First off, I am new to actually writing in a forum of any kind, funny as I have often scorned folks as "there are those who do and those who write about doing" (I'm usually not a fan of writing and only found recently I enjoy it with a windfall of time and learning to type) Alas I am away from home, stuck in a good place. But... with covid I am restricted to a small travel radius, and no "unnecessary travel" commitments. For the first time in years I find myself with nothing to occupy my hands and tons of time to torment myself with ideas and dreams of projects. I am proud to say much of my life has been far from the norm from tiny homes (99 to 2003) to sailboat living (2006 to 2013) vegetable oil powered Mercedes and 6.2 chevys, (2005-200
mercedes diesel powered wrangler, diesel liberty, several dodge aircraft tugs, one too many 7.3 power jokes, g30 vans, p30 grummins.... I have been student of life always playing with and learning how things work and go together. (especially if not properly) All this has let to the next project that I picked up just before I left, and can only dream of for now. The future is uncertain as to when and where life will lead us but either way the need to do this is compelling, regardless if I can keep it long term or not. If I cant bring it with me, I can always take the experience with, like all the other projects building up to the next. For now I will play the role of the has been/ future dreamer as the situation dictates. I am learning appreciate this venue to help express and thus sort what I want to do, and learn with and from the community you folks have set up here.
The bus!!!
Flat nosed
1991 blue bird tc 2000
p pumped cummins 5.9 yay!
545 auto meh/uhg
32 feet I think
Side reinforced saddle fuel tank
Room for underside tankage and boxes limited with ungainly rangy exhaust snaking its way through prime real estate and an awkwardly hung spare.
Where it is now...Pretty basic so far bought it got it running still waiting for title from auction, top hatches were garbage with leaking wood and lexan and wood. Now patched with tar and overlapping flexed 1/8 aluminum riveted to seal the holes (also included tie down handles) for now to buy time till I Return. Pulled seats so far and will see from there. storing a bunch of stainless bakery racks and teak and mahogany slats to dress up interior.
Future plans include... WE intend to run an opposite floor plan with queen bunk to run parallel up front to butt into drivers chair, over engine doghouse and outdoor accessed toolbox. Shower stall in front door well. (need to take a fiberglass mold or mock up of step well to line or replace steel one potentially high corrosion area) Composting toilet backed against a wall/pantry aft of bed passenger side more above side fuel tank. We have 36x 48 double door sealed fiberglass tool boxes (eod flyaway boxes) that we intend to french in to replace battery box area on drivers side behind seat and protrude 24" above floor level as part of bed base to have outdoor access tool box and battery bank within. Second box beginning at or just below floor level aft passenger side behind wheel well to have shared outdoor (lockable sealed) and indoor access pantry. Ideally when in road mode all furniture will be above or below windows unobstructed visibility, curtains segmenting it off. Recycled unistrut we have plenty so will serve for roof rack, next garage door track along ceiling in mind as first to have overhead rolling dolly for construction, second for possible engine service/ heavy lifting, and third intend on a 4'x4'x 7' lifted by rolling dolly overhead bedroom cabinet to roll out over dash and wheel, to obliterate 80 percent of windshield from bedroom, clothes storage and hold shower curtain hardware on the passenger door side. Kitchen all passenger side, center/rear-ish from toilet sub wall back, (fiberglass) pantry box, chest freezer, stove at wheelwell and mini fridge aft. Finally at rear of bus a standard home washing machine. All to be purchased and installed to maintain a uniform height to double as counter space. Smallish lightweight cabinets overhead to mimic or reuse old aluminum ac ducting. Drivers side bedroom subwall aft intend on dual or triple booths for office, dining, and Wife's sewing use. Storage underneath fixed seats (perhaps removable via ball lock pins), tables to hinge upwards on wall toward windows using tension wire to suspend ends when down ideally to aid in cleaning, and open space when needed. 2"x2" stainless flashing surrounding all furniture along floor to serve as a mop board and seal out floor grime as not able to move furniture or appliances easily to clean after set. Priorities of sewing space, tool capabilities and washer dictates by proxy no plan for living room. (fine by us) we do plan to have and use a detachable 7.6'x8' porch with outdoor kitchen in the form my sons proposed second bedroom trailer.
We have a 6 k kubota genset that needs to be mounted to extended bumper 2' to 3' ish minimal front protrusion. hope to share radiator share radiator air filter fuel supply ect with main engine. Even though we intend to keep the factory olive drab paint scheme (was a seabee bus) i wonder how to run a curved generator shell and run a white "v" stripe to best as we can to mimic older vw bus nose for a laugh. air dam below genset to direct airflow to radiator while maintaining a smooth nose (I hope)
Next plan is to pull a trailer for sons "bedroom" as 7.5'x10' box to include bed, separate wall mounted swing away chair and desk combo shower toilet, sink and batteries, and tanks to to support his trailer self sufficiently. frame rails to run additional 2' to 4' to include an outdoor kitchen before rails come to a 45 degree point. at the 45 degree tongue, include triangle hinged drop down panels to square up a squared off connecting shared porch when bus and trailer are parked together parallel. Ideally the plan is to keep the outdoor footprint of this bus as small as possible as to ship it from Guam to the CONUS is going to be expensive and marginally practical and price depends on outer dimension. This is a labor of love and since I have the supplies and now the bus its what I want to do for the experience of doing so. To ship it live in it on Guam or leave it is unknown and of little consequence at this point. materials are far more readily available, I have a house I can build it at and the home field advantage. All we need now is time. now I'm not sure this is the right place to write this, but for now here it is until I figure out this forum. At least now this is all written, one step above cheap talk alone.
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