BY: JESSICA BEUKER
Everybody loves a good ol’ fashioned road trip: new sights passing by your window every second, wind rippling through your hair—all while your curated mixtape of perfect songs plays on repeat. For many, it’s a form of pure freedom. For Cyrus Sutton, it’s a way of life.
A filmmaker and surfer, Sutton has been living the van life for the last decade. His current home on wheels is a 14-foot Sprinter van.
As Sutton told Reef:
“I first moved into a van 10 years ago. It was a practical decision. I’d been commissioned to make a 16mm surf documentary and failed to negotiate a living wage for myself during the three years it took to make it. This oversight had me surviving on cans of kidney beans and needing a rent-free place to sleep while I traveled between Australia and Los Angeles shooting and editing.”
Sutton remodeled the six-foot tall van to include a small kitchen with a propane stove, a refrigerator, and a sink with a hand-pump that is connected to a five-gallon container of water. There is drop-down storage in the kitchen counter for pots and dishes.
The van is also equipped with a fold-down bed that rests on a ledge on the opposite side. Once the bed is folded down, there is access to another storage area that sits behind it—this is where Sutton keeps his gear and clothing.
Photo: Cyris Sutton
Sutton showers by hanging up a curtain between the two van doors, which open off the back. He uses a hand-held shower nozzle and a portable shower board for standing on.
Last but not least is the office—Sutton inserts a board between each of the walls and strings up a hammock chair. His electricity is provided via solar power and a marine battery, which stores excess power.
It’s not the most glamorous life, but for those who would choose adventure over comfort any day, living out of a van is perhaps one of the best ways to see the world, while keeping costs relatively low.
Check out Sutton’s home on wheels in the video below, and follow his Instagram for more travel updates.
