Unique RVs: Odyssey By Janos Balogh


Sean and Louise, a couple from San Jose California, met in 1997 at a motorcycle campout. Tey were married in 2003 and lived in a downtown apartment enjoying the busy city life.


It was Sean’s childhood dream to travel in a converted bus,


and they had been planning to buy or build a bus conversion, live and travel in it full-time. Tey’d been looking for a Neoplan Spaceliner bus because it’s like a double decker but the lower level is a 45” tall huge luggage compartment. Te other big advantage is that the driver sits on the lower level, the space above him can also be used. In 2001 they purchased Odyssey in Irvine


CA. It was already a 45’ motorhome but aſter a while and too many problems, Sean decided to redesign and rebuild the whole rig. He started working on it full-time in the same year aſter his Silicon Valley job as they say, evaporated. Both of them being engineers, they


completely redesigned the bus from the air ride, from the tanks to the interior. Stripping and rebuilding the inside plus the RV part took until August 2004 when they moved aboard, even though the exterior of the bus wasn’t yet painted. Tey rented out their San Jose condo and they lived on the bus and have traveled the country ever since. One of the luggage compartments on the


lower level of the bus has two motorcycles in it, no need to tow a car since both of them have been avid bikers for a long time. If you travel with pets you have to care for


them more than you care for yourself. Te bus was designed with that in mind and the cats have their own litterbox in a separate bay under the floor accessible from upstairs. Over the driver’s seat on the top floor is the


Penthouse with the large front window, two leather swivel chairs, the owners’ favourite place for reading and relaxing. A settee across from the chairs makes it a perfect living room. Behind the settee is a sofa bed that sleeps


two guests if needed. Further down is the kitchen. Here is the only propane appliance: the cook-top. Between the kitchen and the bedroom is the bath with a nice large shower and a separate toilet.


Louise relaxing in the penthouse. The finished Odyssey parked in an RV park. At the back of the bus is the bedroom with plenty of The Odyssey gutted.


cabinetry for hanging clothes, even room for books. Tese two engineers designed every part of the bus for as much comfort as possible and it shows. Teir favourite kind of camping is boondocking and they like to live as long as possible without turning on the generator. Te eight-piece house battery system makes it easy to live in full comfort for days with only the basic system running. If the bus is leſt parked somewhere, the power of the battery bank last for over a week. Te original electrical system was almost useless and it has been rebuilt by Sean. He kept the original generator but everything else has been replaced. At the time the bus was stripped, they


Odyssey’s new finished interior.


already thought about solar panels in the future, so Odyssey is prewired for it and will extend the boondocking possibilities for much longer. Even the plumbing has been planned for boondocking. Tere is a separate fresh water tank and


an extra tank for drinking water. Tis one is always filled with potable water and filtered before you drink it; the non-potable tank can be filled from any water source like a creek, river or well. End of the story: a very well built


motorhome, specialized to the owners’ needs and it could even be up for sale in the near future. Last year they just bought a 52’ boat in Florida and planning to spend a lot of time on it. It has been out of the water for weeks for maintenance and repairs. Sean went through the boat with a familiar overhaul as on the bus, modifying it to their liking. Once it is seaworthy, they will move aboard and explore the seas, aſter the roads and Odyssey goes up for sale or they keep it as a Home Base. e


Two motorcycles in a cargo bay. RVT 156 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 31


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