Reinventing on-campus living

University of Idaho third-year architecture student Colten Hoff decided the living options available on and off campus did not suit him — so he created his own. Hoff tried living in a fraternity, UI’s on-campus options and an apartment, but couldn’t find a good fit.

“It’s kind of unique to me as an architecture major, I spent so much time in the studio, I was like, ‘Why am I paying so much money for all this housing when I spend most of my time doing schoolwork in the studio. I only go home to sleep and eat,’” Hoff said. “At the same time, I’ve always been interested in small living, like tiny houses, but then something kind of clicked.”

Last summer, Hoff bought a 1991 Dodge B350 12-passenger van. Hoff researched and worked almost entirely on his own, but accepted the help of his family to customize the van in only two-and-a-half months. Hoff has running water, solar-powered electricity for lights and a refrigerator, bed space for multiple people and plenty of storage space.

Olivia Heersink | Argonaut

“I just put the amenities that (people) usually need inside,” Hoff said. “But having to solve the problems of where I’m going to do my laundry, where do I take showers and where do I go if it gets too cold, I use the campus amenities.”

Hoff was inspired by “Vanlife” and “Tiny Houses,” two modern movements advocating for nontraditional methods of living.

Hoff’s living situation, in a decked-out van, is unique in the UI community. Hoff has heard a rumor about people living in their cars and has seen a truck with a camper parked on campus consistently. He has not, however, heard of anyone else who decided to live in their vehicle of their own accord. 

“One time, I heard — it was an alumni I was talking to, someone who graduated like twenty years ago,” Hoff said. “And he heard about someone who lived in his van down in an RV park while he was going to school a long time ago.”

Hoff does not recommend “Vanlife” for everyone, but he does have advice for those interested in going down that road. He recognizes not everyone will have the circumstances and access to space and tools that allowed him to build his van. 

Hoff also said one should mentally prepare for long hours alone, the need to do things nontraditionally and maintain a positive mindset.

Hoff said he enjoys his living situation and although life is never perfect, he appreciates the small inconveniences that test his patience and help him grow as a person. 

He said he wishes he had focused on insulation and heating in his van more to prevent pipes from freezing. Hoff also cited difficulties with patching leaks, overcharging solar panel batteries, cooking and washing dishes.

“It’s a lot of worrying about things. If I park somewhere and someone comes up or some (police) officer comes up and tells me I can’t park there,” Hoff said. “It hasn’t happened to me, but you get paranoid about people watching you, about people seeing that you’re living in a van and then word getting around to authorities that can find you and tell you that you can’t do that.”