Full steam ahead

[Zizzer]

I have decided on a shorty skoolie. I have found a dealer with inventory and a decent reputation. If nothing pops up on Craigslist I may be going to NY in the next few weeks to buy a bus.

Tomorrow and Wednesday I will be tearing out a set of kitchen cabinets to install for much of the interior cabinetry of the bus. Otherwise I have a light weight dresser and a single bed that will make up the lions share of the interior.

The first stages of the interior may have to wait till spring as i may get the bus and head south to Florida for December before I can get the cabinets installed. They can stay in the shed for the time being.

I've got a decent set of propane camping appliances, 2 burner cooker, grill, lantern, Mr Buddy heater. I'll be springing for a large tank and a gas line splitter to run the gas lines.

Water I'm planning on five gallon water bottles and a small hand pump. What little grey water I produce will drain to 5 gal bucket. A composting toilet seems the simplest long term. I'm a single guy and so may construct a urinal for ease and keeping waste seperate. Too much TMI for an intro?

The shower set up is causing me some planning problems. An outside shower with a roof mounted solar heater is easy enough to build. The problem of course is taking showers in semi public places and outside when it's less than warm seems ... uncomfortable and awkward.

For power I'm looking at investing in some decent solar. Two full size panels, an over engineered MPPT charger and inverter are in the plans. As for batteries it will simply boil down to how much I can afford when it's all said and done. The bigger the better. I'm looking for as much as 150-200 usable Amp Hours a day.

As for refrigeration I'm looking at the Dometic Chest fridge/freezers. Not sure if I'll go with a larger freezer to make ice to keep a cooler cold or a two part freezer/frigde. I'm more likely to have more frozen than refrigerated food regardless.

My plan is to stay in as many National Forest and BLM camp grounds as I can manage. State and National Parks are great but can get expensive night after night.

When I was a kid my family traveled a lot and so I've seen a bunch of the big parks, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Acadia, etc. As a young hippy I saw so many great tour buses in parking lots and festivals and I always wanted to hit the road in such a vehicle. Now I'm reaching middle age and sick to death of the corporate rat race and I'm hanging up my tie. I just can't do it any longer. I can make a good solid home for myself and I'll figure out the rest as I go. I'm looking to rent rooms in my house short term to offset some cost of keeping the place and i might even just sell it.

I've got a decent tech resume and otherwise have several small side projects that make me some money. I've got the cash to build the bus and start my adventure. I even have a back up plan if everything goes to **** and I'm busless, homeless, hungry and broke. Otherwise, I will need to find some ways to make some money on the road. Work camping various gigs and craigslist job seems most likely. Push comes to shove I can do temp work just about anywhere.

One possibility that I have been kicking around but have not yet done any research in to is Uber/Lyft driving. I'm wondering if a towed can be used for driving Uber to help pay my way across country. Can you Uber in different states? Richmond VA for a week or two then Raleigh for a week then Atlanta? Has anyone done such a thing?

If you made it this far thanks! I'll be checking back in and going through the forums.

Zizzer

 

[milkmania]

I can provide some feedback about the shower.

(I use the Eccotemp L5 outdoors at moment)
When I lived in the country in the middle of no where... I bare-assed it to & from the shower... It was about a 30' distance, and I figured if a neighbor didn't like what they saw, they needed to look the other way.

Now, that I've moved to another location, I've parked the bus closer to the shower... About 6' and pretty much parked where the front bus door and shower are pretty much shielded from the neighbors. So, depending what kind of mood I'm in... I'll go from bus to shower and back in either a bath towel & flipflops or housecoat & flipflops.
Either way, I get a shower

The next location I'm looking at is somewhat secluded on 3 sides with front toward highway and don't laugh... But, I'm actually about to close the deal for a chicken coop for toilet & shower. The price is right and with slight modification it'll work great!

I'll post up a pic in a few


Sans chickens.... Maybe???

 

[AlleyCat67]

One possibility that I have been kicking around but have not yet done any research in to is Uber/Lyft driving. I'm wondering if a towed can be used for driving Uber to help pay my way across country. Can you Uber in different states? Richmond VA for a week or two then Raleigh for a week then Atlanta? Has anyone done such a thing?

In theory, you can.... different cities have different requirements. You will want to sign up to drive in the city you will be spending the most time in, then work with that office to get approval to drive in other cities so you'll need to have your route worked out with where you will be and when to get all the approvals lined up.

This is all supposition of course... while I do drive for Uber (Nashville Metro area in TN) sometimes, I have yet to go through the process of getting approved for another city.

 

[milkmania]

I forgot... When I stayed 2 weeks at a Corps of Engineers park a couple weeks ago, there were several of the outdoor shower tents

https://www.google.com/search?q=cam...j5j0&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&hl=en-US

 

[Zizzer]

No judgment about that little building or one like it. The first dry sauna I was ever in ran on a wood stove that also created hot water for a the shower and tub.

I'm going to be a bit more mobile than that though I hope. Boondocking I have no problem with a shower tent. That propane water heater is pretty cool. I'll be set up for the fuel already and plan on installing an external propane tap.

In campgrounds I can use the public showers or the shower tent.

Aside from a sponge bath I'm just not sure I can really shower in the bus that I have envisioned. I'm a big guy and so a rinky dink little shower pan isn't going to cut it.

A membership to Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness also seems a good investment for being on the road full time.

 

[milkmania]

No judgment about that little building or one like it. The first dry sauna I was ever in ran on a wood stove that also created hot water for a the shower and tub.

I'm going to be a bit more mobile than that though I hope. Boondocking I have no problem with a shower tent. That propane water heater is pretty cool. I'll be set up for the fuel already and plan on installing an external propane tap.

In campgrounds I can use the public showers or the shower tent.

Aside from a sponge bath I'm just not sure I can really shower in the bus that I have envisioned. I'm a big guy and so a rinky dink little shower pan isn't going to cut it.

A membership to Planet Fitness or Anytime Fitness also seems a good investment for being on the road full time.

I didn't think the shower tent would work for me either.
I'm just past my second year with the Eccotemp and it's been FLAWLESS!!! and very affordable on propane. Plus, while hooked to city water its endless
hot water.

Home Depot has a porcelain on steel 32x60 shower pan for under $160

 

[TimeTraveler-SKO]

the girl and I are planning to move into our shortie this coming spring, with that being said we are planning on doing as what you said about BLM and national forests.

we used to live in our conversion van for about a year, a year and a half ago and just miss everything about waking up in different places and doing what you love to do, not what someone else wants you to do.

right now we are in the first two weeks of having the bus and we feel like were making decent enough progress to have it done and moved in by springtime. were really trying to go as reclaimed as possible.

as far as work goes, Ive been working at a Tyson plant for the past year and a half, almost a master mechanic by their standards now. i have learned enough that i would feel comfortable to be doing handyman type services on Craigslist if absolutely NEED to, otherwise Tiff and I will sell our wire-wraps jewelry, and misc. arts and crafty stuff, they always sell well people like it enough, and the summer crowd

here's a link to our conversion thread, obviously still updating and in progress, but i figure maybe by the time you get yours you could check up and get some ideas, pointers and space use in a shortie..

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/otis-the-6-2-92-bluebird-15694.html

 

[Zizzer]

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/otis-the-6-2-92-bluebird-15694.html

Otis is dead sexy. The girl ain't bad either.

I ALMOST bought a very similar bus a few weeks ago. I saw it driving down the road on my way to test drive it. I think I'm leaning toward the more standard truck front end. If I can find another like Otis I would likely do it. A full size is just way to big for me.

I'm cool with the shower tent and fully intend to take one with me. That little heater you posted is a pretty good deal for $100. The water pressure might be hard for me to produce. I don't have a large fresh water tank and a pump. I'm considering a black PVC pipe on the roof with pipe fittings and a shrader valve.

This does still leaves me taking a sponge bath in the middle of the rig when it's cold or I can't use the shower outside. I suppose it could be worse. A nice cook top, a bucket and a few washclothes I can do OK. Standing on a towel I'm sure I can manage without flooding my home. I'm not sure if I want a shower pan at all. If I went with a rig like Otis I might put in a shower/potty room.

 

[TimeTraveler-SKO]

Otis is dead sexy. The girl ain't bad either.

I ALMOST bought a very similar bus a few weeks ago. I saw it driving down the road on my way to test drive it. I think I'm leaning toward the more standard truck front end. If I can find another like Otis I would likely do it. A full size is just way to big for me.

I'm cool with the shower tent and fully intend to take one with me. That little heater you posted is a pretty good deal for $100. The water pressure might be hard for me to produce. I don't have a large fresh water tank and a pump. I'm considering a black PVC pipe on the roof with pipe fittings and a shrader valve.

This does still leaves me taking a sponge bath in the middle of the rig when it's cold or I can't use the shower outside. I suppose it could be worse. A nice cook top, a bucket and a few washclothes I can do OK. Standing on a towel I'm sure I can manage without flooding my home. I'm not sure if I want a shower pan at all. If I went with a rig like Otis I might put in a shower/potty room.

haha, Thanks

we have like 72k on the 6.2L diesel. and its sound as ****,, it is a little loud going 65 but he does it, and i think most of the noise is I'm basically running straight headers right now because the exhaust system was rusted out. i agree with you on the more typical Truck front end, i actually have never seen a bus with this front end and we immediately fell in love with it.. for $1000 and setup with the greasecar kit already which retails at $1700 new i couldn't pass it up...

however if in all seriousness, i found a spare P30 diesel bus yesterday. same everything as what OTIS is but a different bus.. would be bad ass to see another Skoolie on the road rocking the bread van front end.

Here's a link, as far as the rust goes, i buffed with my peanut grinder for about 6 hours in total. Im not sure what gauge sheet metal im working with on the floors of OTIS but its very thick. in some spots i thought i was going to go through but i never did and didn't need to make any repairs to the floor other than cover up some holes..

1989 CHEVROLET P30 CHASSIS/BLUEBIRD SHORT WHEELBASE BUS

priced at $995. i see it last said it was ran 8 years ago, my bus was started last year other than that it drove about 200 miles in 10 years. to my knowledge this style has most amount of workable space in a shorty body.

 

[TimeTraveler-SKO]

oh and regarding a bathroom/shower type thing,, we were just pondering the idea of a little pull trailer or a free standing trailer on the hitch with added welded supports to withstand over 500 lbs. that way we could still have ample amount of space inside the bus and be able to still use the restroom, a huge step up from living in the conversion van.

 

[Zizzer]

haha, Thanks

1989 CHEVROLET P30 CHASSIS/BLUEBIRD SHORT WHEELBASE BUS

priced at $995...

Great price but I'm no mechanic and I can't afford to buy too many problems. I'm expecting to need some maintenance and mechanical repairs but I can't take that on. I need something a little more road ready.

Phase one will be pretty spartan and spare. I want to do a month or more full time before I settle on final floor plan.

 

[Zizzer]

oh and regarding a bathroom/shower type thing,, we were just pondering the idea of a little pull trailer or a free standing trailer on the hitch with added welded supports to withstand over 500 lbs. that way we could still have ample amount of space inside the bus and be able to still use the restroom, a huge step up from living in the conversion van.

I'm torn about the trailer.

A tow bar could be useful even just to hang a work box off the back.

I would need to learn to ride one but a motor cycle off the back would be a great grocery getter.

I've considered towing a smallish sedan to use as an Uber/Lyft car but I'm not sure if you can move city to city as a driver. I have not done much research in to that.

A trailer for storage has crossed my mind. I've also considered something of a mobile workshop with tools and a geni.

I think for now the toilet goes inside and camp ground showers, gym showers (Planet Fitness/Anytime Fitness) and sponge baths will have to do.

If I can get a Type B in good shape then I will certainly revisit this.