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Get a taste of the van life with a fifth-wheel reno.
ICYMI, vans and campers are no longer just for family vacays and Woodstock-goers. Now, everyone wants a taste of the van life—and what better way to explore the world than to take your home with you? That’s what NC-based rain2shine ventures founder and owner Alice Zealy decided when she traded her brick-and-mortar house that was “full of stuff” for a simplified life—headed by a sturdy 2003 fifth wheel that she gutted and renovated into her dream home-on-wheels.
That transformative life change led Zealy to launch her van and camper remodel/ conversion biz in hopes of giving others the same liberation she felt. Dubbed for her and her sister’s childhood nicknames, rain2shine renovates tiny homes on wheels—catering specifically to clients’ personal styles and habits. Case in point: She asks all clients for a Pinterest board or other inspo images before tackling the interior design.
When navigating those renos, Zealy says her clients’ needs are all over the map—literally. From active customers who desire a mini yoga studio in their home to nonprofits needing a vehicle fit to transport rescue dogs, the top priority for rain2shine is outfitting each camper and van beyond just your run-of-the-mill RV. While the sense of spontaneity that comes with living on the road still lingers, Zealy ensures each vehicle stays a completely functional and aesthetically pleasing home. (But don’t have
a functional fifth wheel or one at all? They can help navigate that too.)
When it comes to the actual reno, there are three approaches, explains Zealy: face-lift (think same layout, new attitude: paint, flooring, backsplash, etc.); full gut and rebuild (new look, who dis: gut down to floors, starting from scratch, maybe even moving plumbing around); and “some clients I call the ‘in-between’ where we only rework parts of it.”
And the appeal of living on the road goes deeper than just a minimalist lifestyle—van (and camper!) lifers trade possessions for scenery, sights and memories. “I reprioritized my life. I always had a love for travel and had a lot of reasons for why [traveling] didn’t happen,” emphasizes Zealy, who particularly loves to road trip to NASCAR races and the Florida Keys. “I said ‘Why not just buy a camper and live in it until you figure out the next step?’” Here’s to spontaneity and wanderlust! rain2shineventures.com
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