Well, before I can start the actual renovations, I want to make sure everything on my bus is legal. And I ran into a couple of snags in the process. My first concern was whether or not I’d need a special license to drive the short bus and this is what I found out from streetdirectory.com: “A bus will require a CDL permit if the … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 3: License and Registration
My bus is finally finished!!! Well, it’s livable at least. And I’ve hit the road on my first solo-road trip. I’m driving across the west from Missouri to San Francisco, California, and then it’s off to Burning Man. My family had a nice party for me in which we set up everything in the bus. And then I had another party to celebrate with friends. … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 12: THE BUS IS FINISHED!!!
The most fun I’ve had so far with this bus project was picking out the furniture and the decor. Though my standard of living is lower than most, I do need my space to be clean, tidy, functional, and cute, of course. I recently had a “bus-warming” party with my family and they helped me set up my furnishings and closet, and this is what … Continue reading Day 80: Living in a Bus Step 10: Furnishings!!!
I officially have a date to move into my bus! But before I can start moving in the furniture, I had a few last minute details to take care of: Air Conditioning: So my brother and I made a redneck air conditioner out of of pickle bucket, fan, and frozen gallon of water. But I didn’t have a lot of luck with it. I got … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 9: Internet, Security, and Other Details.
So I’m about halfway done with my bus conversion process and boy has it been an adventure! Here’s a breakdown of the steps I’ve finished, the money I’ve spent, and what I have left to do! The steps I’ve finished: Step 1: Planning and Research So I started out this adventure with some basic research. I got a lot of flak from people for not … Continue reading HALFWAY DONE!!! My Bus Conversion Adventure
One of the major hurdles I’ve had to overcome is how to do the electricity. There’s a plethora of articles and YouTube tutorials regarding how to set up electricity in a converted bus or van, but a lot of it is over my head. I’m no expert in electricity, but I want this very important step to be done the safest, most cost efficient, most … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 6: Electricity
Before I can do the electrical, I need to have the flooring and the framing in place. Originally, I wanted recovered barn wood as the flooring because I think it just looks so rustic and cool. However, the length between the floor and the ceiling is just barely over 6 feet which means a traditional floor with insulation, sub floor, and panels on top would … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 5: Flooring and Framing
As mentioned in a previous post, I’m pursuing a lifelong goal of mine: to make my home inside a vehicle. And guess what? I’ve found my dream bus! I feel like the hard part’s over. After extensive searching and shopping, I decided that what I really wanted was a short bus or shuttle bus to be converted into my new home. I knew buying an … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 2: Develop a Basic Guide
I recently decided to pursue one of my life-long dreams: living out of a vehicle. I’ve been toying with the idea for years, and now that I have the funds saved up and the freedom to do so, the time has come to seriously explore the option. I’m currently doing the research necessary to make this dream a reality, and I figured a good place … Continue reading Living in a Bus Step 1: Research and Planning
