Aubrey travels with her dog, Ike, in a 1985 Toyota Dolphin. She originally was looking for vans and found the vintage RV on Craigslist. Aubrey was so impressed with the lady selling it, she wanted to carry on her ‘hard as nails, fly fishing legacy’ and bought the van! She even kept the ‘Real Women Fly Fish’ license plate cover in her honor. The Dolphin has a bulletproof R22 4-cylinder engine that only had 5,000 miles on it, which sweetened the deal even more. She gets an amazing 18 to 20 MPG.
Aubrey makes leather goods and incorporated many aspects of this right into her van, from her custom made workbench that doubles as a countertop, to her cabinet and drawer pulls. She loves being creative and has developed her leather work into an income stream.
Aubrey has tons of storage space for her clothing which is rare in tiny living! Her cute little fridge can run from shore power or propane and even has a small freezer that she can stock when she’s going to be boondocking for a while! The heat in her tiny home on wheels is fueled by propane, but takes lots of electricity, so she tends to use Ike for heat…but he doesn’t mind.
Pets Increase Peace of Mind and Add Enjoyment to Life on the Road
Aubrey DIY’d her RV conversions herself and they look great! The 80s era carpet HAD to go though, both for Ike’s sake and hers. She put in easy to clean vinyl flooring and took out the captain’s chairs that were part of the dinette so she could use that space to make her countertop/work area and storage for her crafting supplies.
The sleeping area has some cool features, including an escape hatch that she can open and soak in gorgeous sunsets from the comfort of her bed. Aubrey stores her guitar from the ceiling. Tons of pillows make it a cozy, welcoming space!
“I have more time on the road!”
Small Changes Can Increase Safety
Aubrey left the outside of her Dolphin original so that it looks like an old man would be inside, she calls it her ‘creeper camouflage!’ She uses a shower curtain as a divider for privacy that also blocks the view from the cab of the RV so no one can see into the living space.
She finds satisfaction in her crafting and travels and has more time to be herself. She can focus on whatever she feels like doing, perfecting her leather crafts, spending time sketching, or hanging out on the roof!
Support Aubrey's business here: https://www.instagram.com/huckphinnoutpost/