Bob and Lindsay Cox, with their two dogs and their ‘Big Easy’ van—a 2001 Ford Econoline converted into an adventure vehicle by a company called Sportsmobile—photographed near their home in Bellingham, Wash.

The van has everything needed for an adventure: fold out beds, solar panels, a furnace, a sink with constant hot water, dual-burner stove, shower and toilet, plus hitches for toys, from four bikes up front to a boat in back.

‘My favorite thing about the van is that my wife Lindsay loves it,’ says Mr. Cox. ‘Which means I get to play, all the time.’ He bought the van used in 2010 for about $65,000. According to Sportsmobile’s website, a new Ford van conversion would cost roughly $72,000, about $40,000 of that being the conversion itself.

The van sleeps four comfortably. The Coxes use a top bunk, while their two dogs—Colby (pictured here) and Captain—use the bottom.

Notice the sign on the refrigerator: ‘Bend Beer Is Better.’ Bend, Ore., is a frequent stop for the Coxes on their adventures. The van’s 7.3-liter turbodiesel engine gets about 18-20 mpg on the highway, according to Mr. Cox.

This view of the van shows the rack up front for four bikes, the pop top which allows the Coxes to walk around comfortably inside, and fog lights, which can come in handy camping in far off spots.

A winch mounted on the van’s nose—operated by a switch from the driver’s seat—can yank 12,000-pounds. The van’s wheels can be quickly set up for extra traction in snow, mud, or on the beach.

‘Some trips are a week and a half,’ says Mr. Cox, ‘while others are just for one night. We can find a river, cook some dinner, and go home the next day.’ The van has traveled roughly 100,000 miles in its lifetime, half of that during Cox family road trips.

The Coxes keep extra containers of water, diesel and gas mounted on the back of the van. Notice the sticker in the window: the familiar Marine Corps logo. Mr. Cox is a Marine Corps Cobra helicopter pilot.

‘I think of the van as a self-contained party entity,’ says Mr. Cox.