The Story So Far...
Places, Faces, Tracks & Snacks
For Everyone
Updated:
Formative Days
As a child, I always dreamed of living in a giant RV and spending my days driving across America, taking in the sights and meeting tons of adventurous, interesting people. It came from the days I spent camping in various vans with my family, sometimes for a couple of days on a weekend getaway, sometimes for weeks, touring in Europe as traveling musicians. It was a part of my life from day one, and I always loved stopping on the road-side for a cup of tea and a game of cards, pulling into the highway services for a meal and a stretch, parking up on a remote beach to enjoy a summer's day. It was all priceless, to me.
My first van-life experience was brought to me by VW.
As the years passed, so did the vans. The old camper was out, and smaller, less problematic vans were in.
Charles, Burtdad's Austin Ital, before the paint job...
...aaand after. You decide.
Yes, we even spent nights in this little lad, Cyril, an original Mini containing three sleeping bags, a gas hob for tea, and a deck of cards. Fully equipped, it was.
Fast-forward a few years, and my first car resembled Charles, above. My introduction to doing it all again, but this time, as the captain of the ship. I can't explain the excitement, but I feel like I don't need to, as most people who read this are here because they already know that feeling and crave it more and more (especially as the rent just keeps going up).
First van-man job: Speaker cabinets.
But there are only so many things you can do in a Ford Escort van, and pretty much all of them involve sitting on the floor or setting something up outside. Those tiny vans just get you where you're going and provide a flat surface to sleep on.
Alternative Ideas
Between then and now, I had other ideas about holidays, and did what many people do when they aren't thinking it through; I bought a caravan. Well, it was really nice inside and there was a full-sized kitchen and two double beds, a gas heater, wardrobe, hot water, and everything else you could ever want. A home from home.
But caravans are tricky. They need a lot of space, you need to have a car that's heavy enough to pull them safely (go looking for MTPLM info and weight ratios, if you're interested - I won't cover them here). They need secure storage and they cost far too much money for what they really are. All in all, I didn't find much joy in the caravan owner's club, and after paying for a year's compound storage, I sold mine, unused, at a loss.
Vans were always my thing, and I was stupid to think otherwise.
Enter Burt
So, let's I fast-forward again, another decade or so, and several vans and caravans later, I found my 2004 Transit, which I named Burt (after Burt Ward - Batman's sidekick and gentleman of questionable relation to Batman, in the 60s TV show).
Shortly after acquiring Burt, I headed over to my dad's, to see how we could fit it out into a livable space, and given my imminent move across the continent, we only had a few days to do it. Thus, mk1 was an exercise in minimalism.
Emigration was my first big journey, and despite the lack of creature comforts, I couldn't have been happier. Burt was reliable and the weather was glorious. "Out on the road" took on a new meaning, after leaving the UK and discovering the Alps, St. Tropez, Tuscan scenery and so much more. Burt took the miles in his stride and I was happy as Larry, from day one.
Burt on day one - an empty womb for dreams of adventure.
Fresh and clean, as Transits from eBay usually are.
Fully equipped.
Guess which side of the channel this was on.
Enter The Boogeyman
Oh, jeez. What a train wreck that was. Things had changed, all right. The world was in a ridiculous frenzy over a computer model, everyone and his dog became an overnight medical specialist, and all common sense flew out the window with the smell of last night's lentil curry.
As a freedom advocate, though, I found myself unable to digest the TV version of reality, and when I saw the tech giants shutting down all questioning voices, it became pretty clear what was going on. That's when I decided to stop playing the game and started working on my independence. I started by ending my relationships with those tech giants who had already begun censoring me and some of my clients, set up Open Road Media, a small, private hosting platform, and started providing independent services.
With Open Road performant and stable, I turned my efforts to my biggest project, yet.
Enter Burtman
Did you see what I did there?
As usual, I needed an alias, to protect myself from the man, and I decided to have fun with it. A super-hero on a budget. Grand. With the idea solidified, I set about building a whimsical character to drive my project forward, giving myself the moniker "Burtman", as the newly-mythical driving force of Burt, the 20-year-old Transit from Leeds.
And Then, Quite By Surprise... Enter Byron
Well, this was a turnout. I've always loved dogs, and I'd greatly enjoyed fostering homeless dogs in the UK, before coming to Czech Republic, but life gets in the way of the best ideas and plans, and having a dog just didn't seem like a good idea. That was until I found myself holding this little lad.
Byron, before he was Byron, on the day he found his place.
With no choice in the matter, home is where he went, and he was dubbed Byron (after a fictional dog found in similar circumstances in a town called Byron Wood). And he's been my sidekick, ever since.
And That Brings Us Here
After a long summer of van building, and a long winter of coding, Burtman.net was launched, just in time for Burt's birthday (according to his documents). And here, you can find guides for everything I've done to my van, including the mistakes and how I fixed them, and a good dose of sarcasm to go with it.
I really hope you enjoy getting involved in Burtman.net, as it grows into what I hope will be a major resource for van-lifers, travelers and off-grid enthusiasts, and as I freely share all my learning and experiences in all of those areas with anyone who cares to listen.
It is with great effort and a passion for adventure and discovery, that all of this will continue, and it is with your support that I can afford to do it. Let's build this place and help each other to enjoy our lives just a little more than before.
Sincerely,
Your new favorite internet van guy,
Burtman
Special thanks to Burtdad for the old photos and for getting me excited about van world from the very beginning.
Additional thanks to everyone who has supported my vision, including my BMC supporters, contributors and besties.