Build Thread For Haulin' Oats (and goats)

[Tango]

Can't wait to see some pix of the "blood orange cat sink"!

[onenationundergoat]

So here's the air conditioner:

It's currently set in a wooden frame that is cut to the size of the window we knocked out. It will eventually be replaced with sheet metal. There's a chunk of rebar in the top and bottom groove that provides extra protection from flipping out backwards. Gonna attach eye bolts on the ends to prevent it from coming inwards during braking as well.

This is the sink! And the custom cabinet we made for it. The back and one side are covered in peg board for usefulness and because it won't be seen. The front will be covered with bifold louvre doors.



Here's the clawfoot bathtub and the couch frame. We have to add slats and the outer luan later. The couch is 20"HX30"WX62"L


Bed frames in the bedroom. They'll have slats and outer luan too.


My bed from the front of the bus. It's 5'2" long because I need to fit the 22" wardrobe at the end of it. I'm 5'4" tall, but I sleep curled up. Also, we'll most likely be utilizing the option to join the beds together to form an almost-king sized bed.


Dan's bed from the front of the bus. His is 84" long and spans the whole length of the bedroom. The mattress is 70" long, so he'll have extra space at the end for a sort of shelf.


Dan's bed from the back of the bus.


The beds and couch are all 30" wide. That way, I can flip open the storage door under my bed and put out a support leg so that the 30" door spans the gap in between. Then I can pull a couch cushion and place it in the middle, making the large bed. The cushions and mattresses are all made of 7" think memory foam. I got two queen sized memory foam mattresses for $180 and will cut each of them in half long-ways. I almost got a different one for cheaper but luckily read the product description on Walmart's website and found out it's treated with green tea for antibacterial properties. I'm allergic, and it would make me itch to high heaven!

Now, for some things I've purchased to install.

We'll convert this chest freezer to a fridge with a temp controller. It'll take barely any power, and the cold air won't escape every time we open the door. It will require sanding and painting, but for $35 and $20 for the temp controller, it's a great way for a low-power fridge setup to run on battery power.


This is the salon counter I picked up for $25. It has another attachable countertop that forms it into an L-shape, but I might not use that depending on whether or not the vintage propane oven works. I love it because it's only about 14" wide from the back wall.


Here's the toilet. It's from a 70's trailer camper.



This is a washer/dryer combo unit I picked up for $150. It's from a 1993 RV, and it runs on 115v power! Plus it's teeny tiny and only holds a 10lb. load.


These are the WVO tanks. We'll be using the large black square one, which is a 100gal system from Golden Fuel Systems back when it was Greasel. I got it from CL for $400 for the entire system, which was >$3000 new. We'll be adding on the other 100gal aluminum tank and putting a centrifuge in between the tanks for extra holding capacity and also an extra layer of filtration. I originally bought another 60 gallon steel tank, but that was before I got the Greasel kit, so I'll be selling it.


On the ground you'll see a bunch of poly tanks. I got them for free from CL. All different shapes and sizes, gas tanks pulled from jet skis. We'll be using a few from black and gray water tanks, and if I can get the gas smell out I'll use one for a non-potable water tank. The rest will be sold or given away.


This is our work area. Conveniently, my dad has an airplane hangar and any tool we'll ever need. Our house has a grass airstrip in the back yard. The bus fits into the hangar with about 1" clearance in the front and back. Also, we're in the country so no one minds all the crazy noises coming from the hanger all night.

[EastCoastCB]

HA! I recently got that SAME washer dryer unit from a mid 90s RV on the free section of CL. Looks barely used.
Looks like great minds think alike!
Where you planning to mount it?

[Polarweasel]

Originally Posted by onenationundergoat

We'll convert this chest freezer to a fridge with a temp controller. It'll take barely any power, and the cold air won't escape every time we open the door. It will require sanding and painting, but for $35 and $20 for the temp controller, it's a great way for a low-power fridge setup to run on battery power.

That's a great idea. What's the temperature controller you're using?

[onenationundergoat]

Lerway 110V Stc-1000 All-Purpose Temperature Controller + Sensor 2 Relay Output Thermostat for Home brew, Hatch, ect - Hvac Controls - Amazon.com

Something like this. Eventually we might replace it with a better one, but for now cheap will do. Some of the fancy ones have timers and such to shut it off and delay restarting the compressor. I read this great article about it. Chest Freezer To Fridge Conversion-The Most Energy Efficient Fridge Ever | A Self Sufficient Life

"We bought a brand new A plus rated Zanussi chest freezer of 260 l capacity, which is the same as our old Gas fridge and more than adequate. It consumes daily between about 150 and 180 watts, give or take a few. If you want to get all fussy as I know some do and I am always getting told off here for mixing power, energy etc the new fridge consumes 0.15KWh to 0.18KWh in any given 24 hours."

[gbstewart]

I say start up that plane and go flying!!
almost looks like a Piper Cherokee ?
gbstewart

[onenationundergoat]

Originally Posted by gbstewart

I say start up that plane and go flying!!
almost looks like a Piper Cherokee ?
gbstewart

Yep, it's a Piper Cherokee 150. It hasn't been inspected in the last two years, though. Know anybody who wants to buy one?

[Tango]

Sweet little Cherokee..and I WANT to buy it...but just can't afford it.

Great job of scrounging & re-purposing so many items. You guys are gonna' do fine.

[onenationundergoat]

We were trying to think of a way to make the window screens cheaply, and I came up with an idea. I have a giant roll of screen already, and we needed something to attach it to and frame it in the exterior windows. The actual stuff made for window screen framing is expensive, and would cost probably close to $100 for all twenty windows.

That peg board I bought for the walls is the most useful stuff! Screwed on the back of each piece there were two or three steel supports. This support is bent and has some weird tab stuff at the top and bottom. We used two pieces with the tabs cut off to create the door jamb for the front door. We're also going to use some to make tracks for the bifold doors, since each track kit costs $14 at the store. The hardware without the track is $7. We bought one track kit last week, and then decided to use just the hardware and steel supports for the other door.

Anyway, I plan on cutting and flattening those supports and screwing them down over the edges of screen. Problem solved, frugally!

[austin1989us]

Originally Posted by onenationundergoat

Yep, it's a Piper Cherokee 150. It hasn't been inspected in the last two years, though. Know anybody who wants to buy one?

Mount it on top of the bus for a pretty awesome and aerodynamic loft.

[The-Breeze]

We're going to do the roll of screening down along the outside. I've seen a couple buses done that way and they do well going down the road. They attached vertical strips between EVERY window for a better hold of the screen.

My problem will be that I won't be screening the emergency windows from the outside because I love having them swing open, especially when it's raining. I plan to make 4 (more if I could find some cheap swing outs to replace the regular windows) removable screens that I can attach inside, I got ideas but not sure if they will work out.

[JA Savage]

Wow you have accomplished a lot on your bus in a short amount of time. I am curious, is your air conditioner supported in any way on the outside wall of the bus? Or is it just supported and held in place by the re-bar inside of the bus (as well as the bus wall). I have a bluebird also and wanted to put an air conditioner in the very same window that you put yours, but the back wall of my bus slants inward and I have no figured out a good way to make the air conditioner sit level.

[USMCRockinRV]

THAT... Was fun!!!!!
Great job and totally hilarious...
Taking a goat into Union Square...
Hilarious...
Taking her to Bourbon St...
RISKY!!!!!! LOL

[onenationundergoat]

Originally Posted by The-Breeze

We're going to do the roll of screening down along the outside. I've seen a couple buses done that way and they do well going down the road. They attached vertical strips between EVERY window for a better hold of the screen.

My problem will be that I won't be screening the emergency windows from the outside because I love having them swing open, especially when it's raining. I plan to make 4 (more if I could find some cheap swing outs to replace the regular windows) removable screens that I can attach inside, I got ideas but not sure if they will work out.

I'd love to leave the emergency windows able to swing out as well, but with cats everything has to be escape-proof. We'll be making a frame for each individual window and screwing them in permanently. In two of the windows I'm eventually going to make a slide-out cage shelf thingy so that the cats and rabbit can go out on it to sit in the sun and enjoy the outdoors without actually going outside.

[onenationundergoat]

Originally Posted by JA Savage

I am curious, is your air conditioner supported in any way on the outside wall of the bus? Or is it just supported and held in place by the re-bar inside of the bus (as well as the bus wall).

Right now it's just temporary. Our wall slants inward, too, but we just have the AC kinda balanced on it. The Bottom of the AC is about 5 inches inside the window, and the top is flush with it. The rebar on the top is helping hold it in, but it's really just for in case the wooden window insert fails. The rebar on the bottom doesn't really touch at the moment.

My dad is fabricating us a sheet metal replacement for the wooden window insert, and it will be made so that the bottom is supported. That way it will hold it in place without any additional external bracket.

[onenationundergoat]

Originally Posted by USMCRockinRV

Taking her to Bourbon St...
RISKY!!!!!! LOL

Ha. Actually we didn't take her at night time because we were worried (and for good reason) that she might be um.... violated.... by the crowd. We walked her there around lunchtime but she still got to meet some stumblin' folks!

[onenationundergoat]

Last night we sanded and this morning I painted the freezer with three coats of appliance epoxy. It looks almost good as new!



Before:


We cut out the luan to cover the bed and couch frames, and bought butterscotch colored stain and varnish to put on it. The only thing is, the stuff has to be applied when it's below 90 degrees for 6 hours at a time, and if we wait for night when it's cool then it's too humid and all the bugs fall in it.


We moved the sink cabinet and pantry cabinet into the kitchen, and the wardrobe into the bedroom. I'll have to build a platform for it to sit on since it goes on top of the wheel well.





The cats have to chill in their cages while we work since they're not allowed in the house. They're the first full-time residents of the bus! Here's Frankenstein watching us work.

[Tango]

Looks like he's about to say..."it's pronounced Frahn-ken-steen".

Great build guys...keep the pix coming!

[USMCRockinRV]

Originally Posted by onenationundergoat

Ha. Actually we didn't take her at night time because we were worried (and for good reason) that she might be um.... violated.... by the crowd. We walked her there around lunchtime but she still got to meet some stumblin' folks!

OMG... I think I just laughed a snot bubble~

[The-Breeze]

In two of the windows I'm eventually going to make a slide-out cage shelf thingy so that the cats and rabbit can go out on it to sit in the sun and enjoy the outdoors without actually going outside.

Oh, you got me thinking now on that one (I got 2 cats too). Are you planning on doing the above in the emergency windows? That would solve my problem with screening the emergency windows from the inside (and at least on of my cats would just love it). That's also a great idea for those who have those ankle bitter dogs. Two of my dogs would only get their heads stuck.

BTW: I LOVE YOUR RED SINK