Saturday, April 11

Photo Bus Tour

We’re still parked on my parent’s property here outside Fort Worth. Joey is still on total temporary disability. Kids are still avid gamers.

Not much has changed. Except a few organizational things inside the bus.

Meet the Computer Room. Joey built a shelf for the printer last year, and last week we converted the dresser that came with the bus into a computer desk. We took out the drawers, added a shelf to set the CPU on and then cut out a hole for the face of it to stick out for easy access.

Computer room

It’ll be complete once I replace the old RV chair for a computer chair.

What bus doesn’t have a Video Game Lounge?

Video Game Lounge

This is the wheel well directly behind the driver’s seat. When we got it there was a cupboard built on top of it, then about a year later we cut it out and added another RV couch. The two couches just took up too much room so we got rid of it, and then realized how nice it was to have all this extra space. Then one day at Target I found these gaudy college dorm room cushions on clearance and I knew I just had to have them! They work out great either to sit on as is, or for the kids to throw on the floor to sit on while playing video games on the TV. The shelf cubby my Dad built for me while we were staying in their house to clear off the clutter on our dresser, and I wanted to use it in the bus but couldn’t find a place for it. When Joey suggested hanging it on the wall I thought he’d lost it, but it’s actually perfectly practical. It holds my mini laptop, all of Jewel’s papers to draw on, their strategy guides for video games, and magazines. I also turned one shelf into their DS, Gameboy and MP3 players charging station. It has helped to contain all these things that were usually everywhere but someplace neat. Directly across form here is the couch.

The Dining Room: Dining Room

We removed the standard RV table skinny leg that was always getting kicked under and sideways, with this shelf unit that we bought to sit on the “dog house” (engine cover on bus pullers) to hold the kids’ video game equipment. Here I flipped it over, painted it black and it still houses all the controllers and accessories for the Wii, PS2 and Xbox consoles. The top shelf holds more strategy guides. On the left there is a chalkboard hanging on the wall which is the start of the kitchen cabinets, and these little chairs are a perfect fit for the small space. They even fold up easily if need be. Directly across from the table is the Computer Room.

Next room as you walk to the back of the bus is The Kitchen.

Kitchen

As far as RV’s go, this is a large kitchen..and I LURVE it! I have my talking microwave. We  know the second we’ve plugged into electricity because she says “Hi! I’m Temo, and I’m ready to cook.” Below that is my convection/toaster oven, and below that is the standard RV oven/stove combo. Directly across is the refrigerator and large pantry slide out drawers.

Keep going back and it’s the former closet, turned bunk beds.

Jonas & Jewel's Bunk - Curtains Closed

That’s the shiny new black fridge directly on the left. When our RV fridge died last year we didn’t want to spend $1500 to replace it so we went to Lowe’s and got a normal 10 cu. ft. fridge. It’s not great for boondocking, but we’re looking into getting solar just for it. This door slides closed and is the only door that separates the back of the bus from the front. To the left are the bunks, and the right is the bathroom. These curtains were previously my Mom’s guest bath shower curtains, which rarely got used before she replaced them with a glass wall. They are complete with a travel theme! I found old rebar in the scrap pile, sprayed it silver and they became the curtain rods. The mirror was also recycled, from my parent’s old 1980’s waterbed headboard.

Jake moved his bed to the pullout couch and we gave Jewel the top bunk.

Jewel's Magnetic Bunk

I first painted it with FIVE layers of magnetic paint to ensure a good coating, then in order to cover up all that blackness I had to do FIVE coats of red paint. She absolutely loves her new space, being she’s waited three years for it, but we’re not too sure if it might be a little dangerous. Her second night sleeping in it she woke up sick and throwing up, and then moved back in bed with us. She has slept in it a few more times with no problems, so we’re just kinda testing it out and seeing what happens.

Directly across from the bunks is The Bathroom.

Bathroom

Vanity is far right with huge mirrored medicine cabinet and underneath storage. Then there’s the tiny tub/shower with new rod we installed. We also installed the towel shelf unit.  And that’s our bedroom nook behind that entryway. Behind the bunks and before climbing into our bed is where the previous owners had the small dresser we converted into the desk, and now we have wall to wall shelves for our clothes.

This is our Love Den, with our own escape hatch. Which we installed mosquito netting around so we can leave the door open and listen to the river gurgling behind us. (when we had that river gurgling behind us)

bedroom remodel

So there it is, Home Sweet Bus.

Bus Inside - Oct. 2008

16 comments:

jody said...

You guys have tons of room!! I lurv your kitchen too.

Boat Driver said...

Boy, it is looking great. What a difference from last summer when we showed up unannounced, and you had just taken the couches out. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Thomas

Show Us The World said...

Your bus ROCKS! I love it. I can see why you love the kitchen-it is huge.

Michael said...

What an awesome bus! How much square footage is the interior?

You should submit your pictures to the Unclutterer Flickr pool and/or Lifehacker's workspace show and tell! The kitchen, computer room, and anywhere else any work is done would qualify as a workspace for their purposes.

organic tribe said...

Such a SWEET ride/home!

debs said...

LOVE love love your photos!! Thanks for sharing! Your kitchen is gorgeous! I love seeing the inside of other peoples buses. My husband likes to look at the exterior and under the hood.....
He enjoyed your photos too.

Cindy said...

You have a very awesome and cool home. I love all your decorating and space saving ideas. You are very creative

craftymama said...

i love your bus! makes me want to hit the road with the family...

Karrie Welborn said...

I love your flair for design! Life has thrown me some hair raising curves lately, which is why i have been absent from the internets, lol and I'm wondering if instead of househunting I should be rv hunting.

If it was my decision alone, the answer would be clear.;) hope your husband is well enough for your bus to be back on the move again soon!

Lisa said...

The bus looks great! Thanks so much for posting pictures!

Heidi Snavley said...

So cool! You ever thought of taking up interior designing. You have a knack girl!

dandeliongirl said...

it looks awesome! you guys are both so crafty and resourceful.
(we'll try not to trash your pretty clean bus tonight)
;)

amy said...

Found your site while looking on FOTR for pics of how others converted their busses. We're seriously thinking of going full time on the road or at least most the time and I'm doing some research. Your bus is the greatest! I love how modern, fun, and of course functional it is. Thanks for posting pics.

Barb said...

Vicki, I LOVE your site! Kudos to you guys for the journey that you are taking. You are living the dream.

I love your bus and your pictures.

Unknown said...

your bus is kick butt! do you have most of the windows blocked out? we are looking for a bus to do the same sort of thing but i don't have any idea how we will make a living yet. i am thinking farm during the growing season and preserve for winter and sell at our market for cash and hope that makes us through the winter but we will need to supliment if we want to do anything fun-any advice?
-chrissy

Draders said...

Hello Vicki and Family,
We stumbled across your page as we were searching google for bus pictures. We were some of the original owners of this Bluebird bus and did some of the conversion work. We lived in it for 5 years and would be happy to share some photos with you. Contact us if you're interested. dhdrader@uniserve.com

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