This is our magic school bus, Seaweed! My wife and I bought Seaweed during the pandemic. It was partially built out, but we hired VENTUR to finish/redo the entire thing to our liking. We redid the kitchen, adding butcher block countertops, a lovely big sink, a propane stovetop, tiles, and cabinets to give it a real homey feel. We added plumbing, solar, refrigeration, a nomadic cooling system, and more.
We spent the next few summers traveling the country on our bus with our Australian shepherd, Bobby. My wife is a singer-songwriter, and I am a drummer and visual artist. We played shows and slept oceanside wherever we could. (Seaweed is even a little famous as featured in The Wall Street Journal! *see screen shot in photos*)
The bus can run on shore power, but we never once had to plug it in during our travels. The solar panel system, along with the three lithium batteries, makes it so you can truly live off the grid. Some of the best aspects of Seaweed are the amount of storage, the height of the ceilings (about 6 feet), the queen-size mattress, and the size of the kitchen space (and sink!). When traveling for long periods in a cramped space, it's so nice to have a big comfy bed and be able to stand up straight while cleaning, cooking, and navigating around the vehicle with another person. Also, when you spend a good amount of time cooking and cleaning inside your vehicle, it makes a huge difference to have a large countertop and a nice big sink.
The kitchen table is also on a swivel, is height adjustable, and can be lowered all the way to turn the dining area into a bench seat/couch. The nomadic air conditioning system is top of the line and we were able to stay cool traveling throughout the summer with no issues. The 40 gallon water tank is also so nice because (depending on your usage) you can easily go more than a few weeks without having to fill up. The outdoor shower attachment is also a great feature especially because of the battery powered water heater.
Overall, Seaweed feels so homey and spacious compared to other built-out vans I have traveled in. We really didn’t want it to feel like you were inside a vehicle, and it truly feels like you are traveling inside a tiny home rather than a bus.
WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE TO THE BUS:
-Put on all new tires, replaced both batteries (diesels have two batteries in the engine), replaced brake pads, replaced the fuel pump and fuel lines, AC Compressor, and brand new glow plugs.
