Decided to write bus off for this year!

[belfert]

The A/C is the only thing I see that would be a show stopper, and I gotta say, I might not do it without A/C. However, it is the end of Sept. Things are cooling off out there, and you might not need it in a couple weeks.
On the other hand, you might. Really hard to predict the weather across WY this time of year.

I thought you had the generator thing solved by ordering a PowerTech?  So, run an extension cord up through the floor and tie a temporary line to the A/C unit. Plug in the cord and turn on the gen and your good. So what if it's a bit noisy. Fix the muffler later. As long as it's exhausting outside, and is safe and the radiator gets fresh air.

The A/C units are mounted and I have been using one of them.  I just need power.  I suppose I can temporary up power if need be.

We still don't have good lights inside. I used some of the 120V flourescent lights from the baggage bays. They're all on a single power strip (that's right, power strip. No separate switch.) which is plugged into the single extension cord I have running from my inverter. I run my lights, microwave, refrigerator, tv, vcr, and dvd off the single extension cord. Works fine.

I reused the 24 volt flourescent lights in the ceiling and they work good.  They do need to be wired to the battery though.

And last, if you're quibbling about spending $1500 for fuel, you might have jumped into the wrong hobby.  If you can't afford to put diesel in the bus for a 4000 mile trip, you probably shouldn't be converting a bus. On the other hand, if you do the math on motel rooms, food and gasoline to do this trip, I think you'll find you're within $300 of your fuel expense.

Fuel money isn't an issue.  I just don't want to dump $1500 into a bus that is simply a steel tent with no more amenities than a pickup truck with a tent that gets twice the mileage.

Brian Elfert

[gumpy]

One more thing I forgot, but someone else mentioned. Cardboard and duct tape! If you really need walls for privacy, go to the appliance store and get some refrigerator boxes and a couple rolls of duct tape. You can make walls and doors with hinges. With a little work, you could probably even make the bunk beds out of duct tape  

We use plastic tubs for our food and cooking / eating utinsels. For cabinets, we found that you can't beat the little plastic spring clamps from Home Depot and a plastic grocery sack. The clamps are all over our bus. We hang stuff from them, use them to hold up our bedsheet privacy curtains, etc. They're indespensable as long as you have someplace to clamp them to.

You already have your fresh water tank. Plumb a valve on it and run a short hose from it. Take a 5 gallon bucket with lid, and a few gallon milk jugs. When you need water, open the bay door and fill them from the tank. We did this for a couple years. Works fine, especially if your cooking outside on a camp stove.
Keep the covered 5 gallon bucket next to the toilet. Pour a half gallon in the bowl after each flush. When the bucket runs out, fill it from the tank in the bay.

[H3Jim]

and by having  used the bus when it was a steel tent, I really appreciate each little thing I get done.  I find its motivating to use it in a half finished state.  I also find that when I use it as I'm building, I find out design / functionality issues along the way when its still not too late to change / fix them.

[gumpy]

..  I also find that when I use it as I'm building, I find out design / functionality issues along the way when its still not too late to change / fix them.

Really good point, Jim.  We've found many things that just didn't work the way we planned. Easy to change now, rather than later.

[Buffalo SpaceShip]

By all means keep your out-of-square walls up for this trip and rip 'em down later. Everyone's giving great advice on making a "steel tent" livable. For the next two weeks, focus on the one thing that'll make your "tent" more enjoyable... if it's power, work on the genset. If it's plumbing, do that. Even if it's all temporary, and only for this trip. And that one thing won't overwhelm you, the way a bunch of little (or big) things will.

Take your bus, enjoy your bus, use your bus. If you wait for it to be functional and comfortable, you'll never use it. And if you never use it... you truly won't know how to convert it. Like Jim said, by using it while you convert it, you'll make different decisions in your final plans.

HTH,
Brian

[belfert]

With all of your encouragement, I'm going to motor on and see what I can get done before I leave on the 27th.  (Probably have to be done on the 24th or 25th to have time to pack.)

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon and evening getting the bathroom as square as possible.  No beauty contests will be won, but the walls are done.  One of my friends came over and we also got the vinyl floor put down.  The shower will probably have to wait until Sunday.

Brian Elfert

[Barn Owl]

Has anyone measured how square their walls are in their house? Ask a sheet rock guy. I started out with BIG plans with my bus and quickly had a reality check. What isn't working I just improvise and make do. I find that I still have fun and it motivates me even more. When we get back from a trip it seems that we forget about the "roughing it" and tend to remember what a good time we had.

And last, if you're quibbling about spending $1500 for fuel, you might have jumped into the wrong hobby.  If you can't afford to put diesel in the bus for a 4000 mile trip, you probably shouldn't be converting a bus.

Well, I take a different approach. The sun hasn't shined on everyone equally. If someone enjoys their bus even if they can hardly afford it, so what, don't take their dream away. Have you ever just sat there in the drivers seat and just imagined how great it will be one day? Right now, I am bus poor, if it were not for the 165 gal auxiliary tank that was full when I got it, then I would probably be parked for the rest of this year. I have found that having a large young family makes bussing look cheap. Anyways, having a POS and no money to fix it can still be fun.

[Devin & Amy]

OK BRIAN<
Here goes.
I did my MC9 last year in three weeks. I lived in it with my wife and four kids for a year. I had plumbing for the grey water, but my fresh consisted of a garden hose run through a hole in the floor. Black was plumbed as well.
the kitchen was a couple a piece of crap cabinets from home desperate screwed to the floor.
we had a couch some 2x4 bunks built for the kids and a bed for ourselves.
i built the walls with 2x4's and 3/8 plywood for petes sake.
I'm in Bemidji if you want to get serious and build yourself a TEMPORARY STEEL TENT come on up and let's get crackin!
I've been redoing my conversion for four months now and I'm almost done. I even did it righter this time.
seriously, you need to live in the bus to get to know how much room you need to allot for essentials.
Besides just think of the stories you'll have for us when you get back.

Devin

P.S.
I was serious about coming up, I can park you behind the house, and I have almost all the tools.

[Barn Owl]

The world needs more people like Devin.

[Ace]

~"YEA"~