a medium-bad start to bus life 

Don’t get discouraged! Make you a list and chip away at it. Don’t put a timeline on yourself. Just enjoy your journey. Not everyone gets to do what they dream of doing And you are 🥰

Suggestion for the skylight cover....Get a piece of thick seat foam about 4 inches should do it. Cut the foam just slightly larger than the opening. Now spray glue your reflectics to one side and spray glue the fabric to the other surfaces similar to upholstering a seat cushion. When completed you should be able to stuff this bad boy in the skylight opening and it should stay due to it's compression resistance. Make sure the reflectics side is up and the fabric side is toward the floor. Best Wishes and good luck.....never give in and never give up and you will eventually prevail.

You should be super proud of yourself for the things you did accomplish, look around you, It's amazing progress! Continue to refine your interior, keep busy with that. Roof mounted ac may be an option. I am super stoked every video you send to see what new thing you do...or do not do. You're an amazing personality and have the discipline to pull this off completely. Love your show!

You can buy a product called Fabri-Tac... You can fold fabric over and glue a nice finished edge...You are doing a great job and are inspiring this 70 yo lady!!! My adventure was to pack 5 suitcases and my dog and move to Costa Rica 9 yrs ago!!! Be careful, but not fearful girlie❤️❤️❤️

Good lord will you stop thinking so much ..! Lol. You are leaps and bonds further along than half will get to , you have an amazing family to fall back on if shit hits the fan. Just let yourself take to bus life naturally without preconceived notions or too much of them. Your doing amazing. Plus you already have the merch made and sold so you have to haha ❤️🤙🤟

The best memories in life are when we get out of our comfort zones. I am old and retired, however I have been to many countries and every US state, and rarely felt comfortable, but wouldn't take anything for the memories!

Ahh yes the good old "this is scary/overwhelming/stressful I GIVE UP! line of thinking, I know it well! I think you're doing better then you realize at times, like with anything, its going to have good and bad days, just take it as it comes, you're entertaining to watch!

Hey Emma, Maybe do a vlog of bloopers.... something to laugh about and remind yourself of the process and your progress. So many nomads totally suggest getting in the space and living it because there we can work through the what ifs. A full size bus is a HUGE project. You are at an advantage because you have touched it all. You know Birb and she's got to developing personality. Embrace Her 💓 Van Dwelling in the summer is tough. It's all about chasing shade and not letting the vehicle skin get warm. Get a bandana and soak in ice water. Put around your neck. Keep a spritz bottle with a mix of alcohol and water to spray on your arms legs etc. Evaporation Use cornstarch on sticky places. I have an icybreeze for our Astro. I have double layers of reflectix in the side windows. I give up a view but it's a fair trade. This is your journey and I am thankful you have shared it. And I pray you can continue to do that. Mercury retrograde is over! Saturn retrograde starting...... We can do what's in front of us. Sage that Skoolie XOXO

When the storms of life assail you And the waves overturn your boat Don’t worry about what might have been Just lay on your back and float

something to keep in mind when you're talking about the kind of people that do scary things and the kind that watch scary things is that the term 'scary' is extremely relative. public speaking and skydiving are two things some people find scary while others think of as mundane. it's great to push and expand your comfort zone but if you're waaay too scared of a certain thing, don't sweat it. there are things that you don't think twice about that give other people the heeby jeebys. everyone's different 🤙

A swamp cooler might help in the dry heat of the west. But in the east, and especially southeast, I don't see the swamp cooler providing much relief because of the high humidity. You're doing a great job, by the way. Hang in there!

I think it's perfectly natural to have a meltdown over small things. Sometimes there is a build up of stress we don't necessarily feel and it's just the straw that broke the camel's back. You have undertaken something quite extraordinary and should be very proud of what you've achieved so far.

This video made me a little jealous that I don’t have any brothers. Hang in there! You took on a lot just moving in before everything is done, I’m confident in your ever amazing ability to fitfo 😉

I enjoyed this episode , you’re so honest and real. I have no solutions for your anxiety and fears. Any normal person would have the same feelings in a similar situation. Having watched you for the past year I know that you already know that the biggest issue is :regulating the temperature. Once you get that resolved,and I know that you will, you’ll have the resolve to go where no Emma has gone before😀 stay cool

Oh by the way, one of the battery pack manufacturers - not Jackery, one of the other well-known ones - has just announced a very compact portable air conditioner (proper one, not swamp cooler) specifically for RVs, I’m sure they’d send you one free if you feature it in a video 👍

You've got some good brothers. I hope you let them know how much you appreciate them.

Saw ur bus in my neighborhood and immediately subscribed. Love the videos!! Keep going strong 💪

I agree, a new adventure is TERRIFYING!! Living in a fixed home now trying to live in a house that’s mobile, big change, not to mention that your build is incomplete and trying to live in it. You’ve done a great job building this bus and you’ve learned a lot along the way. You will figure it out and it looks like you have a great support system that is there for you. Focus on getting your bus build near completion, (these are always a work in progress trying to modify or improve), so you can make it into a home that you will be proud of and comfortable in. Hang in there!!

temp control for inexpensive living in a big steel box (like a bus or van) is all about the air flow and shade. Try to create like a wind tunnel through the bus, MaxAir/Fantastic Fan over bed and another or at least open windows in the front to get the flow. Don't forget screens! unless you love millions of flying bugs anyways lol. When it comes to swamp coolers, since you like to do things diy, check out how we stay cool at Burning Man.

It’s only been a week. You are just working all the kinks out. Eventually everything will have its place so you will be more organized. Get out there and take another short road trip and see some sights and get out and enjoy nature like you did in your first trip. Find that excitement that started you on this journey in the first place. Love your videos 🚎🚎🚎

Of course it feels stressful, because your bus isn’t done and messes makes one feel chaotic! You’re doing great, you’ll love it soon, especially once things are mostly finished, dialed in, and working, and the space is comfortable. My understanding of swamp coolers is they don’t actually cool, they just introduce moisture, which can make things FEEL cooler, same concept as when you sweat and then a breeze against it makes you feel cooler. Generally, moisture in a bus is to be minimized as much as possible, but seeing as you’re in the desert and it’s summer it shouldn’t cause issues!

Here is a suggestion, find a mobile home park near your brother that allows people who live in campers too. Gives you a starting part of bus life,take time to figure your next steps. Strap down your plastic thing that holds your clothes and etc. Other suggestion finding a lot near your brother in case you need help. Make the lot your own with flowers,vegetable garden (above ground). (I,myself thinking your are doing real good,extremely proud of you and what you stand for.) Take glass out of back door, Put window unit there. Hook up solar on roof to power window AC and minor electrical.

What will happen as you build the courage to continue is: a) you will find safe areas while traveling (Walmart), b) you will connect/network and caravan with other skoolies, c) you will find a traveling companion, d) you will learn to accept the moment and not control all the details of your life/travels. As that guy said, "Nothing to fear but fear itself ." Live a little, you've earned it!

I love your honesty and realism. Such a delightful breath of fresh air. Always a pleasure to watch your videos.

I hope your weeks improve, of course. As you know, life is unpredictable anyway. I am glad you added the intro to clarify your situation. Anyway, I wish you the best. You seem like you are more adventurous than most; I mean you took on a bus build from ground up. The most common phrase for most bus lifers I have watched is "Mistakes were made." Enjoy the ride and enjoy spending time with your family. They seem like cool people as well.

Try putting ice water in the swamp cooler. You will notice a difference. Also, you are doing a great job. Learning and growing involves trials, setbacks, and redos.

For the skylight use a UV blocking film, they sell it at most hardware stores, I use is for the skylights on my house and it made a huge difference in how hot the room was getting.

Believe in yourself. There are a bunch of us out there that believe in you.

Hi Emma, Maybe this is a solution to the bed-making battles? This has worked for me - different scenario, same mattress-sheet fight issue. Get a 2-3 inch (no bigger) mattress foam topper, should cost around $30 at WalMart. You'll have one last fight to put a fitted sheet on the mattress itself, or I guess you could leave it alone without a sheet. You won't see it. The key here is to put your nice pretty printed fitted sheet on the topper. The topper is easy to bend and fold and generally maneuver in order to pull up the far corners and just make the bed. Plus the memory foam only makes for a softer sleep. Hope this helps!!!! And Emma, I am one of the many who believe in you. Even on your cloudiest day, you shine. Thanks for having the courage to share this video. Gutsy!

If you were my daughter I'd be showing all my friends your videos and saying "See that bus my little girl did that. She didn't know how at first, but she figured it out. Did she make mistakes? You bet! Did she accomplish the task? She walked in to battle and came out victorious." Alas you're not my daughter. But I'm "Dad Proud" of all that you are accomplishing. Hang in there, we're all with you on your journey. We've got your back.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for this video. I'm currently half (a third) way through my bus build and this week I'm feeling TOTALLY lost, swamped, overwhelmed and confused. I spend about half (two thirds) of my day talking to myself about selling my bus, I sing silly songs about selling it "I'm gonna sell this God Damn bus, doo da, doo da. I'll either go crazy or go bust, GIVE THE BUS AWAY ! ! !". Of course I'm not serious, I love my bus but the last two weeks have been so hard. Two days ago I was installing roof racks, drilled 6 x 3/8" holes in the roof and it started to rain so I taped them over, we then had two days of HEAVY rain and 15cm (8in) of snow yesterday... I have no idea what i'm going back to tomorrow... Thanks again for this video and keeping it real. We got this !!!

Hang in there Emma. You will figure it all out soon. If you decided to stick with the lifestyle, you will meet nomad friends to convoy with for safety and fellowship. If it turns out not to be your thing, that's okay too. But I know from your personality, that you are not the 9 to 5 cubicle dweller type. I have followed your build from the beginning. Remember driving that big bus home? Fun times with your brothers.

Just think of that old song: "I will survive!" You got this!

Well done! Keep up the good work, you are super fun to watch.

Ecoflo just came out with a tiny portable 4000 btu air conditioner that you might like go check it out.....It is not cheap and it will run off a battery pack......Good luck... I think you have come a long way on this bus build. Remember you will never please everyone just do you thing and be happy in life.

Don't give up. I'm on my 3rd camper build. Started out with a class B that was not as big as your bus, but I learned a lot. I have reduced the amount of material things that just take up space and know what I need to live comfortably. Every thing I need now fits into a Ram Pro Master City Van. The videos of your build are entertaining and like nothing else on RU-vid. They are honest and that smile when you succeed in overcoming a problem is golden. If you haven't all ready, I recommend installing a CO detector and a Fire extinguisher. They make them just for RVs:)

Hang in there, what you have accomplished so far takes a lot of guts. Mistakes are the only way to learn, and one day you will have a home that you can take pride in.

I would invest in leveling jacks for the bus. It would suck to always be worried about finding fairly flat parking. Limits your ability to be where you want to be right out of the gate. Everything is more costs. Except your'e smart enough to live in the yard before, so you can have a better experience of prioritization before finishing the bus. Very wise!

You got this Emma! We are here rooting for you.

That looked like a tough start. It will only get easier as you get stronger. Breaking things just means you have an opportunity to learn and fix it. You got this!

70% Train Wreck 😆 I see a new merch idea! You are doing great and watching your build has been so fun, cheering you on from from Washington State 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥳

Your brothers' commentary on your bus build is pretty entertaining lol :P

First off, yes I do watch your videos now that I don't live with you haha. Second, you are f*king amazing!!!!!! What you are doing is a dream, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Live life and kick *ss! And if you ever need a vacation, you can always come visit!

Don't forget you just moved out of your previous home for 3.5 years and that can be overwhelming in itself. Once you get into a routine it will feel better. You have a knack for entertaining videos, so liked you bouncing on the ball in the background, the honest dialog and your pick of music. Do think the bus is a tad to big for first try but it seems you did manage to fill it with stuff. Looking forward to you getting on the road, scenic adventures and finding some dog to keep you company. Carry on sweetie..

You are sharing your stream of consciousness with us.. It is very nice, honest and shows intelligence and great character... THAT is Very SPECIAL.

It's really great that you have family who are so capable and willing to help. It's also great that you have put great efforts into being more self reliant. Just remember, none of us is truly 100% self reliant. We all have a "supporting cast" behind us, so don't get discouraged thinking you should be able to do everything, or even most things, on your own. Keep trying. Keep learning. Don't ever give up, but allow yourself to change plans when it makes sense.

Having a bus is more than other people have, so don't get discouraged if the bus is not what you expected it to be. Keep it in good working order and treat it with kids gloves until you know for sure you want to sell it. If I had the land to have it stationed, I would buy it for you even if it won't run anymore. The important thing is the shell so keep up the good job and look forward, never back.

Keep up the videos! They are very fun and entertaining. You come up with some very creative ideas, and Laughs.

Don't give up Em. You are so close. Look how far you have come. You will feel so much happier when the bus is finished. You are brilliant. You should be proud of what you have achieved. The small stuff can be ironed out when everything is done. Could you get a skylight blind fitted ? Chin up. Hugs from across the pond.👏👏🇬🇧❤

I heard someone say once, “Do it scared”. Could be a new motto!

For my last camper I got a small window AC unit for a house. They are generally installed with just the front inside the window, but the main thing is having the rear face up to a window so that it intakes air and exhausts the hot air outside. I set it on the counter. When I wanted to use it, I opened the window and pushed it up against the opening. You have to have a generator. I used a 2000-watt generator, but it will run when you are plugged in. It was around $250. I never had good luck with stand-alone swamp coolers.

Your more of a badass than you realize. Keep pushing yourself.

For an ac unit, look up Chillwell. It's small, easy to use, and does not draw a lot of power. Look it up. I love mine.

Emma, please don't get discouraged and please don't sell the bus. It's only temporary, change is not easy. Let the dust settle, keep hammering out all the small stuff. You have come so far, look at what you have accomplished. Take it one day at a time. You can do this, you obviously are a bright, intelligent woman or you wouldn't have gotten this far. Fear of the unknown is natural. Try it for a year and if you feel the same way in a year, then make a decision about the bus. Things that break, can be fixed. Enjoy watching your channel, you make me laugh and you are so inspiring.

Be proud of yourself. You just learned a valuable life lesson.... You screw up, you learn from it, you move on.... repeat. This is life, and it took me almost 5 years more than you to figure this out. What you have accomplished is phenomenal so far.. So. Heads up and Keep going. No matter what others might say. Like I told both my daughters, you can do whatever you set your mind to. The road is sometimes not quite the one we expect.

To really cool a room, you will have to use some sort of split unit. There are special units for RVs, Busses and Vans, which can be installed in the roof like a fan or at least have the outdoor unit sit on the roof. An air conditioner with no means of actually moving heat outside the vehicle won't cut in in the long run.

Don’t give up, your doing a great job. Mistakes happen, don’t get discouraged. When things are really bad just turn around and look at what YOU have built😀

I went with a little Mr Cool mini split it draws about 750W when it is running. It does require a fair amount of solar to run and a fair amount of storage to run for any length of time when the sun is not shining. Cheapeat way is to run a generator.

All ventures have a starting point!

Here's an idea, steel underbody truck boxes more storage your brother could make them have an amazing weekend Emma ⛅

You definitely don't want or need a swamp cooler. Humidity in a bus or any other vehicle will cause incredible problems down the line. As someone who has maintained mobile work vans and living quarters in the military, mold and mildew is always something we had to contend with. The beauty of an air conditioner is that it de-humidifies which is really what you need.

It's a constant cycle of overwhelmed/extremely frustrated/ready to the sell the bus. We have all been there! I also cannot function in the heat and we also are not planning to install an AC lol. I've been looking into the Zero Breeze portable AC that is battery powered but can also be plugged in! Stay positive, you're doing so great!

There are "stationary caster replacements" on Amazon for around $12. Not as fun having a stationary chair, but might be more functional since being level isn't always an option.

It’s good to see a new video. Life is full of mistakes and you are working through them. Most of us, myself included, walk away from our mistakes. Thanks for taking us with you while you work things out. No matter how it all ends up, you’re a winner

No one know what there doing with there life just enjoy life you are wonderful and adorable

For the future , a little camping stove single burner that you just screw onto a bottle, quite cheap and easy to use and you can cook hot food , and its always a standby for when you need it , also it mite be worth having a double sleeping bag.

You've got 2 amazing brothers. Don't get me wrong, you are pretty f-ing amazing yourself. It must just run in the family.

videos like this make me so thankful i just saved my pennies and bought a proper travel trailer.

A/C unit would be better than a swamp cooler

dont worry about the video, as long as your in it talking im watching......

I to have considered selling my bus. But then I remembered my dream. Hope to continue. And eventually be debt free in a skoolie and free to roam.

It has only been a week. When you hit a year, watch this video, and wonder with amazement how you felt so bad and how far you have made it!

F.Y.I. swamp coolers add moisture to the air and after awhile the air gets saturated. You need to Get outside air in to make it work.

A cheap way to level out the buss is pieces of wood that you simply place on the ground and drive onto as needed. Round of the edge so it is easier to drive onto. Another thing to consider is a level mounted so it is visible from the driver's position. A small amount of incline is not simple to notice when you drive so a level mounted so you can look at it when you park to make it easier. There are cheap compass levels on Amazon so you can see the direction of the bus's tile. Another thing that is highly recommended if you do not have any is tire blocks. The parking breaks on the buss can fail and if you part on an inclined surface it could be the case that it starts rolling during the night. So I would use tire blocks if parked in a location the buss could start tolling. Jimmy & Natalie, another youtube channel with a skoolie had the parking brake failing and it started rolling.

Think you are always doing your best Emma..don't be so harsh on yourself.... Like I have mentioned before this is your build only you matter... Will say that if you were to sell Birbie I think quite a few of us would miss your build... Keep Smiling....:)

OMG! Your Brothers are Good looking men!! You just need to be Organized!!! Super Organized!!! If you have to rebuild the bus, or Resize everything. DOOO IT!!! To make things right for you!!

I'm not a nomad/tiny home dweller yet, but I've been grabbing whatever I can when I can get it for a good price. I bought a clip-on 12V fan. You can use that at least until you can get an Air Max fan🤷🏾‍♀️. My daughter uses the 12V fan when she gets a little overheated and she says it works great!

That desk and chair set up is really nice, looks like you have plenty of room to work on. I'm sure the heat takes a toll, that cooler probably need ice water to be effective. I had something similar in the past and it requires ice water. I don't know if yours has a cooling feature for the water. I know we only see clips of your buslife but this is actually cool, transparency and all.

My HOA crossed me for the last time. I sold my house and moved into a van that I had built for camping. No prep. House sold in two months and I have been doing the van life for over two years. Being in Colorado the trickiest part has been finding parking spots. Takes a while to find the good ones. Beating the heat is an issue in the summer. In my experience those portable evaporative coolers do not work. Really your best option for AC is to get a little Honda generator 2000-3000 watts and see if your brother can find a space under the bus to build a container for it. I have seen them mounted to the rear bumper too. Honda generators are fairly quiet and you become even more tolerant to a little extra noise if it beats the heat. Might not even hear it over the AC. To run a small AC unit you will have to spend another 4k-5k on more panels, batteries and inverter and will still be limited.

When I get really scared about a decision I have made I have to remember that life if long and nothing is permanent. It only goes on as long as you want it to. So I have to remember that scary and hard thing are what shape me and help me grow. And things change.

You Are Awesome, keep on with moving forward , being scared is always a better path. Love the green chair. You will prevail. I want to thank your brothers for assisting you. Have a wonderful weekend, stay safe, from Henrico County Virginia

For your Skylight? Temporary solution, I would buy some blackout material and cut this oversized and attach it to your skylight with some strong magnetic hooks, permanent solution, I would buy two lengths of plastic curtain rail which you will be able to easily bend to the shape of your roof, attach one to either side of your skylight and attach some hooks to either end of any thick curtain material and then connect the hooks to the curtain rails, you then will have the option to either open or close the curtains. And don't feel too down hearted, for someone so young you should feel proud of what you have achieved so far.

You keep picking at it chickadee and little by little things will change because you have the power to adapt change and overcome

When you're in a funk situation just smoke a dooby and chill out👍😁

You shouldn't judge yourself, you have more of what it takes then most ppl period. Have a look at what you have achieved not what you havn't, your miles ahead then most, believe in yourself it will be OK :)

You need to remember you're building a bus on your own don't give up you're awesome you can do it

I could tell it wasn't level by the crazy angles you were standing at! lol You can get a set of RV Leveling Blocks - there's several different kinds just go with the one that looks best to you - starting for about $25. Then you can just level the bus and don't worry about things rolling all over the place. You are doing a FANTASTIC job! I find what you are doing inspirational for my own project. Due to recent landlord issues, I"m not living in it right now but while I was and I was building, it was fantastic! It got frustrating at times but there's nothing like the satisfaction of having your own place - one that you made with your own hands just how you wanted it. I can't get that whistle tune out of my head!!

Also, I think once you minimize, organize and get things tied up it will help your outlook tremendously. Try to get rid of something, organize a small space or tidy up an area each day and you will see progress (and hopefully fell better) real soon. I think you are cute as can be and have made some amazing accomplishments - YOU CAN DO THIS!

You’re just facing your weaknesses Emma. Don’t be afraid of them. Keep working as hard as you have and those weaknesses will turn into accomplishments in no time. Also, you seem like you need things organized to think. Once you get things put into their own places in your bus your mind will start to clear.

You should buy some earth magnets and glue them to the skylight and your shade and just magnet them together. The little tiny ones should do the trick.

I recommend you get some leveling jacks for your bus. Expensive investment, but you will not have to worry about your bus being unleveled.

❤️🤗❤️🤗 my experience with small swamp coolers is that they don’t work well. setbacks are inevitable, but you’re doing great. you have your family for support, though they may make fun of you. keep plugging away 👍👍

you’re killing it Emma! From one nomad to another - keep your head up, we were/are all scared of these things at one point or another❤️ hope to see you out on the road one day soon!

Hey Emma, you're doing a great job! We all believe in you! Remember to stay strong and believe in yourself and also remember that God is with you and watching over you. Sending you love and hugs!

Table top swamp coolers do not work very well. I live in a dry area, I tried one for a while and returned it. The ones I've seen aren't designed very well and require constant manual re-wetting of the element. I built a home-made one that worked okay; but the amount of humidity it created in my RV was awful, and when the sun was shining on it, it really didn't work all that well. I bought a really small, A/C with an eco mode for my RV, it's a little $195 GE I ordered from Walmart. I will install in my bus until I can afford a mini-split, it should fit the bus window, if not I'll make a custom surround for it, like I did for my RV window. The install measurements are with the little surround that comes with it. I just looked at the actual dimensions in the description to see if I could make it fit with a custom install. It's just a window a/c but it does a good job in the small space.

Im building a skoolie by myself. I have to convince myself to keep on everytime im in it. I dont have the right tools, i have no help, and my biggest plan was to have an escape.

Ney on the table top cooler/fan! Buy yourself a couple of RV roof top air conditioners, they don't stick up too high so You won't have to worry about going under bridges and overpasses.😁

I have never had any luck with swamp coolers but I live in a place that they don’t work well.

Very small thought with regard to your chair. Get 4 tennis balls. Do a cross cut and place over your chair feet. This should allow you to scootch on your floor without marring it up. You have managed to accomplish what most can only dream of doing, myself included. Everything you thought you couldn't do you did anyway. You have created what will be a beautiful home. Virtual hugs to you, especially when you are ever feeling low. Keep dreaming and keep reaching for those dreams.

I also can't stand being too hot (good thing I'm not very attractive). I'm happier with AC. I understand feeling discouraged in your situation. You see the mistakes and how they can set you back. But we've seen you learn from your mistakes, and progress, and gain confidence. Driving the bus, and diving into a new life do seem scary, with mistakes waiting to happen. But you'll learn and grow more confident. Maybe you just have building fatigue(I may have invented this term just now, or maybe it already exists). When you spend so much time on a project, that you can't see the beginning or the end of it. It's great that your brothers help you, but maybe you should seek and accept some more help. I'm sure plenty of people would love to volunteer their talents to help you make your home feel more complete. Just imagine if your couches has cushions, and you had some storage so you didn't have to live in boxes. You've done so much work already, and way too much of it alone(my sincere opinion). I think traveling, no matter how scary it may seem right now, will be your reward for all this work. You deserve it, sooner rather than later. You're an amazing person, Emma. You deserve to reward yourself.