Slowlane.gang
@slowlane.gang
In the fall of 2020 my partner, Ivan, and I purchased a 1992 Mitsubishi Delica l300 Super Exceed. We had fallen in love with tiny Japanese camper vans when we’d rented one in New Zealand the previous winter and spent the early days of COVID lockdown scouring the internet for one to call our own. We found this beautiful green guy, quickly named it Reptar after the Godzilla-inspired Dinosaur from Rugrats, and made turning it into the perfect tiny camper our pandemic obsession. I took to drawing layouts on napkins and overloading my Pinterest board & he took to making fancy 3D models and pouring over #vanlife YouTube. By the following autumn, we’d designed, built, and outfitted the perfect adventure mobile. In so many ways, our careers in design and production prepared us perfectly for this project. Ivan is a designer, and he’s said this was one of the biggest design challenges of his life. From a producer perspective, sourcing rare parts (hello supply chain woes!), design/build research, and managing a budget and timeline fit squarely in my wheelhouse. Exactly one year after purchase in October 2021, we hit the road to put Reptar to the test. We drove from Seattle to the Florida Keys, up to the Eastern stretches of Canada, and around the entire Baja Peninsula of Mexico. We had breakdowns, break-ins, and all sorts of adventures along the way. It was one helluva year, one of my proudest accomplishments, and one I know will shape my thinking and how I approach challenges for years to come. We’ve documented a lot of our adventures on Instagram @slowlane.gang and have grown a modest but wonderful community of fellow travelers, automotive experts, and modern nomads.
Role: Producer & co-pilot, trip-planner, Chief Vibes Officer
Team: Alyssa Loughlen, Ivan Loughlen, and Odin the dog
