what to do with side emergency exit area

jjhomeonewheels · 09-08-2011, 02:45 PM

Hello, I'm trying to figure out my layout for the interrior of my bus, I've taken the floors out and ground down the steel floors to get rid of the rust. The other day I took a measuring tape and some chalk to figure my layout. I cam across a problem. For where I'm going to put the walls/sectional walls are where the rivets go all the way up the walls and over the ceiling. There is one are in particular that I am having trouble with figuring out what to use the space for, and thats the side emergency exit. My question is, did you guys leave the emergency exit (on the side) accessible, or did you seal it up? Im thinking, the only logical thing to put there is the bathroom, (sink, toilet, shower, drain?). I'd like to know how you guys utilized this space. thank you.

lornaschinske · 09-08-2011, 02:54 PM

We don't have a side emergency exit. Ours is in the rear. Our bed will cover it. But we are making the bed to where we can remove it. Reason for that.... Where else can we get the large appliances in/out of the bus? Certainly not the front entry door. It would take some doing but we can (and did) get the 12 cf upright freezer in the bus thru the rear door as well as the 30" full size home range. I want to put a washer and an LP dryer in the bus (we fulltime). Those certainly aren't going thru the narrow front door (and over the front engine). The emergency doors are often the only place that you can get a big appliance in/out... except for the front windshield! No one wants to do that. So before you decide to cover up or close off the door... think about things.

keith · 09-08-2011, 03:31 PM

if you got a full size bus,put the bathroom area there

,so if you need to get out ,other than the front,i have my craper in fornt of the door

or u can use the door for a mooner.just drop pants and moon out the side

most E-door r on the driver side,unless you got a baby huey bus ???

Stuff · 09-08-2011, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keith

if you got a full size bus,put the bathroom area there

,so if you need to get out ,other than the front,i have my craper in fornt of the door

or u can use the door for a mooner.just drop pants and moon out the side

most E-door r on the driver side,unless you got a baby huey bus ???

lmao!! thats golden!

if i had a side emergency exit id try to have it the outside access door to appliances or something.

syke · 09-08-2011, 09:33 PM

Sometimes I wish our side door was as big as the rear emergency door buses.

It sure would make getting the larger appliances in a bit easier, like Lorna mentioned.

It sounds like our bus is setup like Keith's. The toilet is basically right in front of the door. It's actually between the toilet and the vanity. Plenty of room to get out if needed. Although we are still up in the air about leaving it in or covering it up. Waiting till the last minute to decide.

somewhereinusa · 09-09-2011, 06:43 AM

My side entry door is going to stay. It's in the bathroom, with plenty of room. It is really handy to load up on supplies, since it's really close to most of the kitchen an major storage areas. Don't have to traipse up the stairs and carry stuff back through two rooms, just chuck it in on the floor and stow away.

Diesel Dan · 09-09-2011, 08:07 AM

My first thought is make a storage closet there that is accessible from the inside and outside. I'm using my wheelchair lift door area to store WVO (waste veggie oil) barrels and I will also have removable shelves. It will have doors that close it off as a closet to the inside of the bus.

wtd · 09-09-2011, 04:51 PM

I use the side door as my main door, rarely use the front door. Mostly I did this because I have an air door on the front and it can only be opened or closed from the inside. I eventually took the cylinder/mechanism off the front door, so I can open/close it from the outside, but I still use the side door as the main entrance. I put a normal RV latch on the side door.

opus · 09-09-2011, 05:01 PM

Use it as an emergency exit.

bus-bro · 09-09-2011, 05:10 PM

Yes to exit. The code for RV's (NFPA 1192 [which is just a guess]) says you need two exits from any space. If your interior is plywood over foamboard, and especially if you have propane, you might want to exit very quickly.

dirtygoat · 09-17-2011, 05:34 PM

I tore mine out and sheeted over it... My bus is only 25' long so I needed the space it took up... I'm keeping an open floor plan, so the front and back doors are a straight shot from anywhere in the bus...

lornaschinske · 09-19-2011, 07:50 PM

You would have a hard time finding a propane refill station that knows what they are doing to fill it in place. The only tanks that can be refilled in place are the permanent mount tanks. The "portable" tanks have to be removed from there vehicle. At least that is what all the signs say in the states that we have refilled tanks in (GA, NC, SC, TN, TX, NM). It may be different in other states.

I just recently found out that NM will not allow you to lay a filled 100# tank down to transport. We could in TN up until 2005. NC said no to laying down a filled 100# tank as well.

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