Vanlife Roadmap Podcast: Ep. 8

Built in Cardboard: Troy on designing a van from scratch - as an artist, without a tutorial in sight.

Troy didn’t come to van life through YouTube. He came through ceramics, environmental art installations, and a decade of designing custom restaurants and high-end kitchens. When he finally built his first van, he did it the same way he’d approach any design project: from scratch, on his own terms, with cardboard boxes.

He’s the founder of Nanna Vans, a custom build company in DeLand, Florida. His van — named Janet, after his late grandmother — is both his flagship build and his rolling portfolio. He’s signed design contracts off the back table. The cabin-feel interior, modular wall panels, and body-ratio-fitted seating all came from building the way an artist builds: by refusing to assume there’s a right way to do it.

In this conversation, Troy walks through the design decisions that set his work apart — from the cardboard prototyping method to the modular electrical access system he developed by simply thinking about what happens when something breaks.

About Troy 

Troy is the founder of Nanna Vans, a custom van build company based in DeLand, Florida, operating  under his design firm TR Designs. A fine arts graduate of Stetson University, Troy spent years  designing restaurants, custom kitchens, and high-end residential spaces before building his first  van. His work lives at the intersection of art and utility — and his van, Janet, is named after his  grandmother. Follow Nanna Vans on Instagram. 

What you’ll hear in this episode 

• Why Troy built his entire van interior in cardboard boxes before cutting a single piece of wood  — and how it helped him dial in proportions, sightlines, and ergonomics before committing to  anything 

• The fine art concept of “negative space” applied to van design: why what you leave out matters  as much as what you put in 

• How Troy measured his own hip-to-floor and knee-to-floor ratios to engineer seating that  actually fits the way he sits 

• Why modular, removable wall panels are the most underrated decision in any van build — and  the electrical access nightmare they prevent

• Why materials matter more than most builders realize, and how the small footprint of a van  actually lets you afford better ones 

• The lighting spectrum mistake that makes van builds feel like hospitals instead of homes • How a last-minute email with photos of Janet landed Nanna Vans an exhibitor slot at Peace,  Love & Vans — with no website, no business cards, and no logo — and what Troy scrambled to  build in four weeks 

• What’s next in 2026: a new dedicated shop with a 10,000 lb lift, podcast area, and livestream  setup 

Key Takeaways 

• Build in cardboard before you cut. Troy built his entire van interior out of cardboard boxes to  feel the space before committing to any material. Free, fast, and it catches ergonomic problems  before they’re permanent. 

• Negative space is part of the design. The question isn’t just “can I fit all of this?” — it’s “what  do I leave out so the space still feels like a space?” A van that’s crammed full isn’t a home; it’s a  storage unit. 

• Make your walls modular. If your panels can’t come off, your electrical is sealed in forever.  Troy’s removable panel system lets him access every wire, swap components, and reconfigure  — years after the initial build. 

• Materials make the mood. You’re working with 45–80 sq ft. The difference between pine and  cedar, or basic white LEDs and warm-spectrum lighting, is the difference between a hospital  room and a cabin in Tennessee. 

• Rent before you build. Spend a weekend in a van before you spend a dollar on parts. What you  think you need and what you actually need are two very different lists.