Fundraising campaign underway for man who lost his van/home in a fire

Aug. 10--It's been an emotional week for a Grand Rapids man whose classic van burned in an unintentional display for hundreds of people at Grand Haven State Park on Aug. 3.

The vehicle that Joe Henderson revived from its backyard grave had become his home for the past two years.

Henderson, 35, said he heard a popping noise last Wednesday, just as he turned into the state park drive after being stuck in Coast Guard Festival traffic for about 20 minutes. He was planning to meet a friend at the park, go for a paddle and then enjoy festival activities.

"I turned and saw black smoke," he said.

Henderson said that's when he heard someone yell that his van was burning. He grabbed his fire extinguisher and tried to put out the fire burning in a pool of oil beneath his 1991 Volkswagen Vanagon, which he dubbed "Moontower."

Bystanders tried to help, but then pulled Henderson away so that he wouldn't be injured.

"I grabbed the paddleboard and bike off the top and my computer from inside," he said. "Those were the only items I could get at."

Henderson said he lost all of his belongings in the fire -- "all my clothes, a lot of camping gear. I just finally got new underwear this morning," he said Tuesday.

He also lost all of the memorabilia he had acquired in two years of traveling on the west side of the United States.

Friends and family have been rallying around the man who left his job at REI in Denver to venture across the country in his renovated van. Friends have already donated clothing and camping gear.

A crowd-funding site called VanLife Rebuild has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/2v86dc7c. A fundraising event, "Jammin For Joe," is set for 6-9 p.m. Thursday at the Park Theatre in Holland.

Henderson said he had limited liability insurance on the van, which was valued at $500 -- the price he paid for it.

He spent a year renovating the vehicle -- rebuilding the engine in the living room of his apartment and the rest in a parking lot -- before making it his full-time home.

"I was working so much, I didn't have time to do anything," he said. "I basically spent all my paychecks for five years on outdoor gear."

Henderson said he built cabinets and installed a full kitchen and a solar power system in the van. He kept the original fold-down seat for his bed and added memory foam to get rid of the lumps.

"I have always been in love with the Volkswagen van and the old VW hippie lifestyle," Henderson said. "And I like working on old stuff."

Once the van was working properly and livable, Henderson quit his job and traveled the West Coast for a year.

"I searched for rocks in the desert and made jewelry on the road to finance my travel," he said.

Henderson has been working at his brother's shop in the Grand Rapids area, but was planning to head to the East Coast and eventually landing in Mexico.

"My future dreams are to drive up to Alaska and down to Patagonia (southern end of South America)," he said.

Henderson said it was baffling as to what happened to the vehicle because he had just run through a full check of all of its systems that morning.

"My best guess is it got really hot and maybe broke a rod and shot stuff out of the motor," he said.

Henderson plans to stay at his parents' home and keep working at his brother's shop until he can make enough money to get another van.

"I love the van life," he said. "I don't see myself doing anything else right now."

Henderson graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School and has a graphic arts degree from Grand Rapids Community College.

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