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Todd & Rachel
United States
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 28 มี.ค. 2016
Outdoor Adventures & Off Grid Cabin Life
Chasing Nature | We Bought an Adventure Van!
In this video, we’re excited to introduce you to our latest adventure project: a 2005 Ford Econoline E350 van! A few weeks ago, we hinted at some future travel plans, and this van is a big part of making those dreams happen. With retirement on the horizon, Rachel and I have been looking for a more affordable way to explore, and what better way than building out a camper van? We found this tough-looking van with a 6-inch lift, and while it's not a four-wheel drive, we're excited to see how far it’ll take us. In this video, we’ll give you a tour of its current build, talk about the mechanical upgrades we’ve already done, and share our plans for transforming it into the perfect travel vehicle. It's a big project, but we’re taking our time with it - and we’ll bring you along for the journey as we design, build, and get ready to hit the road. If you have any tips from your own van life experiences, drop them in the comments!
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🛒 Some of the gear we use at the Cabin: amzn.to/48zBU6n
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🔋 Bluetti Off-Grid Power Solutions: shrsl.com/35yxl
🔋 EcoFlow Off-Grid Power Solutions: shrsl.com/4i6l5
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Mailing Address:
Todd & Rachel
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
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✅ Connect with Us 🐐
Our other Channel: youtube.com/@1870s
EMAIL: toddrachelmedia@gmail.com
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Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
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00:00 Introduction & Future Travel Plans
00:43 Why a Camper Van?
01:57 Deciding on the Van Type
03:16 Van Specs & Initial Impressions
04:33 Inside Tour of the Van
05:53 The Existing Build & What’s Next
06:28 Mechanical Repairs So Far
07:31 Our Plans for the Van Build
09:21 Next Steps & Timeline
09:58 Asking for Tips from Van Lifers
10:37 Wrapping Up & What’s Coming Next
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🛒 Some of the gear we use at the Cabin: amzn.to/48zBU6n
🔦 OLIGHT Flashlights: bit.ly/3z6daku (Promo Code SHOP1870 for 10% off!)
🔋 Bluetti Off-Grid Power Solutions: shrsl.com/35yxl
🔋 EcoFlow Off-Grid Power Solutions: shrsl.com/4i6l5
---------------
Mailing Address:
Todd & Rachel
P.O. Box 179
Newport, MI 48166
---------------
✅ Connect with Us 🐐
Our other Channel: youtube.com/@1870s
EMAIL: toddrachelmedia@gmail.com
---------------
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links - at no additional cost to you. We will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase, after clicking through the links. ♥ Todd & Rachel
---------------
00:00 Introduction & Future Travel Plans
00:43 Why a Camper Van?
01:57 Deciding on the Van Type
03:16 Van Specs & Initial Impressions
04:33 Inside Tour of the Van
05:53 The Existing Build & What’s Next
06:28 Mechanical Repairs So Far
07:31 Our Plans for the Van Build
09:21 Next Steps & Timeline
09:58 Asking for Tips from Van Lifers
10:37 Wrapping Up & What’s Coming Next
มุมมอง: 8 750
วีดีโอ
West Michigan Salmon Season | Fall Fishing with Dad
มุมมอง 2.7K21 วันที่ผ่านมา
Spent a long weekend up at the cabin with my dad, soaking in the crisp fall air and trying our hand at some salmon fishing. We hit the river early, casting out and scouting a few different spots. I caught a small brook trout and a salmon, which was a great start to the trip. The sun chased the fish into the shade, so we had to switch up our game plan. Between the quiet moments, we shared some g...
Facing My Fears in the Woods | Cabin Weekend Reflections
มุมมอง 6Kหลายเดือนก่อน
Todd and I reflect on our recent cabin trip and how we balanced enjoying the moment with capturing content for you all. We spent a lot of time just soaking in the peaceful environment, but we did manage to film some clips to share. We had hoped to fish for salmon in the river, but unfortunately, they weren't running yet, so we ventured out to Whitehall, Michigan, where we had a fun but windy fi...
Step by Step | a 1-Day Cabin Project
มุมมอง 7K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this video, we take on a rewarding DIY project at our cabin! The old landscape steps leading from our cabin to the riverside trail were falling apart. With some leftover 6x6 treated timbers from a previous project, we decided to revamp the steps. The transformation was incredible, and it took surprisingly little effort. Using treated 2x4s and sturdy rebar posts for added security, we created...
We Hauled Water Buckets for 8 years | a Huge Cabin Upgrade!
มุมมอง 18K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this episode, we return to our cabin in the woods after a month away and, of course, we're greeted by a massive oak tree blocking our path just 50 feet from the driveway - because what's a trip to the cabin without a surprise workout? Watch us wrangle this beast, proving once again that nature loves to test our resolve. We also embark on an exciting project - installing a 275-gallon IBC tote...
Our Cabin in the Woods | What's For Dinner?
มุมมอง 87K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
🌲Welcome back to our cabin adventures! In this video, we share what we cook and eat for dinner during our trip to the Off-Grid cabin in the woods. For this week's menu we have the following: 00:00 NY Strip Steaks 06:45 Stuffed Pork Chops with Grilled Zucchini 13:55 Adventure / Story Time 21:45 Pinwheel Steaks To learn more about our Himiway e-bikes click here: bit.ly/3jLQaRT 🛒 Some of the gear ...
The Cabin "Feels" Different Now | Campfire Cooking
มุมมอง 21K4 หลายเดือนก่อน
🌲Welcome back to our cabin adventures! In this video, Todd and I share our last full day at our cozy retreat after spending a few serene days here. This time, we’re excited to try something different with our new Lodge 5-quart Dutch oven, cooking over an open fire with freshly split oak logs. We whip up a hearty meal of sirloin beef tips simmered in our homemade French onion soup, seasoned with...
Opening the Cabin for Spring | Planting in a Forest
มุมมอง 11K5 หลายเดือนก่อน
Welcome back to the cabin! It's been four months since we last visited, and winter really did a number on the place. While the cabin itself is fine, the heavy snow and strong winds caused significant damage to our pine trees. We had previously hired someone to clean up the dead and downed pines, but now we have another mess on our hands. This trip, we brought up 40-50 white spruce trees from ou...
Picnic in the Pines | Exploring our National Forest
มุมมอง 2.3K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
It's Rachel's Birthday - at the Cabin! In this video, we'll share our morning breakfast with you guys, that includes our first time trying out the bacon we canned a few weeks back. If you missed that video, here's a link: th-cam.com/video/l-D96pNy2Pg/w-d-xo.html After breakfast we're going to set off and adventure and do some exploring the forest. We found some awesome trails, and a mesmerizing...
Spring at the Off Grid Cabin | Hiking & Harvesting
มุมมอง 4K7 หลายเดือนก่อน
We try to get up to visit our Cabin every year around Easter. The forest is starting to come to life, there are no bugs, and it's just a great time to be in the woods. We'll hike off to a new area and check some of the work being performed by the local beaver population. It's also a great time to harvest trees from the forest, to bring home and plant on our homestead. This video was originally ...
Disconnected | a Full Day at the Cabin
มุมมอง 3.6K8 หลายเดือนก่อน
It's been a while since we've posted a full on "Day at the Off Grid Cabin" video. Today, we'll take you along with us for nearly our entire day at the cabin - minus breakfast. We'll split up some kindling for the woodstove, trim some more pine trees, have some lunch, dig up a few more pine trees to take home to the homestead, cook some pizza in a cast iron dutch oven pot, and head down to the r...
Never too OLD to have Fun | a WINTER Cabin Adventure
มุมมอง 4.4K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
It's not very often we are able to make it to our off grid cabin in the winter. The trails that lead back to the cabin aren't plowed or maintained by anyone. So if there's significant snowfall, it becomes almost impossible to get back there even in our 4x4 truck. This trip however, things weren't too bad. Winters in Michigan aren't what they used to be it seems. We'll spend a couple of days hik...
Off Grid Cabin Tour | Manistee National Forest
มุมมอง 16K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
Welcome to our Off Grid Cabin. We purchased this cabin with about 10 acres of land back in 2015 as a place for us to get away from everything. We've made a few minor improvements over the years, but nothing really too major other than adding and testing various portable solar solutions to power everything. The purpose of this video is just to get all of you familiar with the space - not to expl...
Salmon Fishing on the White River (Michigan)
มุมมอง 6K6 ปีที่แล้ว
Filmed back in the Fall of 2016 - Fishing the White River in Hesperia, MI with "crank baits". It was definitely late in the season, and many of the fish were zombies, mostly black with white fins. But catching one has been on my Dads bucket list for a while now. He fulfilled his goal, and we had a good dinner afterwards! I filmed a lot this day, but of course had no camera running, when action ...
Cabin Time: Fishing & Firewood
มุมมอง 1.2K8 ปีที่แล้ว
Weekend trip to our off-grid cabin. Processed some firewood, and spent some time fishing the river. Was hoping for salmon, but the trout was nothing to complain about - and it tasted great! Sit down and relax, and see how we spent our weekend. Majority of video shot on an LGV10, and processed with Adobe Premiere. This was my first time using Premiere - very intimidating at first, but very power...
Will you still garden, homestead and travel? Just wondering how that will work for you all.
Yup, we will probably always grow our own food. Too much crap in this world, not to mention prices. We'll just work around it.
This is awesome!
Hi from south carolina 😊
Good choice. Did you mention how many miles the van has on it?
Our best advice after years of traveling. Keep it simple and go hit the road. Most of the you tube build outs are way too complex and expensive. Keep it simple and put you time and money into enjoying the adventure of travel! Enjoy the journey!
does North Country Trail run through that 6000 acres? I love NCT
Wow, how exciting! Hannaleeduggan is a great one to watch if you haven't already! I'm happy for you Y'all!!
We haven't seen Hannaleeduggan yet, but we'll definitely check them out!
Hi guys I just found this channel. Van Lab has great easy layout kits for your type of van. I am itching to get a van and build it out too 🥰
Holy cow!!!! I’m doing this samething !! I leave November 12th!!! I’m in a ford bronco ! Maybe we’ll see you on the trail! Time to get back to our primitive ways it calls my soul! Overloading rules!
That’s awesome! Enjoy it! I've seen some really cool Bronco builds
Get a step stool...running boards are terrible for michigan, collect too much stuff that breeds rust no matter how hard you try to keep it washed in all the right places (ask me how I know😏).
So excited for you two! We have a camper not a van. It is so fun to travel to different areas of our country and we really enjoy the adventure of it all! Life's a wonderful journey, make it fun!
So glad to see that you all are going to do some traveling, adventures and outdoor things seeing that you both will soon be retired and well on your way. So happy for you both, I honestly love the state of Michigan I was there several years ago close to Pontiac and stayed with some friends for a month to help out at their church. Had a blast being there, saw allot of farm land, and allot of factories just a ton of things to do.
Oh I love the soft pine post at the end. My immediate thought was drill a hole in it and put in a solar light in each to light the steps. ❤ Great Job!
We've thought about putting up some solar lights in different places, but for some odd reason I really like the pure darkness of the forest when I'm there.
Hello… Watching from Downriver Michigan Southgate/Wyandotte area. Safe travels!!
We lived downriver for a while, before moving south a county.
Can you let us know your Pinterest name. I love Pinterest and would love to see your pins
we have www.pinterest.com/that1870s/ but I think maybe she's saving it all on her personal account
Great idea to start it now so it done by Todd's retirement.
Yup, and do this while we're still young and able.
When our kids were little, we did something similar. My husband built the bed in the back, and also the chest over the wheel well. However, he lined it with a metal liner so we could use it as a cooler. It had a drain in it so we could easily get rid of the melted ice. It worked really well.
Pack a few mouse traps and some mouse bait. We've had the little devils get into our van on more than one occasion. Of course you hear them going through your things in the middle of the night. Enjoy the adventure!
VancityVanlife is a great reference!! Enjoy the build and ride!!
We don’t van life but we camper camp and have a few recs. 1. You don’t actually need 1/4 of what you think you do. Keep it super simple. 2. Plan power, I know you have experience with that from the cabin. 3. Consider insulation where you can. Being cold or hot sleeping kinda sucks the fun right out of you.
We definitely have a list going. Thanks for the tips!
Love it 😍 can't wait to see the build😊👍
I know where you brought the van. We saw it in our local town. 😊 Can't wait to see your adventures.
Small world! Hope you enjoy the adventures to come.
I'm so happy for you two! May you enjoy it in good health!
Utah is waiting and ready!
Oh my gosh, I had no idea you guys had another channel. Happy to subscribe and follow your adventures. I have this dream, too. 😊
Decorate the outside like the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo. 🤭♥️🤭
I was soooooo hoping it was a camper or van! Woohoo!! So excited for you guys! Congrats ❤🎉
Before my husband added a nerf bar to his F250 4x4, he had a little stepstool so I could climb into it.
That's a good idea. I may have to add that to my list.
Hope you take your dogs with you. We don’t go anywhere without ours.
That's the plan🐶🐶
OMG I am sooooo excited for you two - what a great future to look forward to :) xxx
If you wanna stay in Lansing I have the Cheap Hilton Hotel room Hookup
How fun!! This is something we've been looking at doing in the near future.
You guys are couples goal! Love how you work together and support each other’s dreams!
Reach out to Nate and Kara- they have several videos about van builds and lesson learned! Esp older ones when they were more worried about $$$, then they seem to be these days😊
Fun
Well that’s just as exciting as all get out!! I’m so pleased for y’all! The planning can be so fun!!
Congrats!! I am excited for you guys!!! I recommend EECC Travels channel here on youtube. They do awesome road trip videos all over the US and show lots of great places to visit and eat and things to see and do.
How cool, I lived in a van for 3 years and the only thing I didn't like about it was the inability to stand up indoors. I think you will both love the adventure, and enjoy the travels as well as the conversion process. I am actually looking for an old school bus currently to convert, now that my kids have grown up. I want something I can stand in, and I miss the travel. Do you know how your brain relaxes and get so in tune with nature when you are at the off-grid cabin? Our bodies get in tune with the day cycle and we are able to sleep better, relax more, and get more done in general. That is how van dwelling feels, but better cause you can take your stuff to new and exciting locations. I loved sitting at a different lake or river and drinking my coffee while working on a crochet project. I believe you will enjoy your adventures so much.
Have you watched Eamon and Bec on TH-cam? Their earlier videos showed their travels and how they outfitted a couple of vans. Recently they’ve bought a cabin and had a baby so have given up that lifestyle… at least for now
Nope, haven't watched those guys before. I'll put it on my list and check them out.
My vehicles are always boys. 😂 Can’t wait to see what you do!
I love it always wanted to travel when I retried will see for me but happy for you guys can't wait to see how she looks. Love from Virginia ♥️
Exiting! Congrats!
How exciting!!!! I'm so happy for y'all.
happy for you... i think i would prefer a vehicle where i could stand up in... jmho
I can’t believe you got Todd on board with this, Rachel! I thought he didn’t like traveling? Maybe he just likes staying closer to home?
This was his idea!
@@toddrachel Wow, you are blessed! I’m excited for you, you’re going to have so much fun!