What connects two families in Sweden and Germany? A well-designed system at the rear.

Posted by PUSH components

3. March 2026

On 2. March 2026

Family life between vans and mountains

It’s early in the morning. The doors of the van open, cold air rushes in. Children laugh, ski boots clack on the frozen ground, and there’s the smell of coffee.

Winter van life is not a trend. It is a decision.
A decision to be outdoors, to be active, to spend time together.

We accompanied two families who don’t just experience winter—they live it.
One lives in Sweden, the other in Germany. What they have in common is that winter is family time.

Emmi & Family – Winter Van Life in Sweden

Emelie von Platen, known as Emmi, is 40 years old, Swedish, an athlete, mother, and van lifer.

In the summer of 2018, she and her husband converted their first camper, followed by a second conversion in 2020: this time a Peugeot Boxer.
Their first son was born in 2021, followed by their second son in 2023. Since then, the four of them have been traveling in their Westfalia Columbus 600D with four seats and four beds.

During their parental leave, they take every opportunity to be on the road together.
In winter, they lived in Åre (Sweden), traveled through the USA in a motorhome for 2.5 months, and spent a lot of time in their van in the Alps, Dolomites, and Pyrenees.

And every time, it was clear:
This is it. This is how they want to spend their winters. With their camper in the mountains.

When winter becomes everyday life

When you live in a van for several weeks in sub-zero temperatures, you quickly learn that
moisture is the enemy and clutter is a pain.

Anything that can be stored outside should be stored outside.
Whether cross-country skis, touring skis, alpine skis, or countless pairs of poles: they all find their place at the rear of the camper with the PUSHrack.

Emmi says:
“I like things that just work.”

Not spectacular, not complicated, but maximally functional.

Franzi & Family – Everyday family life meets a longing for the mountains

Franziska Schatz, Franzi for short, her three men, and her Labrador retriever love nothing more than traveling in their Sprinter van. Whether it’s spring, summer, fall, or winter, they’re outdoors.
Every trip provides new inspiration. That’s how their company, Roadtyping, came into being in 2016 in the midst of a real family adventure.

Their base camp is in the Allgäu region and is the perfect starting point for adventures in all directions. They love being outdoors: hiking across alpine meadows, biking through the mountains, or driving their van along lonely mountain passes.

In 2022, they fulfilled a dream: nine months in North America in their own van – from Canada to Alaska, down the Pacific coast and back across the USA. 35,000 kilometers full of stories.

Why their skis stay outside

Experience has taught them that whether a winter weekend goes smoothly is decided in the first five minutes after arrival.

If the skis are stowed inside, clothes get damp, things constantly have to be rearranged, and chaos is inevitable.

If the skis are mounted on the outside, it’s easier:
in the morning, the van door is opened, the right pair of skis is unloaded, and off you go.

The van remains a living space and does not turn into a sports equipment storage room.

What connects both families

Whether in Sweden or Germany, cross-country skiing or snowboarding, weekend trips or winter camping adventures lasting several weeks:
What they have in common is not the scenery, but everyday life.

Children’s laughter can suddenly be replaced by loud roars. Little things quickly lead to conflicts: the hat is not in its place, someone always needs to go to the toilet.
The van is cramped and something is always wet.

Winter with children is exciting, but it can also wear on the nerves of everyone involved.

What really bothers you?

It’s not the snow or the cold that bothers you.
It’s wet skis lying in the hallway, poles sliding between the bench and the kitchen, ski boots that you trip over at night.

You can’t completely eliminate the chaos. But you can prevent it from happening inside.
If the skis stay outside, you have one less problem in the camper.

What this changes

The door opens and the right pair of skis is ready to hand.
No one has to lift up the bed or move half the kitchen.
And when the gang comes back, the slush stays outside.
That doesn’t make the vacation conflict-free, but it does make it much more relaxed.

And sometimes that's all it takes.

It’s not about organizing everything perfectly.

It’s about making life as easy as possible.
Families everywhere—whether in Sweden or Germany—feel the same way.

When the rear of the camper becomes outdoor storage space,
things feel much easier inside.

If you know what we mean—wet skis in the hallway, not enough space, too much chaos—
then take a look at our rear setup for your winter gear.

Maybe it’s just the little bit of relief you need to make your next trip more relaxing.

You can find Emmi’s full test report, as well as many exciting blog posts on topics such as van life, outdoor experiences, travel & adventure, lifestyle, and design, on Emmi’s blog:
Explorista – Vanlife, äventyr & uteliv

If you would like to learn more about Franzi and Marius and discover their Roadtyping products, or draw on their knowledge of travel recipes, traveling with children, or camper van conversions, then take a look at their website: Roadtyping – Goods for Vanlife & Mountains