Shortie Conversion Kodiak Alaska - Page 2

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 08:03 PM

We got it classified as an RV through DMV then just added an RV to our existing auto/home policy with minimum coverage

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 08:05 PM

just a big buddy propane heater. it doesnt get below 30 usually and the summers are 50-65+ degrees.

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 08:14 PM

We are new here too! No worries...
The window coverings are black out curtain liners covered in fabric. I strung picture hanging wire along the top hem and wrapped the wire around existing window screws to hold them in place. I sewed 3 extra-strong mini magnets into the bottom hem to hold them up to the ceiling out of the way when not in use. Its daylight til midnight in the summer so we needed the black out curtains, but didn't want to lose the open window concept.
We don't have any real plumbing. We use a 5 gal water jug with a hand pump for the sink and drains into a bucket underneath. The toilet is a self contained porta potty - we havent used one of these before so a little apprehensive to the clean out process. We'll see how that goes once we've started using it.

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 08:17 PM

The inside color made a huge difference for us! I like the funky feel of it and the institutional grey was depressing. So, the roof and back/front upper panels are next for paint, maybe a lighter yellow or something soft?

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 08:19 PM

your little bustito looks similar to our Bumper...got any pics? love to get ideas and brainstorm.

Bumper · 03-09-2016, 09:00 PM

Here is a link to an update video of the conversion so far.

https://youtu.be/iGI3bvvAdQ8

Bumper · 03-14-2016, 07:04 PM

Hello, we were granted a reprieve from the rain for a couple of days so we decided to take Bumper to the beach for a day trip for her maiden voyage. She ran great, I have fixed the mechanical issues and once her water temp got up to 180 degrees she ran smooth. She got up to 55 mph no problem, although our roads are defiantly not freeways so we stayed at around 45 mph. We finished the exterior paint, yesterday and of course it rained just a few hours after we finished, I hope the paint isn't ruined. I also removed the "big bug eyes" the mirrors from the school bus so the driver can see what or who is in front of the bus. We still have some work to do, but all the current things are complete. Next is to build walls for the bathroom, we're going to use recycled wood.

Here are some pictures and a video at the beach on Saturday 3.12.16

https://youtu.be/ao-L08_ZRdo

Here are some pictures of the completed paint as of 3-13-16

Robin97396 · 03-14-2016, 07:16 PM

That looks nice and clean. I always thought a solid dark bus would look kind of menacing or intimidating, but that looks nice.

little busito · 03-14-2016, 09:21 PM

Man, you guys are going to have so much fun in that thing! The black is awesome. Looking forward to seeing your bathroom build.

And hey, throw that thing on the ferry and we'll meet up down in Homer one day!

Docsgsxr · 03-14-2016, 09:27 PM

Black is good if you live in Alaska, not so good in southern Arid-zona!

Love those views!

Bumper · 03-15-2016, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Docsgsxr

Black is good if you live in Alaska, not so good in southern Arid-zona!

Love those views!

Right, if the sun is out the bus warms up nicely with the black and all the windows the solar gain is huge.

Bumper · 03-15-2016, 12:25 PM

Actually, we're planning on getting on the ferry the first week of August 2016 and camping in Homer and up to Anchorage for about two weeks. We'll have to get together.

Bumper · 03-15-2016, 12:27 PM

Thanks, we like it. It reminds me of a Police SWAT vehicle....I'm thinking about changing her name to Back in Black.

Bumper · 04-01-2016, 05:49 PM

We have changed the interior around since we were blessed to receive the legal designation of an official "motor home" according to the Alaska DMV. Next step is to build the walls for the bathroom and install my battery bank. The bathroom walls will go behind the driver’s seat and will be made of reclaimed wood.

I was able to get two deep cycle electric wheel chair batteries that were going to be thrown away. I’m charging them up and will be wiring them together. I also have a 12 volt truck battery I will use as well. The current plan is to charge all the batteries while at home with a standard car battery charger and take them camping to run our small electronics e.g. cells phones and laptop computer. For now the batteries will be in a plastic tote and mobile, without the ability to recharge while camping, however if the batteries prove to be decent I will get a 100 watt solar panel to recharge them while out camping and an inverter to run more electronics. We don’t plan on camping for more than 1 week, so our electrical needs are limited, in the future I would like to get a 12 volt solar fridge.

Docsgsxr · 04-01-2016, 08:09 PM

What is the voltage on the deep cycle batteries? If they are 6 volt make sure to wire them accordingly to create a 12 volt system otherwise you will fry your inverter and possibly small electronics.

Bumper · 04-02-2016, 12:06 AM

Thanks for the info, the deep cycles are 12 volts each. They both are taking a charge. Here is a picture of my battery bank, I will not wire them all together since they're differ. I'll connect the two deep cycle batts to an inverter and the other to a seperator system or inverter. Hopefully it will give me enough juice for about a week with limited draw.

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