I think it’s safe to say—I’ve been living the van life before it was even a thing.
Back in college, when I was working at The Modesto Bee, I bought my boss’s Ford Econoline 150 van. His wife had used it to commute and sleep in while attending law school in Berkeley, and when it came into my hands, it became my ticket to adventure. That van was about as bare-bones as they come—just two seats up front, a futon mattress in the back, and a plastic shelf zip-tied to the wall—which, I learned quickly, didn’t do much to keep my gear in place when I hit the brakes.
But it was enough to get me on the road, photographing climbing, and camping out in Yosemite.
Back then, no one was tricking out vans the way they do today. And you know what? Some things aren’t worth being nostalgic over. “Van Life” is a hashtag, an aesthetic, and a trend — but it’s undeniable that climbers have figured out how to build vans that are super livable and nice. And they make it easy to get out and spend time in the places we love.
Fast forward 25 years, and I’m proud to say I’ve finally graduated to something truly dialed. I’m still a van lifer, still a climber, still a photographer—but now, I’ve got a van that’s built for the life I’ve always wanted to live.
The Search for the Perfect Van
Over the last decade, my family and I have made do with a pickup truck and an Airstream trailer. It worked great when my daughter, Leila, was small. But now, with ski races, climbing trips, and weekend getaways, we needed an adventure basecamp to get up and go at any moment.I started asking around, and the consensus was unanimous—if you’re getting a van, it’s got to be Forged Vans.
From Alex Honnold to Tommy Caldwell, Timmy O’Neill, Emily Harrington and Adrian Ballinger—Forged Vans was unanimously the rig of choice. Alex, Timmy, Sarah, Emily, and Adrian all have Forged Vans, and Tommy just told me the other day that their next one will be as well. That sealed the deal.
Built for Adventure, Designed for Life
Over the summer, we designed something truly custom with Arjan at Forged Vans and picked it up just before the holidays. Arjan is a South African ex pat who lives in Longmont with his wife, professional climber Paige Claassen, and their two young kids. Arjan is a truly obsessive guy who does everything at a super high level—whether it’s crushing V15 boulders, shooting amazing action-sports photography, being a great dad and husband, and building out the best vans around.
I flew into Denver late last year, and Arjan picked me up from the airport in our new custom rig, the result of months of hard work, attention to detail, and a really enjoyable dialogue between us to build exactly what we were looking for.
The second I started driving it, I knew it was a game-changer.
What makes this van so special is that it’s built for the way we actually live. Marina, my wife, is an interior designer, so we wanted a space that felt both functional and welcoming. We needed enough room for gear storage but also a comfortable, communal space for road trips and weekend hangouts.
Arjan listened to our needs, and over-delivered on our expectations!
Key Features:
• Spacious Hangout Areas – The seats all swivel, creating a front lounge near the kitchen, a main table hangout zone, and a big social space in the back. There’s a tailgate bar or lens rigging station in the rear. We managed to fit a 10-person hangout/party lounge in a Sprinter 144.
• Modular Sleeping Setup – In addition to the main bed, there’s a foldable bench bed, plus pop-top with a landing roof deck—perfect for when Leila and her friends need extra space (or me, if I get evicted!)
• Adventure-Ready Storage – With Arjan’s photography background, he designed the van with safe compartments for camera gear, plenty of charging ports in all the right places, and practical storage for everything we need.
• Big Power & Solar – Arjan dialed in the battery system so the van will always be ready to power our needs. Huge solar panels keep us off-grid for longer trips, and make it production-ready for charging gear or editing.
• Fully Custom Finishes – Gorgeous bamboo inlays, a massive refrigerator, and a well-thought-out design to make it feel like home.
The Adventure Ahead
This van isn’t just about having a cool setup—it’s about access. Access to more time outdoors, more road trips with family, and more opportunities to live life to the fullest.
I hope to drive this thing for a decade or two. And if the past few months have been any indication, it’s already proving to be exactly what we needed.
Cheers to Arjan, and here’s to the next adventure!
Contact Arjan at Forged Vans to start a conversation and tell him Corey says hi!
