S-caper
The Conversion
The number of ways to convert a school bus (or any bus really) has got to be darn near endless; everything from strip out the seats, bolt down a bed frame or futon, hang some curtains, drop in a Porta-potti, throw in the Coleman camp stove and go...to a true rolling palace. And, of course, everything in between. I guess on a scale of 1 being very rustic to 10 being very plush we're going for something around a 7 (or maybe an 8). For us the bus will become a home for a number of years while we travel so I want it to be very comfortable. At the same time, I've been in the boat business for quite a number of years and around boats all of my life; I've learned that keeping things simple is the best way to keep them working (as well as buying high quality items to start with). Also, we have pets...boy do we...right now, two Australian Cattle Dogs (Blue Heelers), a Bassett Hound and two cats...so an easy-to-clean and rugged interior is called for.
[ This isn't the floorplan that we finally settled on; click HERE to see the latest version.]
A little explanation about the floor plan; Shelley is an artist (www.artbyshel.com) so much of the design of the conversion was influenced by trying to work in adequate space for her art work. She's also a fine pianist and that meant finding room in the plan for a piano. I wanted some space too but she said I already had the driver's seat and all the space under the bus...gee, thanks! I did sneak in a 'work table' across from Shel's drawing table and I might actually get to use if for some of my tinkering. I'd like to learn more about making custom picture frames and this space might lend itself well to that. Beyond that we just needed the basics...bed, toilet, shower, kitchen and a bit of living room. Oh yeah, and the espresso maker; and since we're from the Pacific Northwest (1-1/2 hours from Seattle) that is considered part of the 'basics'!
There's a lot of personal basic philosophy wrapped up in a floor plan and the conversion process; just about everything you choose works for or against the basic premise of the plan. I'm utilizing many, many years of experience with boats and their systems (and especially electrical systems) as the basis for many of my decisions; to my mind, the ultimate "boondockers" are the long distance off-shore cruising sailboats. They're often away from 'facilities' for months on end and totally reliant on their own on-board systems with only the occasional need to replenish fuel, food and water.
More about each system can be found at these links:
Electrical System | Plumbing System | Heating System