Researching Buses in Oz

I had the opprotunity to visit a friend in northern Victoria to check out their bus conversion. They are only partway done, but it was good to get inside a bus to have a feel for the space and see what issues they've had with their conversion. It is a different style of bus than I'm planning to buy but the space is about the same. 

This  is their bedroom. I want a bedroom as well, but I feel like they have wasted a great deal of space in placing tttheir bed this way, however they did want to both be able to get in and out of bed which I don't really need as I'll be sleeping alone - unless something changes! Which is entirely possible, but I am not planning for it. Their under bed storage is only accessed by lifting the mattress platform up, which I think is too cumbersome. They don't have any overhead storage either  other than a small cabinet over the back window. With my schoolbus, there will be an exit door at the rear, which they don't have. I want to have a raised platform that I can shove Rubbermaid bins under, several of them and will organize my storage by season I reckon. I also want overhead storage all around, particularly on the sides of the bus. The school bus I'm looking for will have shorter windows than this bus, so I'll have more room to build above. I also want built in nightstand next to the bed, as well as two clothes closets, one on either side. They don't need to be very deep, just the width of a clothes hanger is enough. 

Theis toilet is a chemical toilet that you empty via a tray from outside. It's a bit cumbersome and I already know that if my toilet depends on a weekly effort from me, it probably won't happen, particularly in winter, stormy weather, pissing rain, etc. I just don't want to deal with blackwater at all if I can help it so I have sourced an incinerator toilet - they can be quite spendy, as the first I saw were about $7500, but I managed to find a company that sells them for $2500, so totally doable. Not having to deal with blackwater means I will only have graywater, which can be dumped just about anywhere as it's just the water from showers, washing clothes, dishwater, etc. For me, it is totally worth it. The incinerator toilet is very environmentally friendly and has no smell, no smoke, and no waste at all. You simply line the toilet with a paper cone, do your business and then incinerate. It does use electricity which I will have to keep in mind when designing the electrical/solar system, but it is a must for me. 

They plan to run the kitchen cupboards along the right hand side and the applances along the left. The WAECO box is their propane fridge, which I also plan for my bus, however they are also very spendy. I wanted a full-sized fridge, but they cost a fortune and will use quite a bit of propane, so I am rethinking the need for a full-sized fridge. I've lived with a bar-sized fridge before and it was a bit rough, but there is no need to store so much in the fridge as I have been used to, and if I get myself off milk entirely, I won't need nearly as much fridge space. I reckon I can build a root cellar wherever I park for the season, or craft a cool box under the bus in the storage area for things like vegetables and fruit. So really all I would need to store in the fridge are things like cheese, poultry, meats, etc. 

They  have a shower built in but no tub, and for my conversion to be registered as an RV in Canada, I have to have a bathtub, no matter how small, so I'm thinking just a 3-4 foot RV tub with an overhead shower. In this bus the shower and toilet are in separate spaces, but I am thinking I want them all in one space, so I can leave the other side open to the rest of the bus, which would mean I couldn't have two closets, so I'll have to give that some more thought. I just want to be able to see through the entire bus from the bedroom, mostly for safety sake as I'll be living in it alone - I don't want any corners where someone can hide. I will also run kitchen cupboards along both sides I reckon, with the fridge next to the bathroom wall, and the kitchen sink next to that so the plumbing stays along one wall. I saw a great idea for a storage pull out shelf between the bathroom wall and the fridge and my friends are planning the same thing. It would be plenty of space to carry all my canned goods, spices, cooking sauces/oils, and so on. Then the cupboards will only need to store the dishes, cookware, and other dry goods like flour, sugar, etc. 

I've been thinking about what I want in a stove, and initially I wanted a full stove with full-sized oven, gas operated, but I realized I don't actually use my oven much at all anymore as I've always had a toaster oven. The toaster oven is electric though, so I have to factor that in. It is a much smaller space to cook with, which is fine, but will solar be able to power it if I have to roast something for a couple of hours or more. I have seen some simple cooktops with 3 gas burners like I had in the cabin in Sooke some years ago. Then I don't lose that cupboard space below. 

They have shelving in one of their closets which I'm not sure I will go for, unless I can make the shelves adjustable. I'm building my home for the next few decades, so I want to keep some of it with options to make changes as my needs change. Somewhere in all of the storage MUST be a kitty room where I can stash the cat litter, complete with ventilation and an exterior door for changing it and for kitty access to the bus. 

We talked about security and how to secure all entrances/windows. I'd like a deadbolt on the back door that can be locked from the inside. On the folding bus door, I want a lock that prevents the door from being folded, so some sort of steel bars that can be slipped in to secure it. I also want security caging on all the windows, so no one can break in through the many windows. It will have to be a custom job, but so worth it for peace of mind, particularly given I will be living in it alone, and traveling alone most of the time. 

We were having a look underneath in one of the compartments. They haven't installed their water tanks yet. I want to be able to hook up to a water hose/system, but also need a storage tank for when I'm in transit, so the tanks for fresh water and graywater will be underneath in this space. There should also be lots of room for garage type storage for tools, tarps, camp chairs, barbecue, batteries, etc. This is my friend, Chars looking underneath. That's my car parked behind. The windows in their bus have only small panes that open, while the rest is sealed. They have also covered over some of their windows, but I don't want to do that as it cuts down on natural light. I will have curtains for all windows, some with blackout pieces that can be taken off. 

I'd also like an outside deck, something that can be transported and then simply attached to the side door, and maybe to the back door. Up on the roof, I want a ladder to the roof, and a small roof-top deck., as well as a small garden, in addition to all the solar panels that will cover most of the roof. In considering power, I plan to light up with LED which are a very low draw on power. I'll also need power for the toilet, and a few small appliances like the toaster oven, mixer, etc. I'll also need to power the electronics, like my television, computer, phone charger, iPad, etc. They are low draw as well so hopefully won't require much power either. The toilet will require most of it. I'll need enough 12V batteries to store the energy as well, so have to speak to an electrician about that. I wish my Dad was still alive, as he would know all about these things. I'm sure he will be watching over me though. 

I'm thinking once I make it to Canada and really kick this plan into gear, I may begin adding video posts as well so you can get a better feel for the conversion, and perhaps I might interview people about theirs to add to my site here. I'd like to document through video and photos the process of converting a bus to a tiny home, with all its trials and tribulations, as well as the successes, big and small. 

So there you have it, the latest. 

The Why

Dundee enjoys the mess of moving, as would most cats - boxes, paper, plastic, new smells, old smells, a changing environment. I'm going to miss that little bugger. Again, I'll leave that for another post. The back to work plan is being reevaluated, so in the meantime, I'm distracting myself with making the mess, as well as researching tiny houses and bus conversions. There is a lot of information out there, and doing my conversion over the coming months with the goal of being in by Christmas, I'll be living out of suitcases, boxes, bags, and surrounded by mess for the months to come. I'll have to find ways to minimize and organize the mess as it will surely drive me crazy otherwise. And then with any luck, it will be my final unpacking for the forseeable future. The bus conversion/tiny house is part of my longterm goal of freedom and independence to follow my own paths. I've missed having a home of my own to customize - loved my house in Newfoundland for that reason - I designed it for us. 

I'm tiring of changing my living environment so frequently as I find it exhausting both physically and mentally. I just want a place to call home that I can move to be wherever I want to be and still have an affordable and comfortable home. I had thought I could do this in my VW Camper, aka the Karma bus, however it was too small for my needs and not having a toilet/shower meant I had to depend on a serviced site for those services. I prefer to be off the grid as much as possible, using solar and potentially wind power to charge the batteries. I am looking at using propane for cooking, on-demand hot water, and heating, with a woodstove to supplement heating. I also want to source the most efficient way to supply air conditioning off the grid as well. Part of the long term goal is spending only 6 months per year in Canada, and the other 6 somewhere south of WINTER. This is why I need the mobility. With being able to function off the grid as much as possible, I can keep my costs down to the bare minimum, making it possible to work for 6 months of the year in Canada, and then travel/live somewhere down south during the winters, escaping snowdom. I'll have to suffer through the next winter as I can't possibly have it completed in time, and want to spend one full year at least with my girl in Edmonton. Hence the wood stove. All I need to move in is the bathroom and the woodstove. The  rest can be completed over the winter. I've still got the VW Karma van to travel around for music and camping while the conversion is in progress. 

The choice for a school bus style conversion came after doing a bit of research. The typical Canadian school bus from a rural setting is what I'm seeking. They tend to have strong body, good suspension and able to handle the rugged terrain of country roads. The squared off buses ride too close to the ground to be able to handle the bumpy roads I plan to travel on at some point, particularily south of the US border. A stripped school bus can potentially give me 35' x 7'5" x 6'5" interior. It's a low ceiling, but I'm short, so there is plenty of clearance for me. I'm not planning on standing up all day. School buses are constructed to be much stronger than the average manufactured RV, which have been referred to as tin cans. I'm ok with the shape of the bus. A low ceiling means cheap to heat. Those tall ceilings of the loft tiny houses meant an upstairs bed - hot as hell, and heat loss from the main floor where I would spend most of the time. The bus can also be longer than a typical tiny house, at 35'. That gives me enough downstairs room to enclose a sleeping chamber for myself. I don't need a full bedroom. Just a bed I don't have to navigate stairs or ladders to get to. And a short distance to the toilet. Funny what things become more important when designing a living space as one ages. I had initially thought about a slide away bed but then realized I don't want to have to move stuff to go to bed, or to put the bed away. I want it just to be THERE. I can build a ton of storage beneath it, and I don't need a full ceiling above my bed, so will utilize what space I can based on the quirky spaces that are available around the wheel wells and other stuff I'll be trying to hide in the cabinets - batteries, inverter, power controls, pipes, wires and so on. 

This bed below looks cozy. I am going to leave all of the windows exposed even in the bathroom and closets, so they allow natural light in everywhere. I'll just add window coverings for privacy. With a school bus, there is a door at the end (not like this photo) so I can open the door and let the breeze blow through. I can construct a basic tiny deck too that folds up across the end in transit and folds down when parked, self-levelling somehow, on hinges.  

I also want all of the windows to be fitted with flyscreen, and secure screen/bars as I want to feel reasonably safe, no matter where I'm parked. 

So there is a lot of planning and investigating to be done over the coming months. Questions to be asked, notes to be taken, photos to be saved, plans to be scribbled down, changed and changed again. I'm excited for the possibilities. 

The Hunt is On

So a few months back I found out I could withdraw my Australian pension after I depart in May. This led to giving serious consideration to investing this money in something useful, rather than leave it in the stock market lottery. Enter the tiny house project that has now opened up to consider a school bus conversion for many reasons. I'm currently living in Australia but leaving on May 1st, 2015 to head back to Canada and looking to invest in a tiny home. I'm either looking at a tiny build on a trailer, or a converted school bus. Right now, I'm leaning towards the converted school bus. Here is some inspiration for now...I'll be writing about the progress of the Nomad Project, so titled because of my nomadic lifestyle and the driving force behind investing in a home that can be moved easily.

I like the wood stove as a heating option

I like this layout but I would keep more windows

need to utilize all space in a tiny home

I like the lighter woods, but this feels crowded

I like the shingle feature wall

I think I want the cupboards covered in.

cosy bed at the end of the bus

reclaimed wood is a good idea

I like the color scheme here 

this one feels a little closed in with those cabinets

I like this floor plan, but I would move the study/desk to the LR

seems roomier with this design

I like the window shades here

Add caption

I like the roll away bed under the study