Fern The Bus – The Rolling Home

Fern The Bus owned by Ben and Mande was built to hit the road seeking freedom in simplicity.

After refurbishing an old school bus and turning it into a home on wheels, Ben and Mande Tucker hit the road seeking the freedom of a simple life. Their fully functional (and comfortable) motorhome is complete with a rooftop deck, hammock posts, and bike mounts — everything they need to connect with their surroundings. Since they first left their traditional home in 2017, Ben and Mande have learned to adjust to tiny-living among the great outdoors.

How This Adventure Started?

The owners both left their hometown of Holland, Michigan, to seek adventure and new experiences. They had been living in a school bus with their best friends. The project was called “the Lost Bus” — L.O.S.T. being an acronym for Lending Our Services Traveling. Fern the bus had been their dream for years before they finally found the right bus. But Fern had it all — low mileage, very little rust, a strong diesel engine, and that classic, old-school look. Once they found the right van, it was only a matter of time before they hit the road in 2017.

How Long Did It Take To Get Fern Road-Ready?

They worked on Fern for about seven months before she was ready to hit the road. They did the entire project themselves. With full-time jobs and limited spare time, they squeezed the projects into nights and weekends. She’s a continual work in progress, and will probably never be 100 percent complete and will continue to do mini renovations as they live in the bus and adapt to the van lifestyle.

The named Fern was taken from the book Charlotte’s Web. Mande is a second-grade teacher, and she was reading this story, and choose to use Fern as the name.

Leaving Home In Search For Simplicity

The couple wanted to break out of their routines and embrace freedom and spontaneity. They longed to explore the vastness of the country and get to know its people. Dreaming of having more campfires, seeing more sunrises, and swimming in more mountain streams. There was unbelievable beauty and solitude to be found, along with countless fascinating people to meet and stories to exchange.

What Did They Pack On Their First Trip?

This couple is pretty active. They prioritized the things that are most important to them. Bringing their paddleboards was a given, and having access to the bikes was also important. Other than that, they choose a few of their favorite outfits and tried to keep it as simple as possible. It’s amazing how little we actually need!

Where Was The Couple’s First Destination, and Where Have They Traveled Since Then?

The first stop was in the Badlands of South Dakota. Coming from the Midwest, they longed for wide-open spaces — and it was the first destination that gave them that feeling they were searching for. It was the perfect first stop. Since then, they’ve explored the rest of South Dakota, along with Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and a lot of Canada.

What’s Been The Biggest Challenge Of Van Life?

Since they live in such a small space, they have to dedicate a lot more time and effort to be clean and organized. The entryway is also their living room and kitchen, so dirt and dust and stinky boots are an endless battle. It’s crazy how much more comfortable we feel when things are somewhat tidy.

What Does It Like About Living In A Van?

For more stories about Ben, Mande, and Fern, follow @fernthebus on Instagram.