Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-15-2016, 04:28 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Carytowncat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
I did it myyyyyy wayyyyy!

Hi,

When i purchased this bus for months ago, i had some plans to install a wood floor, but after driving it back to the lot and removing the seats i decided to spend a little time in it first. Although it was my dream, i wasn't quite sure how it would all play out or if i would even want to be in the bus full time.

So as many of you know i simply filled the bus with my belongings, installed a solar setup, and began hanging out.

In many ways this approach has really worked in my favor; For starters i needed time to feel out the setup, and i moved a few major things around in the past five months. For instance; Originally i set the bed across the wheelwells and either climbed over it or used the back entrance to reach the shop area. This was fine for two months, but then it became a real pain.

I knew my minimalist style was not going to pull the walls apart or pull the old floor, for me it was good enough and i enjoyed the "school bus" smell and feel. My grandfather had motorhomes that were like small houses, and while those were neat, they just were not for me.

I enjoy all the windows of a bus. It helps keep away the blues.

So now winter is pulling into the harbor and the bus is cold. As cold as outside. I was fortunate to have already purchased a propane fireplace from Craigslist, which thus far has been adequate in keeping it warm enough, especially since i sectioned off the bedroom space with blankets.

I was also fortunate that all the leather sheets i had listed on craigslist for only $5 did not sell in the five months they had been up there. I often "harvest" the leather off discarded couches after they have sat a full week in the alley. I wait a little so i am sure no one is going to give it a home. The back of a couch is almost always perfect condition leather. So this leather came in handy for lining the bed and a layer on top of the covers. Wow what a difference that made. At 31 degrees i was in bed with two coats and two pairs of pants and still chilly, but after the leather i can be warm in bed in jammies while it is freezing outside. The fireplace keeps the air warm but can not compete with the non insulated floors and walls. They feel like open windows there is so much cold flowing through.

So now i have more information; one is that the bus is a good fit for me. Two is that some insulation would be nice.

I am sharing this mostly because it often helps me to think out loud. There is a guy selling sheets of 3inch rigid foam for about $6 per board. Superb price compared to about $50 retail. His are in roughee shape and do not have any paper faces, just the foam, which for me should be adequate.

But all my stuff is already inside now so it will be a bit stressful and some work to unload a 35' bus, do the floor, and reload it. Might work in my favor to rearrange somethings while i am at it. Not sure yet, and frankly still not sure if i will insulate. So far the fireplace and bedding make the bus bearable in freezing weather. It is a bit like camping in that when hanging out i must wear a few coats and winter hat, but i enjoy the challenge and figure an insulated floor wont make much off a difference without insulated walls or windows, but insulation would make a big difference for a bedroom that would be at least 75 percent insulated; floor, walls, covering windows. Probably not the celing though, just not feeling it. Seems good enough for my style.

Sometimes it helps me to think outloud to find clarity. Not always that way with emotional stuff, sometimes i do better to just leave emotional stuff alone until it either simmers down or becomes clear. Often talking about it seems to feed the fires. lol

Ok im heading off track.

Thanks for reading

Carytowncat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2016, 06:57 PM   #2
Bus Nut
 
Jolly Roger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: North carolina
Posts: 651
Year: 1986
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford
Engine: Detroit 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
I left at least half of my windows open cause we like to be able to see out and I didn't touch my ceiling except for paint.
I tent camp with the Boy Scouts every month even if I drive my bus there. So my family appreciates that at least the winds blocked and you can heat it to a comfortable point to sleep,with a little less clothes on.
Caint make this year cause of work but every year since we have had it our bus and U.S. Have been at a local campground for a week atround thanksgiving to smoke a turkey over a fire.
Sorry I went off of the thread.
Heat rises so use a small fan blowing at the ceiling to circulate the air over your heater and use the leather to drape over your windows like curtains? If you do Let me know how it works cause I was gonna try the idea this year for thanksgiving but it ain't gonna happen.
Jolly Roger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2016, 07:04 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,753
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I like the windows too!! im with you on that... for me I get winter depression VERY easily... not necessarily fro mthe cold but from the constant drear and grey and dark that it brings.. having lots of windows in my house was a must.. and also in my busses.. the first bus has non tinted windows and even though they are blazing hot in summer the bus is much brighter than the one with tinted windows...

I think you can make a go of doing the floor in pieces... or perhaps you spring for a storage unit for 1 month.. just enough time to store most of your belongings in a locker and insulate your floors... walls.. if you dont mind losint a few inches of interior space imwonderng if you cant just insulate inside the existing wall surfaces without dissassembling the bus completely..

ceilings are tougher.. the clder it gets the more condensation you will end up with on the ceilings with that propane fireplace... the windows will turn to ice.. however perhaps blinds of some sort inside may help that out.. after all you just close them at night when you want to sleep and the daylight is gone so looking out the window isnt quite as nice anyway...

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2016, 07:30 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Carytowncat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
Christopher,

The propane fireplace is vented! yep it dries the bus right up. In fact i put a glass of water on it last night because the "bedroom" area gets so dry lol Can't beat that. And yes i like a middle road- insulate the bedroom floor. Maybe more if the spirit moves.

Jolly Roger,

The leather under the bedding and on top was incredible. Like night and day. and in fact i did just hang a large sheet in front of the window, and that is on top of some paper and a rug i hung there for privacy.
Carytowncat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-15-2016, 09:27 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Next best bet to leather might be a bear skin rug. But, make sure to put the fur side against your skin...or woolies...or what have you.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 01:13 AM   #6
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
The little bear sleeps in his little bear skin and sleeps very well I am told.

I slept in my little bare skin and caught a heck of a cold!
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 03:04 AM   #7
Bus Nut
 
Carytowncat's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
The little bear sleeps in his little bear skin and sleeps very well I am told.

I slept in my little bare skin and caught a heck of a cold!
Delightful
Carytowncat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 03:54 AM   #8
Bus Nut
 
AlleyCat67's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Music City USA
Posts: 737
Year: 2005
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Detroit MBE906
Rated Cap: 72
Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
The little bear sleeps in his little bear skin and sleeps very well I am told.

I slept in my little bare skin and caught a heck of a cold!
Thanks for sharing..... </sarcasm>

__________________
My bus - Jasmine - External Build Website - YouTube Channel - TN/KY Meetup Group
As a level 1 burglar, Bilbo got a pony when he accompanied the level 60 dwarves on the Smaug the Dragon raid. Those powerlevelers probably invited him solely so he could trigger fellowship attacks for them.
AlleyCat67 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 06:09 AM   #9
Bus Nut
 
superdave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: hills of sw virginia
Posts: 889
Year: 1996
Chassis: thomas
Engine: 8.3 cummins
Rated Cap: 11 window
i feel your cold pain, bout froze to death last year in my bus. 3 heaters going and it still got down to just above freezing. you need to cover that ceiling. all the heat is going up there and the steel is cooling it off. for now stick something to the ceiling for a thermal break, retroflex or a thin insulation board. screw strips of wood to hold it up for now.good luck
__________________
living in a bus down by the river.
my build pics
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/membe...albums942.html
superdave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 08:08 AM   #10
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Heavy curtains over the windows & windshield make a big difference. All that glass makes for great views but sucks heat like crazy. Also, if you can partition off your sleeping area it will keep the heat where you need it most.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 09:16 AM   #11
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,753
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
Heavy curtains over the windows & windshield make a big difference. All that glass makes for great views but sucks heat like crazy. Also, if you can partition off your sleeping area it will keep the heat where you need it most.
i wonder if cellular Blinds (they are 2 layers) help at all.. I have those in my house in ohio.. but have no idea on their insulating qualities.. my windows are top of the line Andersen wood with Low-E smart glass so I dont get much cold or hot in the windows anyway... ive been thinking about putting the cell blimds in the bus.. they look modern and roll up or down, attached at top and bottom.. so they could half cover the windows if I want some windows open.
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 09:24 AM   #12
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Good call. The Low E glass makes a very big difference. I am installing double pane, gas filled windows in mine for just that reason. Standard Skoolie glass is like a heat/cold sink and works against whatever you are trying to maintain on the interior.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 11:47 AM   #13
Bus Geek
 
ol trunt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,227
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
Like Tango I went with E coated double pane windows. I also use the old fashioned roll up window shades like Grand Ma has. I chose Levolor brand (cheaper than dirt at Lowe's) because while they look white they have an opaque center and block all light. While any window covering that captures air between itself and the glass works well at conserving heat/cold, I like the roll up shades for their space saving nature. Some people use clear bubble wrap and seem to like it. I've even seen kitchen saran wrap stretched across the original bus windows to mimic dual pane--lots of ways to skin a cat! Jack
ol trunt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 12:02 PM   #14
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,753
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
Good call. The Low E glass makes a very big difference. I am installing double pane, gas filled windows in mine for just that reason. Standard Skoolie glass is like a heat/cold sink and works against whatever you are trying to maintain on the interior.
I should clarify those fancy wood Low-E windows are in my house not the bus.. im keeping my skoolie windows in the bus. there are double pane skoolie windows made.. someone sent me a pic of a bus in alaska and it has them throughout.. but its a much newer bus so the window sizes are different than mine to even look on the used market for them.

old fashioned roller shades definitely are darker for sleeping than cellular.. then again I can sleep in any type of light and noise as long as I have good A/C and heat...

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-16-2016, 04:34 PM   #15
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Respectfully speaking:

I want pictures!
TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:18 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.