Well, the second week of 2026 has come and gone. The PPT Posse has been trying to get me worked on, but it’s been a real struggle—from bad weather and the sick bug going around to problems, parts setbacks, and unforeseens. JG and the posse did get my butt lift done with air shocks, so now I don’t look like I’m dragging my butt going down the road. JG is still working on my front shocks. They’re installed now; it’s just a matter of aligning my front wheels so I don’t drive like a drunk person. JG could just take me to a shop, but he doesn’t trust just anyone to touch me. Me? Well… never mind, lol. By doing the work himself—just the shocks alone—the alignment would have cost $300–$400 in labor. As his grandfather always said, a penny saved is worth more than a dollar earned. It’s going to be a cold one this coming week, so it’ll be hard to get a lot done on me, especially in the early mornings. Until we speak again, live life your way—happy and as content as can be. Pp and the PPT Posse
Mr. Jg drove me so the PPT posse could visit their favorite feeding stop—McDonald’s. Not my feeding spot. Mine’s across the street at the Marathon. Watching through my front camera, it looked like they had a good time at the park.
Now we’re back at my parking place, parked in front of Vincent the shuttle bus,
plugged in and charging my energy bank. I don’t know what they’re doing now. Looks like they’re inside watching that show Below Deck all evening and night. Next thing you know, Jg will be turning me into a tiny boat yacht. They should be resting and ready to work on me in the morning. First work week of 2026. I don’t know about these humans. The chihuahuas are good doggies.
🚐 Hey friends, it’s PP the van speaking. 2026 is here — a new year, a new point of view, and the start of a brand-new journey. From here on out, posts about PP Travels will come straight from me. I’ll be sharing the road, the builds, the art, and the everyday magic as we go. JG will be a little quieter on social media this year, focusing on building me, creating art, and spending real, meaningful time living life with the PPT Posse — especially the two tiny but mighty chihuahuas who run the show 🐾🐾 You can still reach JG or any of the PPT Posse through PPT Facebook Messenger or by email whenever needed. From all of us — JG, the PPT Posse, and yours truly — we wish you and yours the best year yet in 2026. Written by AI, JG, and the PPT Posse. Ty, PP 🚐
The last two weeks have been extremely challenging. My health has taken a hit due to constant exposure to harsh environmental factors. Our gravel road, just 100 feet from the build site, has been used all day by trucks hauling chicken waste. The resulting combination of gravel road dust, chicken dust, and fumes unfortunately triggered an upper respiratory infection. This illness, combined with a severe cold snap and heavy rain, limited my available work time to only an hour or so each day. Consequently, progress on the project (Pp) has slowed to a crawl. This is very disappointing, and it now looks unlikely that we will meet our deadline to be in Pensacola, Florida, for the New Year.
News on the Build of Pp Despite the setbacks, we’ve achieved several major milestones: * Dried In: Pp is now fully dried in! I finally installed all the access doors leading to the various storage departments—for tools, camping gear, my art supplies and finished paintings, and separate compartments for Pp maintenance, garbage, and sewer maintenance. * Exterior Painting: Just yesterday, we completed priming and painting the entire exterior with three coats of purple. Now, the sides and back are ready for my artistic paintings! I haven’t decided what to paint yet, so any suggestions are welcome. * Roof Protection: All three coats of the rubber coating have been applied to the roof. It is now completely sealed and ready for the solar panels to be installed.
Heating System Installed As winter approaches and colder temperatures are predicted, a critical comfort system has been installed: the diesel heater. This system replaces the van’s original heater, which required the engine to be running. Now, the Pp cab, defrost, and the entire living area can be efficiently heated using diesel fuel. The new heater warms up in about a minute, compared to ten minutes using the van engine, and can raise the temperature of the living area from 50^\circ to 70^\circ in just ten minutes. This will be a huge relief on chilly mornings! Pp will also maintain the temperature with supplemental electric heat. Installing the diesel heater required a good amount of engineering, and all that remains is the interior ductwork. With this system in place, I can be cozy and warm while building through the cold days ahead.
What’s Next? The next major step is to install all the components for Pp’s solar power station. This system is essential to run everything needed to live comfortably off-grid, similar to a traditional house, even in the middle of a parking lot. Once the power system is operational, I will begin the interior build, focusing on the main living areas: the bed, bathroom, kitchen, and closet. Thank you for reading!
SBB aka Jg ARTis
The Ppt posse K Rose, Tippy, Louie.
Editor/writer SamAi
inside view of diesel heateroutside view of diesel heaterInside PpInside PpInside Pp
🩹 PP Update: Navigating Struggles and Project Progress First off, I know there have been a lot of struggling and downward posts lately. Honestly, it’s a real struggle wondering if this project is even worth doing. I promise, though, that once we’re on the road, the posts will be mostly “up.” 🤕 The Neck and Shoulder Issue So, Friday morning, I planned to work a half-day. Nope. My neck decided to freeze up. Every move I tried to make caused cramps and severe pain. This isn’t new, but it’s been a while since my neck has done that. I still went out as planned to the Halloween costume party and live music. We were all dressed up, but by the time I got home, I was just about screaming with every move I tried to make. I stayed in bed until Monday morning, doing all the right things: ice, heat, muscle relaxers, plenty of water, and rest. By Sunday night, the pain had moved down into my right shoulder blade. My arm and hand felt dead, so I had to work on getting that fluid pressure off—which I had to do many, many times. Monday was cold and wet, and my muscles just wouldn’t move. 🔨 Back to Work and an Early Morning Tragedy Tuesday, I got back to work, slow but steady. I started at 8:00 AM but had to stop by 3:00 PM (I usually work until 4:45 PM). Then, at 3:00 AM on Wednesday morning, I had just gotten back in bed from one of my many get-ups to pee. I heard a gigantic boom, then thud, thud, thud. I got up, got dressed, and it wasn’t good. My neighbors’ donkey and horse had stepped out in front of a big truck. They didn’t make it. (You can read the whole story on my Facebook page, SBBartis. I’ll post the link.) I helped at the wreck, directed traffic until help arrived, and then stayed with the horse until the end. That took me from 3:00 AM to 7:00 AM. 🏁 Pushing Forward I couldn’t let that stop me from building on the PP. We have to get enough done to be in it and be in Pensacola before the New Year. So, today turned into a 12-hour workday. I’m so weak and tired it’s not even funny. I’m resting tonight and will be back at it tomorrow at 8:00 AM. We will get ‘er done. Thank you, 😊 J.G. and the PPT Posse
This week has been a test of patience — cold, rainy days have made it almost impossible to get much done. But I’m holding onto hope for better weather and better luck ahead.
My goal is still set: Pensacola, Florida for New Year’s 2026. 🌴 Some things on my pre-trip list will have to wait until spring, but that’s okay. The plan now is simple — get the van ready enough to camp in, hit the road, and leave behind this part of Alabama for a few months and all its old, heavy memories.
2026 will be my year. The year I refuse to let anyone or anything stand in the way of peace, purpose, and slow living. 🌅
Halloween is just around the corner, and we got big plans — Mr. SBB will be dressed to kill 👻 (stay tuned for pics!).
And as we head into the new year, I’m thrilled to share a little sneak peek of what’s coming next: 🎥 “Small Town Story” — a YouTube journey launching in 2026. A look into the heart of small towns, their people, and the stories that make them shine.
New roads. New stories. New peace. 🛣️ Here’s to brighter days ahead. 💫
(Pp) Status Update, summarizing the progress over the last two weeks, focusing on critical mechanical fixes and weight-reduction measures, as well as the ongoing exterior build.
1. Mechanical Recovery and Performance After facing severe issues with misfiring and almost no fuel pressure, the problem with Pp (1999 Dodge Ram Van 2500, 5.2L) was ultimately resolved. Diagnostics led to checking the fuel pump, ECM, and finally, replacing two faulty spark plug wires.
* Status:
Pp is now running exceptionally well, better than ever before.
2. Weight Reduction and Structural Work A major weight loss initiative was undertaken after discovering Pp was significantly overweight for legal road operation.
* Front-End Reduction: The extended front bumper, winch, and two auxiliary batteries were removed, saving approximately 300 lbs. A total of 1000 lbs was initially removed to get the van under the legal limit.
* exterior Weight-Saving:
Further weight reduction was achieved by replacing heavy exterior boards (originally 49 lbs) with much lighter alternatives (now 5 lbs).
This week October 20 -25
will be focused on finishing the sealing and painting of the lighter boards. I’ll also be finishing the back door to hold the spare tire and building a bay window. The bay window will be in the bathroom in the very back of PP. Finally, the wiring hooking up the back driving lights needs to be secured, and the turn signal relay needs to be replaced since it only works half the time.
Ouija board, as we where traveling and went to Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery where the inventor Ouija board grave is. While visiting the grave looked up there was a beautiful red fox about 200 feet away just looking at us. K Rose went to get her camera 📷 around the back of Vinny our rv /van and take a pic he was gone. I got into the driver’s side and we slowly drove forwards and the fox was gone. All that was there was filled of Graves and no fox. Spooky. Was that Elijah Bond saying high or was i just high there was never no fox.
Vinny our tiny home in a ford van. Vinny was setting on Daytona beach
I was driving Pp the van when she started missing more and more, to the point she almost couldn’t pull herself. I made it home, figuring the problem was from water that had gotten into her gas tank.
The next day, she wouldn’t even crank would turn over. I started diagnosing the issue, not knowing where that road would lead me. First, I put a tester on the fuel rail and found no fuel pressure at all. Okay, I thought the fuel filter was clogged. Nope—my 1999 Dodge Ram Van 2500 with the 5.2L engine (Miss Pp) is too good to have an external fuel filter.
Next, I figured the fuel pump must have gone bad. I tested it and found no power going to the fuel pump. I was like, “What the fuck Pp, why are you acting out?” I checked all the fuses and relays; they were good. I just stood there and looked at her, “You damn bad girl.”
So, I asked God—oh, I mean, Google—what was up with my bad, bitchy girl. Google said it was her brain: the ECM (Engine Control Module). There’s a safety feature that cuts the ground to the fuel pump if the van rolls over or the engine stops turning. That sparked some major PTSD and bad anxiety. I had previously spent months and went through six rebuilt ECMs just to get a good one for her.
After cursing her out and feeling like setting her on fire, I did more Googling and found I didn’t have to buy a new ECM; I could get a bypass switch. I ordered the bypass switch and a new fuel pump. I removed her fuel tank, got it cleaned out, and reinstalled it with the new pump and bypass kit.
Pp cranked right up, but she still had a bad miss. “Still a bad van, what now?” I thought maybe the bad gas had ruined her fuel injectors and plugs, so I changed them. More money spent. Still, the bad girl was missing.
Back to testing everything. I was listening to her and she was popping like electric cracking. Well, it turned out she had two bad spark plug wires. Replaced the wires, and she cranked and is now running like new!
I took her to fuel up, and she had to show out one more time. She wouldn’t take the gas to the tank. “W.T.F. now, Pp?” It turns out I had to apologize to her: I had left a baggie in the fuel pipe that I used to keep trash and water out of the tank until it was put back in. Well, now she is truly running like a brand new girl!
The Weight Loss Plan
I took her back to feed her, and all seemed good, but she felt a little heavy. I ran her across the scales and, sure enough, she was 70 lb over her limit. That shouldn’t be!
I came home and cried. She can’t legally run down the road overweight. I spent the rest of the day sick and ready to give up on her and the dream.
The next day, after racking my brain, I came up with a plan: a massive weight-loss program.
I started by cutting off her “nose job,” which meant removing the extended front bumper, the winch, and the two batteries used to run it. That alone took off 300 lb. Then, I took all the tools, supplies, and some other stuff out of her. I got her 1000 lb lighter in total.
So now, I have to come up with a plan on how to finish building her and put all our necessary stuff back in. The original plan was to travel light, only carrying a week’s worth of supplies and just the basic things we need to live. By returning to the original plan, I’m ready to start Monday, getting back to finishing her build.
Well it’s Monday morning the title is in reference to a popular song from back in the day. Share in comments what song you think it is or a Monday song you like.
woke up hurting from head to toe severely all my joints and muscles worse then usual. Wanted to just go back to bed! But I didn’t. It was 6:15am.
had emotional day yesterday spoke to my ain’t hadn’t talked to in 3 years. Was a good talk, love her its my father sister. We talked little bit of everything ended up asking if my father first wife was my mom or his second wife was my mom. Well seems my mom is my mom,,, father’s second wife! I didn’t really think my mom i was raised by was my mom the way she treats me and just threw me away over nothing. My aunt said I should swallow my pride and call my mom. So I did. I said” high this is Greg your son, I’m not wanting or needing anything just want to call say I love you and let you know where I’m at my phone number and that I’m OK” ….. selince on the phone I then said OK that’s why I called she said OK and hung up.
Well I reached out that’s all I can do. My mom and my sister hasn’t spoke to me in 3 years over a photo of me at my brother’s grave I sent my sister and she went off on me cussing me. So that’s left me sad and numb today. Monday September 29 2025.
OK it’s back to work I’ve spent a hour painting in my studio in pp then breakfast at 7:45 now it’s time to mop KRose’s tiny home la Vincent she lives in and wash the windows and washed the outside windows of la Vincent. Then give my tiny home Pp the van and vanna KRose Ford mini van a bath. In the pic below you see the white on hood of pp there cotton bugs that poop a honey like goo all over Pp. I have to wash pp ever few days or it will ruin the paint. Then back to building Pp the van.
“Cotton bugs” on plants are almost always mealybugs, small, soft-bodied insects covered in a white, waxy substance that resembles cotton. These sap-sucking pests infest plants by feeding on tender tissues, weakening the plant, and leaving behind a sticky residue called honeydew. My view out the side window of my painting studio this morning about 7amMiss Pp the van.What i was listening to during breakfast this morning at 7:45 Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag (IMY2 Cover) YouTube https://share.google/BnMEoVrThuCcYmxw5
