layout advice wanted

[CorbettO]

My 2001 flat face Bluebird All-American 30' finally arrived. The previous owner(s) removed the seats, insulated the floor, added flooring and insulation to the walls.

I am getting ready to meet with folks to help with the build (it's my first build project and I will "supervise" but not do much of work).

I am stuck on layouts.

Here's my list of absolute requirements:
* 2 separate beds (one for me, one for driver/friend)
* sink
* soaking bathtub (can be industrial container)
* washer/dryer combo
* Long work table (counter)
* small industrial crane to get in and out of the bus by myself (with wheelchair)
* recliner
* urine-diverting composting toilet (would be nice to drain into grey tank but not required)

The current layout allows the driver/companion to have a converted chair/bed up front while my bed is in back.

[Sehnsucht]

Question: where it says "crane" in the layout, are you referring to some mechanism for self-sufficiency within the interior? Because you said "to get in and out of the bus" but as I read the layout there appears to be a chair lift door just aft of the entry door. The crane is at the opposite end. What I'm therefore imagining is some sort of powered hoist on a boom or track which permits mobility from bed to chair to tub which is also why I'm guessing the tub is in the same area.

I'm pretty sure this is not to scale but nevertheless have you sized up your interiors? The possibility is that once things are installed there is a variable amount of aisle space throughout and typically this can be inconvenient but not necessarily prohibitive but as it sounds like you may be chair-bound you could find the some areas impassible. Hopefully your builder is supremely diligent in keeping that factor at the forefront of the build.

[CorbettO]

Yes I use a wheelchair. [I don't use "wheelchair bound" cuz it always makes me laugh.]

The installed lift would require someone to start the bus everytime I wanted to get in and out. I had a bus back in 2011 and found that very tiresome and limiting.

Yes I am looking at small industrial cranes and yes, I am trying to get the one crane to both get me out the back door and out of the bathtub.

I am trying hard to pay close attention in the layout to the distance between things. I am also exploring having a rolling office chair as my main inside-the-bus movement because it's so much smaller than a wheelchair.

This build will move somewhat slowly because every change will need to be checked against the width of access.

I don't have the funds for a full-time builder. So I am hiring people for specific expertise and doing a lot of the basic work (building cabinets, hanging stuff, painting, etc) with my friends.

Thanks for your comments.

[Sehnsucht]

Ahh, insight! Haha. Yes I was attempting to be tactful and wasn't sure what the proper terms are relating to fully chair dependent versus limited mobility apart from the chair.

A thought - I didn't think about the lift requiring the engine running but that makes sense now that you say it. However, the lift itself just needs a hydraulic pump to operate which is logically on the engine right now. Could it be more cost effective to have this reconfigured to run off an electric motor? No doubt mobility vans do this because otherwise the wheelchair driver couldn't enter/egress without aid. They use a keyfob remote to open and close the ramp remotely. I just wonder if this couldn't be adapted for retrofit into the existing lift. Of course it also appears your floor plan already negates this lift with a sofa so maybe that's not an option. Just a thought though.

In terms of lifts, and perhaps you already know this, but it sounds like a fixed mount single arm lift would suffice such as the type used to assist people in and out of pools. The downfall I think is that while it would work inside, I cannot envision how it would work to 'cross the threshold' out the back door unless you're prepared to fundamentally alter the rear wall. It can certainly be done and I've seen it done a number of ways, but essentially I think the driver side of the rear wall would need to be converted to a hinged unit, basically like a double door to the stock exit, in order that the lift can pivot across the threshold. Just my thought.

[o1marc]

Bus wheelchair lifts don't need anything from the motor. The hydraulics are contained in the lift and only needs a bettery connected to make it work. They can be utilized by the person in the chair.

[ermracing]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Bus wheelchair lifts don't need anything from the motor. The hydraulics are contained in the lift and only needs a battery connected to make it work. They can be utilized by the person in the chair.

What Marc said. The wheelchair lift on our bus is wired so you have to have the ignition on or 'acc' to operate, but setting it up to run with a key switch on the outside wouldn't be that difficult.

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by ermracing

setting it up to run with a key switch on the outside wouldn't be that difficult.

That was my first thought, that it would be easier to tweak the existing lift than to install a crane.


My second thought was...it'd be pretty badass to have a crane.