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Old 03-16-2015, 09:14 PM   #1
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Talking Our plans... Realistic or no?

So, I just did this on Paint.. Pretty basic I know. I tried to incorporate all the elements my fiance and I want- not dead set on, but if possible, this is roughly what we would want it to look like...

Does this look like it would be do-able? (We do not have a bus yet)

Thanks for your input!


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Old 03-16-2015, 09:27 PM   #2
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Well it looks like a great plan im a newbie as well also drawing up plans . If I may . I would move the wood stove to beside the emergency exit that way the heat source is more centralized . I watch a you tube his name is ...
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Old 03-16-2015, 09:29 PM   #3
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Jarrod pimental check his conversion out I just feel that your bedroom would get pretty chilly . But agian I am a newbie . Best of luck to you !!
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Old 03-16-2015, 09:49 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Mike_Sowden View Post
Well it looks like a great plan im a newbie as well also drawing up plans . If I may . I would move the wood stove to beside the emergency exit that way the heat source is more centralized . I watch a you tube his name is ...
Thanks a lot Mike! I will check his videos out for sure!
I too believe the room would get a little cold, my fiance says he wants it like that. His exact words: "I can't sleep with a wood stove on top of me."

- He always has our bedroom windows open and a fan on... so that is the reason the stove is at the other end of the bus.. That way I can go sleep on the warm couch if I have to. ;)
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Old 03-16-2015, 10:00 PM   #5
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Just my 2c as a fellow wood-burner (I heat my house with wood every year), I would swap the office and wood stove if I could. Wood stoves heat primarily by convection and you need air to circulate to get that. It's much easier to move it 20' each way than 40' total. I totally understand not wanting to overheat the bedroom, but trust me, you're not going to have that problem with all those corners and narrow paths down to there. With the stove at one end, it's going to be 85 and the bedroom is going to be 55 - and a long trip down the hall to fill it. He may like it cool in the bedroom... but not THAT cool.

Even in the middle you may have trouble getting the heat into the bedroom and want a small inline duct to help move the air. If you do, bear in mind that it's easier to move cold air than warm. I've never actually understood this - it doesn't follow any thermodynamic rule _I_ learned in school, and I call BS on anybody that claims it's density or something like that - it's such a small margin. But I can definitely confirm that when we altered our wood stove + insert setup such that our helper fan was on the floor ("pushing" cold air towards the stove) instead of near the ceiling (pushing heat down the hall) our house heats a LOT more evenly.

Are you planning one of those all-in-one "ventless" washer/dryers, or something like a narrow apartment "stack" style unit? I ask because I owned one of those ventless units, a really nice LG one that I put a lot of research into. It was crap. They run FOREVER, clothes still come out damp (and you do NOT want dampness in your bus!) and barely do 2 pairs of clothes at a time. You're running it literally every day or so to keep up.

I kinda like the wet bathroom idea. We've decided against that for personal reasons (everything in a bus plan is totally personal...) but definitely considered it and it has some advantages...
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Old 03-16-2015, 10:25 PM   #6
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Just my 2c as a fellow wood-burner (I heat my house with wood every year), I would swap the office and wood stove if I could. Wood stoves heat primarily by convection and you need air to circulate to get that. It's much easier to move it 20' each way than 40' total. I totally understand not wanting to overheat the bedroom, but trust me, you're not going to have that problem with all those corners and narrow paths down to there. With the stove at one end, it's going to be 85 and the bedroom is going to be 55 - and a long trip down the hall to fill it. He may like it cool in the bedroom... but not THAT cool.

Even in the middle you may have trouble getting the heat into the bedroom and want a small inline duct to help move the air. If you do, bear in mind that it's easier to move cold air than warm. I've never actually understood this - it doesn't follow any thermodynamic rule _I_ learned in school, and I call BS on anybody that claims it's density or something like that - it's such a small margin. But I can definitely confirm that when we altered our wood stove + insert setup such that our helper fan was on the floor ("pushing" cold air towards the stove) instead of near the ceiling (pushing heat down the hall) our house heats a LOT more evenly.

Are you planning one of those all-in-one "ventless" washer/dryers, or something like a narrow apartment "stack" style unit? I ask because I owned one of those ventless units, a really nice LG one that I put a lot of research into. It was crap. They run FOREVER, clothes still come out damp (and you do NOT want dampness in your bus!) and barely do 2 pairs of clothes at a time. You're running it literally every day or so to keep up.

I kinda like the wet bathroom idea. We've decided against that for personal reasons (everything in a bus plan is totally personal...) but definitely considered it and it has some advantages...

Thanks for that- Definitely another point for us to discuss about the wood burner. I spent a year living in my dads 2014 Voltage Toy Hauler, It was freezing. I've been trying to help my fiance understand that trailers/rvs/buses get COLD. He's been a house boy his whole life! I do think it would be beneficial to have it in the middle of the bus. Thank you for the tips about moving the heat, I did not know that.

As for the washer/dryer, we were thinking a stacking pair or the two in one machine. As you said though, we haven't heard many good things so we might just cut it out entirely and stop in at laundromats and families houses. ;)

The wet bathroom seems like the best option for us. We have 4 dogs, 2 Border Collies and 2 Chihuahuas. So space is our top priority. We've read that quite a few people prefer to use the public showers at RV parks and campsites whilst on the road. We like that idea and therefore we think saving the space and having a tight bathroom is something we can live with...

Of course this will be our first conversion, so I'm prepared to learn from others mistakes and from my own! ;);););)
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Old 03-17-2015, 08:09 AM   #7
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We're new to Skoolies but not to camping - we've been doing that for years, and with kids. As much of a pain as it is to haul laundry around, and as many times as we've been tempted to install units in our camper, we keep deciding to not do that. Laundromats and campground-provided facilities are just SOOO much bigger than anything you're going to fit in your "tiny" home. Most have numerous machines so even if you have multiple loads you can still do it all in one go, the machines are large and fast, and ... have you ever walked into one of those and felt all that humidity? You don't want that moisture in your bus.

And those all-in-ones are still terrible.

Just my 2c (everything on here is somebody's 2c) I'd skip the units and use the space for something else.

For public showers, they're a mix. We've been to a lot of state campgrounds where the showers are just NASTY - straight out of a bad summer-camp teen movie. Mildew, bugs, fluids of all kinds, shower heads that don't work, they require quarters just to run them and give off tepid water, etc. Gah. We use our camper's shower in those, and conserve water as much as we can.

On the other hand, we've been in some places where the showers are downright luxurious. KOAs are a little bit of a mix but a few we stayed at were really VERY nice, and free. They're way bigger than what's in our camper so we use those whenever they're decent.

Your mileage will vary. However, I would definitely recommend taping off that bathroom space and sitting in it. Our camper has a very small bathroom right now and my knees hit the shower when I'm on the toilet. For a week's camping trip it's fine. For "home" it's not so fine. We're using some of our precious space to make that bathroom longer. Even a few extra inches is worth it!

Just my 2c! Best of luck!
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Old 03-17-2015, 08:51 AM   #8
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I don't have much time this morning, I have to get to work and get my crew started.

I have used a wood burning stove most my life. Only the few years I lived in town were we without one.
We live in the north. Heat in winter is the only thing between living and freezing to death.
Every home I have lived in with a wood stove has had the stove in the center. The wood stove needs to be in the middle of the bus.

I also don't like to much heat while sleeping, but the wood stove in my shed where I live is only 5 feet from my bed. It works great.

Nat
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Old 03-17-2015, 12:22 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taskswap View Post
We're new to Skoolies but not to camping - we've been doing that for years, and with kids. As much of a pain as it is to haul laundry around, and as many times as we've been tempted to install units in our camper, we keep deciding to not do that. Laundromats and campground-provided facilities are just SOOO much bigger than anything you're going to fit in your "tiny" home. Most have numerous machines so even if you have multiple loads you can still do it all in one go, the machines are large and fast, and ... have you ever walked into one of those and felt all that humidity? You don't want that moisture in your bus.

And those all-in-ones are still terrible.

Just my 2c (everything on here is somebody's 2c) I'd skip the units and use the space for something else.

For public showers, they're a mix. We've been to a lot of state campgrounds where the showers are just NASTY - straight out of a bad summer-camp teen movie. Mildew, bugs, fluids of all kinds, shower heads that don't work, they require quarters just to run them and give off tepid water, etc. Gah. We use our camper's shower in those, and conserve water as much as we can.

On the other hand, we've been in some places where the showers are downright luxurious. KOAs are a little bit of a mix but a few we stayed at were really VERY nice, and free. They're way bigger than what's in our camper so we use those whenever they're decent.

Your mileage will vary. However, I would definitely recommend taping off that bathroom space and sitting in it. Our camper has a very small bathroom right now and my knees hit the shower when I'm on the toilet. For a week's camping trip it's fine. For "home" it's not so fine. We're using some of our precious space to make that bathroom longer. Even a few extra inches is worth it!

Just my 2c! Best of luck!

You're right about the washer/dryer. We've decided to scrap that entirely and utilize the space differently. I like your idea of taping off an area and trying to sit in it, I am quite short at 5'4 but my fiance is 6'3. He is adamant that he will be comfortable in a wet room, but i'll get him to sit in the taped area and see for sure! ;) Perhaps where we've scrapped our washer/dryer we could have a full shower now... For now I've moved the wood stove to be where the washer/dryer was. That seems to be the smartest thing to do after hearing it from you and others!

Thanks again!

Revised plan:

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Old 03-17-2015, 12:25 PM   #10
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Cool Revised

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Originally Posted by nat_ster View Post
I don't have much time this morning, I have to get to work and get my crew started.

I have used a wood burning stove most my life. Only the few years I lived in town were we without one.
We live in the north. Heat in winter is the only thing between living and freezing to death.
Every home I have lived in with a wood stove has had the stove in the center. The wood stove needs to be in the middle of the bus.

I also don't like to much heat while sleeping, but the wood stove in my shed where I live is only 5 feet from my bed. It works great.

Nat
Hi Nat!

I've revised the plan and placed it in the middle of the bus! Seems like that is the best option! If he gets hot, he can open a window! ;)

Have a great day at work!

Revised;
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Old 03-17-2015, 12:52 PM   #11
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Are you raising your entire floor 11 inches? Just wondering as you have no wheel wells.

I personally hate wet baths. Lived fulltime with one in a class c for 5 years. Promised David that the bus would not have a wet bath. It has a "split" bath (toilet/vanity on one side, shower stall on the opposite side).

BTW, I love my residential super capacity top load washing machine and residential dryer. Dryer sits on the rear wheel well and the washer sits on the floor beside it (between the 32X32 residential shower stall and the rear wheel well). But my needs are different as I live fulltime in my bus, parked in a park... for now.

I suggest that you do a scale layout of your bus floor and include the "immovables" both on the floor and under the floor. Then make paper cutouts (to scale) of the stuff you must have in it and the wanna haves. Then arrange and rearrange your little paper shapes many many times. Use your phone's camera to take pics of each layout. Just because you don't like all of one layout doesn't mean that parts of one won't work.
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:00 PM   #12
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Are you raising your entire floor 11 inches? Just wondering as you have no wheel wells.

I personally hate wet baths. Lived fulltime with one in a class c for 5 years. Promised David that the bus would not have a wet bath. It has a "split" bath (toilet/vanity on one side, shower stall on the opposite side).

BTW, I love my residential super capacity top load washing machine and residential dryer. Dryer sits on the rear wheel well and the washer sits on the floor beside it (between the 32X32 residential shower stall and the rear wheel well). But my needs are different as I live fulltime in my bus, parked in a park... for now.

I suggest that you do a scale layout of your bus floor and include the "immovables" both on the floor and under the floor. Then make paper cutouts (to scale) of the stuff you must have in it and the wanna haves. Then arrange and rearrange your little paper shapes many many times. Use your phone's camera to take pics of each layout. Just because you don't like all of one layout doesn't mean that parts of one won't work.
Hi Lorna!

Thank you for your input! We will not be raising the floor, our closets will be built over the rear wheel wells and our custom couch will sit over the front right wheel well!

We are definitely going to test full bathrooms and wet rooms before we choose for sure!

And I would love to have a washer/dryer but it is something I can live without!

We haven't even purchased a bus yet, so we're far off from the final design.

Thanks again! I enjoy all the articles you posted!
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Old 03-17-2015, 03:22 PM   #13
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You may want to move your bath room to the drivers side of the bus, most camp sites are designed for dumping your holding tanks and hook ups on the that side of the rv.
If you put in a rv type toilet have it sit right on top of your black tank.
just my 2 cents
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Old 03-17-2015, 04:03 PM   #14
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You may want to move your bath room to the drivers side of the bus, most camp sites are designed for dumping your holding tanks and hook ups on the that side of the rv.
If you put in a rv type toilet have it sit right on top of your black tank.
just my 2 cents
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Good point! Another thing to go in my notes!
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Old 03-17-2015, 05:07 PM   #15
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These are just random thoughts as I think of them.

I too hate a wet room, my camper has one. Remember everything will get..........wet! Toilet paper has to be protected, if, like me you run around with socks on your feet, the floor is wet. If you don't dry it off the toilet seat will be wet.

Just looking at your plans, I would loose the office and dog crate (I travel with two Border Collies, they do just fine finding their own spot) make the pantry smaller and cut down on closet space, they look huge in comparison. Loose some "stuff" I traveled for 20 years in a semi stayed out for 10 to 14 days and all of my clothes fit in two drawers. In a 60 inch sleeper I had a good size frige,desktop computer,microwave,porta potty, portable air conditioner and two Border Collies.
I assume you will be using a laptop, set it on whatever eating surface you are using.
At least get the toilet to the left side, sinks and shower plumbing can be routed under the floor to the other side. I'm not sure the rear wheel wells are as far forward as you have drawn, meaning the wheel wells would be a problem. If you get a rear engine, I know they aren't that far forward.
Somewhere in my build post are some floor plan drawings that are pretty much what I ended up with, in my case there is a HUGE office/computer room that takes up the front 8 feet, I have a good size pantry and large fridge,Mumsywumsy has enough closet space for a few weeks, I still don't need much. I went with the separate beds to get as much "stand up turn around" space in the bedroom as possible. My first semi I had to get dressed while laying on the bed, I hated that. Each bunk is half a queen.
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Old 03-18-2015, 12:08 PM   #16
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These are just random thoughts as I think of them.

I too hate a wet room, my camper has one. Remember everything will get..........wet! Toilet paper has to be protected, if, like me you run around with socks on your feet, the floor is wet. If you don't dry it off the toilet seat will be wet.

Just looking at your plans, I would loose the office and dog crate (I travel with two Border Collies, they do just fine finding their own spot) make the pantry smaller and cut down on closet space, they look huge in comparison. Loose some "stuff" I traveled for 20 years in a semi stayed out for 10 to 14 days and all of my clothes fit in two drawers. In a 60 inch sleeper I had a good size frige,desktop computer,microwave,porta potty, portable air conditioner and two Border Collies.
I assume you will be using a laptop, set it on whatever eating surface you are using.
At least get the toilet to the left side, sinks and shower plumbing can be routed under the floor to the other side. I'm not sure the rear wheel wells are as far forward as you have drawn, meaning the wheel wells would be a problem. If you get a rear engine, I know they aren't that far forward.
Somewhere in my build post are some floor plan drawings that are pretty much what I ended up with, in my case there is a HUGE office/computer room that takes up the front 8 feet, I have a good size pantry and large fridge,Mumsywumsy has enough closet space for a few weeks, I still don't need much. I went with the separate beds to get as much "stand up turn around" space in the bedroom as possible. My first semi I had to get dressed while laying on the bed, I hated that. Each bunk is half a queen.
Thank you very much for your input! Taking all your guys' suggestions into account... Right now my biggest problem is finding a broker who will insure a conversion.
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Old 03-18-2015, 01:30 PM   #17
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Before the economy crashed, I was in the wood stove/solar business. Along the way, I did a lot of unusual installations and had the opportunity to solve the problems that came with those jobs. Also, I have personally heated with wood whenever I had the chance, and proved a number of my own ideas along the way.

I'm going to start a separate thread to address this subject...
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Old 03-18-2015, 01:37 PM   #18
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Just one more thought on the wood stove, I know you've been bombarded by good information on the heat distribution aspects, but here's another reason to move it that I didn't see mentioned; safety. I don't know how much drive time you will see, but if there is am accident, or even a near miss where you must stop in a hurry (yeah, like a bus can stop in a hurry, lol) having that right behind the driver is asking for trouble. Even the wall may not be enough to keep it from hitting the driver, turning a bad situation into a worse one. move it back and give it a few more obstacles to tumble over before it gets to the "cab". We all hate bad publicity, and seeing fellow skoolies get hurt.
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Old 03-18-2015, 03:31 PM   #19
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Talking great tips

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Just one more thought on the wood stove, I know you've been bombarded by good information on the heat distribution aspects, but here's another reason to move it that I didn't see mentioned; safety. I don't know how much drive time you will see, but if there is am accident, or even a near miss where you must stop in a hurry (yeah, like a bus can stop in a hurry, lol) having that right behind the driver is asking for trouble. Even the wall may not be enough to keep it from hitting the driver, turning a bad situation into a worse one. move it back and give it a few more obstacles to tumble over before it gets to the "cab". We all hate bad publicity, and seeing fellow skoolies get hurt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueBirdman View Post
Before the economy crashed, I was in the wood stove/solar business. Along the way, I did a lot of unusual installations and had the opportunity to solve the problems that came with those jobs. Also, I have personally heated with wood whenever I had the chance, and proved a number of my own ideas along the way.

I'm going to start a separate thread to address this subject...

I agree with everything said. I've attached a picture, it is where we initially got the idea from.

That said, maybe the people in this picture don't drive their bus anywhere or stay in it for extended periods of time.

The wood burner will be going in the middle!
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Old 03-18-2015, 04:10 PM   #20
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Revised again...

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