Vanlife has become a very popular movement over the last few years, and for singles or couples, seems like a great way to travel, explore and even work remotely. But what does this look like for families? Join us as we share our experiences from converting a shuttle bus into the ultimate family adventure mobile.
Deciding on a bus conversion
My fondest memories from my childhood include family camping trips, and I’ve always dreamed of visiting the iconic national parks, so naturally, an epic road trip would be the best way to go.
At the time, our kids were still very young, aged 2 and 1, and most RV layouts simply didn’t meet our needs with open floor plans and convertible beds. Since we originally planned on traveling for one year, we wanted something that felt like home, was easy to drive and that could allow us to be flexible on the road wherever we go.
We were following a few Instagram accounts at the time and were really inspired by the idea of a bus conversion. We loved the layout of the @theamericanfieldtrip bus and decided that it would be the ideal solution for our family. And so the search for a bus began...
How we found our bus
The next step, and probably the most difficult and time-consuming, was finding a used bus in good condition. We did A LOT of research into different makes and models, engines, etc. We cast a huge search net, from coast to coast across Canada and the USA. and ended up finding a bus in Vancouver. We found the listing on repo.com in late November and as crazy as it sounds, two days later I was on a plane from Zurich to Vancouver to check it out. After searching for 3 months and with time running out to start our build, we couldn't risk passing up a good find.
The bus had been repossessed from a health care facility and had regular maintenance therefore was in good condition. A bonus to finding a vehicle on the West coast was that the milder climate meant it had minimal rust damage.
I contacted Dynamic Specialty Vehicles, a local bus sales and service center and they were able to send over a mechanic to check it over before I bought it. After bringing it back to their shop, a few minor repairs were made, and the bus seats were removed.
It was a whirlwind 4-day trip, and in the end, I was able to make the purchase, get it inspected and repaired, and even organized to have it shipped back to Ontario for the conversion.
Hiring help for the build
Since we were living in Switzerland at the time, we needed to find someone who could help us with the build. To do it ourselves would have been a huge investment in time and energy. Since most bus conversion companies are located in the US, we had to get creative to find someone in Ontario. We had the idea to contact tiny home builders with expertise in designing compact, off-grid living spaces.
We were so excited when Cabinscape, a Canadian-owned company that offers custom-designed, low impact, and ecologically sound tiny cabin rentals, agreed to work with us. Their cabins had the look and feel we wanted for our project, plus they were knowledgeable in designing off-grid spaces to withstand Canadian winters.
We worked closely together with Cabinscape to design the interior and layout and had regular calls to see how the project was progressing.
We started to sell our belongings in Switzerland, packed our bags and flew to Toronto in July 2019 to pick up the completed bus conversion and did the finishing touches ourselves before hitting the road in August, 2019.
What are you waiting for?
If you're looking for a fun and cost-effective way to get out and enjoy the outdoors, then an RV road trip is a great way to create family memories and traditions. Whether you decide to buy an existing vehicle or want the freedom to customize your own, there are so many options available for you to choose. There's never been a better time to hit the road and start your next adventure!
If you're interested in learning more about life on the road or taking a tour through our bus, check out the Buslife article section from our blog.