Build pictures so far:
A huge amount of time was spent removing the bolts that held the brackets for the seats to the floor. I started this project not knowing very much about a lot of things, and made the mistake of trying to grind them off instead of using a thinner disc and cutting them off.
The beginnings of the bed platform
Removing windows was kind of a scary prospect until I actually did it. Popping the four clips off surrounding each window and cutting the caulking was all that was needed.
We decided we didn't need the flashers. We had ideas about making sweet flashing party lights or something using different colors, but we decided for the sake of simplicity, and to reduce the risk of getting pulled over as often, we'd just remove them.
We covered the window holes with thing sheet steel, attaching the sheets with sheet metal screws and sealing with silicone.
The hole for the flappy stop sign and the flasher holes got the same treatment.
We began to frame out the bathroom. The wall that would house the plumbing for the shower and the one that would house electric outlet boxes are framed with 2x4s, and the rest are framed with 2x3s to shave weight.
The previous owner had covered the SCHOOL BUS decals with duct tape before driving the bus up to Alaska. Between the duct tape and the decals themselves, I had a hell of a time getting them off. In the end it took a blow torch, a scraper, a wire brush, and a lot of acetone to get them removed.
A surprising percentage of the lumber used in the bus was hauled this way.
Ryan's bunk over the foot of our bed.
Some creative framing to accommodate the wheel well.
We ended up using a lot of tongue and groove because it was the easiest way to follow the contours of the ceiling, it's light and it looks good.
Painting has begun! We went with flat black for the hood to keep glare down. We went with black for the front and back of the roof section so that eventually we could put some white vinyl decals up there.
So much time went into sanding every inch of the bus before painting.
Complete Paint Job
The sink installed in it's temporary location, so we could meet the requirements to get our RV title/registration from the state of Alaska.
The urine-separating/solid-composting toilet.
A robin I caught trying to make a nest inside of the bus. He was released after the photo.
The license plate we received after passing our RV conversion inspection
Finally, a way to lock the bus.
Installing the bluetooth stereo deck made working in the bus much more enjoyable.
Cubbies above the toilet
Bedside table/drawer in the bedroom
Installing some flooring in the bathroom and bedroom
privacy film over the bathroom window
Building hollow core doors for the bedroom and bathroom
Vent system for the composting toilet, built with a small PC case fan.
Our couch. It opens up for storage underneath, and the left arm opens up to house the inverter. Cup holders and small storage spaces are also built into the top of both arms.
I built a four-spot USB charger into the bedside table in the bedroom. No need for separate chargers for the cell phones. I can just plug straight into the table.
Jenna made curtains for the bedroom.
a 110v plug in the bedroom