How does working from a camper van actually work?
The Namestorm founders Mark Leiblein and Marcel Hiller have been on the road since May 2024. On vacation? No – the two of them are living and working fully mobile for a year. We were eager to find out what life as extreme remote workers is really like. Here is the interview with Mark.
How did you come up with the idea of going “100% mobile”?
The idea grew out of a long-held desire to be able to work from anywhere. Since this plan involved major changes, we had to prepare for quite some time. A few years earlier, we had to give up the Namestorm office in downtown Munich because the lease expired. As affordable space there is scarce, we initially set up a fully equipped home office as an interim solution. It turned out that we really liked this new work environment and that it offered several advantages. Put simply: instead of fighting traffic in the morning, we could take the dog out for longer walks – and instead of commuting home in the evening, go for a run. For important meetings and workshops, we chose suitable co-working spaces or met (and still meet) our clients directly on site.
We were already used to working remotely. In our second company, NameRobot, all partners have been geographically separated since its founding in 2010, so we have collaborated 100% remotely from different locations right from the start. Back then, this concept was still relatively unknown, and many of the tools and workflows we use today only emerged gradually. Some time later, a private move to the Stuttgart area was added to the mix. Since the Munich-born part of our team understandably did not want to relocate, we had to reorganize further.
At the same time, the upheavals brought about by the pandemic accelerated the breakthrough of video conferencing and other digital solutions. During that period, we moved all Namestorm processes online – from accounting to creative workshops with dozens of participants. It required a great deal of work, but it functioned remarkably well. In the end, it worked even better than before.
100% remote and mobile as the next step
At some point in 2023, we began wondering how to take things even further. “Why do we still need a house or apartment if we can work from anywhere while on the road?” was the question we asked ourselves. I should add that we have owned a camper for several years, which we gradually converted into a “rolling office.” On many shorter trips to different destinations and across various seasons, we had already experienced the practical challenges of living and working on four wheels.
The next step required some persistent persuasion to convince my travel companion Marcel and to dispel all remaining doubts. Then the planning began, and we had just over three months to organize everything. We sold, gave away, and disposed of as much as possible. The remaining furniture found a new home in storage. From that moment on, there was no evening or weekend without working through endless to-do lists and moving things from A to B. Until, finally, May 1 approached – and we set off toward Scandinavia.
How did you prepare in detail?
Our preparation covered several areas. The most challenging aspect was the personal one. Not everything went smoothly, and doubts kept resurfacing about whether this was truly a good idea. Among family and friends, there was admiration in part, but also some surprise at our plans. Fortunately, among colleagues it was hardly an issue and was followed with curiosity. They were long accustomed to flexible collaboration. Eventually, our own doubts no longer stood a chance – after April 30, there would no longer be a permanent roof over our heads. So it was a matter of taking a deep breath and committing fully.
The second major aspect was technical equipment and infrastructure to ensure we could work properly while on the road: stable internet, an independent power supply, mobile monitors and security measures. The last point in particular had concerned us beforehand, as online forums frequently report break-ins involving camper vans – including theft and even the use of sedative gas. While there is no such thing as 100% protection, we upgraded our vehicle with numerous security features, turning it into a kind of small Fort Knox.
We also had to plan how collaboration at Namestorm would function in the future and how we would manage this within the team. Since we are often in changing locations, regular weekly meetings, for example, are not always easy to implement. However, we found practical ways to organize ourselves. Finally, there was route planning. Due to time constraints, this remained fairly rough: take the ferry to Sweden on May 6, head to Malmö on May 11 for the Eurovision Song Contest, then continue “somewhere” north for the following months. The rest – including the fine-tuning – had to be planned on the road.
Where have you been so far?
Well, the originally planned several months in Scandinavia initially turned into just six weeks in Sweden. It was an exciting time, but it came to an abrupt pause. Our loyal dog Ally – the irreplaceable third member of our team – passed away unexpectedly during the trip. That hit us hard, and we immediately knew we needed to return home for a while. We spent some time with family to process everything and regain our footing.
After a few weeks, we resumed our journey – though not back to Scandinavia, but in the opposite direction, to Croatia. There we had the opportunity to stay on a large private property. It suited us so well that a few days turned into several weeks. This had not been part of the plan at all – by then we had roughly imagined being near the North Cape. Only in retrospect did we realize that this is exactly what mobile van life is about: not planning too precisely or too far ahead, and remaining flexible when circumstances change.
After our time by the Mediterranean, we made a brief stop in Austria and are currently visiting Germany again. There is plenty to take care of, and we are enjoying time with family and friends. The beautiful autumn weather has kept us here longer than expected. In a few days, however, we plan to continue. The rough plan is to spend the winter months in Portugal.
What have been the biggest obstacles you’ve faced so far?
Where should I begin? A broken ferry, engine trouble, misplaced belongings. And there was even an attempted break-in. We felt perfectly safe when we left the camper parked outside an IKEA for just over an hour. During that time, someone tried to break into our vehicle and damaged all the locks. Thanks to our security measures, they did not manage to get inside. Still, it triggered a long chain of follow-up actions involving the police, insurance, a locksmith and a repair shop – all abroad. After some back and forth, we ended up drilling out the damaged rear door lock ourselves just to access our belongings, and continued the journey with only partial security equipment and a single remaining key.
What does “remote life” do to you – and to your creative work?
Many people still wish us “a nice vacation.” In reality, our journey has little to do with a holiday. We have simply exchanged a permanent home for one on wheels and work about as much as before – just from changing locations across Europe, which can of course be beautiful and inspiring. I do not want to romanticize it. A large part of each day is taken up by everyday questions you never think about in a fixed home: Do we have enough electricity and water? Where can we dispose of waste? Where is the next shower or washing machine?
You gradually get used to living with fewer possessions and less comfort. The pantry of healthy foods that is important to me is limited by space, clothing is reduced to the essentials, as are medicines, toiletries and kitchen utensils. At first it is amusing, then it becomes annoying – and eventually you adapt. You inevitably grow more relaxed and start embracing solutions you would never have imagined before. One strange feeling is that you can never “go home” to your own four walls, especially when something goes wrong or becomes frustrating. Instead, there are visits to the storage unit, often involving a frustrating search for something urgently needed.
In short, many things are different – more improvised and more surprising. For creativity, however, the constant change is beneficial. I have never struggled to work creatively, but the shifting surroundings and constant new impressions provide fresh material and new perspectives.
Are there things you miss?
Quite a few. Simply pressing a button on a fully automatic coffee machine would be nice again. Other appliances are occasionally missed as well, along with permanent access to all the things usually stored at home. Personally, I sometimes miss the familiar selection of German drugstore chains – or a proper wholegrain spelt sourdough bread (which I then have to bake myself).
How does staying in touch with the team and the companies that commission you work out?
Collaboration works almost seamlessly. Of course, we do miss regular in-person meetings. That makes it all the nicer whenever we at least see each other digitally. For particularly important occasions, we do show up in person and incorporate that into our route planning. And we still have our strong team on site in Munich, which makes many things easier – or possible in the first place.
The companies that commission us generally have no issue with the fact that we are not sitting in a fixed office. Video conferencing and remote work are standard practice across industries, so holding client meetings from wherever we are in the world is not a problem – provided the internet connection is stable. And if it is not, our colleagues step in and take over a meeting. Sometimes, the setting even sparks conversations beyond business, when traditional Swedish houses or the Croatian coastline appear in the background.
Are you able to maintain a sustainable lifestyle while traveling?
Sustainability has always been important to me, and we try to be mindful of it on the road as well. We are generally required to use resources sparingly: water, electricity and heating are limited while traveling. With food, less is often more, since storage space and weight quickly reach their limits. Waste disposal can be a challenge. For example, in Germany, many municipal camper sites do not offer proper waste separation. Storing paper, glass and plastic in a small space is not easy, and sometimes everything ends up in general waste if there is no alternative. In such cases, I occasionally contact the local authorities to point out the issue. Overall, I believe our footprint is relatively small. Diesel remains a weak point for which we have not yet found a real solution or alternative. That is why we try to stay longer in one place and explore the surrounding area by e-bike or public transport. Otherwise, our solar setup generates enough energy to power all our technical equipment.
What advice would you give to someone considering going fully remote and giving up their home base?
Start on a trial basis or in stages and rent a vehicle first. Before fully committing, we traveled in rental campers along the German coasts, in Australia and in the United States. There is no need to tear everything down at once. It also makes a difference whether you are self-employed or employed. In both cases, you need to carefully consider labor law, tax and insurance implications.
Which countries are on your bucket list? And will you eventually settle down again?
We cannot yet say how long we will continue traveling this way. Perhaps we will look for a new permanent base as early as next year? A home base certainly has its advantages. One major wish remains on our list: crossing Canada by camper van. That would add further factors such as time differences. But that will not stop us.
Thank you for the exciting insights you have shared with us. We hope your plan to travel through Canada becomes reality – and that you will continue to experience and share many more adventures.
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