The morning after the Wells’ lost their house in the Woolsey Fire, they were on the phone with the LV team to reserve their LV.  The Living Vehicle had been on their radar for some time but they had yet to make the leap.  The loss of their home combined with crazy rental prices made an LV purchase a no-brainer.  Not only could they live on their lot rent-free, in comfort but they could also witness the rebuild of their new home!

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Names:

Rob, Sarah, two sons, two dogs and a tortoise.


Length of time in an LV:

Full time living for 18 months


What did you learn from downsizing so suddenly? 

For 18 months, 2 parents, 2 boys, 2 dogs and one tortoise experienced the most memorable chapter of all our existences. We discovered that a family doesn’t need thousands of square feet of living space to live happily. Provided that there is enough space (and in the LV there is), and provided everything works (which it does) and as long as everyone works together (we did, for the most part), the LV gave us absolutely everything we needed.

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Favorite Features of the LV?

Considering that our entire family is extremely tall, being able to stand upright and move comfortably throughout the entire vehicle made a huge difference. The efficient, spacious layout has obviously been very carefully considered, and the attention to detail and function is very impressive. This, more than anything, made it possible for us to live calmly and happily.

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How was living in an LV during a global pandemic?

When COVID-19 came, we were in total lockdown in our LV compound for 3 months. This period, despite being so worrying, holds such great memories of Lego marathons, lengthy games of Dungeons and Dragons, movie afternoons and family board games. So many people have since asked ‘how did you get through it?’, but in all honesty it was strangely fun.



What was it like homeschooling two boys and working full time from your LV?

It was a challenge, but using the LVs glass sliding doors as my makeshift whiteboard, and with our trusty glamping tent as an extra classroom, we managed – and I got to brush up on my 5th grade math skills…



 

Rob and I were also both working from home – we built an office (read: shed) for Rob, which he shared with the tortoise, the surfboards and the mountain bikes, and which made for an interesting backdrop for his Zoom meetings. Meanwhile, I was doing my clients’ graphic design and clay modeling projects in the LV while the kids were on Zoom calls with their teachers. It was complicated, but it worked!




How did your three pets handle the shift to an LV?

Elsie and Carrot, our two dogs, loved the whole experience – how could they not? We were all together, living like a proper pack, day-in, day-out. They always managed to find a comfy spot to snooze in, and were rarely more than an arm’s reach from a belly rub or a snack to steal from the kids. It’s hard to tell how Turbo the tortoise felt about it all – she’s a pretty inscrutable character.




Now that your home is built, what were your takeaways from your time spent in an LV?

There will always be a special place in our hearts for those months spent in the LV. It was a crazy and chaotic time in our lives, but it brought us closer as a family (in so many ways!!) than we ever thought possible.

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