About Freedom Vans
Freedom Vans was founded on the f r e e d o m of the off grid lifestyle; and we are here to enable this lifestyle for our clients. We wish to give people the foundation for their adventures; an off grid home (permanent or secondary) that will allow you to comfortably relax after a day of skiing, a big bike ride, a challenging climb, or a stroll down the beach. A place to enjoy a snack or a nap in between. Whatever the adventure- we want to build the van for you.
We are a small business that works closely with our clients to bring their dreams to life. Solar power systems are our specialty, specifically tailored to our clients needs. Attention to detail and quality are the most important factors to us in a project, as you can see in our project gallery. If you are looking for a custom and personal experience, we are right here in Bellingham, WA.
Tom Doran and Kyleigh Rogers, owners of Freedom Vans, with their daughter Ember.
Tom Doran, Co-owner
Tom co-founded Freedom Vans after 14 months of living life outside the box. Frustrated with the high costs of rent and few rental opportunities, Tom outfitted his 1996 Ford D’elegant Conversion Van with solar power and a fridge. A small sink and a microwave kept the comfort high and the costs low. This was the start of discovering a passion for the alternative way of living and adventuring.
Less than a year later, Tom upgraded to a 170″ 2007 Sprinter Van, giving him the space to carry his dirt bike and mountain bikes. FREEDOM. In June 2015, Tom quit his job of 8 years in Solar Power Installation to compete in the Big Mountain Enduro mountain bike race series around Colorado. He took on this adventure with Kyleigh, and they became a great team in forming what the company is today. He now has the freedom to bring to others what has changed his life; vans for comfortable living, travel, and independence.
Co-owner of Freedom Vans, Tom works with our team to create and build dream vans for our clients. With an eye for detail, he handcrafts all of the cabinetry and woodwork. He specializes in power systems, providing clients with the ultimate off-grid adventure vehicle! With years of experience in leading the shop team through more than 90 builds from the launch of the business, Tom has tuned his skills in providing clients with high-quality vans for their off the grid exploration.
Kyleigh Rogers, Co-owner
Kyleigh co-founded Freedom Vans with a high motivation to share a vision with others who were passionate about living freely through the joys of van life. Kyleigh graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Sciences. Van life appealed to her background in Anthropology and Geography, and her authentic care for the clients and this work has led this company to grow and flourish. Kyleigh and Tom discovered their Freedom Vans vision while on the road in Colorado, where they have since grown an inspired business in Bellingham, WA.
By being closely involved in each step of a build, from start to finish, Kyleigh has refined our work here and holds a high integrity for providing a thoughtful and quality experience for our clients. She has developed her management skills from her previous experience as a certified teacher in California and through her work as an Americorps VIP where she managed 25+ employees a week. At Freedom Vans she manages our team and leads us to reaching our short and long term goals as we continue to step into the future. Kyleigh is there from the meet and greet, to designing and planning for the project, to ensuring overall happiness once the van leaves our shop. Once you have a Freedom Van, you’re a part of the family.
Seth Feralin, Carpentry Lead
Seth has an extensive 6 year background in “not-so-typical” carpentry, which makes him an excellent addition to the not-so-typical Freedom Vans team! He has done carpentry work in museum exhibits, in private homes, trade show displays, and commercial promotional materials. Seth has transferred his diverse background in carpentry skills to the creative building involved in van conversions. He moved to Bellingham from Minneapolis in 2018, and was drawn to Freedom Vans’ mission to enable the off grid lifestyle. He says “it is encouraging to see people do more, go further, and climb higher”. In his free time, he loves backpacking in Washington’s beautiful mountain ranges, especially the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Tony Enriquez, Systems Lead
Tony is all about the focus and detail needed for working on cars, trucks, and vans. He has a passion for car mechanics that is a hobby and a lifestyle. Tony has seven years experience as a machine operator where he became well versed with operator heavy equipment, as well designing custom cuts with autocad. Before that he worked for six years as an electrician and an audio video specialist. His knowledge of mechanical equipment, electrical systems, and audio video equipment is extensive and adds to complex systems that our shop equips in conversions. Ask him about the tattoo on his arm, and you will hear about his past collection of Ford Broncos and Rangers. The attention needed to get things done in the shop working on the vans put him in his element. He takes pride in the very stylin’ orange, Bronco he fixed up for his wife.
tim bartilson, Foundations lead
Stacy enriquez, office MANAGER
Stacy was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, where she was a Campfire Girl. That is where her love for crafts and the outdoors begans. She would do crafts and go camping with her Campfire Girl friends. She would also go camping, fishing and off-road wheeling with her grandpa. All of these have led her to her favorite hobbies of camping and making any kind of blanket from t-shirt quilts to blankets for her grandchildren. She moved to Bellingham with her family for her career and the beautiful green surroundings. Her favorite hobby is going anywhere in her 1976 Bronco or with her husband in their off-road 1972 Bronco. This is where her love for off-grid living began. They even got married on the Oregon Beach at a Bronco Event, and for the past 21 years, they have not missed any Bronco Events on the Oregon Coast. Stacy’s favorite thing about Freedom Vans is the passion everyone has for building vans. She is excited to help them in any way possible in the office, or even in the shop.
