Moving - literally!

It's a rather unusual experience to follow your home down the road, but that's what we did two weekends ago. Joshua drove the bus while I followed in the truck with the solar panel and other outdoor thing we thought we might need to set up our site. 

The bus ran well and seemed even happier once we fueled her up! 

We stashed our belongings as best as we could for the ride and everything traveled safely. 

First week observations: 

1. Cold weather makes for cozy sleeping. 

2. Cooking is pretty easy and clean up is great! We are very happy with how the kitchen turned out. 

3. The shower works out well. The water is hot and steady and there's enough space to get clean! The shower needs a valve to control the water flow, so for now the tubing is crimped shut with electrical tape. 

4. Outdoor plumbing freezes quickly!! Ugh! We had a couple nights without water - slightly discouraging. But with warmer weather for now things should be better. 

5. We love the cozy bed nook. 

And for now the cat, Moondog, says good bye!

Almost home

We are so VERY close to moving onto the NoFussBus. The freezing temps we've had around here lately have held us up from getting our last job done. Freezing,as in heat tape for pipes cannot be purchased anywhere within a 50 mile radius. Ours is coming as soon as the mailman can get through the snow. AND THEN we will be ready! 

The propane heater does a great job keeping the bus toasty. And now that the propane stove is connected, we can have hot chocolate to complete our cozy snow day. Enjoy a short tour. 

Plumbing

We have running water! This was the last major system to be installed and thanks to Joshua it's pretty much finished! Our three bowl sink (purchased from a friend several years ago) was a beast to plumb. It may not be the prettiest plumb job, but it works without leaks and that's what counts!

The shower is ready for use. The handheld shower head has an on/off switch. The water temperature is set so there is no need to plumb for hot and cold water. Just one water line. If we need to adjust the water temp, all we need to do is step outside and change the gauge on the hot water heater. 

The on demand hot water heater is mounted under the bus using a 2x4 and stabilized with zip ties. We are bordering on redneck here, but we have carefully avoided using duck tape. 

We did get the whole system inspected by the pickiest female we could find.  We think she approves. 

Odds and Ends

Sometimes it's the little things that bring the most joy. I don't know if that's always true, but we've had fun with each part of this bus project. 

I cut Antarctica off the globe and we turned it into a reading light over the couch.

We stripped all the vinyl and padding off the bus seats so we can recycle the metal and make a few dollars. 

Bye-bye nasty dirty, full of gum, seats!

Joshua finished framing out the bed and surrounding storage areas. 

And then we brought home a mattress. It's cozy and we still have room to spare - just like we planned. 

Happy New Year to you!

Electricity

It's been a while since I posted an update. We enjoyed the holidays with family and friends and even got to show off our bus a few times. 

Joshua has been working on the AC electrical system for a few weekends. We will be running our refrigerator, microwave and other miscellaneous items off a standard power supply.  I am thankful that Joshua has a pretty good understanding of electricity and jumped right into the project. 

We installed surge protectors as outlets in 4 different areas: the kitchen, the music studio, the sewing studio and the bedroom. Joshua's dad, an electrician, came over to lend a hand and share some of his expertise! Thanks Dad!!!

The electric panel is installed in the cubby behind the refrigerator. 

Merry Christmas!

We wish you the best of Christmas joy! 

We braved the cold (35 degrees!) on Christmas Eve to spend our first night on the bus! The propane heater, small electric heater, 2 blankets, 1 quilt and a down comforter made for some good sleeping. Santa found us even without a chimney. 

It's been a cozy day getting acquainted with our tiny house on wheels. There's still plenty of work to do before we move in full time, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel! 

The Loo

Composting toilet. Yes. Those are THE words describing our toilet. The whole unit cost us about $20 and will require no water. We looked into incinerating toilets and commercial composting toilets, but for this beginning stage, we decided to go easy and cheap. 

The best part is not having to deal with a septic line around the wheel well. Joshua has been using scrap wood to create a cabinet of sorts to hold the bucket. (Don't you just love how our shower and toilet buckets match!!) 

As the platforms/steps came together, I drew out the patterns for the top pieces. The roofing tin around the shower creates such a crazy rippled effect, I felt like I was working on a wrapper for a Reese's Cup. 

Protected from the rain by a gigantic tarp, we cut all the intricate pieces for the platform. And no,the pictures don't quite show off the fit of the wood against the tin. There's just a few little details left to touch up and the throne will be complete! I'm feeling a fun, folk art paint job coming in this space. There's already chalkboard paint inside ready for graffiti. 

For those of you not quite sure about a composting toilet, think biodegradable liner for the bucket, a scoop of sawdust for every deposit and daily emptying. And quite possibly a lot of incense!