Author: Jon Lacks

Many of my most cherished memories trace back to time spent with family and friends in small spaces like boats, vans, trail shelters, gondolas, and  Irish pubs 😉 to name a few.  This past month while my family and I were driving our van to Arizona, it bluntly occurred to me that over the last 2 years the guidance to maintain “social distance”  has run completely counter to what you can (should) experience in small spaces.  There is nothing like sitting close to your family and friends, sharing in laughter, playing a game, singing a song, sharing a drink while solving all the world’s problems.  We have been deprived of these moments as of recent and this is another reason I believe a Volcano Van can scratch that itch for many.  Cheers to small spaces and the family and friends who have been willing to not maintain “social distance” from me over the years…. I look forward to many more of these moments in the future.  

“Inspiration comes when you least expect it… When our minds and thoughts were challenged during the pandemic of 2020, I never would have expected how my passions and life experiences would collide and turn into Volcano Vans.“

Jon Lacks – Founder & Owner Volcano Vans

Since I was very young, I always had a general curiosity for how things work. I recall (as does my mother) the many times I would take apart my toys or other household items to see “what was inside.” As I got older and capable of making my own investments, I started applying this curiosity and chronic DIY nature to fixer upper homes and the structural/mechanical rehabilitation of older sail and powerboats.

Adventure vans share many parallels with residential construction and marine vessels which must operate in harsh environments. These experiences have given me the unique ability and opportunity to design / construct these small living spaces on wheels. For which I am deeply passionate!

Volcano Vans is a family business first and foremost. After spending 20 years in corporate world seeking world domination, I have decided to spend the next chapter of my life focused on a business that will allow me to help others realize their dream to roam and explore this incredible country we call home.

Van life has taken hold and people are realizing that small spaces force you to appreciate all that one has and also encourages you to step outside your comfort zone to discover things that you never might have known about yourself. Every morning when traveling in our van, I open the sliding door and see incredible possibility that I never really took the time to appreciate. Van life somehow slows down time, you appreciate your family, the environment and yourself more. I am not planning to recreate the wheel, as Van Building is nothing new. I am simply looking to involve myself with some like minded individuals who seek adventure in small spaces.

When I started being inspired by adventure vans, I always use to see pictures of 2 good looking 20 or 30 somethings off grid living the idealic van lifestyle…. for which I genuinely admire.

What I see less of is examples of families who have taken to van life and were willing to embark on the much more complicated challenge of fitting more than 2 humans inside the confines of a cargo van. This was a challenge I needed to solve for my own family and was willing to believe that we could find the same nirvana but was going to need to think much harder about how to build a van that was safe, functional and somewhat comfortable. FIRST RULE of van life – It’s not really that comfortable – but that’s the kicker, it forces you to appreciate the bigger spaces you likely spend most of your time in. Also, forces you to step outside that sliding door and discover what you might have been missing all along.

In the coming months – We aim to spotlight my own families experiences as well as other inspirational family van stories. Stay tuned for more.