11/06/2025
Letâs talk about The Curl Bus Tour - The HARD parts.
Reality vs What we post in the pictures.
Lot's of people think it's one big free vacation for Ken & Melanie & Jolie Marie.
But it's not.
That doesn't mean it's not FUN - and Rewarding - but there's still plenty of "behind-the-scenes" stuff you don't get to see or hear about (but that'll change in 2026 as we start vlogging ALL of the tour :) )
1. When The Curl Bus breaks downâŚour house breaks down:
Itâs not just a vehicleâitâs your whole life. If youâre stuck waiting on a part or repair (or somewhere to get a repair done), weâre also figuring out where to sleep, eat, shower...that also allows dogs âall without having our home.
Sometimes it's only a couple hours. Sometimes, it's a few to several DAYS. And Curl Bus repairs are way more expensive than house repairs. Regardless, unexpected delays are tough to deal with.
2. Youâre always dirty. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. But ALWAYS dirty:
Dust, road grime, dog hair, dirt/sand/gravel from wherever you happen to stop, and with limited water on board we learn to stretch our definition of âclean.â Thank god we have our own washer & dryer on The Curl Bus.
3. Internet & Cell service are Hit-or-Miss:
We run two online businesses as well as The Curl Bus, and our curly hair salon in Naples, Florida. So, we NEED Zoom to work! And we NEED stable internet! And we NEED stable reliable cell service!
This year, we got a new, upgraded Starlink set up with the high-end roam package, and mounted in permanently on the roof of The Curl Bus. That's been a godsend, BUT, we still need a clear sky. And Starlink isn't 100% in every single area of the country we travel in. And it uses a ton of power, and sometimes we only have our generator or our solar panels to power it all...and that can be unpredictable at best.
4. People can be really inconsiderate
Trash, toilet paper, not picking up after your dog, loud music, idling semi trucks the entire night, and people dumping urine in the parking areas at rest stops are often the norm. That being said, some are really nice. And quiet. And clean. Although it's not the norm.
5. Chores are harder and take a lot longer:
Doing the laundry (including the towels and capes at night after salon days at Curl Bus stops), finding and getting groceries, finding and filling the fresh water tanks (ours are VERY big, for obvious reasons, and take quite a while to fill), dumping the p**p tanks, finding places to park a 65 foot rig at night⌠nothing is âeasy.â Planning and patience are non-negotiable. If you are someone with a short fuse, or that gets "irritated" easily, this lifestyle is NOT for you.
6. The lack of a predictable routine:
Without a fixed schedule, spaces, etc. make things like sleeping, eating / meals, and productivity feel chaotic at times. It can be draining.
7. You are 100% beholden to the weather:
Planning Curl Bus stops is difficult. We have to plan around weather because it REALLY matters and makes a difference.
Gets too hot? The Curl Bus can turn into an oven - and even with two AC units, many times it just can't keep up. Like our last Texas stop in September. 3 of the 4 days there it was 100 degrees. And we had no shade trees. The AC ran constantly 24/7, yet it still was a bit uncomfortable.
Usually the cold isn't an issue for us, because we make sure we stay south once the end of fall comes.
Rain? At times, it can make simple things like getting in and out of The Curl Bus a real issue, while trying to not get soaked.
And then, if it rains enough and hard enough, you might get water inside too. Sometimes a little. Sometimes, a deluge (it's happened to us, trust me) Mother Nature decides what your trips are going to be like. You have little to no say in the matter.
(the picture below was when we unexpectedly got caught in a major flood while parked for a few days at a race track in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last summer in 2024)
