(Part 1 of the Adventure)
With the ladder prototype in place and the bunks sorted, we turned our attention to all the little details that make a rolling home actually livable. First up: storage. We adjusted and reworked the cabinets to finally give the plates a proper home—no more “Where did we put those again?” moments.
Next came the cozy touches. We got the beds made and stitched up curtains for two of the three cubbies so the girls could have a bit of privacy in their little nooks. It’s amazing how little details like a simple curtain can make a small space feel like a personal sanctuary.
Then came the plot twist.
While doing the final checks, we discovered the refrigerator wasn’t working. At all. We pulled it out to discover that the copper tubing to the compressor had been broken. Little details that cause big problems
And of course, this revelation happened the day before Thanksgiving. Cue the frantic scramble to find someone—anyone—willing to come out that day to diagnose it.
Repairman to the rescue
Three calls later, Renovator Appliance Repair, came to the rescue. The verdict: the copper tubing to the compressor had snapped when the fridge was originally pushed into place. And because the system had been open to air for nearly a year, the damage went deeper than a simple repair. The technician ended up replacing the copper line, the compressor, and the dryer, then refilled the system with R600A.
Financially? We could have bought a new refrigerator.
Timewise? It was absolutely worth it. The idea of wrestling the old fridge out and installing a new one—with less than eight hours to spare and a whole bus still left to load—made the repair the only realistic option.
Back in place
We let it run for the rest of the afternoon, just to make sure it was actually doing its job. R ended up being our MVP—she’s the only one small and flexible enough to wiggle behind the unit—so she climbed in and out a few times to help guide it back into place. It was definitely a team effort… just with one very tiny team member doing all the contortion work.
In true Skoolie fashion, the prep for our first trip turned into a blend of creativity, chaos, and quick decision-making in all the little details. But every fix, every curtain, every plate now has a place—and slowly, the bus is becoming a home.