tons of stories of dirt bikes getting stolen out of trucks, or off the street. My rear windows are covered with Plasti-Dip so you can not see inside the cargo area.

This also allows for stealth camping. Pulling over at a rest stop or Walmart 🙂 (boondocking) to get some sleep midway through a 20+ hour drive is also huge! Think of how much money you can save in hotel expenses!

Better Than Tent Camping

As most ADV’rs, I’ve done a lot of camping off the bike.. from primitive camping in Idaho to camping atop Muley Point in Utah to camping here in the midwest. There’s just something about camping off the bike that is so awesome…. until it’s not! Hahah.. yea I’m sure there are some that see it as the only way to camp, but if I have the ability to camp out of the van over a tent, I’ll take the van everytime.

Most organized dual sport rides basecamp out of a campground or location that allows me to utilize the MotoVan for my sleeping quarters. It saves a lot on hotel/motel expenses as well as gives you your own “space”. It’s like home away from home! My van is equipped with electric and battery power if needed, so I typically plug right in to an electric site at a campground and I’m set. No tent to setup, no air mattress to blow up, no sleeping on the ground, no worry about a pop-up thunderstorm, which it did the last dual sport ride I was at, LooseNut 2017.

Below is a my setup at last years LooseNut 2017 ride in Echo Bluff State Park here in Missouri.

Bring Your Tools, All OF THEM!

Packing light, minimalistic gear / tools is out the window with the MotoVan!  I can bring my air compressor, tire changing stand, every dang tool I ever want or need, as much riding gear and clothes as my little heart desires! Gone are the days of weighing each saddlebag to make sure they are close to equal and you’re not “that guy” who packs everything even the kitchen sink on the back of his motorbike. I’ll leave that to my good buddy Dingweeds and his “Chuck Wagon”, as BigDog calls it.

FOOD…. Heck I can haul my small BBQ grill and cook real food, not can food or Mountain House freeze dried meals… steaks, burgers, brats, eggs, bacon!! Need I go on……. even iced down cold drinks all trip long.

Ride Further From Home

Going more places farther away with everything you need for the best experience and adventure available = MotoVan Life. Life is short, time is of the essence as a working man with a family and traveling by van to far away places really catapults bigger adventures.

If you have bike problems, you can throw it in the MotoVan and head back home or become a bit of a tourist and check out the local attractions. The convenience of having a travel vehicle, moto hauler, RV camper all in one is just amazing. It’s allowed me and my buddies to go on longer, farther away trips that really helps get the most out of vacation days.

Not to mention, it’s way more comfortable than riding 17 hours on a motorcycle seat, then spend 5 or 6 more days on that same seat during your adventure ride, then back on it for 17 hours back home. That’s just gonna make me vomit thinking about it.. haha! That’s not vacation to me…. maybe torcher! Exploring this incredible country is the center of all my adventures, but of course doing it on a motorcycle via remote backroads. The MotoVan has been the answer to allow me to do more of what I love more frequently and safer.

Bring Your Buddy

My buddy and I have made trips to Utah to visit my buddy Scott at 3 Step Hideaway in extreme comfort, carrying both bikes, all our gear, spare set of tires, even fuel for both bikes.

I’m asked this question a lot, “how many bikes can you fit in your van?” Pretty much THREE bikes will fit in the rear of the van, two front wheel forward and the middle bike rear wheel forward. It can be done, but will eat up other space for gear, etc. So I pretty much stick to TWO bikes which easily fit with plenty of room for gear.

After a dual sport ride with my friend BigDog, I hauled his KTM 690R back with my WR250R while he headed west on a ride. No issues with fitting the 690 in the rear. Because it’s not a high ceiling van, I CAN NOT fit my BMW F800GSA in the rear, maybe a F800GS could fit, but the GSA windshield bar is too high. If you need to fit a full adventure bike, then you have to move up to a high ceiling vehicle like BigDog’s Ford Transit he has outfitted so nicely!

With the divider wall, it creates two separate sleeping quarters if needed, a little privacy and both sections have electric and battery access. So if I’m plugged into shore power, both rooms can run a fan, TV, PS4, or whatever hahaha! If no shore power is available, I have USB ports on each side, but only the cabin area has a 1000w inverter for electrical devices.

MotoVan Fame

I hope this has given you some things to think about as you decide whether a van is right for you. Van life has become extremely popular with all types of adventurers, not just moto enthusiasts. Just search the Googles for “van life” and you’ll see forums, and build after build of awesome vans.

In the moto community they have been around for years, mainly for heading to the track. But now that adventure riding has become so extremely popular, MotoVans are in huge numbers at dual sport rides I attend. From a standard cargo van, to extended like mine and then the more plush vans like the Ford Transits and Mercede Sprinter vans. The sky is the limit when it comes to van builds, I enjoy keeping up on the latest builds for when I get my next van, sell my house and live out of the dang thing!

My MotoVan Build

I’ve posted my MotoVan build and walkaround video here on my site, so check it out. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments and send me a note if you are building a MotoVan for your adventures, I’d love to see it!

Ride Safe!