The wolf bus

[TOMMAY]

Just thinking about your wood panels,wonder if they will expand enough that you need to leave a little room at the joints so they won't wrinkle up from the expansion ?

[maggiemae]

That's a great point! To combat that, we are putting a thin layer of foam tape on the metal ribs (in between the ribs and the wood), to help with any movement and vibrations while on the road, and to protect the wood. Also, the panels are tongue and groove, which helps with any expanding and contracting.

[maggiemae]

We had so much planned for this weekend, and were only able to get a few things done with the bus.

I put together and started a small fire in our stove, then put the fire out and watched the smoke pour out of the seams.

Then, I dismantled our entire stove all the way, and Justin and I cleaned it entirely using a wire brush and a chisel in the seam channels to remove the old sealant.

We then put it back together, sealing every seam. It made it so much easier with two people to be able to hold it together.

We also picked up some paint (specifically made for this application), and I spray painted the single wall stove pipes that came with the stove. Justin wanted us to paint the stove, too. I used the rest of a can of paint on the stove itself, and was a bit surprised to see that when the paint dried, it looked almost grey in some areas. Despite re coating it, It still isn't as black as it was before I painted it.

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While I was doing this, Justin was cutting the last interior hole in the ceiling, using an angle grinder.

After the stove dried, we put it in the bus and installed the stove pipe and the flashing/storm collar. We used a metal 45 degree pitch roof flashing on top, and caulked the contact area with the roof using hi temp red silicone. Then, Justin used metal self tapping screws to secure it in place. He started at the highest area of the flashing, and put in many screws, working his way to the sides and bottom. This method ensured that the metal flashing wouldn't create any seams, or bunch up. It was quite effective, and when I checked on it this morning (after it has been raining all night) it was bone dry inside. We will also add sealant to the seams when we put another final coat of sealant on our roof.

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We also were able to "frame" the bathroom. I say that in quotes because it is hardly framing to the point that you would in a home... the 2x4's are turned sideways to save room, and the top is just secured to the frame with wood to metal large screws. It's secure, but it doesn't look like your normal code frame job.

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Then, I used the reclaimed cedar fencing I got last Friday for free off Craigslist to begin putting up the walls, while Justin cut them.

I love the rustic outhouse look it has to it.

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For our bathroom, we are just going to leave it open. I hate the idea of closed off spaces (and a huge wall when I first walk in my home), and Justin wants lots of leg room while using the commode. To counter the weird intrusive feeling one would get when stepping into our bus and seeing a toilet right away, I am going to hide the toilet using a chair with fabric over it, and the seat on hinges. That way when you walk in, you just see a shiny bathtub with a nice chair next to it.
(kinda like this, off good ol google images)
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(sorry for the dark junky pictures... we took them at night when it was dark)

[taskswap]

Looks really nice! Thanks for the pics!

[Tango]

I like open too...but, don't forget about all the moisture/humidity that bath will generate. Be sure to vent the fool out of that area to minimize condensation everywhere inside the bus.

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by Tango

I like open too...but, don't forget about all the moisture/humidity that bath will generate. Be sure to vent the fool out of that area to minimize condensation everywhere inside the bus.

And seal all that old wood with something.

Otherwise you will end up with mold city.

I bathed in a horse water troth growing up. They sure get the job done, and better than a rubber made tote.

Nat

[taskswap]

Oh, and about that stove paint, it's definitely "less than black". Old cast iron is BLACK BLACK and stove paint is more of a charcoal. It'll darken in time, but you can also try different products. It looks like yours is a pure flat finish. You might try a product with a little gloss to it. I like the Krylon Satin but YMMV.

[maggiemae]

We're going to clear coat it for sure. That will hopefully help with splinters (to an extent) as well as protecting it, without sacrificing the "patina".

I have been looking into atmospheric water collection. I might try it out, there are a bunch of really cool DIY tutorials around that incorporate a dehumidifier and a water filter. Might be another fun project! It would help with humidity too!

[maggiemae]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

I bathed in a horse water troth growing up. They sure get the job done, and better than a rubber made tote.

Nat

Oh boy, I remember going up to our family cabin in wyoming and sitting oustide in a metal trough filled with well water. BURR! Fortunately we boiled some of the water so it wasn't as cold, but burr!! This one will have HOT water going to it! .

[The-Breeze]

Sorry that your paint job came out more gray. If I had known that you had planned to paint it I would have suggested trying what they used in the olden days...STOVE BLACK. I have always used this stuff on cast iron and it dries very, very black.

I bought some last year during the summer and had a hard time finding it because, I was told "it was seasonal". Our ancestors would put stove black on their stoves right before the start of the fire season, then get a good fire going to set it in.

Along the lines of TOMMAY's concern with expansion below is a picture of what we did in our bus



There is about a 1/2 to 3/4 inch gap behind the vertical slats and these slats are held in screws that don't go thru the horizontal slats and are screwed right into the original metal walls. We are hoping this will help with flexing and expansion going down the road.