Our original bus floors were made of ¼ inch plywood and in order to keep the engine hatch (at the back of the bus) accessible it made complete sense for us to use ¼ inch plywood for our new floors too. However, once the floors were completed we were not happy as it did not feel solid enough. Especially over the area where the ramp had previously been which we built up to all be one level.
If we could go back in time we would have put down ¾ inch plywood everywhere except the back of the bus where it needs to be ¼ inch near the hatch. In order to keep the conversion moving forward, we decided our best option was to just put another layer of plywood on top.
We chose to put an underlayment down on top of the ¼ inch floors to insulate and act as a moisture barrier, then placed ¾ inch plywood on top of that. This was much easier the second time round as we were screwing wood to wood and didn’t need to worry about securing down to the metal beams.
We have been working on our floor plan since before we even bought our bus but now that we finally had floors we could tape out our design and get a feel for it. There are so many details to consider and we found that once we were actually in the bus what looked good on paper (or the computer) didn’t necessarily translate in the space. We had prioritized the kitchen countertop space, yet taped out of the floor we questioned if it was really big enough. Were our hallways too narrow? Would the bathroom feel claustrophobic? We found ourselves going back again and again to our design and considering many different variables.
This phase of the build was getting us particularly excited as it was all getting a little more real. Especially as we began receiving gifts from our wedding registry, like an electric fireplace by Touchstone and my dream kitchen sink, a stainless steel farmhouse sink by AKDY.
We set the fireplace up inside the house and it has been working great at keeping us warm on these chilly winter nights. Above the fireplace we were looking for a solution for a TV Lift as we shared in our inspiration video. Thanks to our friends at Touchstone for helping us turn our bus conversion dreams into a reality by sending us a Touchstone SRV 2800 Pro TV Lift. It can accommodate up to a 50 inch TV and extends up to 55 inches.
We are so excited to start building our entertainment center, but first we must finalize our floor plan. Coincidentally there was an RV Expo happening around this time, so we headed off with our tape measure and measured bathroom, hallways, countertops and more. This was a great opportunity to really feel what felt too big, too small or just right for us!
Up Next
We learn a lot at the RV Expo and come back more sure of what we want in our design.
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Touchstone Pro TV Lift
For 50-inch TVs and smaller. Full extended height: 55.125 inches. Advanced technology including RS232, soft start and stop, safety stop up and down, and 3 remotes (wired & wireless RF and IR). We look forward to setting this up and showing you how we do it.
Touchstone Recessed Electric Fireplace
The Sideline 40 allows you to change the heat, flame intensity and color using your electric fireplace remote. It is simple to set up, easy to use and has kept us warm so far during a Midwest Winter living in a basement!
