How to Make a Bus a Camper
- 1). Remove all of the seats with a socket wrench. Unless you can think of another use for the seats, dispose of them in a landfill. Make a plan for the interior of your bus, including where you want to put storage, a bed, a stove, and any other items that you want as part of your traveling home.
- 2). Cut an extended frame of 2-by-2s running down the length of both interior sides of the bus. Connect the 2-by-2s to each other and bolt them into the aluminum siding of the bus itself. Use a power drill to drill holes into the side of the bus to screw in the bolts. If you want to block out some or all of the windows, extend your frame above the windows.
- 3). Install insulation into the frames, just as you would for the studs of a house. The insulation will help the bus to stay cool during the summer and warmer during the winter. If you plan to install any electrical circuits, lay the wiring throughout the studs and wall frames before adding insulation. Cover the studs with drywall or another type of paneling material.
- 4). Construct major furnishings such as a bed platform, which can be made of 2-by-4s as a frame and a sheet of 1/4-inch plywood as the top part of the bed platform. Make a food counter and stove top out of sheet metal screwed onto a plywood tabletop and a 1-by-1-inch strip of wood outlining the area where you can mount a propane stove. Store the propane tank underneath the countertop where the stove top is located.
- 5). Bolt major furnishing pieces into the floor and side walls of the bus. L-brackets, found at most hardware stores, can be used to screw in bolts to both the bus floor and whatever type of furniture that you are installing. Furnishing options include a 1/4-inch plywood platform for a bed and storage drawers, which you can install so that they slide out from underneath the bed platform. Some mobile home travelers also enjoy having a desk and bench as a workspace or a place for playing games with the family.
- 6). Install a floating wood floor into your bus, which will help you keep the bus clean, as you can sweep or mop the floor with little trouble. If you are converting your bus into a cheap living space, consider using laminate wood flooring, which is much cheaper to buy than real wood and you can clean and maintain it with little effort.
- 7). Screw in or use construction-grade adhesive cement glue to secure curtain rods over the windows. Install the curtains over any open windows, which will provide extra insulation as well as privacy.
- 8). Add a deep-cycle battery attached to a power inverter if you want to power your bus. You can connect the deep-cycle battery to your bus engine's alternator through a battery isolator. A professional mechanic should install the isolator. The battery isolator will allow you to flip a switch to decide whether the engine's battery is being recharged or you are using the deep-cycle battery. The power inverter will convert the battery's direct current electricity into a useable form of alternating current. Include a power inverter with electrical outlets where you can connect your appliances.