Laura @I.am.l.o.u
Ngata! Hello!
We have a really unique van build and lifestyle to share with you. As a disabled family we had complex needs for our build, as a therapist my expertise in childhood development informed our van build and how we go about our day to day life; optimising comfort and harmony for all of us.
Stick with us until the end to see how you can get involved in what we do and how to design a small space to fit a growing family! Teaser: you might be most interested in our online bush school The Treehouse Community ;)
And if you are travelling with neurodivergent family members and wanting community that gets you, let us know here! More info and contact
You can also follow along here on Instagram
Milai (meaning green tree), Ngalu (meaning together), and Nalliandrah (butterfly) are proud Koorie children from the Gunditjmara Nation. They are all autistic.
Lou (she/her) is an award-winning disabled therapist. She is an author, breathwork practitioner and bush school grandmama bear - bringing Mother and Grandmother energy to all folk (two legged, four legged, no legged, feathered, furred, scaled folk).
Abby (they/them) is a talented artist and mentor for gender nonconforming folk and queer folk that have escaped religious cults. Abby’s current hyper-fixation is turning Lou’s writing into super cool graphic novels.
We co-parent with this wonderful man Stevie.
Our Van Build by Vanlife Conversions
(Check out our video below to see these features plus little hacks for having a whole fam in a van. I highly recommend travelling in a campervan for the ease of set up and pack up and ability to stealth camp)
Sam and Jared from Vanlife Conversions have done a truly epic job on our van build. As an autistic person I (Lou) generate ideas that can seem - uh - a bit outrageous at first glance. But every idea S + J put through a series of metaphorical hoops. They would test it for how important it was to our family’s lifestyle (being neurodivergent we needed certain features or the whole vanlife idea would crumple like an autumn leaf underfoot). They then put it through a series of industry tests (what technology is available to make this idea work? Is it at all viable?). Lastly they looked at each idea through a lived experience filter (what worked for their own families and their customers over the many years they have been living in and building vans?).
Alright enough blowing smoke up their bums Lou - what were the van features?
Beds
Despite only have a Renault Master LWB to work with, we needed multiple sleeping options. Having two adults and three disabled children with complex needs, we needed to be able to adjust sleeping arrangements at a moments notice:
The main bed pushes back to become a couch and dining room with a (beautiful) fold up table
The bed is as big as possible (Queen) in the back of the van, that was also as high as possible to maximise garage space / we can sit up comfortably…just! It needed to be large enough to fit us all in on the difficult nights
J encouraged bunks for the kids above our bed but I knew I would be crawling in and out of them constantly so the boys designed a cubby bed under the front of the main bed that I can fit in to lay with the middle kiddo as he falls to sleep
We convert the front driving cab into a bedroom with a custom mattress that folds up while we drive
As the family grows we discussed slipping a tent over the open barn doors at the back when we pull up and slinging a hammock between the doors suspended by magnets
The hallway serves as another bedding option on the nights the youngest boorai is feeling safe and confident: she sleeps in a miniature blow up mattress from BigW that has the sleeping bag sewn onto the mattress!
Entertainment // Music and Food
Entertaining in our small space was important so S + J added a couple of pull out benches to essentially add extra rooms to the home!
They put a pull down bench extending out of the sliding door under the annex so the children can help to prepare meals on a low bench (very important part of their unschooling)
Two long drawers come out of the back of the van for our electric keyboard (big grazing tables) or they function as a standing desk
Guitar hooks hang on both barn doors
On my insistence they added a pantry across from the induction cook top because I couldn’t reduce the million jars I had of preserved food and foraged, dried and tinctured plants! We LOVE this feature
We had a compost toilet in the cupboard across from the fridge but we sent it back because we never used it. We use a bucket to wee in if it’s an extra cold night and there are always toilets around. If not, we carry coconut coir (that we use in our food compost bucket too) and compostable bags that we line a Bunnings bucket with the lid (just like we had back at our permie farm). Just don’t mix the wees and poos!
Sound proofing
Being autistic means we sometimes need sensory deprivation and buffering noise is vital. S + J installed curtain rods across the front cab and a movable rod across the main bed that can hang across the couch for day time use. I had sound proof curtains made, these also keep the bedrooms toasty warm.
S + J insulated the battery in the garage to stifle the sound of the battery whirring and the *feel* of the EMF waves; experiences only autistic folk would understand. They did this without judgement, only compassion
Sensory designs
Daily regulation time is vital for us. We left a permie farm in our wake; I had converted the lounge room into a sensory space with sensory swings hanging from the ceiling. Every day before Milai (AuDHD) could fall to sleep she would spin around and around until she was exhausted. S + J designed a decking on the van roof, with telescopic arms that extend out to hold the sensory swings so the children can regulate wherever we are!
Abby painted a black board on the side of the van to do homeschool lessons on, and for the children to explore identity through mark making (important for Aboriginal folk), their creativity and basic learning (letters, numbers, shapes, etc)
Technology
Having a frontal lobe disability means I need organisation and decision-making as streamlined as possible. The lads put in a solar and battery system with a panel that shows me visually where power and water are at and how many days worth we have left
We live with Autistic Culture and don’t restrict technology use as it is an accessibility tool for us folks: our van design includes space for a TV that can be used in the children’s car seats, swings around so Milai can watch from her room/front cab, and can be swung around to the side door and used outside! There was space built for a PlayStation and solar and battery capacity to use tech all day and barely make a dent in our energy storage
Security
Being two female-bodied folk on the road we added some security features // a spotty above the back door (all the lights are LED and use minimal power even if you run them constantly), we considered making it a sensor light but then imagined it going on all night when wildlife came to inspect our deadly set up, so the lads installed a switch above the bed to flick on quickly in the night and blind any potential mischief makers
The LEDs on the side of the van under the annex are handy too
Hot Water
Shower hose comes out of the back door, we hook up a shower curtain between the barn doors with magnets and use a wooden board to stand on (this wooden board is my fave van hack! We use it as a way of knocking dirt off our shoes before coming into the van, as a makeshift table when we picnic, and to shower on)
We don’t use the hot water in the sink very often, it takes about 30 mins to heat minimum and takes a lot of solar juice so we do dishes out on the fire using charcoal or boil the kettle more often than flicking the hotty on. We LOVE our giant deep sink to store breakables when we drive and dishes when we need to move spots before we get to them
Temp Control
This van is so cozy! We made it through some really cold Vic winter nights with the door open still, the bedrooms stay beautifully warm
There is a vent in the roof for cooking or to use when we are docked and can’t sleep with the door open / I’m obsessed with airflow and the roof vent is epic
A sirocco fan sits above our bed and we love this too
Then a diesel heater on for an hour heats the van for the whole night on the colder ones
See the van build in the video below!
We don’t open doors to our programs often; be the first to know when we do:
The Treehouse Community Newsletter
Offerings from The Treehouse Community:
NATURE COLLECTIVE HUB ONLINE // With this program you have a comprehensive, easy-to-follow nature-based curriculum and a supportive community that empowers you to infuse your children's (and yours!) homeschooling or classroom education with enriching, hands-on nature experiences, transforming their learning environment into a vibrant, holistic, and immersive journey of discovery and growth
BREATHWORK FOR ND FOLK // a modality (and a safe community) specifically designed for neurodivergent people
NURTURE HUB // a space where you will experience reduced stress, improved self-care routines, and enhanced coping mechanisms, leading to a more balanced and peaceful life while effectively managing the challenges of your responsibilities
NURTURE CLUB // stress management hub for organisations
ART THERAPY FOR DISABLED, QUEER AND/OR BIPOC FOLK // increasing accessibility for vulnerable folk for healing modalities and creativity and connection; exploring identity through art
WRITING AND CREATIVITY // follow my creative processes, get inspiration and learn tools and techniques
AUTISM THINGS // you will gain access to comprehensive online training modules, personalised coaching sessions, and a community support network, enabling you to enhance your skills, provide tailored support to individuals with Autism, ADHD, and other disabilities, and significantly improve the overall well-being and quality of life of folks who you care for.
Lou
Follow along with Lou here;
Thanks for sharing your story Laura. #vanlifediaries Inspired everyday living.
Published and edited by Jared Melrose Campbell @youandiandthesky & @vanlifediaries