Colin Prior had been dreaming about van life for years. The freedom to hit the road, explore new places, and spend his days outdoors was something he couldn’t shake.
But dreaming about an adventure and building the camper to make it possible are two very different things. Colin had a truck, a big idea, and a willingness to figure things out as he went. What he didn’t have was much woodworking experience, the tools, or a place to take on a project of this size.
He remembered a place he’d visited years earlier as a Ball State freshman: MadJax.
Within a day of securing a workspace in the MadJax Shipyard, Colin was building the camper that would eventually become his home for a summer in the Colorado mountains.
His story is one example of what happens when people in our community have access to the space, resources, and encouragement to pursue their ideas.
From Mini Van to Full Build
A graduate of Ball State University’s Landscape Architecture program, Colin has always loved the outdoors. When he's not in class, he's climbing, backpacking, hiking, or fishing.
The idea of a van life started small. In 2024, he built out a hand-me down minivan with a water system and a cot, then spent two weeks solo traveling through South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado.
He was hooked. But he wanted something more.
When his parents later swapped the van for a truck, they handed him the keys and the green light to build.
"I'm not sure if they're as stoked as I am," he laughs, "but so far they seem happy about it." With a truck ready for a transformation, Colin needed somewhere to turn his plans into reality.
Finding MadJax
Colin’s connection to MadJax actually started years earlier, when he toured the building as a Ball State freshman during a walking tour of downtown Muncie. Years later, once he knew he wanted to build a camper, that first visit stuck with him.
"A big reason I chose MadJax was the access and the ability to work in my own space," he says.
Between school and two part-time jobs, Colin didn’t have the luxury of working on his camper during traditional business hours. He needed flexibility, room to build, and access to equipment that would make a project like this possible.
At MadJax, he found all three.
He toured the Maker Space in January 2026, secured a bay in the Shipyard, and started building the very next day. What had been an idea for years was finally becoming something real.
Learning By Doing With a Little Help
Colin had grown up tinkering, but he'd barely touched woodworking tools before this build. Taking on a project of this size was a leap for Colin.
"The first thing I made was the floor, and there was not one 90 degree angle," he says. "I looked at it and told myself it was not going to work. I rebuilt it, and I took more time building things as properly as I could.The first floor was just the beginning of the learning process. As the camper took shape, Colin found himself surrounded by people who were willing to share what they knew, help him troubleshoot, and encourage him when things weren’t going according to plan.
MadJax Maker Space Coordinator Maranda Lujajohnson was among those who helped him along the way. When his first attempt at waterproofing leaked, she helped him find a solution.
For Colin, the Shipyard provided the space and equipment to build. The MadJax community gave him something just as valuable: the confidence to keep going.
"The staff and community helped accelerate my learning throughout this process and always reassured me whenever I was doubting myself."
That’s the kind of making we love to see at MadJax. Not just the finished product, but everything that happens along the way. The skills learned, the problems solved, the relationships built, and the confidence that comes from doing something you weren’t sure you could do.
Colin's project is just one example of what's happening throughout MadJax every day. Artists are exploring new techniques, entrepreneurs are developing products, and people are discovering skills they didn't know they had. Each person brings their own ideas and ambitions. MadJax provides a place where they can learn, connect, and make progress.
From the Shipyard to Silverton
After months of building, problem-solving, and learning, Colin’s camper was finally ready for the road.
And this wasn’t a project destined to sit in a garage. Colin headed west to Silverton, Colorado, where he spent the summer living in the camper he’d built at MadJax. He hiked mountain peaks, explored the outdoors, and found seasonal work between adventures.
A camper that started as an idea, took shape inside an old factory building in downtown Muncie, and eventually became Colin's home in the Colorado mountains.
"I am most proud that I finished the project," he says. "This was something I wanted to put 100% effort and time into. Financially and emotionally, failure was not an option."
What Could You Make Possible?
We love seeing what people create at MadJax. But what makes Colin’s story special isn’t just the camper itself. It’s what the camper made possible.
Colin came to MadJax with an idea and left with new skills, greater confidence, and something he’d dreamed about for years. The project was his, but the space and the community helped him bring it to life.
And that’s why MadJax matters. Sometimes people just need access to the right tools. Sometimes they need the room to work, someone to answer a question, or a little encouragement when a project isn’t going as planned.
Colin's advice for anyone with an idea but no idea where to start?
"The most important thing is to just start. Once you start, then you can actually begin to learn and make whatever it is you want to make. Structure the project around your life, not the other way around."
Your support helps make stories like Colin's possible.
As a nonprofit, MadJax depends on the generosity of people who believe in creating opportunities for others. Your gift helps us maintain the spaces, provide the tools, and support the people who make MadJax a place where ideas can grow.
There’s always another idea waiting to take shape, another skill waiting to be discovered, and another person ready to try something new.
Make a gift to MadJax and help someone else's big idea take shape.
