How a Woman Modified Her Van to Travel with Her Dog
If you like dogs, you’ll probably want to include them in your next vacation plans. But how about traveling the world like Marina and Odie did after she modified her van? Nevertheless, despite the many advances in this regard, there are many things you’d have to do in order move around and be able to stay with your furry pal, especially if it’s a large animal.
This is precisely the kind of story we’d like to tell you today. Specifically, how Marina, modified her van, “Pam,” to be able to travel with her dog, Odie. By doing so, the young woman managed to travel with her dog comfortably.
Marina Piro is a twenty-year-old woman from Italy and a resident of the United Kingdom for a long time. Like many members of her generation, rather than locking herself up in an office, she decided to travel. But always with the conviction that her beloved Odie, a labradoodle mix, would tag along.
The thing is, Odie is a big boy, the result of a mix between a Labrador and a French Poodle. For that reason, Marina knew she would have problems moving around on public transport. Also, getting decent and affordable accommodation for her and her pet wouldn’t be easy.
So, after carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the various options she could choose from, she decided to buy a van and retrofit it. So, in addition to Marina going everywhere with Odie, Pam (the van) would provide them both with a place to sleep and cook. Now, we’ll tell you how this young woman retrofits her van to travel with her dog all over the European continent.
This is how Marina modified her van to travel
Certainly, Marina not only modified the van with her own hands but she also decided to tell the world how she did it. Just in case anyone wanted to ditch their job and do something similar.
Also, she states in advance that she didn’t have any previous knowledge of carpentry, electricity, plumbing or mechanics. So she basically learned everything on the fly. As you can see, there’s nothing impossible when you really, really want it. All you need is a million dollars…
So, to share her experience Marina created a page on Instagram: @pamthevan91. In it, she explains in detail the way she transformed a 2001, 5-door, Renault Kangoo van, to be able to travel with Odie, her dog.
What kind of information does @pamthevan91 provide?
On her Instagram page, Marina gives all kinds of details. So you truly can learn how to remodel a truck and make it suitable for traveling and living in with your pets at the same time. For example:
- She talks about what she did with the insulation. How to prevent condensation due to temperature changes and when cooking.
- How she installed the vinyl floor.
- The electrical installation which includes LED lights.
- The construction of a kitchen and a bed.
- Additionally, Marina gives advice in regard to the best materials to use.
- Also about the maintenance of the vehicle, the curtains, and other decorative elements.
Other information you’ll get from Marina and Odie on Instagram
However, this Italian girl’s Instagram page contains a lot more information for those who truly want to travel with their dog in a van. Among other things she writes about:
- The necessary documentation and requirements to move with pets in various countries.
- The many options for taking a shower and spruce themselves.
- What to consider, for and against, when traveling with pets.
But if, in addition to wanting to learn how to condition a van, you’re also interested in keeping up with Marina and Odie’s travels, you can follow them on Instagram: @pamthevan91. There you can appreciate how happy they seem as they travel through the many beautiful cities and landscapes of, up ’til today, France and Italy.
As an additional fact, you may have noticed that Marina doesn’t have a YouTube channel to tell you about her adventures. Or about how she remodeled her truck. She says the main reason is she doesn’t feel comfortable talking to a camera.
Nonetheless, there is already a filmmaker who wants to document Marina and Odie’s adventures in Europe. So, for sure there’ll be more news about these peculiar travelers…
Last minute news: Odie started another long journey on May 8, may he rest in peace.
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