Our Story

“So what led you to campervans?”

It’s a simple question, but when you’ve just hit the eject button on a stable corporate career to launch a startup, it takes some explaining!

I’ve lived in NYC for 15 years and love everything about this city – the people, music, food, even the intense career-first mentality. The city has a gravitational pull that can make you forget that life exists anywhere but here. But years of subway commutes and sitting behind a desk also took its toll. I’d catch myself wondering, when was the last time I’d stepped on grass? No doubt I have gone weeks at a time… maybe months?

I made it a goal to spend more time in the outdoors, away from the city. Trail running soon became an obsession. My wife and I also got into tent camping, and some of our best memories were made on our camping trips together. But even for us, the hassle involved with renting cars and transporting gear (and then crossing our fingers that the weather held up) could take away from the whole experience.

It was after one harrowing camping weekend involving thunderstorms and a sewage nightmare that our metaphorical wheels started turning. We thought of how grateful we would be for a mobile cabin that could serve as both our transportation and lodging, offering the freedom to explore the country in comfort. Instead of dealing with tents and rental cars, we could spend our time reconnecting with each other and with nature.

We founded Vanish to help make nature more accessible. From the novice to the seasoned backpacker, we aim to empower our guests to explore the outdoors at their own pace. And above all, we’re in the business of having fun. Seeing the smiles on our guests’ faces is the fuel that keeps us going.

Over the past year, we’ve welcomed countless guests on their unique journeys and have used their feedback to fine-tune the vans as we expand the fleet. But the Vanish experience is not about the vans themselves, as rad as they are. It’s about what the vans enable you to do. All of us could use more time being present in nature, now more than ever. We are here to help make that happen. That’s why we started this company. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Kevin Jornlin, CEO