The dream of owning your own bus…

An incredibly beautiful and honest post about converting a van, written by Mireille @expeditiontohappiness . Mireille is from Luxembourg and takes stunning photographs . She spends every free minute traveling with her boyfriend Thierry and their dog Haley, most recently in their camper! Mireille describes below how it all came about and how the van conversion went:

To be free, to be able to go wherever I feel like every day, not to be tied down and simply drive towards the sun… A dream!

For years I'd dreamed of owning my own bus, long before the vanlife trend took off. Just grabbing the dog, the longboard, and my boyfriend, and hitting the road in my own bus. Sand between my toes, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes, but a huge grin on my face. Last year, my boyfriend and I finally made that dream a reality. Even though I'd always wanted an older bus, after much deliberation, I opted for a nearly new used one. The journey to a fully converted bus was long, arduous, and quite bumpy. It really tested my patience. At times, I kept asking myself why I was putting myself through all this…

I think that if you're going to buy a campervan, you should really think carefully beforehand about exactly what you want. In the years before, we traveled in different vans and quickly realized on our trips what was important to us, what we absolutely needed, and what we could easily do without. We ultimately chose a Ford Transit Custom van with automatic transmission and cruise control. An empty panel van. 'We'll take our time,' 'No stress,' 'Easy' – yes, those were the words we kept saying when we bought Quinn (that's what we call our home on four wheels). The idea was to give ourselves one or two years for the van conversion and to take everything very relaxed.

On top of that, neither my boyfriend nor I have any great DIY skills, we didn't really know anything about it, and we didn't have a garage for the conversion. But thank goodness we live in a time where you can acquire a lot of knowledge thanks to social media, and we have the best neighbors in the world!

The bus expansion

First things first: We bought the bus in October 2021 and went on our first big trip in June 2022. So much for 'taking our time'... In February  In 2022, we were seized by motivation and set ourselves a goal: to set off on our journey with Quinn in mid-June. No sooner said than done. We both had full-time jobs, so every evening after an 8-hour workday, we went home to work on Quinn until late into the night. Please don't follow our example! Was it exhausting? Hell yes, it was, but with each passing day, each passing week, we could see the changes to the bus, and that gave us a huge sense of accomplishment.  Motivation boost!

I had very specific ideas, so I dedicated myself to the plans, and my boyfriend really enjoyed the renovation and slowly but surely turned into a 'Bob the Builder'. Painting, smaller, more detailed tasks, and decorating, on the other hand, were things I happily took care of. A perfect division of labor, I'd say.

We didn't have any work done on our bus, except for installing two windows, which, in hindsight, we could easily have done ourselves. But back then we lacked the courage… I mean, as amateurs, sawing holes in the body of your vehicle? Nope! Not with us :) So we paid way too much (we know that now!) and got Quinn back two days later with a roof window and a skylight. Money we really could have saved (again: social media is your best friend, and it takes some courage!), but we were totally happy. We insulated with self-adhesive Armaflex. One observation we kept making is how astonishing it is how thoroughly you work in the first few days, and how you take that thoroughness less seriously each day… Nevertheless, you should take your time with the insulation, because a well-insulated bus is worth so much!

We deliberately decided against installing an electrical connection because we want to be truly self-sufficient and connected to nature while camping. We'll most likely install a heater at a later date. Since we don't plan to live in the van permanently but only travel with it for now, a large and powerful power station that can be charged via solar panels is perfectly sufficient!
Yes, and even after our trip we are still convinced of our decision!

What was really important to me:

There were a few things that were really important to me, things I absolutely wanted to have on the bus:

Ample storage space for sports equipment and clothing

We're not exactly minimalists, and even when traveling, we need to bring a few things along. Our longboards, skateboards, and SUPs simply take up a lot of space. That's one of the reasons we decided to install a roof rack.

Space for our dog Haley

Of course, she should feel at home and comfortable on the bus, and she did! We're especially well-equipped with the versatile outdoor dog blanket with its waterproof underside. It's particularly important that she has a cozy dog ​​blanket that's durable and washable. We especially love that there's now a dog-owner bundle available, so we can cuddle with Haley together.

The sleeping place

A large bed, comfortable pillows, and cozy blankets so we can spend relaxing evenings at our campsites and sleep soundly. We opted for Unfold blankets. I got the cuddly blanket , my boyfriend chose the travel blanket , and we love them! The blankets are true all-rounders: they keep you warm, are super lightweight, and (thanks to the stuff sack) are extremely easy to pack in the van. The blankets are water-repellent, which is incredibly practical when traveling.
After thoroughly testing our blankets, we can confidently say we never want to travel without them again :) My cuddly blanket kept me incredibly warm at 1500m altitude during storms, wind, and a chilly 9 degrees Celsius in summer, and even my perpetually frozen feet stayed nice and warm. The only problem: Haley also loves the blankets, and we have some rather lengthy discussions with her before bedtime :) That's why we're considering getting another cuddly blanket, because they're our personal highlight in the campervan!

A good cooler

...because Food is Life!

A water tank:

We decided against having a sink in the bus. On our travels we We realized we simply didn't need it. We're usually on the road when it's warm, and a small sink in the van is just a waste of space and actually unnecessary. That's why we opted for a water tank with a shower function. You can wash up outside, after all.

Extendable kitchen

Cooking outdoors is great when the weather is nice.

awning

So that on sunny days you can also sit in the shade in front of the bus, and at  So you can sit dry even on rainy days. (After our first trip with Quinn, one thing is clear: the awning is a must-have!)

We spent an incredible amount of time on Pinterest, and yes, this platform is definitely very helpful for getting inspiration, but every bus is different, and not everything that looks nice in pictures fits in every bus…

Conclusion

If we've learned anything from converting a bus, it's that you often find yourself on the verge of despair, but there are solutions for almost everything. And one more thing: If you're thinking about fulfilling your dream of owning your own bus: Please, take breaks, because, as is so often the case, they are incredibly important!

We are absolutely thrilled that we listened to our hearts, proud of ourselves for having made it, and there's nothing we love more than traveling with our second home. And if you ask me, I'd be ready for another trip :)