Camper Update!
We are taking the weekend off from working but I thought I would sneak in a quick update of where we are since the kiddos are napping!
I built a potty. The potty has to work for a couple short legged potty trainers too so I designed in a built in stool. We do have a couple areas that we want to not be reached by these little hands for things that aren’t toys like bear spray so I didn’t want a mobile stool, this one is connected to the potty frame.
We are going with the standard bucket system. We decided this after 4 years of having a very high tech and very spendy composting toilet. I LOVE my potty but the style won’t work in the camper for a few reasons. Even with a costly and high tech shell my potty functions exactly the same as a bucket system. There will just be one extra step with the bucket set up. Easy. It should all come together more once we get the facing and everything installed but the functionality of each piece of furniture is now worked out, we have been moving onto systems.
James installed the trailer lights and wiring which is a different system than everything internal to the camper. The trailer lights all work from the vehicle battery. Everything inside will be run on a solar battery system that will be able to plug in when we have access to a grid tie. To be honest I have not dug in as deeply to this as James but he is mid design, I am going to see if he could draw out a diagram for my purposes, when I see it I will update the blog with that.
I was getting a little worried about weight. To be a travel trailer we need to be under 1,500 pounds. Not only that but that is the max weight of our trailer. We have added a couple heavy things like the awning and the fridge (originally there was just an ice box). We have taken out some heavy parts and the materials used have been fairly light weight compared to the original items. For my own comfort I wanted to do some conservative rough calcs. I aimed a bit high and we ended up about 1,330 pounds and that is for pretty much everything before belongings. So we are looking good! That was a huge relief!
Lastly, the bunk beds hold weight! I finished them up and laid on them, they work! There was a bit of a snafu with how I put them together that caused me to have to take them apart and then put them back together BUT, they are done!
Up next, the electrical wiring (A/C and D/C), plumbing and interior millwork finishing. Along side that I will be sewing the cushions curtains and pillows. We still have a lot of work ahead of us but our official take off date is April 19th.
Here are some pictures followed by some family stuff:
The family things!
Happy Holidays!
Been using the bucket system for 2 year now and it works great!
Glad to see the progress AND glad to see my :bucket” idea not so “out there” after all! Just started checking out your blog. Wondering: why the 1500 lb. limit? I have a stripped out, short, community bus that I’m converting into a tiny house on wheels; diesel. Do I have that limitation? Where should I check out info like that (back in your blog, I bet — haha)? Do y’all want to mentor me through this process? I’m a 59 yr old widow trying to pull my head back from the brink after losing my best friend with whom I’d planned to walk the future.
Sorry I’m so slow! I have that weight limitation on my trailer. RVs are meant to be much lighter weight. With a bus they are pretty heafty! You can find the GVRW (gross vehicle weight rating). that is the max amount the thing can hold. SO if you take that number (I hear it is somewhere around the door in a bus usually), then you subtract the weight of the empty bus then you know what you can add back in. There is a SUPER helpful group for Skoolie conversion run by a guy named Terry, https://www.facebook.com/groups/skoolieconverters/, add and then answer Terrys questions (hes pretty strict about who he lets in so he preferrs to have a quick conversation first, but its a uber helpful group for what you’re doing!! And of course, I am always here, albeit a little slow at times getting back 😉