The Modern Caravan: Stories of Love, Beauty, and Adventure on the Open Road Review by Marie Hueston

Summer is around the corner, and for many people the thought of traveling cross country in a motor home seems like an ideal vacation. Then there are those for whom a vacation is not enough: The lure of the open road inspires some to refurbish vintage Airstreams, camper vans, and even school buses into full-time residences. In the new book The Modern Caravan, out this spring from Chronicle Books, author Kate Oliver profiles more than 35 solo travelers, couples and families who heeded that call.

Oliver herself has renovated numerous Airstreams, for herself and for others through her company The Modern Caravan, and she spent years traversing the countryside with her wife and daughter. “Looking out my Airstream’s window, I’ve watched dust storms push through a dry lake bed outside of Joshua Tree and gazed into a rain forest so lush and mossy and green it felt as if I were living in a dreamscape,” Oliver describes. As the landscape outside the window shifted, she adds, “our kitchen table remained the same.”

Of the mobile homes featured in the book, the majority are vintage Airstreams, and while they all share the same basic interior shape, Oliver’s descriptions of how each one was individualized makes the book as much about small-space decorating as it is about wanderlust. Ideas for compact seating and storage abound, along with color palettes that visually expand tiny rooms. Many of the ideas can be easily translated into New York City apartments and homes.

For readers who might be considering creating their own caravan, each of Oliver’s profiles includes the budget and duration of the project, as well as hard-earned tips from the people who did the work. A common thread among the stories are of challenges overcome along the way. One featured couple describes their experience this way: “Sure, we argued, had disagreements, messed things up. But we also high-fived every day, and felt such huge pride in ourselves when we hit the road for the first time. We built our perfect space together.”