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Posted: 2/20/2022 11:20:43 AM EDT
Here it is.
    My wife took this one while I was driving:  It was super cheap, and it's got a lot of new parts. It was a school bus in Baltimore county until 2014, then the police got it, and used it for whatever. Right now it weighs 15,600. The plan is to put sink, stove, countertops, couches, bunk beds, shower, toilet, master bed, and a storage garage in the rear for motorcycles. Hopefully about 800w of solar with 400ah of battery, 3kw inverter, mini split heat-pump, 3kw generator, and probably about 75gal of freshwater. Then, take a bunch of adventures. Seems like it's going to be a fun time doing all the upfitting. |
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Posted: 2/20/2022 12:54:42 PM EDT
[#1]
This looks like a great project. Looking forward to your build pics
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Posted: 2/20/2022 5:37:54 PM EDT
[#2]
Stripped out already that's nice
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Posted: 2/20/2022 5:58:05 PM EDT
[#3]
Enjoy. Call ahead to rv parks - the nicer ones won't take converted school buses.
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Posted: 2/20/2022 6:45:53 PM EDT
[#4]
What's cheap? Looks super clean. I've always heard those busses are super stout.
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Posted: 2/20/2022 6:48:06 PM EDT
[#5]
Tag
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Posted: 2/21/2022 5:56:55 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Enjoy. Call ahead to rv parks - the nicer ones won't take converted school buses. This ^^^^^ |
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Posted: 2/21/2022 6:59:40 PM EDT
[#7]
COOL! Tagged for updates.
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Posted: 2/22/2022 9:25:43 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Stripped out already that's nice Quote HistoryQuoted: Stripped out already that's nice Nah, we stripped all but two of the seats, once I get some Ford Transit/Sprinter/etc seats I'll pull those out too. 1060lbs of seats was nothing to sneeze at. Quoted: Enjoy. Call ahead to rv parks - the nicer ones won't take converted school buses. Yeah, but who wants to go to an RV park? We want to avoid all those things and people. I just plunked a bunch of money on a solar power setup, next is going to be tanks (grey and fresh), then I get to figure out how to build them into the bus. I'm going with a 24v system, 200ah of storage (for now), and 1kw of solar panels up top. The MPPT Charge Controller is one of the integrated inverter/charger ones, so I can charge the battery bank via 120v (hookup or generator) if required, which should be nice. I'm going to have to investigate a good way to charge the battery bank while underway, since the bus's starting/charging system is 12v. I guess a 24v alternator added where the A/C Compressor typically goes? Tomorrow I'm gonna work from the back of it at the glass place putting in the new windshield glass for the right side, since it's cracked just under the wiper blade. After the glass gets installed, I just have to roll by the inspection place and the guy will finalize the inspection and I can get 2-yr tags instead of 30-day. Later this week I want to get the flooring up, see how much needs fresh metal welded in, do that, then seal it on both sides. Theeeeen, maybe I'll tint the windows. I hope to have the kitchen, closets, bedrooms, and garage framed out by the end of March. Then, I'll get the wiring installed, plumbing, and the mini-split. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 12:35:18 AM EDT
[#9]
Why go 24V if your already set up for 12V?
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Posted: 2/23/2022 1:15:09 AM EDT
[#10]
A Co-workers son just finished his and took it out. Went camping with some other 'converted' school busses.
My Co-worker went out to visit the camp. Let's just say this is... not generally the crowd you want to be hanging with. If you're by yourself; fine. If you're planning on being with the 'school bus conversion crowd'... you may want to reconsider. I actually think the campground thing is a big deal. Some even reject older RV's - though it sounds like that's mostly to keep the rolling wrecks from coming in and isn't terribly well enforced on a well maintained vehicle. It's just much easier on a cross country to swing into a KOA, etc, than find an off the beaten path camping spot or stay in a Walmart parking lot. Yes, you can travel without it. But if, say, your Dad has cancer on the other side of the country in the middle of a global pandemic*... it's a LOT easier to know that campground is there and they'll take you. *-Been there, done that, Dad is missing half a lung but is cancer free. Shitty T-shirt. Cleveland Clinic is awesome, even if I wasn't allowed in (Mom was). Kept my mind off the surgery by taking the kids to the Air Force Museum. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 9:24:05 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A Co-workers son just finished his and took it out. Went camping with some other 'converted' school busses. My Co-worker went out to visit the camp. Let's just say this is... not generally the crowd you want to be hanging with. If you're by yourself; fine. If you're planning on being with the 'school bus conversion crowd'... you may want to reconsider. I actually think the campground thing is a big deal. Some even reject older RV's - though it sounds like that's mostly to keep the rolling wrecks from coming in and isn't terribly well enforced on a well maintained vehicle. It's just much easier on a cross country to swing into a KOA, etc, than find an off the beaten path camping spot or stay in a Walmart parking lot. Yes, you can travel without it. But if, say, your Dad has cancer on the other side of the country in the middle of a global pandemic*... it's a LOT easier to know that campground is there and they'll take you. Quote HistoryQuoted: A Co-workers son just finished his and took it out. Went camping with some other 'converted' school busses. My Co-worker went out to visit the camp. Let's just say this is... not generally the crowd you want to be hanging with. If you're by yourself; fine. If you're planning on being with the 'school bus conversion crowd'... you may want to reconsider. I actually think the campground thing is a big deal. Some even reject older RV's - though it sounds like that's mostly to keep the rolling wrecks from coming in and isn't terribly well enforced on a well maintained vehicle. It's just much easier on a cross country to swing into a KOA, etc, than find an off the beaten path camping spot or stay in a Walmart parking lot. Yes, you can travel without it. But if, say, your Dad has cancer on the other side of the country in the middle of a global pandemic*... it's a LOT easier to know that campground is there and they'll take you. Yeah, we don't plan on hanging out with skoolie people. There's a reason the reputation is as it is. I'm glad to hear your dad is OK, that's rough. Calling ahead is probably going to be the move, and we won't present it as "skoolie" or anything like that. I don't plan on having flowers and clouds painted on the side of the bus either, lol. From talking to a few people who have "nice looking" conversions, they don't have issues anywhere except the "snow bird" hotspots. One guy told me to look up the campground on Google maps and check it for busses ahead of time, then call ahead and tell them it's a refit of a motor coach if they ask. Quoted: Why go 24V if your already set up for 12V? Power capacity. At 1kw of solar, it starts to make more sense to go 24v than 12v. And honestly, I don't think I'll need to charge from an alternator with the array I've got. I'll revisit that later if it becomes an issue. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 9:37:32 AM EDT
[#12]
What a cool project!
I watch the Skooliepalooza videos. So tempting to plan a build. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 9:53:38 AM EDT
[#13]
I'd rather have a 24' 3500 Sprinter w/ dualies & no windows than a van conversion. Much stealthier, can park on the street or in commercial parking lots, etc.
Acquaintances (musicians) had a short bus conversion w/ a side lift. Nicely done & not too hard if you're handy. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 11:32:30 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Nah, we stripped all but two of the seats, once I get some Ford Transit/Sprinter/etc seats I'll pull those out too. 1060lbs of seats was nothing to sneeze at. Yeah, but who wants to go to an RV park? We want to avoid all those things and people. I just plunked a bunch of money on a solar power setup, next is going to be tanks (grey and fresh), then I get to figure out how to build them into the bus. I'm going with a 24v system, 200ah of storage (for now), and 1kw of solar panels up top. The MPPT Charge Controller is one of the integrated inverter/charger ones, so I can charge the battery bank via 120v (hookup or generator) if required, which should be nice. I'm going to have to investigate a good way to charge the battery bank while underway, since the bus's starting/charging system is 12v. I guess a 24v alternator added where the A/C Compressor typically goes? Tomorrow I'm gonna work from the back of it at the glass place putting in the new windshield glass for the right side, since it's cracked just under the wiper blade. After the glass gets installed, I just have to roll by the inspection place and the guy will finalize the inspection and I can get 2-yr tags instead of 30-day. Later this week I want to get the flooring up, see how much needs fresh metal welded in, do that, then seal it on both sides. Theeeeen, maybe I'll tint the windows. I hope to have the kitchen, closets, bedrooms, and garage framed out by the end of March. Then, I'll get the wiring installed, plumbing, and the mini-split. Not sure about International, but the flooring in Thomas Built Bus are plywood. Tagged for updates on the project. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 12:13:29 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: A Co-workers son just finished his and took it out. Went camping with some other 'converted' school busses. My Co-worker went out to visit the camp. Let's just say this is... not generally the crowd you want to be hanging with. If you're by yourself; fine. If you're planning on being with the 'school bus conversion crowd'... you may want to reconsider. I actually think the campground thing is a big deal. Some even reject older RV's - though it sounds like that's mostly to keep the rolling wrecks from coming in and isn't terribly well enforced on a well maintained vehicle. It's just much easier on a cross country to swing into a KOA, etc, than find an off the beaten path camping spot or stay in a Walmart parking lot. Yes, you can travel without it. But if, say, your Dad has cancer on the other side of the country in the middle of a global pandemic*... it's a LOT easier to know that campground is there and they'll take you. *-Been there, done that, Dad is missing half a lung but is cancer free. Shitty T-shirt. Cleveland Clinic is awesome, even if I wasn't allowed in (Mom was). Kept my mind off the surgery by taking the kids to the Air Force Museum. Not directed at you, but what kind of crowd is the bus conversion crowd? Dope smokers? Of all the videos I see on YT, it seems about 1/3 are Christians or tech/knowledge workers with 2 fairly normal parents doing home schooling, 1/3 are the super crunchy types (with or without kids...sometimes doing weird things like devoting 1/2 the space to their cats/dogs), and the final 1/3 are the single loners or weirdos with some wacky spiritual views and an Etsy store to sell sage or some shit. I even saw one guy where the husband claimed to be some kind of Marine SOF (Raider?) before he was medically retired. I wouldn't mind having that guy for a neighbor. Also find it funny that RV parks would seek to exclude converted school buses. Nance and Rand show up with a 25ft toy hauler they got from Bass Pro and tow vehicle (same overall length), financed to the hilt, that's high class, welcome. School bus with a family they DIY'd themselves shows up, "GTFO, we have standards!" lol. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 1:19:14 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not directed at you, but what kind of crowd is the bus conversion crowd? Dope smokers? Of all the videos I see on YT, it seems about 1/3 are Christians or tech/knowledge workers with 2 fairly normal parents doing home schooling, 1/3 are the super crunchy types (with or without kids...sometimes doing weird things like devoting 1/2 the space to their cats/dogs), and the final 1/3 are the single loners or weirdos with some wacky spiritual views and an Etsy store to sell sage or some shit. I even saw one guy where the husband claimed to be some kind of Marine SOF (Raider?) before he was medically retired. I wouldn't mind having that guy for a neighbor. Also find it funny that RV parks would seek to exclude converted school buses. Nance and Rand show up with a 25ft toy hauler they got from Bass Pro and tow vehicle (same overall length), financed to the hilt, that's high class, welcome. School bus with a family they DIY'd themselves shows up, "GTFO, we have standards!" lol. The rule is aimed @ your likely correct 2/3rd demographic. I never looked to see how common it was, but common enough that I saw it posted on various rv park listings or was asked over the phone when calling to make a reservation. Some parks would exclude me now based on how old my B is. |
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Posted: 2/23/2022 7:26:37 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not sure about International, but the flooring in Thomas Built Bus are plywood. Tagged for updates on the project. Nope, mine is just linoleum over steel. |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 1:27:16 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not directed at you, but what kind of crowd is the bus conversion crowd? Dope smokers? Of all the videos I see on YT, it seems about 1/3 are Christians or tech/knowledge workers with 2 fairly normal parents doing home schooling, 1/3 are the super crunchy types (with or without kids...sometimes doing weird things like devoting 1/2 the space to their cats/dogs), and the final 1/3 are the single loners or weirdos with some wacky spiritual views and an Etsy store to sell sage or some shit. I even saw one guy where the husband claimed to be some kind of Marine SOF (Raider?) before he was medically retired. I wouldn't mind having that guy for a neighbor. Also find it funny that RV parks would seek to exclude converted school buses. Nance and Rand show up with a 25ft toy hauler they got from Bass Pro and tow vehicle (same overall length), financed to the hilt, that's high class, welcome. School bus with a family they DIY'd themselves shows up, "GTFO, we have standards!" lol. The extremely conservative man was afraid he'd somehow raised a hippie. 
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Posted: 2/24/2022 1:40:03 AM EDT
[#19]
If no one has mentioned it. I hope you have your CDL. It’s a commercial vehicle and you could easily have a trip ended completely. This just came up in conversation at my dmv.
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Posted: 2/24/2022 3:39:06 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If no one has mentioned it. I hope you have your CDL. It’s a commercial vehicle and you could easily have a trip ended completely. This just came up in conversation at my dmv. What? Why? If it is re-tagged as an RV and not used for a commercial purpose, why would you need a CDL? |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 4:58:12 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What? Why? If it is re-tagged as an RV and not used for a commercial purpose, why would you need a CDL? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: If no one has mentioned it. I hope you have your CDL. It’s a commercial vehicle and you could easily have a trip ended completely. This just came up in conversation at my dmv. What? Why? If it is re-tagged as an RV and not used for a commercial purpose, why would you need a CDL? Because the GVWR over 26,000 pounds. Maybe not a CDL but probably a class B non-CDL license - unless he had it registered for under 26k GVWR. @awptickes - Can you give some insurance and coverage info? Where did you get it? How much $? What coverage? Thanks. |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 5:14:44 AM EDT
[#22]
This is an official tag! I love these kind of threads.
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Posted: 2/24/2022 8:52:59 AM EDT
[#23]
No, I don't need a CDL. There is no commercial use. Nobody is paying me for this, and I'm not engaging in commerce. While the GVWR placard reads 27,500, it doesn't matter anymore.
In Maryland, it is titled and registered as a Class M Multipurpose Vehicle, GVWR on the registration and title is now "3700+" which means nothing but a class C license is required. Now... I did have a class b, with lots of other endorsements, years ago, so the actual driving of it isn't anything new. It's probably the easiest vehicle I've ever driven with a GVWR above 5T. Currently it's insurance policy is a Commercial Vehicle for Personal Use, through USAA and underwritten with progressive. It's $782/yr, but once I get the conversion done and get it inspected, I can flip that to an RV policy, which should be less than $300/yr. |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 12:31:41 PM EDT
[#24]
What’s required for it to be considered an RV? Bed and a head? That’s how the boat rules were I think.
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Posted: 2/24/2022 12:48:14 PM EDT
[#25]
I live in an old reefer trailer that has been converted to have living space in it right now. I’m classy like that. It’s not setup with tanks though, I’ve got water plumbed and it’s parked right next to the septic tank.
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Posted: 2/24/2022 1:24:22 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I live in an old reefer trailer that has been converted to have living space in it right now. I’m classy like that. It’s not setup with tanks though, I’ve got water plumbed and it’s parked right next to the septic tank. That's some top notch insulation. Are you still using the original refrigeration unit set to 72 degrees, installed conventional A/C, or something else? |
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Posted: 2/24/2022 2:24:46 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That's some top notch insulation. Are you still using the original refrigeration unit set to 72 degrees, installed conventional A/C, or something else? It’s like 13 degrees currently and that’s the warmest it’s been since Monday. It doesn’t have the reefer unit on it anymore. It had two roof mounted a/c units that I took off to seal the holes up. It’s got a large shower, my full size washer and dryer, room for one of my safes, and a reloading bench. |
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Posted: 2/25/2022 7:56:53 AM EDT
[#28]
Over the past couple days I've done small things, like getting rid of the red/yellow warning lights. Maybe I'll devise a way to use the wiring as aux/spot lights.
 I got more done last night. I ripped up most of the flooring and exposed the rust underneath. That vinyl flooring seems like it was moisture permeable, looking at the rust patterning and the sheer amount of actual wetness underneath when I ripped it up. There's a few rust holes, but I knew about them when I looked at the bus before buying it. What surprised me is that there's actually less surface rust than I expected, which means I need to go back to the metal supplier and get a smaller quote, I won't need a full 4x8 sheet anymore.   Tonight the plan is to use a grinder with a dust collection system to remove most of the surface rust and dress the holes so I can start working on replacement pieces of metal. Then, weld those in, put down the rust converter, and add paint. I do plan on using the rust converter and paint on the underside of the chassis too, hopefully this will ensure I don't get this happening again anytime soon. I prematurely purchased the insulation and plywood for the subfloor, after seeing that Lowes finally decided to just add electronic pricetags to the lumber, I think we're about to be in for a wild ride. As to the discussion about campgrounds, yeah, sure. I don't like campgrounds and I plan on avoiding them as much as possible. I don't want to go to "skoolie encampments" either, I just don't like the general population that much. Here's a preliminary floorplan (not to scale... lol) 
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Posted: 2/25/2022 11:15:45 AM EDT
[#29]
Have you though about spray foaming the bottom side of the floor? Are you planning on framing the walls in and adding more? I guess some of that depend on when you plan on using it.
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Posted: 2/25/2022 11:29:48 AM EDT
[#30]
Might consider moving the bathroom from next to your ear while sleeping so that you have some hope of sleeping through others' nighttime restroom breaks. If you're a light sleeper, in such a small space it may not matter. You might also consider a raised master bed in the back w/ storage under it, a la Toy Haulers.
Ideally, your toilet will be located directly over your black tank. |
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Posted: 2/25/2022 11:35:23 AM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: Here it is. https://i.imgur.com/WmlMjJK.png https://i.imgur.com/MQwXF9a.png https://i.imgur.com/o9dGMMO.png https://i.imgur.com/4djgMIU.png My wife took this one while I was driving: https://i.imgur.com/wxShzLd.png It was super cheap, and it's got a lot of new parts. It was a school bus in Baltimore county until 2014, then the police got it, and used it for whatever. Right now it weighs 15,600. The plan is to put sink, stove, countertops, couches, bunk beds, shower, toilet, master bed, and a storage garage in the rear for motorcycles. Hopefully about 800w of solar with 400ah of battery, 3kw inverter, mini split heat-pump, 3kw generator, and probably about 75gal of freshwater. Then, take a bunch of adventures. Seems like it's going to be a fun time doing all the upfitting. My dad did one when I was a kid. We had 4 bunks in the back, bathroom w/ toilet, sink and shower, a small closet, kitchen w/ stove and sink, and the kitchen table/booth turned into a queen size bed for my parents. It made a great camper. |
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Posted: 2/25/2022 12:19:56 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Have you though about spray foaming the bottom side of the floor? Are you planning on framing the walls in and adding more? I guess some of that depend on when you plan on using it. Quote HistoryQuoted: Have you though about spray foaming the bottom side of the floor? Are you planning on framing the walls in and adding more? I guess some of that depend on when you plan on using it. The interior flooring will be 1" of foam board with 15/32 plywood on top. I'd rather not spray foam the underside of it, because that'll make repairs nearly impossible. Depending on price, I may get the walls and roof spray foamed. Quoted: Might consider moving the bathroom from next to your ear while sleeping so that you have some hope of sleeping through others' nighttime restroom breaks. If you're a light sleeper, in such a small space it may not matter. You might also consider a raised master bed in the back w/ storage under it, a la Toy Haulers. Ideally, your toilet will be located directly over your black tank. Yeah, we're not going to have a black tank just a self contained toilet, either cassette or small tank or composting, and I'm not concerned with having a bathroom close to us. The plan is to have just me, my wife, my daughter, and our pug inside. A self-conversion with a black tank makes insurance tricky, it's not something you can technically do yourself with most insurers, even if you get an inspection. The back "storage area" will be used for motorcycles, generator (when not in use), tools, and other things that don't need to be in the living area. The master bed will be slightly elevated (maybe 18-20 inches) for storage cupboards underneath, freshwater tank(s), and a dog bed/nook. |
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Posted: 2/25/2022 6:35:31 PM EDT
[#33]
Mount the genny under the floor. Keep in mind your freshwater tank will be heavy, plan your CG & GVWR accordingly. Might have one underneath & a smaller one inside for freezing temps.
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Posted: 2/26/2022 12:48:07 AM EDT
[#34]
OP, can you tell us about the engine/transmission combo? Is it one of those oldster DT466s?
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Posted: 2/26/2022 10:14:13 AM EDT
[#35]
It's good that you've allocated lots of space for storage - Firewood takes up a lot of space.
  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 11:29:58 AM EDT
[#36]
Make sure your fuel tank is good. It will be easier to change now before more tanks are installed. Access to the top of the tank is important.
bodybuilder.navistar.com for circuit diagrams. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 4:02:31 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: OP, can you tell us about the engine/transmission combo? Is it one of those oldster DT466s? Quote HistoryQuoted: OP, can you tell us about the engine/transmission combo? Is it one of those oldster DT466s? It's a 195HP 520lb/ft T444E (NaviStar 7.3l V8 Turbo Diesel) with the GTP38 turbo, with an Allison 2000 5-speed. Quoted: Make sure your fuel tank is good. It will be easier to change now before more tanks are installed. Access to the top of the tank is important. bodybuilder.navistar.com for circuit diagrams. Yep, the fuel tank was replaced in 2018 with a new powder coated one. I have all of the maintenance records from new in 2002, and yeah, it was a draw to this particular bus that the fuel tank was new. New exhaust from the turbo all the way back, new radiator hoses, new brakes and brake lines, etc. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 4:37:33 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It's good that you've allocated lots of space for storage - Firewood takes up a lot of space. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/13258/Wood_Stove_jpg-2293571.JPG This is something I have wondered about. I heard that people like the heat (and ambiance) that comes from these tiny wood stoves, but I have also heard that they can't keep a fire in the box all night long, and there's a lot of labor to cut the wood into tinier bits. For a school bus conversion, it seems to me that the first choice for water and space heating should be diesel, followed by propane, because of the moisture issues it could cause. But, it seems that small diesel generators aren't all that common (compared to gas or LP), and then you have to decide what you want to cook with/over. Having "everything" as far as possible on diesel would simplify matters, wouldn't it? |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 5:55:34 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: This is something I have wondered about. I heard that people like the heat (and ambiance) that comes from these tiny wood stoves, but I have also heard that they can't keep a fire in the box all night long, and there's a lot of labor to cut the wood into tinier bits. For a school bus conversion, it seems to me that the first choice for water and space heating should be diesel, followed by propane, because of the moisture issues it could cause. But, it seems that small diesel generators aren't all that common (compared to gas or LP), and then you have to decide what you want to cook with/over. Having "everything" as far as possible on diesel would simplify matters, wouldn't it? It would, and it's possible - you can get diesel refrigerators, diesel water heaters, sealed diesel cooktops, small diesel gennies - that is high $ equipment compared to a propane tank & standard propane appliances. OP could even get himself a propane clothes dryer, though w/o rv hookups to water & septic, there's not much point to a clothes washer in an RV. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 6:20:01 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: It would, and it's possible - you can get diesel refrigerators, diesel water heaters, sealed diesel cooktops, small diesel gennies - that is high $ equipment compared to a propane tank & standard propane appliances. OP could even get himself a propane clothes dryer, though w/o rv hookups to water & septic, there's not much point to a clothes washer in an RV. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: This is something I have wondered about. I heard that people like the heat (and ambiance) that comes from these tiny wood stoves, but I have also heard that they can't keep a fire in the box all night long, and there's a lot of labor to cut the wood into tinier bits. For a school bus conversion, it seems to me that the first choice for water and space heating should be diesel, followed by propane, because of the moisture issues it could cause. But, it seems that small diesel generators aren't all that common (compared to gas or LP), and then you have to decide what you want to cook with/over. Having "everything" as far as possible on diesel would simplify matters, wouldn't it? It would, and it's possible - you can get diesel refrigerators, diesel water heaters, sealed diesel cooktops, small diesel gennies - that is high $ equipment compared to a propane tank & standard propane appliances. OP could even get himself a propane clothes dryer, though w/o rv hookups to water & septic, there's not much point to a clothes washer in an RV. Dryer could be handy even without a washer but that's a lot of space. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 6:34:44 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Dryer could be handy even without a washer but that's a lot of space. But it's not unused space. You can keep a couple of small children in there while driving down the road, that way they're not running around the RV bugging the driver. Or you just keep the clean clothes in the dryer, like bachelors do at home. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 9:35:52 PM EDT
[#42]
Yeah, I don't want to have a wood stove, as cool as it is, it's one of the things that makes insurance interesting...
We're going to have a diesel heater for when it's really cold and we need to warm up the bus quickly and a heat-pump (heating and cooling) mini split for typical use. My wife, daughter, and I went to the Baltimore RV show today. I walked away thinking how much I don't want to be around 90% of RV people, my wife walked away thinking about how all of them look the same and how we should put a mirror on the closet door, and my daughter was just in awe of everything. I did get all of the rust holes cut out to prep for welding in new 16ga steel.  I also got everything swept again, and started laying down the Ospho (phosphoric acid) to try to convert some of the surface rust. But, now it's too cold (literature says 36F minimum temp) to do any more rust conversion tonight.  And now I have to figure out how much time I want to devote to removing all these screws out that run the entire length of the sides. I've got a buddy who loves tedious things like this, so maybe I can entice him to come over and remove all 162 screws...  Hopefully I can get it welded tomorrow, then lay paint down, and get the foam board and plywood subfloor down next week, and I can finally put some masking tape down to help everyone else visualize locations of things, walls, etc. Then take my wife and daughter somewhere to find flooring and walk through a Re-Store to check out cabinets for the kitchen. |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 9:46:05 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: But it's not unused space. You can keep a couple of small children in there while driving down the road, that way they're not running around the RV bugging the driver. Or you just keep the clean clothes in the dryer, like bachelors do at home. Only based on the YT videos I have seen, some people get "combination" units (which seem to suck a lot), or washers only, then hang dry or line dry, especially if they have a stove nearby. The energy and water consumption of either one is terrible though. There are a lot of places that you can hang clothes on the road (such as in the shower stall) that you won't need at least while you are driving. Running a load of wash might also be a way to save some water weight and burn less fuel (IF you were allowed to dump gray water, which I don't think you technically can)? Of course, plenty of other people just seem to use laundromats. But that's if you have a convenient way to get there without moving your whole "house". |
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Posted: 2/26/2022 9:47:34 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yeah, I don't want to have a wood stove, as cool as it is, it's one of the things that makes insurance interesting... We're going to have a diesel heater for when it's really cold and we need to warm up the bus quickly and a heat-pump (heating and cooling) mini split for typical use. My wife, daughter, and I went to the Baltimore RV show today. I walked away thinking how much I don't want to be around 90% of RV people, my wife walked away thinking about how all of them look the same and how we should put a mirror on the closet door, and my daughter was just in awe of everything. I did get all of the rust holes cut out to prep for welding in new 16ga steel. https://i.imgur.com/ZO0tige.png I also got everything swept again, and started laying down the Ospho (phosphoric acid) to try to convert some of the surface rust. But, now it's too cold (literature says 36F minimum temp) to do any more rust conversion tonight. https://i.imgur.com/rFbloNl.png And now I have to figure out how much time I want to devote to removing all these screws out that run the entire length of the sides. I've got a buddy who loves tedious things like this, so maybe I can entice him to come over and remove all 162 screws... https://i.imgur.com/N8uYDl3.png Hopefully I can get it welded tomorrow, then lay paint down, and get the foam board and plywood subfloor down next week, and I can finally put some masking tape down to help everyone else visualize locations of things, walls, etc. Then take my wife and daughter somewhere to find flooring and walk through a Re-Store to check out cabinets for the kitchen. COOL, thanks for update!
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Posted: 2/26/2022 10:46:07 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yeah, I don't want to have a wood stove, as cool as it is, it's one of the things that makes insurance interesting... Aside from basic liability coverage, why are you insuring this? |
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Posted: 2/27/2022 9:32:49 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Aside from basic liability coverage, why are you insuring this? The agent I spoke with said they won't even do basic liability if you have some of the "no-go" items. |
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Posted: 2/27/2022 9:43:36 AM EDT
[#47]
Beautiful bus! The wife and I full-time in a Transit and have been for 2 years. Real full time, not part time. We have spent 3 nights sleeping outside the van.
As for the misconceptions, they are many unfortunately. We have people who look down their nose at us and we are literally retired 40 year old multi-millionaires and liquid. We have 2 friends who have schoolies. One is a successful business woman and the other is an ER doctor. So not losers by any sense. People who do schoolies and some van do NOT want to stay in campgrounds. We have spent exactly one night in a campground, and it was just to get our South Dakota residency. I would rather have my nipples sandpapered off then be in a campground. There are places you can park for a night or two, even in schoolie. It's when people set up residency in a shitty rig that people start to care. Keep moving and seeing all this country has to offer and you'll be fine. That's not to say that we sometimes don't dry camp. We spend 5 weeks moving around Maine in camping areas, but it was still technically boondocking. We were able to spend 8 weeks without any plug ins, water or groceries. We drank from a mountain spring and took bucket baths from a lake. If you want to talk about living off grid for a SHTF situation, we could have spent 4-6 months without any assistance. **edit - We have ours insured through State Farm for $180K. Someone will be along shortly to tell me there's no way this is worth that, and only a Class A Fiberglass POS is worth that. No one wants those anymore. We can move wherever we want, when we want and aren't tethered by campgrounds. Also, we've saved about $90K in rent/mortgage/taxes for the 2 years we've done this. We will do this another 10 or so years. It's fucking awesome. Here's our thread if anyone's interested. Keep the updates coming! |
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Posted: 2/27/2022 11:33:16 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: and only a Class A Fiberglass POS is worth that. No one wants those anymore. Given the # of Class As sold annualy, while you might not want one, it certainly seems a lot of folks do. Is your B stealth or a factory RV? I urban boondocked in a factory B, stealth urban camping for many years. Did you go diesel or gas? Propane or diesel appliances? |
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Posted: 2/27/2022 11:41:22 AM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Given the # of Class As sold annualy, while you might not want one, it certainly seems a lot of folks do. Is your B stealth or a factory RV? I urban boondocked in a factory B, stealth urban camping for many years. Did you go diesel or gas? Propane or diesel appliances?  Attached FileEcoboost with 31 gal gas tank. 600 watts of solar and 400 ah Lithium. No propain and we have a gas tank tapped Espar heater. |
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Posted: 2/27/2022 12:30:32 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Beautiful bus! The wife and I full-time in a Transit and have been for 2 years. Real full time, not part time. We have spent 3 nights sleeping outside the van. As for the misconceptions, they are many unfortunately. We have people who look down their nose at us and we are literally retired 40 year old multi-millionaires and liquid. We have 2 friends who have schoolies. One is a successful business woman and the other is an ER doctor. So not losers by any sense. People who do schoolies and some van do NOT want to stay in campgrounds. We have spent exactly one night in a campground, and it was just to get our South Dakota residency. I would rather have my nipples sandpapered off then be in a campground. There are places you can park for a night or two, even in schoolie. It's when people set up residency in a shitty rig that people start to care. Keep moving and seeing all this country has to offer and you'll be fine. That's not to say that we sometimes don't dry camp. We spend 5 weeks moving around Maine in camping areas, but it was still technically boondocking. We were able to spend 8 weeks without any plug ins, water or groceries. We drank from a mountain spring and took bucket baths from a lake. If you want to talk about living off grid for a SHTF situation, we could have spent 4-6 months without any assistance. **edit - We have ours insured through State Farm for $180K. Someone will be along shortly to tell me there's no way this is worth that, and only a Class A Fiberglass POS is worth that. No one wants those anymore. We can move wherever we want, when we want and aren't tethered by campgrounds. Also, we've saved about $90K in rent/mortgage/taxes for the 2 years we've done this. We will do this another 10 or so years. It's fucking awesome. Here's our thread if anyone's interested. Keep the updates coming! Thank you for the kind words. I will definitely read your thread. As for progress... I put on the phosphoric acid, now I wait. Once the acid is done doing its thing, then I'll weld in the patches. 
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