My Short bus build...

[Frochevy]

Well I apologize for being non-existent for so long on updates on our bus. We have had a lot of fun camping in the bus this year and I've done a few updates along the way as well.

My favorite one and probably the most needed was to work on the bunk bed and queen bed system. When I designed it I didn't account for our queen mattress being so thick. So removed about 3.5" from the width of the bunk bed. This gave more room for it to clear the top of our matress when being folded up (down).

I also had made the bed frame so stout by adding shelving and boxing in and adding white board for kids to color on that the queen bed was super heavy! I have a bad back anyhow and it took two people to unfold the queen bed. Now I can do it with the touch of a button. I installed a small atv winch and changed out the cable to a synthetic winch rope. It is wired in through a battery cutoff switch to eliminate the kids being able to mess with it. I removed hook and added a small stainless carabiner with a light working load limit so it should spread apart before doing any damage to my wall structure. The biggest pain now (which I can deal with) is to hook/unhook the winch rope after lowering or getting ready to raise the bed.... Works great!!

[Frochevy]

Ok the next thing I worked on was the dinette table. I built my own base that folds down so we can use that space for our youngest son to sleep. Right now we put a pack n play up there for him when the table is folded down. Eventually an air up matress will go there. So a few pics of the base design/build, then the plywood base for the table top.

Then I bought a few 1 x 6 select pine and glued them down to the plywood and out cabinet screws from the bottom up to make everything tight and solid. After sanding I used a torch to make the wood grain pop and feather out. After that came some minwax spar urethane for the final clear. I have a couple of clamps purchased from Amazon originally meant for my bed that are now used to clamp the table tight to the wall. It turned out pretty solid. I didn't have good enough structure to pull against so I bolted a board on the inside and ran two bolts all the way to outside with some sealer on them that also attach my folding shelf brackets.

I've wanted to put up a folding shelf outside for camping. Even though we have a fridge, I always have my cooler sitting right outside there on the ground and candles, phones, cups, you name it ends up on top of the cooler. Now we have a shelf for all of that "stuff"

[Frochevy]

Since we started having cooler nights I thought I better get the heater ducts ran for some fall camping. I ended up with two ducts for now. I think it will be enough.

One blows out under the cabinet at the bottom of the heater by the back door. The other runs up using insulated 4" duct at the back of the cabinets and exits inside the bathroom at a shelf area. We never keep the bathroom door closed and that vent should blow warm air toward the front of the bus fairly well. I tried it out one cool morning when bus was around 55 degrees inside and got up to 70 degrees in short time. Anyhow pic shows under the sink where I ran the duct I really didn't lose much space up above the pipes.

In the other cabinet I built a small shelf to hold a couple items such as an electric griddle we decided to leave in the bus.

[TheArgobus]

We’re making a similar outdoor table as you. How did you make it? What kind of hinge mechanism do you have? And how do you lock it down while driving?

[plfking]

I like the winch idea.

And the purple bedspread.

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by TheArgobus

We’re making a similar outdoor table as you. How did you make it? What kind of hinge mechanism do you have? And how do you lock it down while driving?

The table will stay inside. I just showed some pictures of sanding it outside. I kind od copied a design on fold up coffee table. Same idea. Just made my own. Key is nylon washers in between metal parts and nylock nuts to keep everything tight. I have 2 cam over clamps that lock it up to the wall. So it has a 1x board to hit against, then two adjustable clamps hold it down.

Thought I had pictures of the clamps. I'll take pics of those and post later ..

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by plfking

I like the winch idea.

And the purple bedspread.

Oh the winch is so much better on my back!!! The bed was such a pain back in June when we were camping we decided to leave the bed down the whole time that weekend. So I had to do something to make it easier!


The purple is marvelous isn't it?? Whew! Good game tonight... We drove the bus about an hour away to my wife's grandma's at her pond to tailgate and watch the KSU TCU game! Just got home and was a good time!! The only thing better than good food, family, and college football is also being at a great fishing pond and catching fish!

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by TheArgobus

We’re making a similar outdoor table as you. How did you make it? What kind of hinge mechanism do you have? And how do you lock it down while driving?

Went out and took some pictures:

I used two clamps as shown. If I would have had more time, I would have ordered a different style clamp that would have worked better. These don't work too bad tho since I added the 2x4 to bottom of table. The board on the wall is the "shelf" the table top sits on. So I tried to make the clamps pull in two directions: 1. toward the wall 2. Down on the "shelf" board. This locks the table tight.

The one picture shows the clamp released. When locked, I shove a carriage bolt through the hole to keep it locked in place. If I did again I would get different style clamps and wouldn't need that. But I had these laying around.

The last picture is a pic before all the locking clamps where there but gives you an idea of how the base works. The 4 short tubes length determines your amount of drop. So I wanted my table top to hit in the seats before the base bottomed out. I actually had two more tubes tying them together better but discovered it works pretty well without them. So I removed them to have better leg room. So simply unclamp and pull the table toward you and push down and it swings out and back in until resting on top of edges of seats. Let me know if need more info on that or can draw arrows of how it works, etc.

[57ratrod]

What kind of heater are you using?

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by 57ratrod

What kind of heater are you using?

It is a propane heater I removed from a fairly large 5th wheel camper. I believe it's an Atwood 26,000 btu output. I wired it up to a dometic thermostat so my camper ac and the camper heater both run off the same thermostat. Let me know if you would like anymore details or have anymore questions!

[TheArgobus]

Originally Posted by Frochevy

The table will stay inside. I just showed some pictures of sanding it outside. I kind od copied a design on fold up coffee table. Same idea. Just made my own. Key is nylon washers in between metal parts and nylock nuts to keep everything tight. I have 2 cam over clamps that lock it up to the wall. So it has a 1x board to hit against, then two adjustable clamps hold it down.

Thought I had pictures of the clamps. I'll take pics of those and post later ..

Awesome, thanks, I appreciate the more in depth info... but I was actually referring to your swinging cooler table on the outside of the bus. We have a folding table we just take out and set up, but its kinda annoying to fold it up and store it all the time.

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by TheArgobus

Awesome, thanks, I appreciate the more in depth info... but I was actually referring to your swinging cooler table on the outside of the bus. We have a folding table we just take out and set up, but its kinda annoying to fold it up and store it all the time.

Haha my mistake!! So for the outdoor folding table/shelf... I purchased stainless steel folding brackets from amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F3RBFXC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DrEHFbB4JM222

The top two bolts go through the bus wall and help me attach the board to clamp the inside table to. The other attachment screws are self tapping screws going into the ribs of the bus.

I then purchased one 8' composite deck board from Menards to make the shelf. The brackets only have 3 holes per bracket. So one board would only have 1 screw on each side Instead of two. So I put the end pieces on to tie everything together. I really don't like the look of those boards under there but it's ok for now. I used short cabinet screws for attaching everything from underneath. 1 8' board cut into 2 3' pieces (for a 3' shelf) and two 11-11.5" pieces for each end. Used all but a couple inches of that board.

As far as during transport, so far I haven't done anything to tie it down. We drove the bus around 2.5 hrs round trip last Saturday and I kept close eye on it in the mirror. There is no locking mechanism to keep it down but I never saw it move, even on bumps. So I probably won't make a catch or anything for it.

[TheArgobus]

I knew there was a simple solution... thanks!

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by TheArgobus

I knew there was a simple solution... thanks!

No problem! Sorry it took me a couple times to actually answer the question you asked!

So far we really like those brackets. I'm thinking of adding another shelf at the back somewhere that I can add an Outdoor pop up sink so the kids can wash their hands outside...

[Frochevy]

Well my wife is an RN and she has been taking care of covid positive patients most of the year. Last Thursday she lost her smell and had to get tested before her shift on Friday. We found out she had covid so she's been staying in the bus. I already had it winterized, but quickly got the bus moved Around to the front and plugged in. She has everything she needs in the bus other than a shower. It's been a good test because we have had 18-19 degree F temps at night. The last few days have been highs in the 30s. So far the bus is working great. Heater keeps up fine and she's warm. (Never tested heater in long term chilly weather) We've been through 1 tank of propane now and about half on another. The dual regulator is working out nicely also changing over automatically when the first tank ran out. I set up an antenna on the pole we used to have dish on. The outdoor shelf and window works like a reverse food truck. I take her meals and set on the shelf and she opens the window and takes it in. Lol however I'm wore out. Full time Mr Mom with 3 kids is wearing me out though!!! Hope everyone is keeping safe! Happy Holidays!

[EastCoastCB]

Dang, well man we're wishing her a speedy and full recovery!!!
Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you.

Happy Holidays to you too!

[bus-bro]

Looking like a great isolation cabin there. Who woulda thunkit a year ago!

[Phatman]

Speedy recovery for the both of you !!!

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Dang, well man we're wishing her a speedy and full recovery!!!
Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you.

Happy Holidays to you too!

Thank you! Yes the kids keep me busy! Especially with helping two of them with school work!

[Frochevy]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

Looking like a great isolation cabin there. Who woulda thunkit a year ago!

I agree! When I was buildng the bus, I never thought it would be used for something like this!!