The Bus Conversion
The Vicaribus conversion has just begun. Each step will be logged in a blog post and this page will capture all of that information in a single location.
April 2017
2000 Mile Shakedown
Hey folks, it's me Vicaribus. I'm gonna let my driver, Nick, handle this update for me. I have much more important bus things to do... It started in Daytona, Florida. It ended in Denver, [...]
Bus Conversion: Make the instrument panel work more than 50% of the time
About 3 miles after I finalized the purchase of the bus and drove away from the seller I noticed something funny, and further more, something that was not disclosed at the time of the sale. [...]
Bus Conversion: Replace rusty old fuel sender unit
About 100 miles into my first ride in the bus, I realized the gas gauge hadn't moved. For the next 2200 miles or so I just guessed as to how much gas I had, which [...]
Bus Conversion: Make engine’s presence less known inside
This one was a quicky that went way better than I expected, though I haven't really tested to see if there is any actual improvement. The situation: the engine on this bus sits further back, [...]
Bus Conversion: Remove the really cold dual A/C systems
Why on earth would one remove two - yes, two - very cold, very working, custom A/C units from a bus that one also plans to live in? The answer is very simple, and two [...]
Bus Conversion: Tearing down the house (Part 1 – The walls of tribulation)
Bus Conversion: Tearing down the house (Part 1 - The walls of tribulation) Before you can make something beautiful, you really need a blank canvas for which to work your magic on. I mean [...]
May 2017
Bus Conversion: Tearing down the house (Part 2 – Getting floored)
Part 2 of the teardown did not prove to be as hard as part 1, though I'm not sure if I feel this way because it was entirely true, or if it is because I [...]
June 2017
Bus Conversion: Insulation and More – Floor, Walls and Ceiling, Oh My
Before Michelangelo could craft a masterpiece, he first had to create a blank canvas. As it goes for Michelangelo, so goes it for Vicaribus. After the teardown was complete, the next step was re-insulating and boarding up [...]
Bus Conversion: Getting Tanked
In this episode of the Vicaribus bus conversion blog-a-thon we will go over the Vicaribus water system and installation. You'll not want to miss it, because it includes bonus footage of slow motion awkwardly [...]
July 2017
Bus Conversion: Getting Decked
When converting a bus, one must prioritize the order in which things get done. Without a doubt, building a rooftop deck is one of the highest priority steps on the path towards a safe, [...]
August 2017
Bus Conversion: Power Up
We spent over half of our initial budget on a top of the line power system from Victron Energy. And by we, I mean I. You know what they say about initial budgets anyway, [...]
Bus Conversion: How to make an awesome kitchen countertop from a door
We spent a lot of time trying to decide what to do for our kitchen counter top. There were two primary requirements - it needed to be light and it needed to be durable [...]
October 2017
Bus Conversion: Kitchens, Bathrooms and Miscellaneous
It seems we are due an update. As these things go - in this case blogging the conversion - the momentum has waned, but fear not, the conversion itself carries on as strong as [...]
January 2018
Bus Conversion: How we fit a living room, dining room, office, guest bed and storage in 20 square feet.
Designing a bus is a lot of work, and one of the hardest parts is deciding which things actually get to the fit in the bus, which parts of the build get precious inches [...]