When we first picked up our VW bus in Asheville, North Carolina, in November of 2013, we planned to keep driving to Virginia. The only problem was, the state of the back wheel was questionable. We trekked back home to South Carolina safely and had a mechanic friend take a look. It turned out we needed to replace the CV (constant velocity joints) axel, among other things.

The lug nuts were locked on, so we weren’t able to take the wheels off for easier access. Also, the bolts holding the old CV were all different sizes and mostly stripped. After some tough work, our ’78 camper bus finally got a new CV axel and we somehow made it to Sarasota, Florida, for Christmas with family.

Before making it completely there though, our brakes went spongey at the last exit of our road trip. We went by a big brand mechanic shop and they told us it would be a long time and a lot of money to fix our issue. One of the guys working there quietly handed us a card to Sunshine Auto, a VW bus graveyard and specialized auto repair shop. It was a miracle.

They told us we had blown a cylinder in a back wheel and they fixed it up. They changed out the pads and shoes on the front brakes, leaked the brake fluid and replaced it, cleaned the brake drum, cranked up the alternator belt and made little tweaks in just a few hours and for only three hundred bucks. We were back on the road and got to enjoy a wonderful adventure.