About a year ago we set out to do the most complicated mechanical thing we have ever attempted on our bus by ourselves: repairing the transmission leak that had been getting worse and worse. The bus has always had a small transmission leak but it was finally to the point
DIY Leveling System Using Air Suspension
In the spring of 2022, it seemed like more and more of our campsites were more than just a smidge unlevel. Maybe it was just us, or maybe we were all of a sudden now more sensitive to it. One thing was clear, we really wanted a leveling system that
Hiking and Rafting in Shenandoah
Shenandoah National Park was the first National Park we visited on our bus adventures, and it did not disappoint. From the moment we drove onto Skyline Drive to the moment we stood at the peak of a mountain overlooking the valley, we loved it all. We took in more of
Air Wiper Motor Rebuild in our GM PD-4106
Along the way of building the bus and sharing the entire thing, there have been a few little odds and ends that never made it into a post or video. One of those projects was the time we rebuilt one of the windshield wiper motors. These buses have individual air-powered
Manassas Battlefield (Bull Run) & Luray Caverns
After leaving Washington DC, we drove to Virginia. On our way to the Shenandoah Valley, we stopped for a few hours to tour Manassas National Battlefield Park, the site of the First Battle of Bull Run (and the Second), which was the first major land battle of the Civil War.
Creating a Convertible Office Space in the Bus
One of the more challenging parts of building the bus was coming up with a place for Juan to work. When we decided on an old 35' bus rather than a more modern 40' or 45' bus, we knew there would be some sacrifices made in order to fit our
Washington DC - Part 4: Museum Extravaganza, Inside the Washington Monument, & Final Thoughts
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring with Heat Mats
After four years of building the bus almost every single weekend, we could finally see the finish line. It was time for flooring! We chose a waterproof vinyl plank flooring but decided to add a little something first. After spending one night in the unfinished bus the previous Christmas Eve
Washington DC - Part 3: Mount Vernon & Great Falls Park
Bus Automation Wiring for Lights Part 2
In our previous installment of our bus automation system, we space planned and installed most of the major components for controlling our lights as well as wired and tested the outputs for the lights. It is now time to share the input side (buttons to control the lights) as well
Washington DC - Part 2: Monuments, Natural History Museum, National Archives, Library of Congress, and more
Catch up on Washington DC - Part 1: National Zoo & Arlington National Cemetery.
We were so excited to get into the heart of Washington DC to explore. We finally got to take the Metro into the city - the kids’ first time on a subway. Days 2, 3, and
Bus Automation Wiring for Lights Part 1
In our previous installment on bus automation, we had figured out how we were going to dim and control our lights using the ESP32 processors and some MOSFET boards we sourced from Amazon. We couldn't really use anything "off the shelf" (designed for home use at 120V AC) because we
Washington DC - Part 1: National Zoo & Arlington National Cemetery
We were all so excited to make it to Washington DC. We knew we wanted to spend quite a bit of time there, exploring as much as possible. In total, we spent nine days exploring the area over our 16-day stay, and we loved it! In this first part, we