From Minivan Misery to Skiing Serenity: How Our Vandoit Transformed Family Ski Trips

We’ve been a ski family for six years.  We started teaching our oldest son at three and a half years old. The minivan we had would get packed to the brim each year as we added another kid to the skiing mix. Everything would get wet, kids would complain, and with snowy roads and parking lots, we were constantly worried about getting stuck…

That all changed once we got our Vandoit! Having our van with us on our ski weekends has made this the best year yet for so many reasons!

We can pack skis, helmets, boots, all the gear and food needed for six people, and still have enough room to walk around and hang out in the van. And, did I mention while hanging out it’s a toasty 68 degrees the whole time? With the Espar heater, we can easily heat our van without keeping the engine running, even all day if needed. 

Waiting Can Be Fun

If you’ve ever driven to a ski resort, you know it can mean long drives, or extended waits in your vehicle. Usually, this involves some whining and complaining from kids, well not anymore! Our kids hop up into our double bunk beds and either read or watch a movie together while we wait for the resort to open. 

On top of having beds and room for kid-entertaining activities, simply being able to stand up in your vehicle is amazing. Nothing compares to the sheer bliss of dressing for the ski day inside the van. Getting six people dressed in full ski gear is no easy task. Being able to do it while inside, staying dry and warm, is a joy beyond compare. Trust me on this one, if this was the only plus to van life and ski days, it would still be enough to make it worth it! But, of course, there‘s more!

The Whole Family On The Mountain

Having our entire family on the mountain with us brings deep fulfillment! But with four kids ranging from ages nine to three, there is a gap in abilities. Those three-year-old legs just don’t last as long as the older kids do. Almost every week, our youngest falls asleep either on the lifts, in line, or strangely enough while skiing. But, this isn’t a problem with our Vandoit! Our youngest takes a nap in the bed, inside our van while everyone else keeps skiing. Mom and Dad take turns hanging out in the van with our sleeping babe, and it has made our ski days perfect for the whole family. No matter what the ski day may hold; full sun and all-day runs, or snowy cold and lots of breaks in between, our Vandoit makes every ski day better.

One thing is for certain, there’s no going back to ski trips in the mini-van! Once you’ve got a feel for van life, it’s hard to imagine anything else. We knew we would use our Vandoit on summer trips and weekend getaways, but being able to use it to the max on our ski days throughout the winter has made it the ultimate adventure vehicle, and well worth the investment in our family adventures!

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