by Bryan Scott
We are Bryan and Jen and Karma, the wonderdog.
We are now embarking on a different journey all together. One that is equal parts exciting, frightening, unbelievable, logical and insane all wrapped up into one. We are now officially nomads and are living on the road. The PanAmerican highway to be specific (or at least near it).
As of July 2012 we no longer have daily jobs and no longer have a place to call home. The journey is our home and E, our bus is the method of getting there. Slowly. We are trying to find ourselves by getting lost and trying to see life through a lens that just hasn’t been possible over the last decade. We don’t know what to expect, where we will end up or how long it will take, but we are petty sure that we’ll know it we stumble upon it.
The Bus
This is E.
E is our 1967 Type II VW Bus.
E wasn’t always such a looker.
Below is a list of our major projects to date.
Were it that we had a woodshop and proper tools, this would have been a lot of fun and I think a relatively quick build. Instead, since we were living in a studio condo, weren’t allowed to work in the unit or garage, and had only a set of battery powered tools (drill/driver, circular saw and jigsaw) to complete the project things became a bit “interesting.” For lack of a better solution, the bus became our mobile workshop (and canvas).
View of the fridge on the left, the lounge/couch (which Karma claims as her own until told otherwise) with spare tire storage underneath. That space may well prove to be overflow storage if we move the spare to the roof rack.
Since its the most popular question when looking at the interior…the material on the cabinet doors and fridge face isn’t bamboo. It’s Kirei, another eco-material, made of 100% recycled sorghum root. We found it absolutely beautiful and thought the contrast and texture were perfect for the camper.
Just don’t look too closely at the craftsmanship and all is fine! I highly recommend a table saw before starting your own camper build, but we’re proof that it’s possible with whatever you’ve got laying around!
I’m honestly not sure this project will ever be entirely “complete,” and there are a few things I already would do differently if we had it to do all over again. But, we are at least at the stage where we have a functional camper and (so far) we are loving every second of it!
We are driving our 67 VW bus through Mexico/Central America and beyond.
No plan, only a mantra, “leap and the net will appear.”
Follow our travels here: http://www.thedangerz.com/
Current Location: Playa Maderas, Nicaragua
You can get a nice straight cut with a circular if you clamp a straight edge to the piece being cut. Poor man’s table saw.
great idea, but sadly we built the camper while living in a small condo and the only tools we had were a battery powered drill/driver and jigsaw.
not perfect, but it worked!
Love your 67 “pre slider door” bus. I had a 1977 VW camper conversion (poor mans Westphalia) that I traveled around the country in for about 8 months, it was a blast and one of the smartest things I ever did. Enjoy, savor the moment, have fun
Nice job! Where is yer stuff though? From where did you begin your journey?
Any traveling mods to drivetrain or suspension?
Looking forward to additional posts…
most of these photo were taken before we stuff it full and took off, but we tried to embed enough storage that most everything stayed put away and the living space was clean/assessable.
no mods other than putting back fixing broken leafs and trying to return to stock height (previous owner had lowered the bus a bit).
LOL I live in one of these in Hawaii. I literally had zero money and found some carpet thrown out on the beach and used that for the inside of the VW Bus. Great memories. I see you are in Nicaragua, my birth place, headed there shortly. Enjoy. YeS! Leap and the Net shall appear.
If you get to Georgetown, Guyana, stop by and say hi. Would love to get some ideas on building up a camper/van as you have done.
Great journeys!
Alan
Closing in on 70 y.o. and still passionate about what you’re doing. I did it in Europe yrs. ago and the trip still tingles my brain. Life is so short and who said it has to be boring or stable (as in other’s opinions of life)? Continue on your merry/confident way and enjoy each other’s company…..Life is great and meant to be an adventure……Stay Happy, Confident, Resourceful and know you’re the envy of many who stare at a computer all day and go home and yell at the dog…….
Let’s go!
I’m so impressed! And quite interested in nomadic life. May I ask, how do you stay connected to the real world in terms of mail, social security, voting, taxes (basically anything that requires an address)?
Not sure if email et al. is the real world, or if they are living in the real world. I wish them luck and one day may make a similar trip.
I don’t know Cheryl…maybe there’s is the real world. Besides, you can keep in touch with just about anything with wifi and a dream.
I applaud, envy and admire you for your quest. Having traveled the AlCan (Alaska/Canadian) highway five times myself, one by myself, I too love to travel. It’s a beautiful thing you are doing.
I will keep in touch with your journey.
Safe Travels.
staying connected is quite easy (which isnt always good).
we chose not to have a phone so we werent too connected, but wifi and email are easy enough to come by most anywhere.
have a great but safe adventure. The van looks awsum. Do you have a tarp/awning to attach to the van for when it rains? I lived for a week in a cave, on a beach at the tip of Baja, due to a mis-adventure … remembered now with fond memories. Sandburns insurance co used to have a fab road guide with imfo for travelers. My Dad kept his for years … we made notes on the pages too as part of the reference.
We live in the mountains of Costa Rica,near Turrialba, look us up when you get here. ginnee at gmail.com
that would be awesome!!
Bryan, Jen, & of course, Karma, I admire you guys for the fantastic job you have done & continue to do with your little toy, mind you ( E), there is nothing wrong with what you have set your mind & hearts to accomplish in your journey, continue the great work & above all live your life that makes you most Happy, as the most quote goes in life, Live, Laugh, Love get the most out of what your doing while you have that God given talent, I admire you for doing what you do. Good luck & God Bless…
So is there a kitchen in the back sort of like a teardrop trailer? I like solution for a table and some of the storage. One never knows exactly how things are going to work out until they are used. You get your money and enjoyment out of what you have created and then . . . remodel! People do it all the time.
the “kitchen” is actually just inside the cargo doors. the black glass you see is the lid over the 2 burner cooktop and weve since installed a faucet towards the right door.
Funny you should mention it though…our current project is building a teardrop camper to get around while were in the PNW for the summer. Love a good project, and this time weve got access to tools!!
Sounds great but I’m wondering if this idea is funded off savings? How do you pay for gas, food, etc.
yes. sadly.
weve yet to figure out how to make money to survive but are still enjoying our “temporary retirement”.
we spent the 5 years or so before leaving downsizing, paying off debt and saving money to ensure we could live a different lifestyle for at least 2 years.
turns out that that process was far more rewarding and and the real life changer. the trip was/is easy after that 😉
So is there a kitchen in the back sort of like a teardrop trailer? I like the solution for a table and some of the storage. One never knows exactly how things are going to work out until they are used. You get your money and enjoyment out of what you have created and then . . . remodel! People do it all the time.
Really enjoy learning about your camper and adventures!! Echoing another comment, where do you keep your ‘stuff’? And the great question we all want to know, what do you do about a toilet and shower?? Thanks! Enjoy, be safe! Blessings!
we built in plenty of cabinets, so the stuff is stuffed 😉
used a camp shower when needed, and often to stay cool. was nice to be able to rinse off the saltwater.
toilet… well we bought a fold camp toilet but tried not to have to use it. was nice in an emergency however!
You may want to check out the posted blog and site of a Brad & Sheena. They are now in Asia after shipping their VW over from South America.
You may pick up some idea’s from their experiences and mechanical issues.
http://www.drivenachodrive.com/2013/08/a-series-of-unfortunate-events/
Brave souls! But while your young and have each other is the time to do it! Happy Exploring! Marlynne
There’s naught wrong with your craftsmanship.
Reminds me of DR Davenport ( the Divine Right) and his search for his girlfriend Estelle as recounted in the Whole Earth Catalog(ue).
Hoping to do something similar around Europe soon.
My honey and I lived in a 1959 split window in the 70’s, moved in it to New Mexico in ’78. It did the cross Canada trip with no reverse and only would start with a push! Best times of our lives. Grab every moment you can, money means nothing, enjoy each other and be sure you have a copy of the VW Idiots Guide, it was our bible. Travel safe, love each other, all the best, Aunt B
Reminds me of my 1970’s VW pop top camper, interesting bus rafted some good rivers in it, and had some great times. Have a great trip.