DOMINIK FREUND: FRONT RUNNER ON THE MOVE
Dominik Freund is a van life conversions trendsetter. His unconventional creations are highly sought after and turn heads on display. He constantly pushes the boundaries in the world of mobile living and spoke exclusively to Front Runner about how he does it.
Where does your passion for converting vans come from?
It started in 2016 with my old VW T4, which I mainly used for biking and skiing. My girlfriend at the time and I witnessed the start of the popular van life conversions on Instagram and decided to jump on the bandwagon. So, we converted our van and traveled in it for four weeks to Spain and France, as most new van owners do. We posted about this on Instagram, and that’s how it all began for us.
What type of adventure activities are you into?
I’m very active, so hanging around and chilling aren’t for me. My Supermoto stunt bike goes with me on trips, and I try to get out on it as often as possible. This sport takes lots of hard training and time.
One of the reasons we now build bigger vans is to fit the bikes on the back or inside the van. We also have two dogs, and going out into nature and exploring with them is very important. I love taking them on long hikes.
It was your YouTube videos that got things moving.
Our defining moment was when I sold the second VW T4 and used the profits to buy a VW Krafter. The decision to show the Krafter build on YouTube and, more importantly, to complete the build in only 30 days was genius.
When you want to be somebody on YouTube, you must entertain and show people something they thought was impossible. People were curious to see if we could do it, and the project attracted much attention. From there, things grew much faster than we could have ever imagined.
What are some of the trademarks of your builds?
The first way to recognize one of my builds or projects is that the van will always have a wrap or vinyl on the sides. Secondly, my vehicles are lowered, so they have attitude and presence. Our vans are street versions with bigger tires and lots of gear from people like Front Runner and Dometic. This makes my van builds unique; it’s also my style.
Do you prefer to build or live the van life?
I love building things, so I created my van and later the vans for clients. I’m lucky to have my workshop and tools to crack on with my builds right then and whenever I want to. The biggest reason for doing this isn’t to build a van and then go away in it; I do it because I love it. Once it’s done, maybe I’ll have some time to enjoy it, but usually, we are so busy that I move to the next project or build.
What advice do you have for those doing their first van conversion?
People should watch YouTube videos and look online for inspiration from other influencers, creators, and van builders. Decide how you want to build it for your needs, and then go for it and start building. Just do it; don’t fear building your dream van. That’s why we put our build videos online, to inspire and motivate others. Trial and error are all part of the process.
Which Front Runner and Dometic products are your favorites?
There are many great products out there. I love how the Expander Chair folds up so small; it’s excellent for van lifers who don’t have heaps of storage space. The lightweight and adaptable racks make every car they go onto look smart. They also create so much extra packing space.
I don’t think I’d survive in the summer without my Dometic Climate System. We live full-time In a converted school bus, and without the system, we’d struggle on hot days. The Dometic/Front Runner products not only look good, but they’re of good quality and do the job.
How do you stay current with trends in the van life space?
I don’t follow trends, but I try to be a trendsetter by adding new and better things to the van life space. Like everyone else, I use social media and scroll to see what’s new. There are lots of great things coming out of the USA.
Is an electric van a serious option for those driving to Morrocco or across Europe?
I don’t think so at all because the battery reach is inadequate. During our trip to Sweden in an ID Buzz, we had to stop eight times to charge it; that’s not ideal. If you have no time restrictions, then it could work.
However, electric driving is fun; you have instant torque on tap. It’s sports car-like performance in a van, but driving it like a sports car reduces its application distance. I’d take one around Europe and plan where to stop and charge it, but it won’t work in the Australian Outback or the Sahara Desert.
