Today's converted bus success story begins in Florida, gearing into action just before the summer of 2014. A restless young couple from Oregon, who had spent a year residing in the Sunshine State, started thinking up ways to make their journey back home one they could cherish forever.
It is no wonder, then, that they decided to go along the Bluebird-turned-mobile home route. Armed with creative flair and a sense of adventure, Steven and Lindsey worked hard to create their ideal travelling sanctuary.
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Their Oregon Trail pursuit may already have come to a close, but we think the home they crafted deserves to be revisited. So buckle up your seat-belts and join us for a ride along this converted bus home tour.
This is the bus that started it all. A 1984 Bluebird from Damascus, Georgia. Steven actually traveled 6 hours from Florida to collect his and Lindsey's new road-trip companion.
This is the new and improved Oregon Trail Bluebird in all its glory. A fresh coat of white paint and metallic touches along the sides are all one needs to make a run-down bus' exteriors look good as new.
Who says an old bus can't be sustainable? Solar panels are part of this New Oregon Trail bus' charm and you'll soon see that the interiors were primarily made with reclaimed materials.
Time to board the bus, and make ourselves at home. As they contoured the East Coast and set their sights toward the Pacific North West, Steven and Lindsey made sure to visit friends and family residing all over the country.
But we are getting a little bit ahead of ourselves. So let's take a small u-turn to refocus our attention to the bus' entrance. Now, this may seem like your everyday bench, but it hides a surprise of its own.
It's actually a storage box, for shoes and other travel essentials. Pretty neat, huh?
The dinette's seats have these handy storage compartments too. Steven and Lindsey actually got that table free - they just spruced it up a little with some strategic cutting, sanding and staining.
And now we're back in the kitchen. The counter tops were built ahead of time, before the bus was refurbished, using recycled lumber.
The kitchen has simple appliances, which, according to the nomadic couple, work like a charm. That propane camping stove, for instance, has been previously used to make pizzas, biscuits and even a berry cobbler.
Other amenities in this kitchen include a portable fridge/freezer and a pump sink.
Keep walking forward to see the compact bathroom. Initially, a dry flush toilet was all they had on the bus, but the couple did try to come up with different ideas to include a shower as well.
Alas, we can't verify whether they succeeded in these endeavors.
Thus we finally reach the back of the bus. Here we will find the bedroom and closet area. Separate clothes compartments were built over the rear wheels' wells. Rubber grip mats were placed inside each shelf to prevent the plastic totes from falling.
Each shelf was made using old pallet boards, which were sanded down and pierced in place.
This is the only view we have of the bed. The mattress looks quite comfortable, though, and we like the fact the space underneath has been efficiently used for storage.
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Lindsey and Steven took a leap of faith when they decided to make their converted bus road-trip. As far as we can tell, the journey was definitely worth their while. The Bluebird dwellers are certain to have many stories to share from what many would consider the cross-country expedition of a lifetime.