Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Wow great post, amazing the way it looked like 10x bigger in the pictures , I like the overlapped siding look
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Haha, it feels bigger on the inside.
Quote:
Originally Posted by claydbal
looks like yall had your new child. was wondering if yall were going to show up here again. good job!
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Thanks! Yep new baby is fat n healthy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HolyBus
The pictures make me jealous! So many idea to steal!
So what is the thing at the end of the kitchen counter that looks like a cross between a tv and an intercom? Is it a small heater?
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Steal away! It's flattering that someone else wants to borrow ideas. The device you're referring to is a
Dickinson Marine "Newport" P-9000, a small propane fireplace.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nat_ster
I'm so glad all is well for you and your little family.
It gave me great joy seeing your wife prego, and still working with you on the bus. Now seeing her snuggling baby in the bus almost done is even better.
Your doing great. Thanks for the great pics. Give the wife and baby a hug from us all at skoolie.net.
Nat
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Hugs given! Thanks for the kind words.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roach711
Beautifully done! Great use of space and a very inviting look.
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Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragonpop
Now that you've put some mileage on living in a bus can you tell us some of the
things you would avoid in a future build if you ever did it over again or things you
would change to make it more living friendly. My wife likes the patterned tin ceiling
only she would like to use it as a back splash in the kitchen. Comments and
concerned advice would be appreciated. Thanks
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If I could do it again?
Things I would avoid:
DIY spray foam kits - have been debated elsewhere on this forum, but basically we figured out that we wasted a lot of money. Contractors are much more skilled, have enhanced capabilities (cold weather/surface) and as far as I can tell they're cheaper and faster.
Rushing - if it's at all possible, TAKE YOUR TIME with your bus. There are many things that bother me about this build, and the vast majority were caused because we were going too fast.
Oil-based paint on galvanized steel - this is a big no-no I learned WAY too late in the game. Something in the paint reacts with the zinc coating and prevents adhesion. (FLAKES OFF)
Perfection - avoid it or suffer.
Other concerned advice:
Be aware of water. This means pressure washing after you've ripped out the seats and inner skin to detect leaks. Fixing leaks should be the first thing you do. Hands down. We started building in the summer, and a bunch of leaks went unnoticed and caused us great pain and anxiety after we'd invested much time and money. If there was one thing that stressed us out more than any other it was water.
Also, in bus life, gray water is a problem. If you're going full-time from apartment or house life, you're used to using way too much water. Luckily we can drain our gray water into the bushes and leave the valve open so we're not flooding the ground. Our original plan was to let our 65gal tank fill up and empty it when necessary. We found that we easily use double that in a day. We're probably on the high end of the spectrum; we have two babies, a full-size washer, use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, big meal every day, dishes cost water, etc etc. If we had to rely on a freshwater supply tank? Forget about it.
I can't speak for people doing a skoolie for occasional use or even just resource-conscious couples, because their needs are probably much different from ours. We're a young family who wanted to go from renting an apartment to living in a bus, and we underestimated how much water we'd need.
I'm sure I'll think of more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by c_hasbeen
is your Dickenson heater a LP or solid fuel ?
how do you like it?
Did you make the hair pin turn?
I think it is nice you have a place to park your rig, I have been kicking the idea around about a piece of property I have in Nebraska doing something similar.
not sure how it all works, if you would mind sharing some details?
thanks
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Haha, yes, I made the hairpin turn. Had to drive an eighth of a mile in reverse to do it though. Damn mailbox!
Heater is LP.
It's well made, and it works. I feel like the heat output is a little low for the amount of fuel it consumes though. Maybe I'd have had better luck with a solid fuel. We'll see how it goes this winter. I'm cheating of course, I have two 1500w space heaters.
I'd love to share details, but what all do you want to know more about?