This week we had Bluetti reach out and ask if we wanted to review their new AC180 portable power station. We have never accepted a sponsored post nor have we ever even returned an email requesting a review, but this one really caught our nerdy battery, electrical system-loving hearts' attention.

These types of all-in-one solutions come up quite frequently in the solar groups and forums we read. People who use them seem to love them. After checking out the specs and watching a couple of reviews on the Bluetti AC180, we were pretty impressed and intrigued. It looked like a solid device that would be very interesting to play with.

We responded back to the email and indicated that we might be interested but had some reservations about what we were "allowed" to say or how we were allowed to use it. The Bluetti representative replied back and assured us that we could just use the product and give our 100% honest opinion of what we thought about it. After some discussion, we decided to give it a go.

One of our projects this summer has been to get Dominic everything he will need for his dorm room. He could really use some storage shelves for over his desk and "kitchen" cabinet (a small cabinet with a mini-frig and microwave). We couldn't find any shelves he really liked, and we thought it might be a fun project to build them ourselves. He liked the look of some heavy-looking metal shelves with thick wood planks. After studying a few designs, we decided on using some 2" angle iron for the main uprights, 1.5" angle iron for the shelf supports, and 2x12 planks for the shelves.

When the Bluetti AC180 showed up at our door for review, we thought- why not use it to power the tools we were going to use to build the shelves? It would be the perfect project with plenty of power-hungry tools to really put the power station to the test.

A really fun thing about building the shelves was that Dominic's future roommate was able to help us build them! Dominic and his roommate have known each other for just about their whole lives (they met at a gym for toddlers at age 2!). Over the years, Michelle and his mom have become great friends, so when our two boys were both going to attend ASU, it was the perfect fit for them to become roommates.

We made a video introducing the AC180 - a brief overview of the specs and features - and then got to work building the shelves. After charging up the AC180, the boys used it to sand the wood planks with a belt sander and a random orbital sander. The AC180 handled these with ease. We then moved on to the metalwork. For cutting the metal we used a fairly heavy-duty chop saw (the Makita Model 2414 with a 15 Amp motor). The power spike to get the motor going is significant but the AC180 powered right through. A pretty significant load can be seen when cutting the metal as well - as the motor would bog down, you could see the reading on the AC180 spike well into the 2400 Watt range! Surprisingly the AC180 powered through it without error. Next, we dressed up the metal with two grinders and a random orbital sander. Even with all three of these running and working hard on the metal, the AC180 didn't break a sweat.

Finally, we came to the biggest challenge of the project. We needed to weld the upright pieces. We use a small flux-core welder that we bring with us everywhere - the Century Flux Core 90 Wire Feed Welder. We love this thing, and it has really served us well. We hooked up the little welder and held our breath. The initial arc took a bit and it did weld for about 1/2 a second before shutting down and giving us the dreaded "Overload" error screen. We tried again with the same result and ended up putting the AC180 aside and just plugging the welder into the wall.

The next morning before we got back to work, we decided to make a cup of coffee using the AC180. Our coffee maker pulls about 1450 Watts to make a cup of coffee, so it should be well within the AC180's capabilities. As expected it handled it with ease. Two cups of coffee used about 8% of the battery capacity, so we estimate that you should be able to make about 25 cups of coffee on a single charge!

Reading through the manual the previous night we discovered that the AC180 has a "Power Lifting Mode" which will boost the AC output to 2700W. To be fair the description also read: "Ideal for pure-resistive heating devices like hair dryers, electric kettles, heaters, etc." It did not mention welders!

We enabled the "Power Lifting Mode" on the app, and we decided to try welding again. It did weld for slightly longer but again the load was just too much for the AC180. It was not a huge surprise because the welder pulls A LOT of power. In fact, when we were using it this time, it actually tripped the 20-Amp breaker we were plugged into.

In the end, we got the shelves built and Dominic and his roommate were happy with the results, and the AC180 performed extremely well.

In the video, We share some additional features of the Bluetti AC180 and detail our final thoughts about when, where, and why this power station would make a lot of sense. Overall, we were really impressed with it and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a portable power solution with power needs in the 1800W range.

Starting July 13 you can use the code "Beginning180" to take an additional 3% off your AC180!

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Bluetti AC180
• Makita chop saw
• Lincoln Electric FC90 Flux Core Wire Feed Welder
• 4 1/2" Angle Grinder
• Random Orbital Sander

If you spend time following families that travel, you'll notice there is always one common thread. Stuff breaks ... A LOT. It makes sense when you think about it: your home is hurling down the highway at 65 mph basically causing a mini (or sometimes not so mini) earthquake inside. Something is bound to break.

When we installed appliances inside our bus, we were more concerned with functionality and efficiency than with how long they might last being jostled around inside an RV. All three of our air conditioners, our refrigerator, our induction cooktop, our water pump, our ice maker, and our microwave/oven are all residential units that are not designed at all for being fit into an RV. Needless to say, we did expect some problems. I can't even count the number of times I was told by "HVAC experts" that our mini-split air conditioner "will maybe last 2 months tops going down the road". Fortunately, our mini-split AC is going on year seven with only one minor repair (failed Schrader valve for about $0.59). Our microwave oven on the other hand did not fair so well.

Catia was all set to bake some brownies and preheat the oven, but to her dismay, the "Start" button wouldn't work. Upon further testing, we discovered that the "2" button wasn't functioning either while all the other buttons seemed to be fine. After some online research, we learned that our GE Café model CEB1599SJSS microwave was susceptible to ribbon cable disconnection which could lead to the precise issues we were encountering.

We opened up the microwave and located the ribbon cable we had read about online. We disconnected it, cleaned the contacts, and reconnected it. After putting the microwave back together and held our breath while we did a short test. NOPE - we had exactly the same behavior as before.

A little more research revealed that sometimes the membrane in the touchpad goes bad. The fix is not a trivial one. We watched a youtube video where one was taken apart and repaired with electrical conducting paint which was painstakingly masked and applied between the layers. It was HOURS of work and no real guarantee it would work or go back together correctly.

The microwave still worked fine. If we pressed the "add 30 seconds" button, the microwave would fire right up and work as expected. So we knew the problem was very likely just the membrane on the keypad. Unfortunately, you cannot just buy the keypad alone - you have to purchase the entire control panel. We found the part online for around $200 and after a little more digging, we found one on sale for $150. We use the microwave and oven quite a bit, and we wondered if we might not be better off buying a new one. The microwave we originally bought is now discontinued, and the newer model seemed to have similar specifications. Unfortunately, it also has a similar price tag of over $900. In that light, $150 for the fix sounds just fine.

We placed an order for the parts we needed and were pleased to receive them two days later at our campground in Vermont, where, fortunately, package delivery was accepted. The installation of the new control panel was a simple process, and we were delighted to have a fully functioning microwave and oven once again. Although we did have to throw away that original brownie mix.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Our Microwave

• Basic Security Bit Set

Overall we have been delighted with our luxury vinyl plank flooring. It has been extremely durable, hides the dirt when it's a little dirty, and is super easy to clean and maintain. It installed relatively easily and really has a premium look and feel. After two years of use and abuse, it still looks new. The only real issue we have come across is that it has slightly separated in a few spots, likely due to the bouncing around in a huge moving vehicle.

When we left Arizona in the summer of 2021, we quickly traveled all the way to the east coast. By the time we reached Philadelphia, we noticed some separation in two spots. We were pretty worried about maybe having to replace or repair the floors at such an early stage in our trip. To complicate things further, we don't really have access to the edges anymore without dismantling the entire front dash of the bus. We took to YouTube to see if there was any way to fix it while it was still in place. One video we found showed someone repairing the floors with a 2x4, some VHB tape, and a hammer.

So we gave it a go, and to our delight it worked! The floor came back together, and it all looked brand new again! This lasted for just over a year and a half before it began to separate again.

When we came back to Arizona this summer, we decided to tackle it again. This time we would try to use some super glue in between the planks in an effort to keep them together.

The super glue made a slight mess but we were able to clean it up using a razor blade and a little bit of elbow grease.

Time will tell if this will prevent the planks from separating in the future, but for now, it looks great again!

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• VHB Tape

• Super Glue Gel

• Razor Blades

• Hammer

This week we have a pretty simple project on the bus. A little over 5 years ago we installed new LED headlights on the bus and it was a HUGE upgrade over the stock lights. We modified the original brackets for the stock lights because the new lights are slightly larger. The lights have performed great but they have started to develop a slightly yellow "hazy" look.

I have had good luck using headlight restore kits before on our cars but I have never tried with these LED lights. Since they are made of plastic I purchased a kit that came with everything we needed to get the headlights back to new for about $20.

The kit was very complete. It came with a detailed instruction sheet, a drill attachment, 4 sanding disks (two 1500 grit, one 3200 grit, and one 4000 grit), 1 sponge polishing pad, buffing polish, Sealant protective wipe, and even a pair of nitrile gloves.

I took my time and followed the instructions carefully. It took me a little longer because I was filming the process but I would say overall the process can be done in a little over an hour.

I was really pleased with the results and now even six months later the headlights still look great

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Rain-X Headlight Restoration Kit

• The drill we use (and love)

• 7" LED Headlight Mounting Ring Bracket

• DOT Approved 90W 7 inch Round Cree LED Headlight

• DOT Approved 7 Inch Round LED Projector Headlight

It is May 2023, and we are back in Arizona for many family events and the usual "life upkeep". Our oldest son Dominic graduated high school and starts attending college at Arizona State University in the fall, so we have a lot to prepare for him moving out. Along with the usual doctors' appointments, dentist appointments, well care check-ups, we also have Dominic scheduled for wisdom teeth extraction and a bunch of other projects to get done that will likely keep us in Arizona the entire summer.

While our current air conditioner setup works great as we travel and are in temperatures under 105°F, summer in Phoenix is well over that for months. When we were here for a few weeks last summer, we noticed that our bus has trouble keeping a cool temperature inside once the temperature rises above 105°F in direct sunlight. The area that's most affected is the center of the bus near the kitchen. We have an excellent 12k BTU mini-split air conditioner in the front that works quietly and efficiently and a high-efficiency 5k BTU air conditioner in the back that works great for the kids' room. However, we don't have any cooling in the center, which is already at a disadvantage with its large windows, ice maker, microwave, coffee machine, and refrigerator - all of which contribute to the heat. Usually, this isn't an issue for us as we tend to aim for destinations with mild weather (between 60-85°F). This summer, however, it looks like we'll be staying home to face the weather. It is time to consider adding more air conditioning to the bus - at least temporarily.

We faced a similar issue when we were building the bus. Even though we had all our air conditioners going, it was still not enough to keep the bus cool in the Arizona heat. At that point, we used a portable 8K BTU unit that a friend had given to us, and it worked well to knock off that extra bit of heat. However, it was always in the way, and we had to find a way to route the big exhaust tube out of the bus. It was a constant struggle. Now that the bus is finished we can no longer realistically fit one of those portable units inside nor do we want a similar experience to the one we had before.

We are extremely satisfied with our 12K BTU mini split and have even considered getting another one. However, due to the plumbing and size of the outside unit, it would be impractical to install another. We have been exploring the possibility of finding a window-type unit that can match the efficiency and quietness of a mini-split. After conducting some research, we were pleased to discover that Midea offers such a unit. Their u-shaped mini split window units offer inverter-driven, variable speed compressors and variable speed fans. They were voted most efficient for their class in 2020 and advertise a super quiet operating rating of just 42 dB. A little further digging revealed that the 12K BTU unit they offer only pulls 800-1000 Watts when maximum cooling. This is the perfect unit for us!

The only downside? The cost of course. These units retail for $500. For a temporary summer solution, this seemed a little steep for us. We opted to look on Craigslist to see if we could at least find a decent high-efficiency window unit. To our surprise, we found the exact Midea U-shaped mini split unit we were looking for, AND it was only $150! Of course, the ad read, "Works great and puts out cold air but makes high pitch noise".

The location for the Midea unit was only about twenty minutes away, so we scheduled some time to go look at it. The seller plugged it in and let us see that it was working and blowing cold air. It was VERY noisy, and the noise was high-pitched resembling a jet engine winding up. At this point, we turned on the blower only by selecting "Fan Only" from the "Modes". This did not quiet the noise down at all, so we had a fairly good idea that the problem was in the blower of the unit. The unit was also EXTREMELY dirty and it looked like it had been stored outside. Although it blew cold air we were not 100% sure we could fix it or how much fixing it would cost. After some consideration, we decided to offer him $100 for the air conditioner. He readily accepted the offer, and we loaded it up. To our surprise, it came with all the manuals, the framework for the window, and even a brand-new remote control with batteries still sealed in plastic

These units are fairly new to the market, so there are not an abundance of YouTube videos on them. We managed to find a single video that had a loud blower, and the creator of that video was able to get his quiet again using a washer, an o-ring, and some grease. After thoroughly cleaning the unit and dismantling most of the front section, we tried the washer trick with no success. We then completely removed the motor and powered it up to ensure that it was the source of the noise. We verified that the motor was the source of the noise, so the next step was to find a motor.

We could not find the EXACT match on the motor, but we did find some pretty expensive options when we tried to search by air conditioner model. We ran across a forum post that suggested the motor could be found on Amazon for less than $50. The part# we got to reference was RD-310-13-8. When we looked up this number we found quite a few motors that fit that description. We verified as many of the parameters as we could: Rotation (->), Speed (1400 RPM), Voltage (DC 310V), Amperage (0.06A), and Power (13 Watts) all matched.

At the same time, we saw on the same forum that people were replacing the bearings in these motors with some inexpensive skateboard bearings and reporting that this fixed the noise issue for them. The bearings were only $5.99 and set to arrive the same day, so we figured we would give that a try as well. If we could fix it for $6 we might just keep the motor for a spare in case it ever went bad.

The bearings arrived, so we set out to fix our motor. The first challenge was just getting the motor apart. The ones we saw on YouTube the lids all came off fairly easily and cleanly. This was not the case with ours - our lid was glued on and chipped and broke as we tried to remove it. Strike 1.

After we removed the lid, we inspected the motor and saw that we needed to remove the small circuit board inside to be able to get at the bearings. Unfortunately, the solder-sucker tool is back at the shop so we opted to wick the solder away with some copper wire. This took a long time and we still needed to clean the holes in the circuit board for reassembly. Strike 2.

We faced quite a challenge when it was time to remove the bearings after successfully loosening the motor shaft. Upon removal, we observed that the rubber piece holding the rotor had shifted significantly on the shaft due to our struggle with the old bearings. Despite successfully fixing the rotor back in place, we noticed that the new bearings did not fit like the old ones. They were not tight on the shaft, and we could slide them on and off with little effort. Strike 3.

We soldered everything back together and put it back as best as we could but had little hope for it working. To nobody's surprise, the motor did not spin when we applied power.

When the new motor arrived we checked the specs, size, rubber components, and pin-outs. Everything seemed to indicate we would have no problem getting this new motor to work. We quickly assembled everything and held our breath as we hit the power button. To our delight, the motor worked perfectly! It was quiet!

Now that we had a fully working and quiet air conditioner, we just had to find a place in the bus to install it.

When we first built the bus, we had plans to bring our 21-year-old cat, Stretch. We decided that since we didn't need the refrigerator vent for the refrigerator (we upgraded from a propane/120V model to a residential model), we would make that area the "kitty litter" area. The large vent would allow us to easily service the litter box from outside and hopefully keep the mess contained and it is vented. Unfortunately Stretch died about a year and a half into our build. We ended up building a small divider wall in that space and just using it as another cabinet for storage.

We decided to open this area back up by removing the divider wall. We were able to fit the new air conditioner in that space. The space is more than big enough, but in order to get good efficiency out of our unit, we needed to be sure that the cool air it is producing is not just sucked back into the compressor side and blown out the side of the bus. For this, we used a piece of insulation foam where the window normally goes on this unit. Luckily with this installation, when the hot summer is over and we get back to traveling, we can easily remove and store this unit, put the divider wall back in place, and have our storage available again.

The Midea unit has been in for a few weeks now, and it works surprisingly well. Standing in the kitchen right in front of it, the air is super cold. I think we are ready for those 110-115°F degree days now!

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Midea U Shaped 12,000 BTU Smart Inverter Air Conditioner with Remote
• Blower motor for the Media U Shaped A/C
• ABEC-9 608ZZ bearings

During our first outing in July 2021 just east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, we faced a daunting long, hot, and steep climb. The temperature outside was well above 100°F, which caused our bus's coolant temperature to rise from the usual range of 160-180°F to over 195. To avoid any potential engine damage, we decided to take a break at the next rest stop. We turned off the engine and spent nearly 30 minutes there, allowing ourselves time to use the restroom and grab a quick snack. Upon our return, we noticed that the coolant temperature had dropped to the low 170s, and we continued our journey.

During our last trip back home in May 2022, we were driving down from the mountains of Payson, Arizona toward Gilbert. This route is mostly a downhill descent, but there are a few areas where it becomes a steep climb again. The outside temperature was scorching, well over 100°F, and our little bus had to climb the steep grade. Consequently, the engine temperature began to rise, reaching almost 195°F. We kept a watchful eye on it throughout the ascent, but we wished we had a way to cool it down.

We had gone through countless hills without any issues before, but the temperatures in the southwest are much hotter than what we saw traveling back east. We experienced those two instances where the temperature got to the point where we started to feel uncomfortable. Although I have seen some people take their Detroit Diesel 8v71 a little higher, 200°F is my personal comfort zone. To be fair, we've never seen our engine reach that temperature, but it's gotten close enough that we thought adding a sprayer would be a good idea.

When we purchased our bus, we discovered that it came equipped with a radiator spray feature installed by the previous owner. The switchboard next to the driver had a broken toggle switch labeled for a radiator spray, as well as an old and damaged pump in the rear of the bus. The switch's wire was not connected to anything, and the pump had no water or electrical connections. Clearly, at some point, the previous owner had a sprayer for the radiator but then later dismantled the system. During our switch plate redesign, we kept the water spray toggle but did not connect it to anything, leaving it as an option for future installation. However, after experiencing coolant temperatures reaching 195°F, we decided to revisit this.

Our goal for this project was to find a simple spray solution as an insurance policy. The first step was choosing a kit. We already had the switch set up and wired in, so we just needed a way to get the water to spray on the radiator. We considered purchasing a universal windshield washer pump bottle kit for about $20 on Amazon. There were several problems with this approach. First, the tanks on those are pretty small (typically 1 liter), so we would have to remember to keep that little tank filled up. In addition, the 12V pumps on those are usually pretty weak and not designed for as many nozzles as we needed. What seemed more appealing to us is those misting systems that are used at restaurants and in backyards. Those provide much finer atomization of the water and should lead to better, faster cooling. The very best of those systems utilize a very high-pressure pump (some run at 1000 psi!) and have all kinds of filters and systems to keep them operating smoothly even with hard water. These systems can easily cost a few thousand dollars. We were not interested in something that fancy. Instead, we opted to go with a 16-nozzle kit that hooked up to a garden hose and sold on Amazon for $18. We were pretty sure our RV water pump could run it, and we already have a garden hose nozzle in the water bay.

After deciding on the kit, we just needed a way to turn it off and on. Since the misting kit we chose used 1/4" tubing, we opted for a 12V solenoid valve with 1/4" quick-connect fittings.

After receiving the parts we ordered from Amazon, we decided to test out our setup. Our first concern was whether there would be enough pressure for the misting system to atomize the water properly. Our second concern was whether the 12V solenoid valve would allow enough water flow for the system to work effectively. We began by testing with a single nozzle but we were disappointed with the amount of water produced. However, upon testing the full 16 nozzles, we were pleased with the results. Once we added the solenoid valve, we were relieved to find that it worked perfectly.

All that was left to do was secure the lines and get everything wired up. We got this project done quickly in May 2022, and when we got back on the road a few weeks later, we had a great chance to test the system on a long climb in hot temperatures.

We left for a trip in June 2022 that would take us north through Flagstaff, AZ with a big climb in some really hot temperatures. As we started at the base of the mountains, our engine was already at about 185°F and we had a good 7000 ft climb to go. We switched the water misters on, and to our delight our engine maintained the 185°F temperature all the way up the climb.

Luckily, we do not need to use the system often, but we have used it a few times since then as we have traveled through the southwest desert and Rocky Mountains. With Phoenix, Arizona as our home base, we come back often with mountains to climb and often hot temperatures. We are glad to have this radiator spray installed to give us peace of mind as we try to keep this old engine rattling down the open road.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Outdoor Misting Cooling System

• 12V 1/4" Inlet Feed Water Solenoid

• The drill we use (and love)

When we first started designing our electrical system a big reoccurring problem we had was how to deal with heat. Heat is the number one enemy of lithium batteries and electronics in general. Most electric cars employ very complicated water-cooled solutions to keep heat in check within the batteries. The Victron manual also suggests:

This is emphasized by the fact that we live in Arizona and were building the bus during a time when we were experiencing record heat numbers. My initial thought was to put in some fans and temperature control the speed with a small processor.

I quickly learned that there are quite a few problems with this approach. The first is that blowing hot air into the bay probably is not going to provide much "cooling". Asphalt temperatures in Arizona can reach 180°F! Our electrical bay is very close to the ground so it is easy to see how blowing this hot air with fans would not be very effective for cooling.

The second problem is exposure to outside elements. If you are pulling in air from the outside you are exposing your sensitive electronics to dust and moisture. Dust is the major issue that we deal with out west but rain or excessive humidity can also be bad hard on electronics. You could put a filter on the fan but that is going to reduce the airflow as well as complicate the installation.

The third problem is cost. High-quality fans and controllers will cost more than a small high-efficiency air conditioner and will be far less effective. It may also be necessary to undergo a more complex installation process. Air conditioners, especially small, low-cost apartment-style ones benefit hugely from mass production, making their prices incredibly low. The air conditioner we purchased for our bay was just over $100 and required 1 rectangular shape cut to install it. They are also designed to be a closed system with no external air being needed from the outside.

Heat management was the last piece of the puzzle for our system. In our setup, heat is extracted from the bay and directed to the back of the air conditioner. To eliminate this heat, we sealed off the electronic bay and created a sizable opening in the bay's floor to draw in cool air. We also employed a fan to open the bay door and expel the heat.

Like any air conditioner, ours needs to be serviced regularly to keep performing well. We try to service this air conditioner every time we make it back to Arizona, which happens to be about twice a year for us.

In the video, I demonstrate a straightforward cleaning routine and offer a glimpse into the battery and electronic bay from the driver's side of the bus. It's also an opportune time for us to inspect all of the battery and electrical connections to ensure there are no irregularities. We've been using these Lithium batteries for about five years now, and they have performed exceptionally well. I am hoping for a few more years of good use out of this recycled battery.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Very similar to the air conditioner we used for our installation. The one we bought is no longer manufactured.

• The drills we carry and use on our bus

As we pulled into our friend's property in Lubbock, Texas in late November 2022, we were surprised to see our tow car and the back of the bus covered in oil. A lot of oil! There has always been a very small oil leak but this is the stop where we saw a significant increase in the amount of oil splattered on our poor tow vehicle as well as how much oil we had to add to get the oil level in the engine back to "full". We watch our fluid levels closely and it was obvious that something significant had changed.

To fix the oil leak, we had to identify its source. Upon inspection from underneath, it seemed to be coming from the top of the engine. However, access was limited due to the engine's proximity to the firewall. We were on our way back to family in Arizona for Christmas where we also have a safe place to work on the bus, so we decided that we would just stock up on extra oil and keep adding at each stop until we got home a couple of weeks later.

Once back at the shop in Arizona, we wanted to see what we were facing with this leak. To get a better view, we attempted to access the engine from above through the rear bedroom's access panel. Unfortunately, it was a challenging task as the exhaust manifold occupied most of the space, hindering our view. Eventually, we discovered that through the "hell hole," (an area behind the engine and in front of the rear axle) we could get a much better view. The firewall contains a large hole that offered a decent view of the inner side of the engine. Luckily, the concrete pad sits about six inches above the ground on one side, so we hung the tail over the dirt and with that little bit of extra clearance, I had just enough room to sit up in the hole and get a good look.

Upon discovering the source of the leak in the engine, it became apparent that the oil cooler was the culprit.

This particular component uses coolant from the radiator to cool the engine oil through a series of fins and grooves. I reached out to Scott, the Bus Grease Monkey, and he recommended that the entire cooler should be removed and resealed. Afterward, I contacted Luke from US Coach to inquire about the seals required for the oil cooler, and he had them in the mail that same day. Both individuals were extremely helpful and provided me with some tips for removing the cooler. Luke suggested that it might be easier through the upper access panel, although that would mean I would need to remove the rear exhaust manifold. I also consulted the Vintage Bus Mechanics page on Facebook for further suggestions. The general consensus was that it should be possible to remove the cooler from underneath.

So now I had all the parts and a plan. All that was left to do was remove the part and reseal everything. How hard could it be? In my conservative estimate, I gave myself 2 days thinking it would probably only really take 1 day. Like most projects on the bus, this was a gross underestimation.

The first task was to drain as much coolant as possible. I then disconnected the 12V starter batteries and removed all related cables and wires from the oil cooler. After that, I removed all the bolts holding the oil cooler and tried to remove the upper housing. Unfortunately, it was stuck and wouldn't come off, even though I had removed all the bolts and loosened the clamp. I used my phone and flashlight to check for any missed bolts or parts, but couldn't find anything. After struggling for over an hour, I contacted Scott for advice. He suggested using a small, thin, flat scraper to gently tap where the two parts join, as they can sometimes become "glued" together due to heat and age.

The next day, I put the technique I learned into practice, and it worked like a charm! I made sure to be patient and avoid causing any damage to surfaces. As a result, I was able to successfully separate the upper housing. However, removing it was a bit of a challenge since it barely fit through the small access hole at the rear.

After taking it out, I proceeded to remove the remaining parts. The cooler inner part was held in place by only two bolts, which I managed to remove without much difficulty. Once again, I had to use the scraper to carefully separate the middle section from the lower one.

The lower section was attached to the engine block with six bolts. I believe that the two bolts at the left end of the lower plate were the cause of the leak. These two bolts were very loose and their placement matched the stream of oil we had noticed when searching for the leak. Unfortunately, you cannot get to the bolts without removing the entire assembly.

After dismantling the parts, I took the time to thoroughly clean them. Due to the long-lasting leak, the housings were covered in an impressive amount of oil and grime. I began by using a scraper to remove most of the oil and then proceeded to brush and degrease the rest. Once the cleaning was done, I focused on removing the stuck gasket material, which took several hours and a handful of razor blades.

At first, I thought the parts were made of aluminum, but after testing with a magnet I now believe them to be steel. To prevent rusting and aid in discovering future leaks, I gave them a fresh coat of paint.

I reassembled the cooler in reverse order from the disassembly process. I applied a very small amount of Permatex The Right Stuff 90-minute gasket maker to the oil side of the cooler to ensure there were no leaks and to act as an adhesive for the gaskets due to the limited space. Although everything assembled great, there was one thing that continued to concern me.

As someone who's fairly new to working on old Detroit Diesels, I must confess that there are many things I don't know. For example, the seal I received for the upper coolant outlet didn't resemble the one I removed. Frankly, I had my doubts about whether it would work properly. I contacted Luke to confirm the part number, and he assured me it was correct.

Despite my reservations, I went ahead and installed the new seal. Unfortunately, upon refilling the coolant, it started to leak when the water level reached the top of the oil cooler.

I immediately informed Luke, hoping to obtain a different seal. He asked me to take some measurements and promptly shipped a new one. In the meantime, since the old seal wasn't leaking or damaged, I reinstalled it. Although I had to adjust it a few times, it eventually sealed perfectly. If someone has more insight into this new seal (flat vs beveled) I would love to hear it.

After we finished this repair, I had fantasies of pulling into the next campsite with a car that was not embarrassingly covered in oil. Thankfully, this rebuild has held for the 4000 miles we have since driven the bus.

Unfortunately, we developed an even worse oil leak in a different spot not long after we took off on the next leg of our trip - but that is a story for another time.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• The Right Stuff - 90 Minute Gasket Maker

• Cheap fluid transfer pump

• The coolant we use

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 where it was embarrassing to park the bus anywhere. Transmission fluid ended up all over our tow car, all over the engine compartment, all over the rear of the bus, and to make matters worse the fluid is very expensive. It cost about $55 per gallon and we were going through about a gallon every couple of weeks.

Of course, we tried to do the easy things first. We pressure-washed the engine to see if we could spot where the leak is coming from. Perhaps it was just a loose bolt? Maybe if we just tighten all the bolts up nice and snug it would stop leaking or at least slow the leak down to a more manageable level? NOPE! To make matters worse we ended up breaking a bolt right off as we were trying to tighten it.

To add insult to injury: the bolt cannot be removed without completely pulling the transmission off the engine because it is too long and makes contact with the oil pan on one side and the transmission pan on the other side. ARRG.

Here is what we know: The transmission itself weighs close to 1000 lbs by itself. It holds close to 7 gallons of transmission fluid. In order to pull it we would need to completely drain the coolant as well as all the transmission fluid from the transmission and from the bell housing. We called around the Phoenix area to see if we could get anybody else to do it for us and came up empty-handed. Of course, COVID going around did not help but in general, getting someone to work on these old buses can be very challenging.

We spoke to Scott the bus grease monkey and he convinced us that we could handle this job. He walked us through the exact procedure, gave us a few tips for the trickier sections, and guided us as we attempted to finally get this transmission leak under control.

The job was grueling. To make matters worse, Juan ended up with COVID and it hit hard right as we started the project.

In the video, we walk through every step we took to pull the transmission off, fix a thread that let loose on the transmission with a thread repair kit, apply the new seals, and get everything back together.

We have been on the road with the repair for about a year now and while it does still leak a little bit - it is still a huge improvement over the condition it was in prior to resealing it.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• The Right Stuff - 90 Minute Gasket Maker

• Powercoil repair kit

• Cheap fluid transfer pump

• Foldable Shop Crane

• The transmission fluid we use

• The coolant we use

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 did not involve so much effort. Up to that point, we had been using the "Lego" style plastic blocks to level, or we would just deal with the bus being unlevel. Leveling with the orange Legos is not terribly complicated, but it does involve significant orchestrated effort. To top it off, we almost never got it perfectly level.

Stone Mountain near Atlanta, Georgia was the campsite that broke the camel's back. Not only was this one of the most unlevel sites we have been to, but also it was on the side of a steep hill, had very crumbly asphalt, and had ground so soft that our 20-ton jack was pushed about 3 inches into the ground when we tried to use it to level the bus. We ended up finding a rock nearby to place in the large hole that was formed with our first attempt to level with the jack.

At that point, we went into research mode. Since leveling systems are so common on motorhomes, we didn't have to look very far. There are quite a few very nice systems offered and even some DIY systems described in the bus forums and groups.

Hydraulic Leveling Systems

The first systems we considered were the hydraulic leveling systems. These systems use long pistons attached to the body to level the bus. We have seen many of these at campgrounds - some even lifting the wheels of an RV off the ground! Doing this with the bus would completely destroy our airbags. The benefit of this system is that it provides the most stability since the jacks are attached to the body. The technology is also very mature and reliable since thousands of RVs use this type of system. The Cons are price, complexity to install, and the tendency to hang lower than anything else essentially lowering your ground clearance.

Electric Leveling Jacks

This option is very similar to the hydraulic system except this system uses electric-driven jacks instead of hydraulic pistons. These are often seen on trailers and fifth wheels. The advantages and disadvantages are similar to the hydraulic systems, but the jacks tend to be rated for less weight. The price is only slightly less than the hydraulic systems.

Manual Jacks

We see these mostly on travel trailers and they usually consist of scissor-type jacks or stabilizer legs that come down and make contact with the ground. These are not strictly leveling systems as they are intended more to be used to stabilize a trailer as opposed to actually leveling it. The advantage of these systems is that they are quite a bit less expensive. The disadvantages are that they are manual, lower the ground clearance, and have relatively low weight carrying capacity.

Air Leveling Kits

These really got our attention because they utilize the air suspension already on the bus. Even modern coaches use this approach. Some systems are used in conjunction with hydraulic levelers while some are just stand-alone systems. All the air leveling kits we saw for vintage buses seemed to remove the factory leveling valves and replace them with air regulators that control how much pressure is in the bags. That works well for leveling the bus when parked. However, you would also have to self-level for driving. We did not like this aspect because it leaves it up to the operator to find the right pressure to bring the bus to the correct drive height. The bus must be at a precise height to align the driveline correctly. We believe this system makes it too easy to drive off at the wrong height.

Our DIY Air Leveling Kit

After studying all these systems, it occurred to us that we could design a system that leaves the factory leveling valves in place and only uses the airbags for leveling when the bus is parked. Our first idea was to use an actuator in place of the control linkage to adjust the ride height. By varying the distance between the body and the axle, we could control the height of the bus. The disadvantage to this option is there is only one leveling valve that controls both sides of the front of the bus. That means that we could only control the front-to-back height, but not side-to-side, in the front of the bus.

Our second thought was that purging solenoids might be a good way to go. The first hurdle to overcome was how to disengage the factory valves. If we simply installed a purge solenoid, the factory leveling valve would bring it back to the factory ride height. We needed a way to isolate the airbags from the factory leveling valve. Our initial thought was to use two purging solenoids. One would work as an isolating valve and the other would work to purge air out of the airbags. In contrast to the actuator option, we could split the airline to the front leveler, allowing us to control each side in the front independently, just as we could in the back. We built this system and it worked great! After a few days, we discovered a problem: the bus started to squat. When the air leaked out of the main system, it allowed the air in the airbags to escape. It took about three days to leak down, but it was clear that this was not going to work. How was the air escaping?

After more research, We learned that most solenoid valves are not designed to hold pressure "backward". Sometimes this is not a problem. If the bus is level, the factory valves will actually keep the airbags completely pressurized even after the rest of the system has leaked down. However, if we deflate the airbag in an effort to level the bus, the factory leveling valve will try to fill the bag but will not be able to because of the isolating solenoid. After some time (around 3 days on our bus), most of the air pressure will leak out of our system. This leaves us with a condition where there is high pressure in the airbag and low pressure on the "wrong" side of the isolating solenoid valve in the rest of the system. This lets the high-pressure air in the airbags pass through the rest of the system and leak out as well. Back to the drawing board.

We originally came up with two solutions for this problem. Solution 1: We could use an auxiliary air compressor to keep the bus's air system at a constant 120psi. This would have the added benefit of having redundancy if our air compressor on the engine failed. We carry an auxiliary air compressor anyway, so it would be easy to just plumb it into the system. However, the compressor going off at all hours of the night would become annoying and probably use a fair amount of power. Solution 2: We could replace the isolating solenoid valve with one that could isolate the bags better. We went with solution 2 and installed a motorized ball valve for the isolating valve.

With this new plan, we got to work replacing the isolating solenoid valves with motorized ball valves. This worked great! We have been using this system on our bus now for about 4 months and we level the bus pretty much every time we set up camp. We also discovered that it works great at the dump stations to lean the bus to empty our tanks a little further.

Controlling the Valves

How do we control the valves? Can we automate this? We control our valves through an 8 channel relay board and our home automation platform. Because we already had that set up, it was pretty easy for us to connect it into our existing system. It also allows for an easy automation path if we want to go in that direction in the future. Another very viable option would be to just use a series of switches or even a touchpad. In the video, we talk about future plans to use a small, inexpensive board with an accelerometer and gyroscope to automate the leveling of the bus. For now, we are literally using a small level and just pushing the switches on our phones, manually dumping the bag or bags that are the highest, until the bus is level. Honestly, it usually only takes a few seconds to get the bus completely level so we are still undecided about automating it.

Please let us know if you have any questions. The system has worked great for the last four months that we have used it, and we will keep everyone updated if that changes.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• 12V NC Solenoid Air Valve

• Steel Female Branch Tee

• DOT ¼ Fitting

• 100' 1/4" DOT Nylon Air Brake Tubing

• 1/4" Stainless Steel Motorized Ball Valve

• 15W 12V to 5V Buck Converter

• 8 Channel DC 5V Relay Module

• ESP-WROOM-32 Development Board

• Air Rivet Gun

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 the valley as we rafted the Shenandoah River. Coming from the southwestern deserts, the beauty of the lush green mountains and valleys below blew us away. Join us on our adventures in Shenandoah.

Shenandoah National Park

Skyline Drive

Shenandoah National Park has one main road going through north and south, running 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Along Skyline Drive are about 75 overlooks where you can pull over and get out of the car to enjoy the views. Our first afternoon in the park, we drove about ⅓ of the north end of the park, stopping at multiple overlooks.

Our first step out of the car to look over the tree-covered mountains to the valley below is now a picture ingrained in my memory. It was so different from our beautiful desert views. Although we had already seen and done so much in our nearly two months on the road, this was our first real “being fully out in nature” kind of moment. Most of the first few weeks of adventures had been battlefields, museums, and cities. With teary eyes, I looked out at Juan and the kids and thought, “This is why we are traveling like this.”

Along the drive, we stopped at the National Park visitor center to pick up the kids’ junior ranger packets. We also spent about 15 minutes talking to one of the park rangers. We talked about the park, but also about him and his career. He shared with our kids how he became a ranger and what other parks he had worked at. He talked about what his goals were and what he loved about being a park ranger. It was great! This has become a favorite thing to do at national parks - just talk to the park rangers about themselves. It’s so fun. They all have such interesting stories.

Hiking

The next day was hiking day. There are over 500 miles of trails in the park, of which 101 miles are part of the famous Appalachian Trail. After researching our options, we picked three different trails with different features. One that is in the woods and out to a scenic overlook, one that is down to a waterfall, and one that is a rock scramble to a 360-degree view of the valley. They are each about 1.5 miles (ish), so we figured that would be a good day of hiking with a lunch break in the middle.

First up was Stony Man Trail. This was a beautiful trail through the forest. It felt a little like a fairy garden with moss and leaf litter and mushrooms and fallen branches. This trail would be perfect for younger kids as it is not steep and there is so much to explore. Our kids were enthralled by the mushrooms of all varieties we found along the way. Once we made it to the overlook, we were in the clouds! It was so cool! This was such a fun way to start the morning. Bonus: Part of this trail is on the Appalachian Trail. We can say that we have hiked on the Appalachian Trail, now.

Next up was Dark Hollow Falls Trail. We knew this was a really popular trail and parking would be crowded. Luckily, we were able to snag a parking spot as someone was pulling out, but it was pretty full. I would imagine that in mid-summer it would be best to get to this trail first thing in the morning. This trail is downhill the whole way. When you reach the bottom, you find a really pretty waterfall. There are a few little areas where you can take off your shoes and wade in just a bit. It was especially beautiful because the trees mostly create a canopy overhead, just allowing dappled light to reach the water. What goes down must go up (or something like that). Everyone was getting a little hungry for lunch at that point, so the hike back up was not quite as fun as the hike down.

Before heading out for our third hike, we stopped at the second visitor center for a bathroom break and found a nice grassy spot under a tree to have a picnic lunch. After everyone felt rested and was well-fed, we headed out for the third hike of the day.

Last but not least was the kids’ favorite hike of the day, Bearfence Rock Scramble. This trail is full of climbing hand and foot over rocks, as the name implies. It really is super fun. However, there are some sections where those rocks are on the edges of the mountain without much to catch a fall below. My “mama is scared of cliffs” heart really struggled on this one. We made sure we had a strong leader in front and stayed close to our smaller ones. We couldn’t even take pictures or video on these parts as our hands were busy either climbing the rocks or holding hands with kids. When we got to the top, however, we all were thrilled to see the full 360° view of the valley. It was amazing!

We had an amazing day hiking in Shenandoah National Park. There are so many trails to choose from. We will definitely be back.

Rafting on the Shenandoah River

After a day of rest, we decided to try rafting. There are several different companies that offer rafting, tubing, and kayaking on the Shenandoah River. We chose Shenandoah River Outfitters. Once we arrived at their location, we watched a safety and informational video and got life vests and oars. Then, we loaded up in their van and they took us to the launch point. They prepared our raft, and we loaded up and pushed off.

We spent the day quietly meandering down the river, enjoying the trees and rocks lining the water. We only saw a couple of other people the whole morning. We did, however, see turtles, herons, and even a small water snake. There was a small section of little rapids which was really fun - we didn’t fall over, so we counted that as a win for a family of first-time rafters. After about three hours, we made it to the pick-up point, so we rowed our way over to the shore and pulled ourselves out. It was such a great morning, and we definitely recommend spending some time on the river if you are visiting the area.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we loved our time in Shenandoah National Park and the surrounding area, including Luray. I am positive we will be back there someday to explore even more.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Where We Stayed

Jellystone Park Luray

https://campluray.com/

Activities

Shenandoah National Park

https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm

Skyline Drive

https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/driving-skyline-drive.htm

Stony Man Trail

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/stony-man.htm

Dark Hollow Falls Trail

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/dark-hollow-falls.htm

Bearfence Rock Scramble

https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/bearfence-rock-scramble.htm

Shenandoah River Outfitters

https://shenandoah-river.com/

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 wiper motors, one for each side of the windshield. The passenger side on ours had gotten to the point where it was getting stuck. In January 2021, we knew we were getting close to finishing the build, and this project was one that needed to be checked off before we could hit the road. We ordered a rebuilt kit and got to work.

Luke at US Coach in New Jersey, once again, came to the rescue with the rebuild kit. It included new gaskets, o-rings, grease, rods, and some bolts and screws. With the rebuild kit in hand, we printed out the necessary pages in our PD-4106 Maintenance Manual and got to work. If you own an old coach, these maintenance manuals are a necessity. They are very detailed, and with a little bit of comparing the drawings and explanations to what you are actually seeing in front of you, they can really walk you through so many maintenance projects.

As most of our workshop space was pretty filthy and covered in Arizona dust, we covered our worktable in clean towels. We wanted to prevent as much dust as possible from getting in the parts and pieces of the motor as we disassembled it. At that point, we worked our way through the instructions in the maintenance manual.

We took our time and went slowly, making sure that as we took each piece apart, we noted the positioning. The instructions were generally pretty helpful, but it’s always good to take extra pictures along the way so you can put them back correctly. Once we got it apart, we found that the gaskets were completely gone! The O-rings were all flattened out. The motor was definitely overdue to have this rebuilt. It took us several hours since this was our first time doing this project, but we got it done.

And once we got it back in place, it worked! That’s the best news. We went ahead and ordered a second rebuild kit for the driver’s side wiper motor. It is a little louder, but it is still moving fine, so we have not rebuilt it yet. I’m sure that when the time comes for rebuilding that side, it will go a little faster since we now know what to expect and have been through the process once.

In the year that we have been on the road, the wipers have worked great. The rebuild kit made that side smooth and quiet. While we do sometimes use Rain-X when we know we will be heading into the rain, sometimes the storms just come out of nowhere. Having functioning wipers is not just nice, it is definitely a safety issue. The day we got hit with a freak rain/hail/fog storm (it was so much that it looked like it had snowed) in Colorado and could barely see 10 feet in front of the bus, we were so thankful for working wipers. (Although, that was still pretty darn nerve-wracking!)

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

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. That afternoon, we drove to our campground in Luray, Virginia where our Shenandoah adventures began. In this post, we share our tour of the Luray Caverns. This place blew our minds! It is so beautiful. Keep reading to see the wonders of this underground world.

Manassas National Battlefield Park

Just 30 minutes outside Washington DC is the battlefield that really began the major warfare of the Civil War, three months after the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter. The mostly untrained Union soldiers thought it was going to be an easy win at Bull Run and the war itself would be over quickly. There is so much to be learned by touring Manassas National Battlefield Park, but our main takeaways were: everyone was wrong about how this day would go, the first civilian casualty of the war was unbelievably sad, and neither side was prepared or had a good strategy. The Confederates walked away as the winners of this battle, which set up our country for four years of bloodshed and destruction. And, the craziest part of the whole thing was that US Senators, women, and children came from Washington DC to watch this battle, sitting on the hills and fields eating picnics like it was a spectator sport. Horrifying!

Okay, now for a few logistics. We were able to park our big bus in the parking lot as this was just a stop between campgrounds.

There is a small Visitor Center with a great museum.

Outside, we walked all around the field where the farmhouse at the center of the battle stands. Signs tell the stories of what was happening in different parts of the battle.

Then, we were able to continue the tour by car. After unhooking our car from the bus, we followed the self-guided tour. As we had learned during our previous tour of the Battle of Gettysburg, these battles did not happen in just one field. They moved from location to location, through farms, through towns, right in the middle of it all. In order to see it all, you have to drive. Different locations are numbered and marked and we were able to follow the map to get to each one. In some places, there were volunteers and Park Rangers to help explain even more of what would have been happening at that location. It was all really interesting, and we certainly learned a lot.

After spending a few hours exploring and learning all about the First Battle of Bull Run, we hooked our car back up to the bus and drove on to our next campground.

Jellystone Park Luray, Virginia

While we would have preferred to stay inside Shenandoah National Park, we were concerned about the lack of cell service, which we need for work and school, inside the park. We wanted to be close to the entrance to the park, so we found Jellystone park in Luray, which is about ten minutes from the National Park gate. It is also about eight minutes from Luray Caverns. While this type of campground - full of bounce pads, water slides, and laser tag - is not necessarily our favorite, it ended up being a great location. When we first arrived, the park was absolutely packed. It turns out that it was the last weekend for the waterpark to be open. It actually closed the day before we got there, but many local families were enjoying their last weekend there of the season. The kids did get to have fun playing on the bounce pad, zip line, gaga ball, and mining sluice.

Once the weekend campers left, the campground was eerily quiet. We enjoyed the foggy mountain views and just a couple of sweet neighbors - one who absolutely loves rocks and did a whole mineralogy lesson for our kids. We love RVers. This campground ended up being a perfect base camp for our adventures in Shenandoah National Park and the rest of the Shenandoah Valley.

Luray Caverns

When researching all the things we want to do in an area, sometimes we come across a place that we have never heard of before. Then, after we visit it, we think, “Why in the world have we never heard of this place before? It’s incredible!” That’s exactly how we felt about Luray Caverns. Now, I’m sure those who love caverns know exactly what Luray Caverns is, but for us cave-novices, we had no idea. It’s also one of those places that I think to myself, “If we weren’t doing this RVing life, we probably would never have come here.” Being from Arizona, we maybe would have vacationed to DC or to Philadelphia or to Orlando or places like that. But, I’m pretty sure that Luray, Virginia would not have been on our list for a short vacation. Here I am to tell you that if you are in Virginia or DC or anywhere within driving distance, take a day trip and go to Luray Caverns. It’s 100% worth it. Even though I’m writing this post a year later (and we have been to three other caverns since then), I still think it is one of the coolest places we’ve been.

First off, you should know that these are privately owned, and not part of a State Park or National Park Service. There is an entry fee (totally worth it!). It’s also wheelchair and stroller friendly, which is great! And, bring a light jacket - it's always 54F in there year-round.

One of the things that made this place so special (and different from many of the other caverns we have since seen) is the lighting. Truly, the lighting just makes the formations even that much more spectacular. I feel like nothing I write in words will do justice to the amazing calcite formations. So, I’m just going to let the pictures speak for themselves. And, tell you again, put this place on your East Coast travel list!

In addition to the Caverns, the admission gets you into a few other attractions next door. There was a really cool little car museum. We loved that!

There was a small toy museum showcasing toys from the last 100 years.

Last, we visited the Shenandoah Heritage Village, which is both a small museum and a village of houses and buildings moved there from around Shenandoah Valley.

We spent about four hours at the Caverns and the three other attractions. It was a really fun day, and the caverns are etched in all of our memories for good now.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Where We Stayed

Jellystone Park Luray

https://campluray.com/

Activities

Manassas National Battlefield Park

https://www.nps.gov/mana/index.htm

Luray Caverns

https://luraycaverns.com/

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 family of six people and serve all of our needs. Not having a separate room for an office would be one of those sacrifices, but we knew we could make it work.

Up until that point in the build, much of the layout had more or less fallen into place. Plumbing and wiring dictated the locations of the bathroom and kitchen. The remaining space was allocated between the living area and the kids' bunkroom. Office space was the last space to figure out. With all the square footage already allocated, we had to fit an office into an existing space.

We had considered many locations. The easiest of course would have been at the table. However, this was where the kids would be doing 99% of their homeschooling. With four kids, the table is very often completely occupied with computers, books, notepads, pencils, and even the occasional science experiment. In order to work effectively, I needed more isolation than this location could offer.

The next place we considered was the rear bedroom. Once the kids were up and out of bed, the room might be available. As a HUGE bonus, it even has a door. Unfortunately, this would not work either for a couple of reasons. Our kids often take online classes which require a more dedicated space for productive participation. Another reason is we wanted the kids' bedroom to remain "their space". If they were not feeling well or wanted a quiet place to read, we wanted them to feel like they could retreat to their bedroom for that.

What about outside? Since we knew we would be chasing good weather, we thought this MIGHT work but there are just too many variables: what happens if it rains, or if it is really windy, or if there are a bunch of bugs? This option just had too many possibilities for going wrong, which meant we would need a backup plan anyway.

What about in the car? This seemed okay at first but Michelle will sometimes use the car to run errands during the day. The weather could also be an issue that would need to be controlled by turning the car on and off. It's also just really cramped and small.

Finally, we looked at the front of the bus. What was left were the passenger seat and the driver's seat. The passenger seat was a fast "no", because it would block the doorway into the bus. We finally settled on the driver's area, largely because we had ruled out every other option. It turns out, it was a great choice.

Once the location had been decided, we knew we had to make it simple to convert from "driving mode" to "office mode". The three main components we needed were a desk, a monitor, and a way to mount the monitor.

First, we needed to figure out a way to create a "desk". The biggest obstacle in the driver's area is, of course, the steering wheel. Fortunately, when we designed the seats, we discovered that it was pretty easy to remove the steering wheel to make it easier to swivel the driver's seat around. Making something large was out of the question because it needed to be able to store neatly when not in use and on driving days. Maybe we could remove the steering wheel and put a smallish desk in its place? It seemed like a pretty viable option.

Since Juan works as a software developer, at this stage in his career having a large screen to work on is pretty much essential. Twelve years of working from home on a four-monitor setup have ruined him for working with small/single screens. Because of limited space, we compromised and decided to get one big monitor. We also did not have a solution for a TV for watching movies and stuff with the kids. Perhaps we could kill two birds with one stone and find a TV that would work both as a great monitor and a great TV. The search was on! My research landed on a 43" Samsung 4K TV.

With the beginnings of a plan, we needed a solution to mounting this TV. The initial idea was to have it come up from under the dash on a motorized lift. Unfortunately, the handle, some defrost hoses, and air lines in that space quickly made it clear that was not going to work. So next we thought if we could mount it super close to the ceiling, we could just swing it up and down from the ceiling. A few things sunk this idea: number one our ceilings are already REALLY low (our bus is 6'2" at the highest point in the center), and number two it would be REALLY hard to use that as a monitor without some very complicated swivel arm type thing. Finally, the idea hit us to consider using an arm mounted to the front dash of the bus. Of course, we would have to avoid the door opener and air lines mentioned earlier and it would have to be removable, but there was a solid chance we could make that work.

More research and measurements led us to the Ergotron HX monitor arm. Now that this was in place we could work on creating the actual desk to replace the steering wheel while we waited for the parts to ship from Amazon.

We wanted the design for the desk to be small and have a small downward angle to make it comfortable to use all day. The driver's seat is already very comfortable and even has a leg rest that can be deployed. Another important feature was the ability to use the desk with a laptop open on the desk or with just a keyboard and trackpad and the laptop tucked away somewhere.

After careful measurements, we made a steel framework, welded from some scrap 1/2" steel square stock leftover from another project and a 3/16" steel plate. We installed rivnuts to this steel skeleton, and to that, we screwed on a small piece of prefinished plywood, cut to size, and edge banded. The final piece was securing this new desk to the steering wheel shaft. The steering wheel shaft is tapered pretty steeply and only has threads at the very top of the taper. We took careful measurements and determined that we could make a simple wood spacer that would work perfectly. A 3D printed piece was our "plan b" but the wood spacer has actually worked out very well. Once we slide the bracket over the steering column and place the spacer, we simply secure it with the nut from the steering wheel.

To mount the Ergotron monitor arm, we drilled a hole into our dash, slid the bolt for the base through, and secured it with a steel plate, washer, and nut underneath. The cool thing about this arm, besides how much range of motion it has, is that it is quickly and easily removable from the base. In just a couple seconds, it all comes apart and can be stowed in the couch, leaving just the base mounted on the dash.

The one part of this project that was a little tricky was attaching the TV to the arm. The normal mounting spot on the back of the TV was on the lower side, but that would have made our TV hit our upper cabinets. So, we had to get an adjustable mounting bracket. Then, we attached some mounting parts that came with the arm to the back of the TV, then the new adjustable bracket, and then we could attach the arm itself. This put our TV at just the right height. We could swivel it directly in front of the driver's seat and pushed back near the window. Or, we could pull it out and center it in the bus for movie night with the whole family.

The last piece of the puzzle was stowing the TV during driving days or when we just don't want it in front of the window. The desk and arm are small enough to just stow away in the couch. The TV itself needed its own slot. Before we bought the TV, we decided that the best place for it would be on the refrigerator wall. That wall is behind the kids' van seats and is kind of hidden away so you don't even notice it when you're in the front of the bus. The measurements of the wall space were one determining factor in choosing the size of the TV.

In order to stow the TV safely while bumping down the road, we built our own brackets and padded them with stiff but soft foam that was in some other packaging we had. We also glued additional foam to the wall itself. The top and bottom brackets are angled to fit the contour of the TV and hold it in place. The rear bracket basically acts as a bump stop. Once we slide the TV in place, the front bracket is then screwed in place to pin the TV in. The glass is all cushioned by the foam and it all fits perfectly so the TV doesn't even wiggle while driving.

The office space was done and ready to go. Thankfully, the whole office space came together very well and has been extremely functional after using it for the last year. It is quick and easy to set up when we arrive at a new place and then also to put away when we pack up to move to our next destination.

Juan has spent many, many hours sitting at this desk, programming, making videos, and using the computer. He has become quite comfortable using it. Of course, like anything else a few improvements could be made. The prefinished surface looks really great and is very easy to clean, but it also makes it really easy for stuff to come sliding off. i.e. a cup of coffee. Maybe we could have extended the desk a little bit and put in a cup holder.

But overall we are very pleased with the function and ease of the whole office setup.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Supplies and Tools We Used

• Ergotron - HX Monitor Arm
• Samsung 43" 4K TV
• VIVO Height Adjustable VESA Adapter

Catch up on part 1, part 2, and part 3 of our adventures in Washington DC.

After sharing the first half of our adventures in Washington DC over three videos and blog posts, we decided to do one big final post to share the rest of the museums we visited on Days 6-9. In the video, we also share our thoughts on the city and what some of our favorite activities were. Overall, we loved Washington DC and will definitely be back.

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

The NMAAHC was high on our list of museums to visit. While it is free, you do have to get timed entry tickets. If you have your schedule in advance, I highly suggest reserving these timed entry passes 30-days in advance right at 8:00amEST when availability is open. An individual is able to purchase up to six tickets. If like us, you are not scheduled that far out, there are some same-day passes available each day at 8:15 am EST. If you have any hope of getting tickets, you need to be ready to grab them online at EXACTLY 8:15 am. We were lucky to get ours this way.

Once we had our reservations, we made our way to the National Mall on the Metro and were in line and ready for the 10 am entry. I knew this would be a difficult museum to go through, but I am so glad we went. It is beautiful and heart-wrenching all at the same time. The architecture itself is amazing, and it is unique among all the other museums on the Mall. Once inside, you descend three stories underground to begin the experience. I say “experience” because that is exactly what it was. Unlike other museums, you do not just wander from gallery to gallery in whatever order you would like. Here, you work your way through history chronologically from three floors down up to the ground level. You are guided through artifacts, displays small and large, videos, and interactive screens. From the transatlantic slave trade to the Civil War, from the Civil Rights movements to modern-day influences, you are taken on a journey. It was memorable and moving and worthy of our time. This is a museum we will not soon forget.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

After spending half of a day at the NMAAHC, we went right next door to the American History Museum. Again, this is a free museum and no timed entry is needed. Unfortunately, over half of the galleries and exhibits were closed for renovation when we were there. During our research, we found many people list this as one of their favorite museums in DC. That was not our experience. There were a few interesting displays and interactive exhibits and of course the famed Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Our favorite thing from the museum was seeing the American flag that flew over Fort McHenry when Francis Scott Key penned The Star Spangled Banner. (We could not take any pictures or video of this). However, there was just not a lot there at the time. Hopefully, with the renovations nearly complete, maybe the next time we visit we will have a better experience.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum - Udvar-Hazy Center

The next day, we drove out to the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. This is the cream of the crop in terms of air and space museums. Again, it is a free Smithsonian museum. However, there is a $15 parking fee. We spent the entire day here, and it was awesome! We kept finding ourselves saying, “Wow!”, “Oh my gosh!”, “I can’t believe I’m seeing this!” From the SR-71 Blackbird to the B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay” to the Space Shuttle Discovery, they have it all at Udvar-Hazy. I cannot describe how many planes, helicopters, spacecraft, and artifacts are there. I even called my dad (retired fighter pilot and airline pilot) from the museum to ask him questions and to share my excitement. One additional really cool feature of this museum is the overlook into the restoration hangar, where aircraft of all kinds are being restored for both this museum and the Air & Space Museum that is on the National Mall. In fact, we got a sneak peek at a feature of a new exhibit for the museum on the mall - a Star Wars X-Wing! The whole museum was fantastic and definitely worth spending an entire day.

Up In the Washington Monument

Previously during our trip, we had walked around the Washington Monument on the exterior. We really wanted to go up to the top though. This adventure requires a timed ticket ($1 processing fee). You can reserve them up to 30-days out at 10 am each day. Or, like us, you can hope you can snag tickets the day before. Each day at 10 am, a small number of tickets are available online for the following day. If you still don’t get those, you can try for same-day tickets available in person at 8:45 am (people line up early for this). We were able to get our six tickets while we were in line to go into the Udvar Hazy Museum. So, the next day, we again took the Metro to the National Mall and waited for our turn to go up to the top of the Washington Monument.

After going through security, we entered the elevator for the 70-second ride 500 feet up to the observation level. Once up at the top, there are windows that look out in each direction. You can see the Capitol building, the Mall, the Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, Ellipse, and White House. It is an amazing view of the city! The cool thing for us was that while looking north, Belisse said, “Mom, look at all those cars in front of the White House!” Sure enough, they were loading up a motorcade right there on the south lawn. We watched as tiny little figures moved around and eventually the brigade of black SUVs rolled out. Police cars, police motorcycles, many black SUVS, more police, and an ambulance. We watched from high above as they drove away and turned the corner. It was a pretty cool experience. Once done at the top, you go down one floor to a small museum and then head back down on the elevator. Overall, this is a super fun experience!

Museum of the Bible

After the Washington Monument, we walked over to the Museum of the Bible, which is just a couple of blocks off the Mall. This is a private museum, unlike most of the Smithsonian museums we had been visiting, so there were admission fees - $20 for adults, $14 for kids 5-17. This was actually a nice change for the kids’ pricing, as 90% of places we have visited start charging adult prices at 13 years old.

We spent about half a day here, and we really enjoyed it. We started with the interactive part of the museum on the third floor. There is a “walk-through Nazareth”-type exhibit with living history interpretation. Next was probably the most interesting “exhibit” we experienced. I can’t really call it an exhibit, more of an experience. It is a mix of film, immersion, sound and lighting effects, and storytelling as you walk through a narration of several different Bible stories. It was really, really cool! There was also a film about how the church grew out of Jesus’ followers. Next, we moved into the artifact part of the museum, which had thousands of pieces of history. It was amazing! There was even a man using an old printing press and showing the kids how it all worked. A large piece of the mission of the museum is Bible translating, so there is a gallery dedicated to showing the languages that the Bible has been translated into around the world, the languages that are in process, and the languages that are still needed. Finally, there was a special exhibition about the Magna Carta, which was very interesting, but to be honest, felt like a strange addition to this particular museum.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Not to be confused with the Udvar-Hazy Center, this is the “main” Air & Space Museum that is on the National Mall. On our last day in the city, which happened to be September 11, 2021, we spent a few hours here before heading home to pack up and head out the next day. Like the American History Museum, a large part of the museum was closed for renovations. Some of our favorite things here were finally seeing the real Spirit of St. Louis (after seeing several recreations in other museums), the interactive kids’ area teaching about aeronautics, the mock-up Hubble Telescope, and the actual original Wright Flyer. Eight new galleries are opening in October 2022 and timed entry tickets will be required, so plan ahead. I can’t wait to go back to explore this museum again once all of the new exhibits are open.

Tips & Tricks

Okay, here are some of the things we learned or things that worked for us that may be helpful.

*The Metrorail (DC subway system) is great and super easy to use. We were able to buy SmarTrip cards preloaded right from our campground. Then, we could simply reload with more money as necessary at a Metro station. We drove from our campground at Cherry Hill and parked our car at the Metro station and took the Metro into the city everytime we actually went to the downtown area.

*The DC Circulator is another awesome public transportation option. It is a bus that just circles around the National Mall with multiple stops all around. This is a great option when your feet are done for the day, or you need to get quickly from one end of the Mall to the other. You can pay exact change or use your SmarTrip card to pay the small fee. We loved this option and used it a couple of times during our visit.

*There are scooters and bikes for rent all over the place. Pick them up in one spot and drop them off somewhere else. We never used them, but they are everywhere and are another great option for getting around.

*Food options other than sit-down restaurants: When you have a full day of "museuming" and "monumenting", you may not want to spend a couple of hours at a sit-down restaurant (or spend the $$$). Let me warn you, though. I would avoid eating at the museums. We tried that twice and it was bad food at crazy, expensive prices. Not worth it at all. For other options, there are a few food trucks on the Mall. Nearby is also L'Enfant Plaza which has some quick places to eat as well. We packed our lunch and just carried it with us most of the days.

*Bring Camelbaks or some other hydration pack. You can bring backpacks with you everywhere you go, and it is nice to have water with you but still be hands free. Hydration packs are not just for hiking. We literally wear our packs everywhere we go - museums, zoos, cities, hiking, wherever we go.

*It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway. Wear the most comfortable walking shoes you have. This is not a town to worry about fashionable footwear. We walked about 60 miles over 9 days. Be comfortable.

*Check museum entrance requirements ahead of time. Many have timed entry tickets. Schedule these 30 days in advance if possible. If not, look to see if they have last minute ticket options.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for sticking with us through our first-timers tour of Washington DC. We really loved it. After traveling for a year now, as we all look back, Washington DC is still on everyone’s “favorite places” list. We will definitely be back.

Watch the video:

Click here If you cannot see the video.

Where We Stayed

Cherry Hill Park

https://www.cherryhillpark.com/

Activities

National Museum of African American History and Culture

https://nmaahc.si.edu/

National Museum of American History

https://americanhistory.si.edu/

National Air & Space Museum - Udvar-Hazy Center

https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center

Washington Monument

https://www.nps.gov/wamo/planyourvisit/fees.htm

Museum of the Bible

https://www.museumofthebible.org/

National Air & Space Museum (on the Mall)

https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum-dc