Student librarian Alyssa Roussy will share her experience retro-fitting a cargo van into a camper on July 29. Erik1977/Dreamstime.com

By Jesse Gill

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Van Life: How to Build a Camper Van presentation at Medicine Hat Public Library

Jul 28, 2025 | 6:00 PM

A first-person account of the trials and tribulations of turning a cargo van into a camper will take place at the Medicine Hat Public Library Theatre on Tuesday night.

The presentation by summer student librarian Alyssa Roussy is also expected to offer lessons in perseverance and self-confidence.

Roussy will share how she went from zero building experience to retrofitting a van to a fully-functioning camper.

In 2022, along with her partner Jeff, Roussy converted a cargo van into a camper complete with a bed, sink, cabinets and electricity.

Roussy will detail the project, from idea phase until the final product in a project she said included hard work and personal growth.

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“I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty and learning everything as I went. I’d never stripped a van. I’d never had to patch a bunch of rust holes. There was a lot of like new tools that I’d never touched, like an angle grinder. Never have built my own bed or cabinets and stuff,” Roussy said.

“I feel like the whole thing was really fun because it was a new thing to learn every step of the way. Just knowing that, after every step you can see your progress, seeing and saying, ‘oh my gosh, I built that. I did that,’ that was very satisfying.”

Roussy said at the heart of her presentation is a lesson she carries with her, an inspiring mantra anyone can use in almost any aspect of life.

“You are capable. That’s what I want people to take away, is that if they want to do it they should go ahead and do it,” Roussy said.

The talk is free to attend and does not require a library card.

The library noted that this talk covers practical lessons based on personal experience and is not meant to offer advice or instruction.

The presentation called Van Life: How to Build a Camper Van is Tuesday, July 29, 6:30 p.m. in the library theatre.