Family Ditches Stressful City For Van Conversion
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Melli, Wallo, their daughter Alva and baby Aaris are German and living full-time in their Mercedes Bus called BOB. Having had a VW T4 even before Alva was born, Melli and Wallo figured out all they wanted was to travel. Both found themselves trapped in 60+ hours of work per week, going back and forth between “Who is picking up Alva today?” and falling into bed in the evenings. In order to have another child, their situation should change and when Melli got pregnant with Aaris, things got crystal clear: Let’s do this!Hence the VW T4 got replaced by a 1981 Mercedes 508D Bus – less of a car and more of a house on wheels. The bus has two Diesel tanks and the tires are a bit too heavy for off road but there have been no problems so far. Because the engine is so old, it needs 1 liter of oil for every 1000 kilometers. The roof offers space for four boxes with tools, tires, baby stuff and more.
Inside, the first gem is an amazing, small wood stove for cozy evenings in the living room aka playing room aka dining table aka extra bed. The kitchen is simple and the tap has 3 different water filter systems, to make sure Melli would get the best water during her pregnancy. A cooking stove with three flames and an oven makes sure that nice meals can be cooked, besides handy bags that carry all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Hot water is not missing and reaches the bathroom, the kitchen and even the outside area.The bathroom is small but handy: the sink has got an extractable shower-head. The laundry bags are taking up slightly too much space - considering Melli’s baby belly that had to pass through at the time.
The bed is bigger than any bed Wallo and Melli have ever had and Wallo even cut out a small piece of the cardboard in order to be able to extend his legs. Right underneath, Alva has got her own big bed that turns into a playground during the day. There are lot of books, as she loves to read, and if it’d go after her she would have many more. When she closes the curtains, no one should disturb and her parents must (!) knock in order to get to her. They have quite a lot of things stored and are still in the process of minimizing. Alva’s things and toys take up quite some space – but she also deserves them.The van conversion took a lot of time and Melli and Wallo thought they’d never finish it. Eventually it happened, and the feeling was so nice that all the bad times just vanished. Many families are scared to take this step and here is a beautiful proof that it is possible. Their advice? Be honest to yourself. First try out a vacation in a van, see how it feels and then figure out how you feel about the whole concept: Love it or leave it!