Why I’m Gutting a Cargo Van for the Next Big AdventureI needed a mobile production studio. This was the only way. To capture the wildest angles on the planet, you have to live right where the action happens. The stakes are incredibly high because if this build fails, my expensive camera gear and my entire shooting schedule suffer on the road.We started with the skeleton. It takes serious planning. I spent the day installing furring strips along the metal roof ribs to create a solid foundation for the future cedar paneling. Every single screw had to be perfectly placed to handle the brutal, corrugated dirt roads we are going to encounter.Next came the walls. It is tedious work. I added horizontal support beams down both sides of the cargo space to hold the main wall panels in place.AdvertisementAdvertisementThen Nicole stepped in. She handles the heavy lifting. She started stuffing raw sheep's wool insulation into every open cavity of the frame. The smell? Like a gross farm. It is a necessary evil to keep the extreme cold out when we hit those high-altitude mountain passes for sunrise shots.The final step today was sound dampening. Silence is golden. I layered heavy-duty reflective sound dampening material over the rear wheel wells to kill the highway tire noise. Tomorrow, we tackle the floor and finish the rest of the insulation.Building a mobile home is a masterclass in patience. You have to respect the process. If you want to chase the dream, you have to build the machine that gets you there.
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