Columbus man who calls a cargo van home grateful to be mobile after struggles

Behind the duct-taped steering wheel of his 22-year-old Chevy van, its dashboard largely dismantled, revealing wires and switches, Jason Pyle ponders life's many challenges. And its opportunities.

The 53-year-old has boundless ideas and skills, all while living off the grid. The van is his ride, his home, his workshop and, on these lazy summer afternoons, his sanctuary, spent ruminating under a shade tree with friends.

Pyle has been without a home since the beginning of the year. But he doesn't consider himself homeless. Instead, he views his mobility as a blessing.

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"I have friends, like, all over town," Pyle said. "If somebody needs something, I go help them. There's a lot of people worse off than me."

At the van's rear are hitches and frames holding several bikes, spare wheels and gears. At the top is his go-to Trek.

Beneath the bike seat seat, Pyle casually shows how he attached the motor of a leaf blower — for which, of course, he has no need — so that the fan blades press against the rear tire, powering the bike efficiently, he said.

On the van's flanks, he's hand-painted mountain scenes of his trips out West. On the roof, next to a small motor boat, is a large speaker, wired to 13 others inside, including two large speakers behind each head rest. If the van is the lure, catching the passing eye, his music is the bait, drawing in strangers.

At the recent ComFest in Columbus, Pyle's van blasted tunes from Jimi Hendrix, classic rock and Florida-based Ries Brothers .

Shaken by father's loss, but carrying his legacy

Pyle lost his father, Jack, to COVID-19 four years ago this month. The owner of Custom Wood Products, the elder Pyle taught Jason how to build most anything, including customer relationships and trust.

"He taught me everything I know. I miss him terribly," Jason said.

Lessons included austerity, making due with what you've got and being grateful.

"If you don't have it, fabricate it," he recalls being told. "Do whatever you have to to make it happen."

So living off the grid has become second nature for the former resident of Eastmoor, a Columbus neighborhood sandwiched between Bexley and Whitehall.

Pyle's life hasn't been without struggle. Thirty years ago, he was arrested several times for minor drug and theft offenses. Spending time in jail eventually taught him about self-respect and service to others, much of it based on his religious faith.

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"I don't like jail. I don't like confinement," Pyle said. "I don't want to do anything dishonest.

"I'm trying to be grateful, trying to be humble."

Mike "Mikey" Millington, who is also 53, grew up with Pyle in Eastmoor.

"He barters, trades and scraps. He's always on the move," Milllington said. "He'll borrow my backyard for storage. I'll come home, and there's more speakers, electronics and a scooter." In exchange, Pyle will mow Millington's grass and help with upkeep.

Fixing bikes, giving them away

Pyle collects and refurbishes old bikes to give to kids he meets. In exchange, he expects small acts of kindness.

"If they want a bike, they have to fill up a bag with trash," he gave as one example. "When you have to work for something, it has more value."

And value, to Pyle, transcends material wealth.

"I've known people who are very wealthy and those who are very poor. Everything's like a competition" for the well-off, he said. "But there's a certain emptiness … a certain shallowness."

Would he trade what he has for riches?

"Living off the grid and in the van has been eye-opening to say the least. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man who calls a cargo van home grateful to be mobile after struggles