On the road with my bus

Amidst all that is going on, my café project still keeps flowing – in its own pace.
About three weeks ago, I returned to Portugal to pick up my bus from the mechanic. I am so happy and enjoy it so much to finally be able to drive it. Driving, finally being on the road again, this freedom of movement … how I have missed it.

The purchase of the bus and the unexpected extensive repairs that have been done so far – all this was possible thanks to your donations – and I thank each and every one of you who contributed to this from the bottom of my heart!

So, where do we go from here?

So much has already been done  – and a great deal remains to be done to turn my bus into my travelling raw food café and home.

The mechanic did a great job; the repair was in fact almost a reconstruction: cylinder head gasket, water pump, timing belt, diesel injection pump, camshaft, suspension joints, drive shaft axle joints, heater, radiator fan, oil cooler, exhaust pipe, … and many other things were replaced or repaired.

So, this is Tukkii. We’ve been driving around the world together for about three weeks now, and it’s such a joy. I am very excited about my “new” vehicle.

My bus will turn 29 in september. It was a conscious decision to buy such an old car; I don’t feel comfortable at all in modern vehicles with all the electronics in them. Plus, i find it very advantageous that it is much easier to carry out necessary repairs on the older models.

A few days ago, it successfully passed the yearly inspection – without any problems, everything is fine.

Next on the agenda are various rust jobs, as you can see in the photos. Nothing dramatic, just a lot of smaller, mainly superficial rust spots that I need to take care of as soon as possible so they don’t get worse. And new seals for all the doors. I plan to do this myself – a whole new field of activity for me. The driver’s seat is also pretty worn out – I’ll probably have to replace it at some point. Or maybe the existing one can be reupholstered? For a start, I scrubbed it thoroughly and upholstered it with a small woven rug and embellished it with a large cloth.

And after that – the extension. Transforming my bus into my home and get the travelling raw food café out there on the road. How long that will take – I have no idea. Not least depending on the flow of money. Most of the donations from the funding have now been used up.

New eBooks are in the works, which will hopefully contribute to this. Of course, my crowdfunding campaign keeps running and I am still grateful for every incoming donation, by whatever means.

Give as you wish

Shortly, we’ll be heading north – to collect my belongings that have been waiting for me in Germany for almost five months.

The first long road trip with my bus. It’s going to be super-simple bus life … in an almost “naked” bus. I’m looking forward to the adventure – and I’ll be sure to tell you all about it.

Wonderful life!