New beginnings - My skoolie build

[jjhwick119]

it's not very loud at all. yea, right next to it its noisy, but i walked 3 rv spots down and could barely hear it with 3 travel trailers in between.

[consti2tion]

That’s good to know! It’s a good deal in my opinion. Thanks man

[jjhwick119]

Havent updated in awhile, figured I was about due.

Since the last update I have finished the side walls behind the couch and behind the oven area. I put up the other wall to go around the fridge, and will be putting it up into place tonight. I put up the back wall dividing the living space and rear storage, and panelled out the closet. My kitchen counter is now secured and countertop is glued and secured, and the sink is mounted. Tonight I'll be working on the covers for the light box on the passenger side.

[jjhwick119]

Well, I've done a few things since you last visited. I finally got my fridge off the floor and into its place on the wheel well to test fit and get it out of the way. I also started on the bathroom. Dimensions are 30 by 42 so not so bad. Will be building a composting toilet in the bench with a cover for when I'm showering. Going to coat everything with a waterproofing membrane and put up frp for the walls. I did some work on the cover panels for the light box as well. Got them all mounted up, just imagine a 6" frosted plexiglas piece in each section.
The ceiling panels were a little off so I need to figure out what to do with the gap at the top.

A little messy, but it's coming along pretty well.

I also found a deal in Houston on some solar panels on FB marketplace. 245watt panels for $75. I called in sick this morning and made the 300 mile drive from dfw and picked up 8 panels for $600! Wasn't expecting to do solar so quickly, but I couldn't pass up 1960 watts of solar for 600 bucks! Now i just need to figure out the rest of electrical setup, lol.

And on my way back from Houston I spotted a taco shorty!

Posting the solar panel listing in classified sections of anyone is interested

[Bigdaadio]

wick
please post a pic of the spec on the back of panel.... working voltage etc.
good deal man. Gonna need a MPPT controller and a nice set of batts.

[WayneTSB]

Are you going to be attending Skooliepalooza it Quartzsite in January?

[jjhwick119]

Originally Posted by nathang05

Are you going to be attending Skooliepalooza it Quartzsite in January?

Yes sir! That's the plan anyway. That should be my first adventure in the bus

[jjhwick119]

Originally Posted by Bigdaadio

wick
please post a pic of the spec on the back of panel.... working voltage etc.
good deal man. Gonna need a MPPT controller and a nice set of batts.

Here's specs on the panels

[Bigdaadio]

Originally Posted by jjhwick119

Here's specs on the panels

Can you send pic to my cell 518.302.117seven

It's unreadable here, wick
Thanks
Bigdaadio

[RevyRev]

Originally Posted by jjhwick119

Yes sir! That's the plan anyway. That should be my first adventure in the bus

I plan to go as well!

[jjhwick119]

I've been slacking a bit lately guys, but I got another update. I took vacation right after the last post and took a month off from bus work.

Since the last post I've got a bit done. I put up mapei aqua defense membrane in the bathroom area and will be installing NRP panels for the walls tonight if all goes well. I've also finished one wall with some shiplank planks and I'm loving how it turned out and finally seeing some color in the bus!

Also working on the oven cabinet and getting the face out on tonight to wrap up the oven install. I'm going simple with my propane and I'll have a tank right under the oven and a second tank under the water heater and I will manually turn the gas on and off outside when its needed.

Also picked up some different flooring. I'll be staining the wood around the windows a similar color to bring it together. This stuff is normally 113 a box, and thanks to an awesome manager I got 195 sq ft, 6 boxes, for only $100! It was a returned special order that had been sitting awhile and they were asking 450 but they all know about the bus so he hooked it up.

I also got a 24 volt 3000w inverter charger and 2 40amp mppt solar charge controllers for the solar/electrical setup. Will have a 660AH 24 volt battery bank, trying to go through an old car audio friend for battery discount and waiting to hear about the price.

Hopefully I've have a few more pictures tonight of a couple completed jobs

[jjhwick119]

Got panels up in the bathroom. Will be doing roof too. And got the oven cabinet face done and a little bit closer to getting the kitchen counters done. Just need to add lower platform, door front, and secure everything down.

[jjhwick119]

Slowly but surely making progress. Used my old pergo flooring that I no longer need for all my walls in the back of the bus in the bedroom area. Got more of the shiplap stuff to wrap up the rest of the front as well. Ordered some matching quarter round for all the corners.

[joycentiong]

Hi,

Do you need any help with your skoolie?

I live in Allen, TX not far from you. Just found your post.

Danny

[jjhwick119]

Originally Posted by joycentiong

Hi,

Do you need any help with your skoolie?

I live in Allen, TX not far from you. Just found your post.

Danny

I'm not opposed to getting help. I'll be taking an unknown time off again right now though because on my way home on Thursday I got into a wreck. Kid pulled out in front of me, I swerved and wrecked my truck. No vehicle right now, waiting on their insurance

I want hurt, just a little sore from seat belt and air bag, other driver was fine as well.

[BlueFish]

That's terrible about your wreck! It's just a pain to deal with on many levels.

Great work on your bus! Where was she used before you bought her?

[jjhwick119]

Originally Posted by BlueFish

That's terrible about your wreck! It's just a pain to deal with on many levels.

Great work on your bus! Where was she used before you bought her?

It was a bus from Missouri, just outside of Kansas city.

Car wrecks definitely suck. Currently riding a bicycle to work, and getting to the bus isnt an option on a bicycle. Playing the waiting game for now

[jjhwick119]

Well, that whole wreck thing pretty much sucked. A word to the wise, dont swerve to avoid a collision. If I wouldn't have swerved, my silverado would have t-boned that jetta and we could have both been hurt pretty bad. Because I swerved and did not hit the kid though insurance has seemed it my fault and since i only have minimum coverage I got screwed. Had to sign the title over to the tow yard to cover the fees for sitting there almost a month, and used all my savings that was supposed to go into the bus on replacing my daily driver. Now I'm broke with no savings, still need house batteries for the bus and the whole electrical/ solar and plumbing systems still need to be installed. That's not going to be very doable in 3.5 months while trying to save money.

Looks like my plans are changing once again...

I was going to hit the road in March to begin skoolie life but i dont think its doable right now.

I got into hiking and the outdoors just before I started dreaming about a skoolie and had plans of doing a thru hike from Mexico to Canada, and I will now be pursuing that. I have a permit to start the Pacific Crest Trail towards the end of April, so now I'll just be doing small stuff on the bus while I save money for the 2600 mile hike, and then I'll start focusing on the bus again once I'm done. I will likely have to get another job for the fall/winter season and attempt to get the bus on the road in spring of 2020.

My plans of going to new Mexico next year will still remain though, and while I'm hiking the bus will be in it's new home in new Mexico waiting for me to get done. My friend put there owns his own window tinting business ap I'll probably be working with him to save up more money, but we will see once the time comes.


I went over a month without a car so I've only been out to the bus once since my last post to start on laying some flooring. If today goes to plan I'll hopefully be getting some more of it done today. I'm not going to lie though, I've had a few setbacks which is making it seem like my dream will be harder and harder to make happen, but I'm not giving up yet! I still cant wait to spend my first night living on my skoolie!

[plfking]

Was wondering where you'd been. Even though your plans have changed, at least your bus will still be there eventually......and that thru-hike sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Enjoy!

[Seriousracer]

Yep always hit the cause of the accident.
Dash cam to