All my friends keep sending me this Dead song now that they see my bus posts.
My bus purchase was fairly impulse although I've thought about various forms of tiny home living for a long time. I'm a bit nomadic and we will see how this fits in with my lifestyle and excitement about projects. Its a bit intimidating but so far I've loved every minute of it.
I got an amaturely converted 1997 International t444e 36' long skoolie. It was perfect for me because I could move right in but plenty of projects are on the table. Its got a bed in the back, a large mini-fridge (that is not working... troubleshooting now), utility sink, some bookshelves with crates in them for pantry and other shelving, an electrical system that consists of a large power-supply and 100' power cord that just goes out the back of the bus. It has a utility sink and a folding plastic outdoor table which operates as a counter. There are three propane tanks which charge the range/oven, a heater, and a generator (they currently live inside the bus - I know, not ideal, but it is something I'm working on changing). There is a composting toilet (bucket system), and also a large washbasin underneath which I could turn into a shower. There is also a gravity fed water storage system on the top of the bus which I have not utilized as I've either been plugged in or used 5-gallon tanks for my needs.
In short - I moved in about 3 weeks after I bought it, and am planning/incubating/researching as I see what works and what doesn't. So far, it has been awesome and I'm in love with my cute little space. A week after I got it I had a change in jobs (I'm a field biologist) and had to plan to move from Colorado to California. Thus began my first journey! Aside from my emergency exit hatches blowing off in the Utah wind (temp fix with duct tape, cardboard, and blue tarp), and a radiator hose blowing a leak just as I was about to enter the Mojave (super scary but I felt empowered after I made a fix), the trip was smooth!
Now, I'm planning a bunch of things:
- I want to make the electric more legit, and here is where I feel least experienced and most at a loss. An acquaintance says that may be why the fridge is not working (I'm testing it plugged in at a separate house right now to see if that is the case). Solar would be fantastic and I am currently in the beginning stages of determining if this is something that will be plausible for me
- The flooring is ugly yellow linoleum and also already peeling up and I want to put in a tongue in groove wood floor
- I just found out that the AC unit that the seller included is actually too big to fit in the window, so I have to make some decisions here
- As the emergency exit hatches blew off, my desire for skylights has become more of a priority. I want them to vent
- I'll put in a wood stove for heating
- Design something so that the propane tanks can be underneath the bus
- I'm not planning to pull out walls to re-do insulation, but do plan to remove some of the windows and replace with wood paneling
- Still deciding if a bath/shower is something worthwhile, and if so I will need a hot-water heater. Currently just heating up the teapot for dishes.
- I should probably find a new radiator hose because although the leak was fixed (I could cut off the end of the hose and re-attach it) I worry that it is weak and old
I'm open to all sorts of thoughts/comments from everyone here! Thanks for reading, and good luck on all of your projects!!