My Bus Journey

Lots of caulking around windows

6/30/2022

On a less impactful but important note, I caulked above the windows to help keep water out. Several areas had considerable gaps in the rain bar (both where you can see in the photo and at the top of the seam), which allows water t drip right into the window and splash inside. In two spots, it pours right in! So this was a high priority since it rains a lot in Oregon (and NC).

Walls, Trim, and Ceiling fan!

6/29/2022

Short post of mostly photos...
Walls are up

I also screwed some 2x2 furring strips into the ribs that will support my other trim and possibly upper storage later. The planned trim will hide my wiring and hold my lights.

One of the scariest things so far was cutting a 14"x14" hole in my ceiling. It sure is nice to have my fan installed though!

Maintenance

6/21/2022

I am fortunate to have an amazing person here who is a former diesel mechanic who has patiently given me a crash course in diesel engine care and eased my anxiety. They spotted the source of my oil leak to a new rocker housing that didn't sealed well when replaced. So I my bus to a referred mechanic to fix the leak and get it all ready for driving from NC to OR!
During the few days away from the bus, I plan to work on putting together my solar system! I have everything at the house including the panels. I am glad I planned far enough in advance that I have all the essentials to avoid delays due to supply chain issues.
Working on my bus continues to be more and more exciting as I finish and task and see it coming together, all while spending quality time with my chosen family before I relocate to a dream job in a region that I love. This is a summer I will never forget.
UPDATE:
Turns out the piece was poorly installed and cracked. So it needed replaced. I was VERY lucky to have people who know people, who are awesome. So It was all fixed in two days. And I got right back to my 11-13 hour days working on getting it livable asap!

Bamboo Floors!

6/19/2022

I finally finished the floors and I LOVE it!
I placed 6 millimeter underlayment and bamboo flooring over the liquid rubber layer. In this process, I have learned that I am not very good at flooring -- at least, not with used flooring with nails. I started on the corner by the lift. This was a mistake because 1) the place I start is never as good as after some practice and 2) it was not flush so it created some weird angles that skewed the rest of the floor. With the spaces it looks more like a deck than flooring, which I am actually cool with. Plus, I screwed in each plank so they should be solid in place (again, extra). I will probably research something to fill the gaps and provide more water sealant to the floors.

All that to say, I love how bright the floors look and it is all nice and smooth. So happy I found the used bamboo on Marketplace! It took me the equivalent of 2 full days spread over a few shorter days. I completed it during 90+ degree days. It definitely feels more home-like and I am now able to start moving in the base cabinets I have collected (again, Marketplace). The flooring was a bit step to seeing it come together and be my home. <3

I love Marketplace!

6/18/2022

I had an epic scavenger hunt on Marketplace one restless night. I previously mentioned finding the bamboo flooring from Marketplace. I have also found:

a headboard for my queen bed (which I will be modifying to angle back and have enclosed storage)
wood for my ceiling
massive cushions from a furniture company (two 3'x3'x1' seats and one 3.5'x4.5'x1' chase lounge, which was strapped to the top of my Prius)
kitchen base cabinets (some older ones that I painted white)

The base cabinets I found were a lime green that I painted white. I like using rustoleum because it is an enamel and gives it a great smooth water and chip resistant surface.

I love upcycling something used and saving money!

Tedious and Hot

6/14/2022

The last several days have been in the 90s and gross. While melting I was able to finish some low hanging fruit before jumping into the bamboo flooring.
I finished boxing in the wheel wells and filling them with spray foam insulation. I was able to cover them when spraying the walls but it didn't fill the entire box, so I saved the shavings from smoothing the ceiling and walls to then fill other areas.

I cleaned up and finished the rubber around my driver's seat. Since I like that so much, I also picked up some 4'x8' rubber mats from Tractor Supply Co. that are 3/4" to match the thickness of the bamboo flooring. I put this under my bed area becuase it will just be for storage. and the texture will help to keep the rubber bins in place. The amount of bamboo I had would have probably covered it but it would have been close and I would have had to use pieces that were less than ideal. So this felt like a good solution.

After much debating, I went ahead with a new seat that swivels and provides way more space in the driver's area. The previous air ride driver's seat was comfortable but huge and not aesthetically pleasing. The nice thing about the post seat is that I can switch out to another chair if I find this one isn't a good fit. But so far I like it.

I also drilled a huge hole in my floor for the shower drain. Since I am using a mop basin for my shower, the drain was almost 4" in diameter! I am glad I watched videos from others so that I checked the placement to avoid cutting through or right next to a beam. My ideal location would have been right through a beam. I had to move it over about 2" to have the drain in the right place, which pinches it right up against the wall of my bed area but is workable.

And so this is how it looks currently:

...and smoothing the spray foam was a pain...

6/11/2022

After the mess of applying all the spray foam, I spend two days smoothing it over and filling gaps.

To help control engine noise, I added a 1/2" rubber mat from Tractor Supply Co (shown before cut down to size). I originally planned to place the rubber under the plywood. However, I like it so much that I am keeping it on top of the plywood as the daily cover.

Continuing my over the top approach, I added a coat of Flex Seal Liquid rubber paint to the plywood subfloor. Once it has cured, I can start laying the bamboo flooring!

After checking on the cured floors, I spend part of the evening just being present in my bus and imagining my soon-to-be finished home. <3 I can feel it coming together and could not be more thrilled. Once such note was that I plan to hand hooks for a hammock so that I can pop open the emergency roof hatch and stair at the sky.

Spray Foam!

6/7/2022

My dear friend, Richard, came with me when I returned to NC . He was a tremendous help with insulating the bus - it was messy and hot!