I thought it was ‘weird’ to live in a bus – but after a test run we didn’t want to go back to reality and sold our house

A COUPLE went from thinking living out of a bus was outlandish to raising their newborn baby in one – a bus conversion is next.

All it took was one bad at work to get their life on the road in motion.

Tío Aventura

Tío Aventura

Tío Aventura

Mariajosé and Chase, a husband and wife duo that abandoned the typical nine-to-five lifestyle for a life of freedom on four wheels, post their conversions of vans and retired buses on their YouTube channel (@ mariajoseandchase ).

Mariajosé moved to Wisconsin in 2015 from Venezuela, where she met Chase – it seemed like love at first sight.

Chase was a general manager for Best Buy , and the couple packed up and moved to Nashville, Tennessee so he could continue his work with the company.

Three years later, Chase unfortunately lost his job, and Mariajose continued working to keep the family going.

Chase had spent much of his childhood camping with his family, and as an avid camper, began seeing videos from users converting buses or vans into livable spaces while on the road.

His parents even told him about a person they knew who converted a retired school bus into an Airbnb and was fairly successful with it.

“I thought it was the stupidest thing ever, because I thought, ‘Who would pay to sleep in a bus? That’s so weird,'” Chase told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview.

Chase and Mariajosé weren’t aware of it at the time, but the seed to live on the road was already planted and growing – rapidly.

As they watched more videos, it took one bad day for the couple to start their search for a project.

“I had a terrible day at work and then I texted him and said, ‘Maybe we should get a bus,'” said Mariajosé.

Chase said he felt conflicted, because on one hand, he felt compelled to continue working, but on the other, the dream of living on the road didn’t seem so farfetched.

Before they knew it, they were building a home out of a retired 40-foot bus.

From the videos on their channel, no one would ever guess that Chase wasn’t always as handy as he appeared to be.

“I never had much experience building things, but I had a vision,” he said.

I thought it was the stupidest thing ever, because I thought, ‘Who would pay to sleep in a bus? That’s so weird.

Chase, YouTuber

“I watched a lot of YouTube videos to learn how to build, and it took about four years to build the bus.”

After the build was complete, the couple was hooked on the freedom that came with traveling from coast to coast.

Their original plan was to only travel for a few months before “hopping back to reality,” but the open road was too irresistible.

However, the bus felt a little big for the couple, and they sold their bus and transitioned to a Ford Transit van, where Chase waved his wand and made it home.

Then Mariajosé fell pregnant with their first child – but it didn’t put their lifestyle on pause.

They sold their home in Nashville and decided to live in their van full-time.

Instead, after their daughter was born, they traveled with her in the van for the first three months of her life.

HOW DID THEY DO IT?

Tío Aventura

Mariajosé and Chase said the van had plenty of space for the three of them.

“Thankfully we didn’t need to make many changes except for making space for a car seat,” said Mariajosé.

They didn’t have a bassinet for her, but their daughter was close by.

“She slept with us, so it wasn’t that hard,” she said.

As their daughter grew so did their ambitions, and the couple decided to buy a shop in Nashville where they could build conversions for customers.

Tips for traveling in an RV

Whether in a big or small rig, there are a few things every traveler should know before hitting the road

Having a home on wheels is a great way to save money and travel safely, but there are a few things that should be addressed before traveling long distances and parking for extended periods.

• Consider the location. Different regions and climates present different challenges, like warm days but cold nights, persistent rain and humidity, or extremely dry air. Knowing what you’re driving into can help make the stay more comfortable.
• Factor in costs and prepare. How much are RV campsites? Average fuel costs? Are there laundromats nearby that accept credit or debit cards? Are there hardware stores close by in case something breaks? How about RV insurance?
• Be flexible. As always when traveling, it’s important to plan, but travelers must stay flexible when things go unexpectedly.
• Pack lightly. Even though an RV is a home on wheels, a small space will quickly teach travelers how to organize items by what’s necessary and what’s convenient.
• Consider the weather. Pack according to the weather, and take note that insulation in an RV isn’t as effective as insulation in a house. Always bring extra items to keep warm or cool.

Source: Progressive Auto Insurance

There’s a house on the property for Chase, Mariajosé, and his family can retreat to, though they prefer to be mobile in their van.

Then the couple discovered she was pregnant with another child, and decided it was time for their next project: another retired school bus.

Mariajosé laughed at the irony of their rig situation.

“When we had the bus first there was too much space, so we went to a van and when I got pregnant [again] I was like ‘Maybe this is too small,'” she said.

“Then we figured it was too small of a space so we bought a bus!”

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS

Tío Aventura

The bus is still in construction following the birth of their second child, a boy, in June.

They’re planning on a queen bedroom for themselves , and are building a separate room with bunk beds for their children.

Chase has ambitious plans to keep the children’s room safe from strangers by removing the windows and has already added air conditioning and solar to the rig.

Currently, the couple is with family in Wisconsin while they adjust to sleepless nights with a newborn.