Our Story
Our story involves techno, and wave searching & cheese and crackers.
2020 was a tough year for many across the globe - however it went a little differently for us Kiwis. With our borders shut and the virus locked out, life continued pretty much as normal for a while.
2020 was a tough year for many across the globe - however it went a little differently for us Kiwis. With our borders shut and the virus locked out, life continued pretty much as normal for a while.
At the time my daughter was doing a ski season in Wanaka, New Zealand. She raved of good parties, good pow and good people, so I thought I would go down and join her. She lent me her van Marley to sleep in, a 1995 Toyota Hiace, for the full ski bum experience. I spent the winter hopping around driveways, nabbing a hot shower where I could and admiring the most majestic mountains. I had everything I needed right by my side. The freedom, the ease, the comfort and the ability to park up in the most incredible spots sold me. Vanlife was the life… until my daughter needed her van back for summer. And so the cogs in my head began to turn.
I wanted to make Van life accessible to everyone : the girl who doesn’t know how to use a skill saw ; the backpackers who are flying into the country for a short time and need a quick option, the couple who are looking for something comfortable and efficient. Decking out a van involves so much shape, precision tools and general knowledge of complicated construction. I decided to simplify the whole process and create a kit set.
And so the Vapartment was born! The first prototype was built in Whangarei NZ and I then spent a whole year living in it. She took me all around the country - for another ski season, endless surf missions and a whole lot of festivals. Each day I realised more and more just how good the concept was. I made many little modifications a long the way and we now have the finished product.
After launching in New Zealand, we have decided to bring the Vapartment to the U.S.A.
Stay tuned - our epic journey has only just begun.