Thanks for joining us on the second installment of our #VanLife series. We’re talking to #VanLifers who may not fit the one-size-fits-all interpretation of van life that we often see on social media—you know, the white or white passing, size 0 models with sun bleached hair holding surfboards in front of $100,000 Airstreams. Yes, they exist, and our purpose isn’t to stop them from manifesting their best lives.

Instead, we’d like to introduce you to #VanLifers whose stories might not otherwise be told; because the #VanLife community is incredibly diverse; because people downsize their lives for many different reasons which can include homelessness, the pursuit of financial goals, leisure, or the privilege of pursuing their passion in the outdoors.

Our second feature from our #VanLife series is BASE jumper and skydiver Ben Yue. Oh, he bartends too! And he’s a dog dad to a pup named Cornbread.

Ben Yue (he/him/his)

Ben, 32, lives in his Ford Transit 250 high roof near Sacramento, CA. He grew up 2,000 miles away in Minneapolis, MN where his family eventually settled after his grandparents fled mainland China during the Communist Revolution. His childhood was pretty idyllic—lots of skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, swimming, fishing and hiking with friends—but there were rough patches too. Ben’s dad passed away when Ben was young and Ben started using drugs when he was 16. He dropped out of school and entered treatment. And then, as a 17 year old, he traveled abroad in India and studied Hinduism and Buddhism.

He spent the next several years living out of a backpack in the Himalayas and in China where he found a job tutoring English. He eventually returned home, settled down, got married and got divorced before he began “traveling and skydiving and living this life.” Ben has 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry and currently makes a living as a bartender, but his goal is to eventually become a full-time skydiving instructor and a part-time bartender.

Ben started skydiving in 2016 and obtained his license in 2017. That’s also when he first heard about #vanlife. At the time, he was working in New Orleans and driving six hours to Houston most weekends to skydive. The idea of living at the drop zone, not paying rent, and skydiving all day definitely appealed to him. Not long after, he moved to Perris, CA where he purchased his Ford Transit from a commercial vehicle dealer, and did most of the conversion by himself. His interior is inspired by elements of Japanese design.

Ben settled in Perris, CA which also happens to be a major hub for wing-suiting and BASE jumping. Soon he was involved with both. Ben explained that “when I first started skydiving I said I would never do [BASE jumping] because it’s way too dangerous, but I think being in Perris where there are a lot more BASE jumpers along with a strong BASE culture changed my tune a little bit.”

In 2018, he traveled to the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho for his First Jump Course with an experienced BASE instructor. The Perrine Bridge is a 486 ft. span where BASE jumping is legal year round. Unfortunately, on his seventh BASE jump, Ben broke his ankle while landing his parachute far below the roadway. Fortunately, one of the other jumpers in his class happened to be an orthopedic surgical resident. The call went up to “send the doctor down! The doctor jumped down, took a look and said ‘you’re fine to hike out’ and so we hiked out. I had five or six guys taking turns carrying me out of there!” Ben explained.

90 days, 10 screws, 2 pins and one plate later, Ben was back in the air. His recovery had gone pretty well. He had even secured a promotion from his injury, since all he could manage was office work at the bar where he worked at the time.

Ben currently has over 500 skydives, and 130+ BASE jumps. Life on the road, with his pup, a pitbull mastiff, is pretty good. #VanLife for Ben is about reaching financial goals, pursuing his passions and living a simpler lifestyle.

Keep scrolling to read excerpts from our conversation with Ben.

Did you do the build by yourself? Or with friends? Or did you get professional help?

I did it pretty much on my own, I had a couple of friends help out with stuff I didn’t have tools for. I bought it completely bare and spent six months working on it. There’s still stuff I want to finish! At the time, my schedule was pretty much wake up, go to work, come back, work on the van. I did some of my work at Perris and some of my work at my friend’s garage near my work in Orange County

What are some things you wish you had known before buying a vehicle? Or starting #vanlife?

I wish I had bought more of my major appliances first and built around them. But I was living in the van and building it at the same time so I did what I could. If I were to sell this van and buy a new one, I would definitely want to redo it. I would definitely have taken more time to plan out the installation.

Can you describe the interior?

I was going for a Japanese Zen garden / ski hut look. I have a bamboo slat paneling for the wall. I custom made the doors for the cabinet to simulate a Japanese shoji style door (Japanese sliding doors with the rice paper screens). I have a kitchen area with butcher block for the countertops. I have an RV cooler. I have a solar panel system so I have all my panel running up solar. It’s a 12V solar system. I’m planning on getting a converter to plug in 110. Pretty much every chargeable devices charges off of USB. My really big electronics are basically my phone. 

What do you do for personal hygiene?

I have a small little pump outdoor shower and a 24 hour gym membership. Otherwise, it’s just lots of gas stations. And a pee bottle, of course. 

 What do you use for heating?

I have a 20-degree sleeping bag that is usually too hot! I also run the vehicle heater occasionally, and for really cold nights I have a propane heater that I can run inside with the roof venting. It has a low O2 sensor and an auto-shut off.

 Where are you parked?

I’m based out of Sacramento but I kind of bounce around. I might stay at the drop zone for a few days or with a few other bartender friends. When I first moved up here, there was a lot of overnight parking available in the city. Now, I try to have three spots on city streets and then bounce around.

What’s your daily routine on the road? Or at a campsite?

Get up, let the dog out, brush my teeth, go to the bathroom, make coffee. I’m always kind of on the road so it doesn’t feel any different. My dog is a pitbull mastiff. I got her at a rescue in New Orleans. She’s really great.

Have you had any difficulty finding places to park? 

There’s never been an issue for me personally. I think having a nicer van that doesn’t look like a beat up old RV definitely helps. I think in CA it’s much more widely accepted. I’ve never had anyone knock on my door or tell me to move or anything. 

What drew you to BASE jumping?

My friend did the Snake River Base Academy First Jump Course with Tom Aiello. That was a little over a year and a half ago. I did it in the spring of 2018. It was amazing, it was super cool. The ground rush was definitely a different feeling from skydiving. It gave me butterflies and that nervous feeling that reminded me of the first few skydives I ever did. I still get nervous and apprehensive on every single base jump, by the way.

 BASE jumping in general is very much about personal responsibility. You are taking your life into YOUR hands. Everything you do really matters. At the end of the day if you mess up the instructor is not going to pull your parachute for you, like skydiving. You’re still responsible for your life. 

What does your family think of the fact that you started BASE jumping?

My dad passed away when I was young. My mom loves it, she’s great. She has always been incredibly supportive of me. I’m sure she would prefer that I didn’t BASE jump sometimes but she wants me to be happy, and as long as I’m doing what I love, she’s happy and supportive. She hasn’t done a skydive yet but she keeps saying when she turns 90. But once I get my rating she’s coming. 

Know a #VanLifer of color who we should feature during our #VanLife series? Drop us an e-mail.

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