If you’re familiar with Bode Miller, then his name probably prompts memories of his daring runs down Alpine ski routes, multiple Olympic medals, and maybe his recent appearance in FOX’s reality TV show, Special Forces.
What you probably don’t think of is a van full of kids.
But those kids are the most important focus in Miller’s life these days, which makes that van–literally the vehicle that gets the kids to school, sporting events, and gatherings with extended family–an important tool for the Miller family.
The Ultimate Kid-Hauler
And when we say a van full of kids, we really mean a van full of kids–up to 7 of them. Miller’s oldest, Dace, is pursuing school and sports in southern California. But the other 6–Nate, Nash, Easton, twins Asher and Aksel, and Scarlet–need ways to travel together regularly. Daughter Emmeline (“Emmy”), who was tragically lost in a drowning accident as a toddler, makes 8.
Dad Bode and mom Morgan–also a decorated Olympian in beach volleyball–place emphasis on traveling and making memories together as a family. In their opinion, this is something that airline travel doesn’t always make space for. The family just moved to the Salt Lake City area, where Morgan plays for the city’s League One volleyball team. They frequently visit family in southern California and travel to Big Sky, Montana, where Bode’s business, Peak Ski Company, is based. Rather than fly the family from place to place, the Miller family would much rather see the country together, especially since skis, bikes, and other equipment usually travel with them. Plus, with Morgan’s new career in League One, the rest of the family wants to support her by driving to her games and tournaments. “Having a Vandoit, where you can pop the kids in there–and they’re psyched about the trip, too–you can kind of make it about the experience, not just the travel,” Bode shares.
So the use of a large passenger van–particularly one with an upfit–makes a lot of sense for the Miller family. Bode gained a lot of experience with RVs while traveling Europe as a World Cup racer: He brought multiple RVs over from the US for his team to travel and live in. In 2018, Bode discovered Vandoit and started following the brand online. In 2023, he commented on one of Vandoit’s Instagram posts (with a fire emoji), which sparked (pun intended) a series of conversations about a van upfit that would support his large, active family. As a result, Vandoit departed a bit from their signature campervan models and built a first-of-its-kind “ultimate kid-hauler.”
The Kid-Hauler’s Specs
The Miller’s new van, a 2023 extended-length Ford Transit, has the basic framework of Vandoit’s signature DO model, but without beds or a water system. These make way for all 12 seats, storage cabinets, a TV, and an upgraded audio system (“That’s going to be valuable for me. If they’re yelling, just turn it up!” Bode says). The van has the complete lithium battery system that goes into all of Vandoit’s upfits, so there’s power for plenty of wall outlets for the family’s devices, dome lights and accent lights, a rooftop air conditioner, and an Espar heater. Because of the van’s modular design, there’s always the option to remove seats and add components and other storage solutions later. Even with all 12 seats installed, there is still plenty of cargo space in the back, for skis, bikes, and even sleeping.
The van’s exterior is upfitted with Backwoods bumpers for increased off-road capability, and shackles and a winch for vehicle recovery options. A rack on the rear door serves as a mounting point for a full-size Falken Wildpeak AT3W spare tire as well as a ladder for accessing the van’s roof. Another rack holds an Aluminess Deluxe Storage Box–the perfect solution for storing wet gear, firewood, fuel, or other items the Millers don’t plan to keep inside. The van is equipped with upgraded suspension, including Bilstein front struts with linear coil and
Fox 2.0 shocks with remote reservoir and shock relocation bracket. All of these features come in handy since so much of the Miller family’s travel occurs in the winter ski season–a time and terrain that require the best possible safety and handling features.
Contrary to his daredevil style on the ski slopes, Bode values safety for his family, and he acknowledges that driving a vehicle is one of the most dangerous things a human does. The stability of the vehicle, along with the upgraded bumpers and dually wheels, brings him a great deal of comfort. He anticipates they’ll be “driving in snowstorms, gnarly stuff, and moose can jump out in front of you!” but has confidence in the Transit’s safety and handling capabilities.
The Time In Between
Second to the safety it provides, Bode and Morgan value the experiences and memories the Vandoit will bring. “A road trip–if you do them right–can be a part of the whole experience, and a fun part of it,” Bode says. “When we’re driving, especially out here in the West, a lot of historic travel happened here–exploration and frontier travel. And I always tell them, ‘This is a trip that would have taken a month for people only a couple hundred years ago.’”
With the prevalence of games and electronic devices, “It’s just about taking up the time in between, and it’s something my wife and I feel strongly about, that we want to get them engaged in the process. We do play all the games we grew up with–I Spy, spotting letters on signs… [We’re often] making sure we stop and check things out, sort of spur-of-the-moment things that are really good for their brain to understand that there’s stuff all along the way that’s worth seeing. It’s not just about where you’re getting to.”
The Mental Health Landscape–and Where Vans Fit in It
The Millers’ parenting approach is grounded in an awareness of fostering mental health, and this awareness is a family legacy: When Bode picked up the sport of skiing as a kid, his parents helped him develop the mindset that success in a sport is far less important than enjoyment of it. As his skiing career grew, he noticed his mindset was vastly different from a lot of his colleagues and competitors. He observed that people who attached their identity to their achievements struggled with mental health when those achievement moments had passed. “You’re always losing who you just were,” Bode shares with the depth of a philosopher, “instead of being able to focus on the present.”
Bode has made mental health awareness a lifelong endeavor, culminating recently with the production of The Paradise Paradox, a documentary about mental health in America’s mountain towns. But he is adamant that mental health is a crisis that deserves national attention. Bode’s conviction is that community change around mental health “has to be driven by well meaning and morally aligned people who are motivated.” He believes a cultural shift when it comes to mental health awareness can come from companies like Vandoit who make mental health awareness part of their philosophy.
Vandoit has, in fact, made mental health care a focus as they have launched their Commercial Division. The Vandoit Commercial Division has upfitted several Mobile Mental Health units for nonprofit organizations in the Midwest–with several times as many on order for other organizations across the country. These units are bringing counseling, intervention, and education services to underserved populations like rural communities and those transitioning out of the justice system. The value of this kind of accessibility can’t be understated in the world of mental health support.
Why Bode Chose Vandoit
Bode is looking forward to the fact that his kids will associate the Vandoit with activities and destinations they get excited about. “We’re an aspirational adventure family… but there are all kinds of barriers to that. This [van] reduces those barriers significantly.”
The main barrier, of course, is the number of Miller family members. “It’s pretty common that we have to take two cars places,” Bode shares, “and this [van] is a huge improvement over that.” Another barrier is the fact that their kids are involved in a variety of activities. “We have a pretty wide range [of ages], which is partly why this [van] is so functional for us, cause they all sort of do different things at different times and need their space at times… It’s a pretty dynamic group, as you can imagine.”
“Vandoit was one of the top choices for me,” Bode shares about his van search. “Now it’s awesome to be able to see what it can do and see how it functions with the family… I’m psyched to see the versatility and flexibility of what this allows us to do… To be able to throw a mattress in the back and while we’re at a tournament–which some of them are all weekend–and be able to let little ones take naps in the back. I think there will be a lot to discover with this one.” Bode comments that Vandoit “allows you to be flexible as a person, as a family, and I think that’s huge.”
Bode is looking forward to a number of trips, like loading the whole family–plus mountain bikes and outdoor gear–in their Vandoit to visit National Parks and other sights in southern Utah. But what he’s most looking forward to is seeing Morgan play pro volleyball stateside–and bring all the kids. She has played beach and indoor volleyball in the Olympics, and in pro leagues in Russia and Greece, but those were venues the whole family couldn’t visit. Now, in their Vandoit, everyone gets to go and cheer mom on.
“They take up all my time and energy,” Bode says, speaking about his kids. “My business stuff definitely has to take a back seat… My priorities are pretty steadfast in that regard. Right now I’m dad, chauffeur, teacher.”
And being a chauffeur just got a whole lot more fun, thanks to the Millers’ new Vandoit.