Hello everyone. I'm a new member and although I have been visiting the forum for about six months now, I was able to join just about a week ago.
First off, I'm fairly new to the busnut fever so I know I will have many questions and hope you don't get tired of me. As I learn and put that knowledge to practice I will surely also respond whenever I can be of help.
I live in Altadena, California in Los Angeles County and was born into a family of truckers in Central America. I was driving big rigs at eight years of age and have always liked big diesel anything. Growing up I always wanted to be a truck driver but my parents did not like that idea. I worked in IT for about eight years but the call of the open road forced me to change careers. I picked up a book or two and learned web programming so that I could take work on the road.
I got married ten years ago and my wife and I have always wanted to travel. So, on new years day 2007 we decided that we were going to drive to Patagonia from Los Angeles. We bought a VW Vanagon Westfalia and in three months I had swapped the weak boxer engine for a turbo charged diesel engine from a Jetta. Did tons of work on it and we were ready by July. By September, only a month before we departed, our saving had gone down the drain because of car problems and other stuff; not to mention that my wife who is a midwife was then two months pregnant with our third child. So, we stayed and postponed our trip.
Fast forward three and a half years and my wife says, "I think we should have our last baby (#4) and take our trip". That is all she had to say. We were in trip mode again.
My wife came home soon after that and said to me, "I just saw the coolest bus parked by Marne's (our friend) house". She said that she asked if she could check it out and she fell in love. Now, call me ignorant but I have to tell you that I had never seen a converted bus before until that night as we browse the web looking for them. We fell in love. We sold our Vanagon and set out to buy our first bus.
I like to do research before I buy but I'm also a bit impulsive and I ended up buying a bus converted by a guy in San Jose. The bus is a 4106, looked great, clean and things worked when we took it for a test but as soon as we (the family) put it to the test we noticed that there were many things that were not done or done incorrectly or half-a@@. So, I set out to work on it like I now know most people do to make it like OUR home. It turned out that there were too many things that needed work and I ended up feeling overwhelmed because there is one thing to have an empty bus and build it from scratch but for me it's so much more work to take something apart and fix it. Especially with four kids; including a two month old.
Almost done.
So, we set out to find another bus. Now, I have more experience and know what I'm looking for in a conversion and we found it. We have now bought a 4107 that was very well done. It was converted a while ago but it was done right and the bus has been taken care of very well. Not to mention that it's an automatic and although I LOVE manual, it was a bit tiring when driving it specially because it lacked power steering.
So this is where we are. We are about to build some bunks, transfer all the house power supply devices including a new genset that I bought and solar panels and we will take it for our first outing hopefully by the end of October.
Here some pictures of our 4106: http://s1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii596/farabundo-marti/GMC%204106/ (http://s1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii596/farabundo-marti/GMC%204106/)
And our 4107: http://s1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii596/farabundo-marti/GMC4107%20-%20Before/ (http://s1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii596/farabundo-marti/GMC4107%20-%20Before/)
If you made it this far, thank you for reading.
David
Thanks for sharing David,
I might suggest that you keep in mind that these older GM's are NEVER finished. I thought mine was "converted" when I bought it but I've spent four years to get it where it is today. I'd probably be driving a VW myself if it wasn't for all the help from so many "Busnuts". I found a lot of help and guidance with the Western GM Bus club. You might want to look into that since you are located in a very favorable area to share in activities.
You have a rather unique problem that I can't relate to---- Which Bus to work on!
Hope to see Ya down the oad.
Welcome to the group! You will learn a whole lot from these forums. I know I sure have!
The bus with the bunks does not look so bad on the inside. Are you combining the two into one?
What part of Central America? We have been in Nicaragua many times.
You might check out our bus build. We are finishing our bunk room. Also one of the cargo bays will be another kids' play/sleep room, with its own small flat screen TV and DVD player, and with inside access from "upstairs".
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=22081.0 (http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=22081.0)
Blessings.
Mex-Busnut - Mucho gusto amigo. Que placer me da de saber de alguien sur de la frontera con quien podamos compartir ideas e informacion.
Now for all to understand:
I was born in El Salvador and came to the USA at the end of the 1980s because of the civil war. Our plan is to settle in Nicaragua probably indefinitely. We are not sure yet because El Salvador needs helping hands right now that is in the reconstruction stage and we are still young and have half our energy left. On the other hand, Nicaragua is also in the reconstruction stage and we have felt that we are called to join or start a church there. We are at this point waiting for confirmation from the One above. Have you driven your Dina to Nicaragua?
RedRider - I know what you mean about never being finished. I already have a bunch of things I want to do to the 4107 that will take me through 2013 and beyond. I'm actually thinking of combining stuff from the 4106 on the 4107 because the 4106 is for sale and no one so far wants to buy it complete. I need to get it out of my driveway so I can get my 4107 in here and start work on it so we can take it on our first outing. Know of anyone looking? I did not know about a Western GM Bus Club. I will check it out right now.
Thanks,
David
O. K., David. We are full time church planters based in central Mexico. We have been to 27 countries on five continents so far. We also do a lot of teaching in Bible Schools, seminaries and pastors' conferences, especially Asia (India, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong ) and Latin America.
My queen has 13 centers spread around central Mexico, for battered and abused girls and women. She also does 20-30 major women's conferences every year. Coming up: San Diego, Cali and Dallas TX. Anyway, we keep busy!
Have not been to Nicky (Nicaragua) by land yet: Always by air. Usually the plane stops in Guatemala City or San Salvador. We take teams of doctors, dentists, agronomists, plastic surgery, etc. Most teams are 100% Mexican volunteers.
Maybe next year we can drive the bus down.
What ministry are you working with?
Interesting thread - but one question to 'Mex' - when y'all be in Dallas?
We are in Mexico City at the moment, away from home. I believe Dallas is the first week of November. I will check when I get home.
hi david welcome we are from costa rica if you get down this way stop buy and say hi john
Greetings and welcome to fellow younger GM techy nomadic busnuts :)
We fall in love with our 4106 more and more every day, and have been loving life on the road in a bus!
Have you guys been able to connect with the families on the road communities? There are lots of folks like yourselves hitting the roads with the kids onboard. If you haven't, I'll be happy to gather some links for you.
Best wishes,
- Cherie
Hello everyone.
Mex-Busnut - Mexico City hah? That is one place we dream of visiting and if everything goes right we will be stopping on the way down to our final destination. I'm going to be in Scottsdale, AZ at the beginning of November doing some work at a datacenter there and its too bad is so far. Let me know if you are ever in the Los Angeles area. Have you driven your Dina to Nicaragua yet? Is your home church in Dallas?
Crown - We will definitely come to Costa Rica and will remember this post and will try to contact you. Did you drive your bus there?
Technomania - First off, you two have beautiful 4106. I have been following your site since we first bought our 4106 and used it very often. You two great work and like me are a pair of computer geeks (in a good way). We would love to have some of your connections. So far, we don't know what the best route is for us to drive on in such a big bus. We have some places in mind we want to visit but we are not sure about the road conditions getting there, mechanic shops, tools needed for the voyage, etc., and we are in the process of gathering all of that information. I think we are bringing our 4107 home this coming week and we are donating our 4106 to a local community radio station. I could not sell it and what we are doing instead is taking all the stuff that we purchased new and installing it on the newly acquired 4107.
Thank you for all the responses.