A Life, Built in Motion
Adventure isn’t something I save for someday.
It’s something I build into my life, one decision at a time.
MADCTY is about staying in motion—physically, creatively, and mentally. It grew out of a need to live more deliberately. To make things with my hands. To get outside more often. To choose effort over comfort and curiosity over routine. Some days that looks like training hard or chasing trails. Other days it means building, fixing, learning, and figuring things out as I go.
Movement changes how you see everything.
Over time, that mindset started shaping how I travel and how I design my life. Less rush. More intention. Fewer walls between work, rest, and play. Spaces that support experience instead of distracting from it. Projects that serve real use, not just ideas.
Heating a Gasoline-Powered Transit AWD Camper Van for True Four-Season Use
Choosing the right system for -35°C (-31°F) prairie nights and 50°C (120°F) desert days Building a true four-season camper van is less about insulation alone and more about how you create, distribute, and manage heat. Van conversion heating is crucial, especially in a Ford Transit AWD High Roof Extended with a 3.5L EcoBoost gasoline engine, where heating choices differ meaningfully from diesel-based builds. Fuel type affects system availability,
Understanding the Relationship Between Heating Systems and Moisture
Why condensation happens, what heating really does, and how to stay dry in cold-weather camper vans Moisture and condensation are among the most common—and most misunderstood—problems in camper vans, especially in cold climates. It’s easy to assume that choosing the “right” heating system will solve moisture issues, but the truth is more nuanced. Heating systems influence comfort and surface temperatures, but they do not directly remove moisture. Understanding how
Insulation for Real Winter Van Use (and Real Summer)
A No-Nonsense Van Envelope That Works at –35 °C and +49 °C (–31 °F to 120 °F) Most van insulation advice is built around mild climates. A “cold night” is 20°F. Condensation is a foggy window. That advice breaks down completely when you’re parked on the Canadian prairies at –35 °C with wind, or in Arizona in July at 120°F. This article outlines a hybrid insulation system that:
Gasoline Hydronic Heat for a 4-Season Transit Van
How Aqua-Hot, Rixen, and Timberline compare for real winter + real summer comfortWhen you’re building a serious four-season camper van — one that will spend Canadian-prairie winters at –35 °C and Southwestern summers over 120 °F — your heating and hot-water system isn’t just another feature: it defines comfort, safety, and independence.You want:Gasoline fuel (so no propane hassles),Hydronic heat for radiant floors + air fan coils,Hot water for sink
Coming down the road, literally… the MADCTY Van Build
There’s been a long-standing dream in the background of my life for years now. A van. Not just a van—but a camper van that could take me anywhere. A space I could stand up in, sleep comfortably in, and live out of for days at a time without worrying about shore power, weather, or seasons. A rig that could handle heat, cold, shoulder seasons, and everything in between.
Fear Isn’t the Enemy — It’s the Compass
We tend to treat fear like an enemy. Something to eliminate, outgrow, or run from. But the truth? Fear has been my greatest teacher. Over the years, I’ve learned that fear comes in two flavors: rational fears that keep us alive, and irrational fears that keep us small. Rational Fear: The Edge of Survival Rational fears are the ones that make sense. The fear of falling when you’re rock
Breaking Up With Sugar: 30 Days Later
Thirty days without processed sugar. A full month of saying no to desserts, skipping the bakery aisle, and re-learning what “sweet enough” really means. When I wrote about my first ten days, the weight dropped fast and the changes felt dramatic. Now, with three more weeks behind me, the story is less about fireworks and more about foundation. The Plateau Here’s the honest part: the scale stopped moving. I
Twisty Trails on One Wheel: EUC Chaos Through the Trees
There’s something about a narrow trail that calls to you. The tighter the trees, the sharper the turns—the more alive the ride feels. This week, I took the EUC into one of Saskatoon’s hidden fat tire tracks. It’s twisty, it’s turny, and it’s absolutely unforgiving. You lean into flow one second… and the next, you’re hugging a bush or bouncing off the dirt. The camera rolled for the whole
Defying Convention, One Wall at a Time – Part 2
Part 2: The House and the Dream By the time we first walked through the house, we were already running the mental tape measure. Could this kitchen be opened up? Could we eat a meal here with seven boys around the table, or would it always feel like bumping elbows in an airplane galley? To ground the dream, we brought in a contractor before we even owned the place.
