Converting a bus into Home-helpful hints

here's a thread to talk about bus conversions and the like. we'll post more later, but the first hint is a really important one, so we thought we'd throw it on the first post.

Keep the bulk of your weight low. Lots of upper storage shelves can cause a bus to roll more easily if you do have an accident or even if you have to make a sharp turn to avoid an accident.

 

Well then.....

Be sure to stop my Mr. Sharkey's Bus Barn

Az

 

Some cool conversions in there, Poorphucker.

We've seen some of those nice wooden shingled busses and it always seems that they wind up in bad shape after a wreck. They're certainly pretty but lots of wood means lots of weight, which cuts the gas mileage.

Here's a 2 level conversion that took areo-dynamics into the set-up





The sailboat's curves give a streamlined air-flow when the bus is going down the road and it's lighter than a VW on top. The Sailbus's owner doesn't store much in the sailboat, but it's a great place to hang out with friends (just don't put the sail up on a windy day...then bus almost blew over in back at MO'96!)

 

Here are some pics of the inside. There's a little more upper storage in the main part of the bus than we would do; but then again, JuJu rolled his first bus and felt like the accident wouldn't have been as bad if there hadn't been 17 backpacks stored near the top.





this is the Sailbus's guidence system

 

Reminds me of Just Mark's bus. Have not seen it since the last time I was at Tanque Verde rainbow camp awaiting a Tucson gem show. If I remember correctly, he had a radio staion he would run up the mast and broadcast from. I have had five buses now not including my Reep Jeep, aka The Special Kids Bus, Aka the Retarded Ride, Aka, the bus you hoped you never had to ride on when you were a kid! Well, except for the special olympics.

I have a fancy for Flxibles and Prevosts (Prevosts since I have come to Canada... got to love that Quebec bus maker, the last one I saw was covered in black velvet fun fur...lol).

My dream...

... would to be to get a GM Future Liner!



Something about them all aluminum shells ... float my boat!

Az

 

It is Just Mark's bus. we've known him for a very long time.

That future liner is pretty styley, bet it don't have all the air leak issues that a schooly does. Our busses need storm windows!!

 

man iam stayin in a bus right now, it has a sweet set up, phone, dial up internet, tv vcr, dvd, couch, chair, toliet, bed, fridge, microwave, an a gergoe formen grill, man this one kid from tour had a bus with a volkswagaon bus on top of it, it was sweet

 

I think i'm in love with this thread

 

hey brother, I like your style!! if you want a shower in your bus you should look into doing the mexican water heater. Its enery and space efficiant! Plus it will keep your bus warm when cold outside! hope it all comes together nicely! With love, Juniper

 

i'm seriously thinking of investing in a bus someday, and living in it with my family for awhile, and making my living vending and reading tarot cards at various festivals - kind of hoping that some of the work the bus would need might be covered by a business loan or grant. but how practical a goal is this (especially considering that my resources are shot at least until the spring, when i'm expecting a small windfall.)? i keep feeling like its positively the nuttiest idea i've ever had, but people keep telling me i should go for it. (my employment counsellor among them!)

 

the mexican water heater.


Whats that?

 

YES, go for it. Discover yourself, enjoy America, meet the people.

 

We've always loved living in our bus & vending at festivals(we used to only sell handmade jewelry, now we make jewelry & tie dyes). Tarot readings are a good way to make cash.

 

hmmm...i wonder how much i'd need to get the bus road-worthy, once i had it. i mean, for a family. how much is really necessary to start with? what kind of cost am i looking at? (i have actually been agonizing about this, and actually losing sleep, because things look so bleak for me now.)

what kind of jewelery did you sell? i have a friend who is a wire-wrapper.

do tarot readings really make money on the road? can you pm me?

 

Hey, so all ya need is a little pot belly woodstove, then either attatched or unattached you have a little metal barrel on top, that way you heat your bus, and your water! For more info go to motherearthnews/DIY/.../Hot_Water_For_The_Homestead, there they have pictures and diagrams.

 

yaya , i got my bus set up for intense winter . a wood-stove with a pipe out the window and lots of blankets hanging up and for nesting in . this was a free '73 chevy bus and maybe in 10 years i've bought a couple hundred dollars in parts . my energy bill this year is about 75 dollars , most of it is for fuel to move the bus down the road a bit and 2 dollars is for chain-saw gas . the wood is free . because i can park it where the wood is free and where i can get good water from a springhead .


peace in the woods ...

in the spring i spose i move it to a garden space , but i think there's enough gas in the tank to do that easy enough . not that i really need a bus after the weather warms up . well , i don't need one at all except a place to store a few tools and a bit of personal stuff . i certainly know well enough how to build a good enough house out of cardboard and sticks and this and that . last year i didn't drive at all cuz i was out back-packing the ranbO! trail . i don't really give a hoot about having a bus . someday i'll give it away or it can be a goat-shed . for now , it's a winter house along the river just because .