Don and Becky Noone of Kansas City, Kan., have been avid van enthusiasts since 1975. Their first van was a 1971 Chevrolet, and they enjoyed driving it to van shows.

Now, six vans later, their 1976 Ford van is work of art. The paint is a series of murals that portray the Pirates of the Caravan theme, and it is spectacular. The Noones’ van is a rolling canvas for dramatic, original artwork that draws attention wherever it goes.

Noone bought this van two years ago from Mel Slaybaugh of Des Moines. Mel called his van the Jolly Roger. He spent 3,800 hours turning the empty van into a pirate-themed showcase of woodwork.

Slaybaugh’s van hadn’t been out of its garage for 18 years when Noone bought it. The paint was in bad shape and the tires were rotten, but the wood was intact, although dry and in need of oiling.

When Noone got the van home he took it to Phalen Motors Inc., in Atchison, Kan. Scott Willis and his crew stripped the body to bare metal and repaired numerous holes. The base body color was applied.

With the base color ready, Noone took his van to KC Creations, a motorcycle shop, for the custom murals. Scott Thomas was the primary painter, but Jason Chennaut, John Nicholas and Kimo Russel also painted individual sections of the truck.

Noone replaced the carpet and upholstery and added air conditioning for the back. He also installed numerous LED lights. Loud & Clear Car Audio in Kansas City, Kan., installed an audio system, power windows and locks, a DVD player and a flip-down TV screen in the back.

The Noones like to show their van, and in July, at the 37^th National Truck-In in Summit Station, Pa., they received awards for People’s Choice, First in Class, Brite-in-Shine and Best Overall.

Noone is quick to credit Slaybaugh for creating his van’s amazing interior, but the murals on the outside are also a big reason for the truck’s show success.

There are three van clubs in the Kansas City area and one in Lawrence.