Van life living and renovations aren’t exactly new. People have been doing them long before they went viral.
Josh Jackling’s grandparents had started living the van life in the ’70s.
They worked hard to renovate a 1954 vintage school bus. And after they were done giving it a makeover, they drove it more than 275,000 miles across two different continents. They were even able to visit the tip of Argentina.
When the grandfather passed away, he left the bus to Josh.
He was only 16 years old at that time. And for two years, he lived in it in his grandmother’s yard.
Josh admits that has always been attracted to the bus.
At a young age, he’d climb around it just to get a good look at all of its parts. He found it fascinating.
Now that he’s married, he plans on doing the same thing his grandparents did.
However, since life before is very different from today’s, he decided to renovate the vintage bus. He actually started working on it 10 years ago but for some reason, he abandoned the project.
After taking a development class, he felt reinvigorated.
He went back to look at what he’d accomplished and spent three years finishing his incomplete project. The vintage bus looked so different.
Josh isn’t a fan of small living spaces.
They make him feel claustrophobic. To solve that issues, he decided to cut off the roof of the bus and had it raised by about 13 inches. He ditched the overhead cabinets as well to open up as much space as possible.
Living in a bus means not having enough space.
Josh knows this so he prioritized his storage spaces. He made sure that there was enough room for his large battery and water. It was a good call; both allow them to last two weeks off-grid so they won’t have to worry about plugging into electricity or water. They can even go for days without dumping tanks and refilling water.
The bus looks more modern.
The couple was able to fit in a full-sized tile shower, queen-sized bed, and even a full couch. They even get to enjoy a wood-fired stove.
In their kitchen, you’ll find a large sink, microwave, and an oven and grill combo. They also have a 9-foot bar which they had made out of reclaimed pine. It serves as their workspace and dining area.
Of course, Josh and his wife prioritized their comfort as well.
The bus comes with A/C heating and LED lighting. They made sure that they were energy efficient.
The process of renovating the bus wasn’t easy.
It involved a series of trial and error. However, seeing the results, it’s safe to say that the couple’s effort was worth it.
The couple reassessed where they were financially. And to make sure that they could live the life they want, they sold some of their belongings. They even rented out their house.
In an interview with Fox News, Josh shared:
“We tore everything out. Even the sides of the bus came off. We got the roof off and even raised the roof up. There’s really not much left on the bus that was even original. I changed the, the front axle, the rear axle, the suspension.”
The couple created social media pages called “Crowned in style” so they can share their adventures on the road. On TikTok, it says: “Passionately creating our dreams of traveling the country in our 1954 crown bus.”
Watch the video below to get a tour of this amazing house on wheels!
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