Friendly Thomas

[Mark_In_MA]

This bus is too big. I just laid out lines of where I plan for everything to go and got to the middle of the back wheel wells and was finished. That leaves a 12.5 x 7.5 foot "room" in the back that I don't know that to do with.

I think it's time to go back to looking at other people's layouts and rethink my plans. I'm used to living in a very small space so I honestly don't know what to do with that back area other than maybe a bunk and a desk as a space for guests?

I'd put the bed back there, and re-use the space up front.

On a bus (or any building, really), you want clear separation between inside and outside - on a house, that means a porch or a mudroom. You want a place where inside and outside can mix a little bit without causing a problem - and they WILL mix. For example, its raining and you get groceries - you leave the door to the porch open, track all the water and mud from the car to the porch, then take your shoes off, and bring the groceries from the porch into the house.

If you put the bed in the front of your bus, your bedroom just became your porch. Every time you go in or out of the bus, you're trapsing through the bedroom. If you have company over, the first thing they see is the bedroom. Also, depending on the size of your bed, you're blocking off the back of the bus. You could do a murphy bed, but personally, I'm lazy - I'd rather not have to make my bed, stash the pillows, and fold it up every day - especially if you have the extra length on your bus to make it possible - which you do.



You're going to have to drill holes in your bus at some point - weather it's the floor, or the walls, or the ceiling. You need to secure your furniture and interior fixings so they don't go sliding and bouncing around. A 2-inch shower drain hole isn't even all that large. (And if you've got 12 feet, you could still have the shower in the back behind the bedroom.)

 

[OlgaAK]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am planning for the rear door to be the main entry. I may delete the front door and put a passenger seat there. I built the bed so that I can move it to the back if that turns out to be a better option, but for now I want to be able to use that big rear door to bring in materials like wood that are awkward to bring in through the front door.

 

[HazMatt-SKO]

My primary concern with your plan is; Dawg forbid, you're involved in a serious vehicilar incident that requires a hasty egress.
Having to traverse the entire length before you can exit, after clambering over the resultant wreackage strewn about.
"Hope for the best, plan for the worst."

 

[OlgaAK]

There are still all the emergency windows though? I may put a different door up front and have some kind of removable stairs. It just seems like a waste of space to have that step area up front rather than a seat for a friend. I saw a neat conversion that put a panel over the stairs and had a second nice seat up front for a passenger, with the stair area used for minor storage.

 

[EastCoastCB]

How bout keep the door and get a folding passenger seat?

 

[OlgaAK]

Can you please show an example of a folding passenger seat? I would like it to be bolted down strongly for safety.

 

[Sleddgracer]

Can you please show an example of a folding passenger seat? I would like it to be bolted down strongly for safety.

l guess that depends on how well you get along with your wife

 

[Sleddgracer]

has anyone mounted a split bench seat from maybe an S10 pickup in place of the original driver's seat for driver and passenger ? - that 'should' leave room for access/egress in a skoolie

 

[EastCoastCB]

Can you please show an example of a folding passenger seat? I would like it to be bolted down strongly for safety.

I'll have to dig up the pics but I've rode in two different types. You can buy em already made. They bolt in just like regular school bus seats.
One Nation Under Goat was a member on here with a really slick folding seat. Rode in that one and it was the nicest bus seat I've ever been in.

 

[OlgaAK]

My driver's seat has the air ride thing and there's no way I'm giving that up for a bench!

 

[Native-SKO]

We have two air ride seats in the forward compartment of our bus. The air ride seats are great. I mounted the passenger seat just behind the stair well. I actually welded a piece of 1/4" plate (about 3 inches wide) so that the front mounting holes would be a little into the stair well. Since the seats adjust back and forth, we set it in the back position to get in and out. You can get in and out in the forward position, just easier in the back position.

 

[OlgaAK]

Well it's been a while since I posted so I think it's time for a quick update! So much has happened with the bus!

Most importantly, my dear friend is now living on the bus with me. Her presence has helped spur many things to get done and she has provided so much help.

Since the end of June, I've driven the bus at least 7,000 miles though 13 states, including deserts and mountains where I got an education on the importance of the brake check stations. I've learned how to do an oil change and went from not knowing the difference between series and parallel to installing a lithium battery bank, fuse box, inverter, and added rails to the roof where just yesterday we got the fourth solar panel mounted, for 700 watts capacity (there are two smaller panels left).

There is a 10ft long kitchen counter with a sink permanently mounted. It currently drains into a bucket and we use a 7 gal water jug that sits on the counter. We have a few spare jugs but we are going to get a 50-100 gal tank and an electric water pump in the next couple months, along with a wastewater tank. Under the counter, there are shelves, and a few of the doors have hinges on top rather than the side so that they can be put flat with a removable leg to make even more work space.

We built two couches that can hold a bunch of stuff inside. One of them has interlaced slats and can be pulled out to make a 54x75 inch bed.

And we have a fridge!!!

Some other things that we will be doing soon are to move the bed to the rear of the bus, redo the curtains, and build a wooden kennel for the dog so he won't lose his mind and run down the whole length of the bus, barking, whenever there is another dog.

 

[Yukon Cornelius-SKO]

Outstanding, you should proud of the progress you've made and the skills you've acquired