This is part 2 of a three part First Peek. Part 1 looked at what I needed in the bus design. Part 2 is what I wanted. Part 3 is about the access features.
WANTS
Building from scratch is a balance of what is needed (i.e. finished floor), what is wanted and how to make everything work for me (i.e. accessible to me).
I needed to have: a finished sealed interior; insulation in floor, walls and ceiling; hot & cold water with storage tanks; sink; toilet; bed; and desk.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS
Building is always a balance of what I dream, what is possible, what I can afford. For 2 years before the build I read a lot about what people love and hate in their moving homes. What they wish they had done and what they realized was something that sounded good but wasn't important to their mobile lifestyle. This blog post is about some of the choices I made.
This is going to be my hast home so I really focused on what's important for my comfort and lifestyle. I intentionally had the builders put in the structural basics I need but not do the finishing work. I want to select the colors, the interior storage and the style after I spend time inside Rolling Joy.
BED
I've never had a brand-new mattress. I decided since this is my last home, I want a really good mattress. After a lot of research I decided on a mattress that got top ratings for large bodied side sleepers like me. I almost bought a Sleep Number bed which also had a high rating. But a disabled friend bought one and told me that the edges of them are soft and she knew I needed a hard outside edge.
One of the most common complaints people have about beds in RVs is that they get moldy underneath. So I had the builders cut long slots into the plywood base to prevent a moisture buildup.
I built the queen size bed into the back of the bus. I plan on having a futon seat/bed up front for guests. I like the idea of separate spaces when I have visitors.
BATHTUB
People are often shocked to learn that I put a bathtub into the bus.
WASHING MACHINE
When people ask why I have a washing machine in a school bus conversion I reply: "I'm LOL. Leaky Old Lady." They rarely ask any more questions.
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
I hate being cold and I also hate air conditioning. So I put in 2 ceiling fans that can push or pull air; insulation in the ceiling, walls and floor; and a diesel heater with a blower fan. The bus windows are original - meaning the kind that are super hard to open and impossible for me to do. So opening doors will also be part of the temperature control system.
DESK
My goal is to park the bus under trees that are next to water. I plan to divide my time between making things with fabric - mostly quilted things - and - writing both fiction and nonfiction.
I need a large flat flexible space with adaptable storage underneath. Hence the Big Desk, an 8 foot long, 2 feet deep slab of maple butcher block.
STORAGE
I initially envisioned the space under the bed to be my main long-term storage area and the area under the Big Desk being my everyday storage area. But the space under the bed slowly got filled by the fresh water tank, then the power system, and finally by the diesel heater. (see Bed picture above)
I am pondering adding some external storage cabinets to the passenger side of the bus. Every first timer says they pared down their belongings to the bare bones basics and discovered they still had way too much stuff to fit into their RV. Especially because living in an RV requires purchases (and storage) that they didn't plan for like hoses and leveling blocks. The need for storage and where it goes will evolve as I move into the bus.
