In April 2020, we bought this bus to travel and find our new community. Now we’ve done that! And it’s time for our home on wheels to go on a new adventure. It’s bittersweet for us because we’re only selling due to lack of parking space.
We’ve taken this guy across the country and throughout the Rockies several times with our Jeep in tow. Every mechanic who’s looked at it says it’s in top-notch shape. We chose this bus over others because our diesel mechanic friend said it had the best engine. It’s currently getting an oil change and a general inspection we will share with potential buyers.
We purchased it with the interior conversion done and added the solar and water systems to make it off-grid, along with the diesel heater, custom bookshelves, and other upgrades.
The solar system powers everything you need to live off grid: the fridge, lights, an alarm clock, charging our 6+ devices, lights at night, and blender. We lived for several months without plugging in this summer. We’ve gone about two weeks living comfortably with the freshwater, including washing dishes and taking regular (quick) showers.
The wood stove and diesel heater kept us warm in Montana winter (below 0).
*The Good*
Electrical
– 50 amp generator hook up with shore power adapter
– 3x 190 watt Go Power solar panels on the roof
– 1x 200 watt Renogy portable briefcase solar panels
– 2x 200 amp AIMS lithium 12v batteries with bluetooth monitoring
– 3000 watt Go Power inverter/charger
– 120v outlets and lights throughout
– 12v circuit box
Water
– Shore water hook-up
– 130 gallon fresh water tanks (under bed)
– 100 gallon grey water tank (under bus)
– Propane instant hot water heater
– 12v water pump
Bathroom
– Nature’s Head composting toilet (it was originally built with a flush toilet. We left the original plumbing below the floor and still have the toilet if you want to switch back.)
– Cedar wood shower with bench
Kitchen
– Double kitchen sink
– Lots of counter space and cabinets
– Butcher block counters
– Apartment sized 120v fridge
– Propane oven (we haven’t used)
Bedroom
– Bed platform can fit a king or queen with extra space on the sides
– Custom bookshelves with built-in book-ends you can tighten down for driving
– Murphy desk workspace
– Kept warm with thermostat-controlled diesel heater
– Batteries, inverter, water tanks, and pump are below bed to be kept warm
– Extra space under bed for storage
Temperature control
– Webasto 12v diesel heater, fueled by the 100 gallon bus fuel tank
– Grizzly Cubic Mini wood stove
– Dometic rooftop AC unit (for shore power use)
– Spray foam insulation in roof and walls, foam board in floor
Mechanical
– 1993 International Genesis
– 40 ft
– DT466 engine
– Front engine
– Regular maintenance completed
– 3.5x underbelly lockers (one is small)
*The Not So Good*
There’s some damaged drywall in the living room that we’re fixing. The drywall tape was cracked and caused the paint to chip off. We’re plastering over it and repainting.
The chimney cap doesn’t fit snugly (we lost the original one), so you can’t drive with it on. We cover the pipe with Gorilla tape when driving to keep out rain and debris.
On a recent trip, we had some overheating problems that we fixed by power washing the radiator (based on the suggestion of the diesel mechanic we took it to while on the road). We had it checked out by a mechanic at home, and they also replaced the radiator cap, which had been the wrong size. They weren’t able to find any other problems with it.
While the bedroom and living rooms stay cozy in sub-zero, the very front of the bus gets chilly. We were thinking about either creating a mudroom or adding another diesel heater.
There’s some minor exterior damage, scratches, and paint chipping off. We moved the electrical hookup, so there’s a 4 inch hole where the original 50amp hookup was. Our next high-dollar project would be an awesome paint job to the outside.
I’m sure there are other quirks and issues that we’ve just gotten used to.
*Logistics*
The bus is currently in Montana. We’re open to discussion on meeting somewhere within reason to check it out.
Please ask any questions. We’re sad to see him go!
Cheers,
Maryrose, Bob, and Ollie
