OK, that's a start! I hope folks will also paste other pertinent data regarding this subject so we can organize how readers could achieve maximum efficiency thru this option. C5 and myself may not agree on all issues as we are 2 different people but I do often note that we seem to have parallel opinions on many topics too.

LONG TERM LIVING:

Now seclusion is not for the socialite. If you plan on living in a RV for long periods, you might want to consider this factor a bit before you bank all on it. I take that C5's "shacky wacky" is cabin fever that I have felt too, especially when living secluded from others for too long. Yet it never takes long to realize that I also need some seclusion to keep others from influencing my frame of mind with gossip and other such crap of no importance. I don't know if C5 was single when he lived in his bus as I was. I found that sharing a 38 ft bus with a 130 lb Rottweiller was hard enough as he at least said nothing as we passed in the narrow isle. 😀 Meeting a member of the opposite sex in these same cramped quarters for more than a few days often kept me in a state of remaining single. 😕 I opted for this choice mainly because I wasn't good at tolerating crap from roommates over long periods of time when sharing a house. Many people you socialize with and view as fun and outgoing are often not so much fun when you live with them. Instead of continual arguing, I'm one would would rather just leave(it beat swinging and that somehow can become my 2nd option if they were male roommate). 🙁 I mention this as I somehow concluded this thinking was somehow required criteria to live in a bus as I did. 😆 I could move my bus into a friends yard for little or no rent as I usually fixed their bikes, vehicles and equipment instead. When I tired of their company, I'd simply move on and thus remain friends too! I enjoyed this at the time because often other mutual acquaintances seemed to offer me their back yards too to get free work. Thus I often used the washer/dryer and didn't have to pay electric and other bills.

Winters were a challenge as everything freezes in you holding tanks. I ran a short hose wrapped in heater tape and insulated with foam for running water. A small baseboard heater kept it warm enough that pipes never froze at night. I spent much of my days otherwise working then a some job and wrenching on the side too. At night, I'd often just kick open the back door and take a leak while standing on the rear bumper ;). ( this will get the girls going....) 😛

I never did the all out go hide in the bush routine with my bus. I lived on the outskirts of Calgary mostly and figured that I had a foot in both worlds somewhat. Most who knew me joked like I was a crazy bushman and it may have seemed that way to some city folk, but that is because they knew nothing outside of their city upbringing. It was simply my way of keeping a slower country lifestyle to relax in after tasting too much of the fast city pace. I think C5 did the bush thing far more than I when living in a bus.

Anyways, it was a great experience when I was young. I built the bus myself. I moved into a stripped bus and built everything day by day. Other bikers dropped by daily as some sort of routine to see how my supposed nomadic lifestyle was going. They'd jokingly criticize in public and compliment in private (as usual friends do) and most seemed silently envious but never enough to pursue this same path. I built 2 buses over the years and sold both in the end. I will maybe explain floorplan design later on if others wish to design their own.

If one figures to have to travel rugged terrain in his great escape, a Bluebird school bus converted is still the way to go. They are built strong to protect children and their endurance is equivalent to that of a 4x4 if you wish to beat it high balling down pot-holed, washed out roads. I drove them while working in the bush and if a 4x4 was stuck in a bog hole and blocking the road, we'd bang hard into him directly from the rear without letting up on the gas to avoid walking for a skidder to get both of us out. This is why I built 2 RV's out of buses.

Yet I've opted for the RV now as it is simply much easier than starting over and building another. I have it set up for camping as that is why the wife agreed to get it. It is also an attractive option to invite the kids and friends to come visit and have a holiday at the same time. Meanwhile it doubles as a BOV, so if one had to evacuate, you can simply throw out that which you likely won't require.

Things I have done or will do to my RV are as follows:

Power & Items

- get everything working from furnace to backup generator
- change all light bulbs to led instead as they consume very little energy to drain the batteries.
- mount 2 deep cycle batteries as power backup with the usual starting battery on a circuit isolator to avoid draining with overuse.
- My TV is just a Walmart $100 RCA 19" monitor/TV which doubles as a security camera system ( and assists when backing RV up too) and mounts on a swivel near the drivers seat. I have a laptop base(broken screen removed) mounted under an overhead cupboard with Win7 & Linux OS's on it and tied into the monitor. This computer doubles as a DVD player and could even play Netflix if connected to the internet.
- I also have a satellite dish & receiver to mount someday
- stock up on various types of water/sewer connectors to rig connections as variety of ways along with heater tape
- stash at least 100 yards of HD electrical cord to carry power over long distance.

Food Supplies

- Sort and stock planned food supplies using containers that reseal while maximizing cupboard space. I use square epson salt containers as they have big mouths and a good seal.

(more to follow later)

Your second post about sums it up without me needing to add too much more...but I will once I have a bit more time and focus. It was a good and adventurous life...but too lonely to continue without doing extreme mental damage. A lot of fascinating girls came and went from my bed but I never found one willing to embrace that level of austerity for the long term. I've lived in a window van, a 25ft jayco trailer, a camper van, a 42 passenger bus, a few cabins, a motorhome and finally my beloved short bus where I built in everything I had learned from all the others. I eventually gave it away to a perfect stranger for free...and just walked away from my past when a better option presented itself.
More later

My lovely old girl... I sometimes miss her....but my new girl is way better

My lovely old girl... I sometimes miss her....but my new girl is way better

I love the bush guard as it is a decent moose rack as any. Neither of mine were short and I know you liked it but mine were crowded enough at 38 feet. I had an extended rear bumper on the 1st(71 Ford with a 312)to haul a bike and a full roof deck on the 2nd(73 Chev with a 327) which kept it way cooler inside.

Yer lucky to at least have pictures of her. Seems I'm still not much into picture taking but often wish I had been. The wife remembers them both (as we met when I lived in the first one)but with less enthusiasm. I love the olive drab paint but suspect it was hot and would likely attract attention and make authorities suspicious. Seems only proper that you have a bike too as we both must fit some sort of profile for this type of lifestyle.

A lot of fascinating girls came and went from my bed but I never found one willing to embrace that level of austerity for the long term.

Ladies ... check the photo , do you know this guy? Maybe you were one of the fascinating girls 😆

A lot of fascinating girls came and went from my bed but I never found one willing to embrace that level of austerity for the long term.

Ladies ... check the photo , do you know this guy? Maybe you were one of the fascinating girls 😆

Well, To be fully rounded...I have to admit there were some truly embarrassing biatches as well. It gets cold and lonely in those mountains. Crazy Lisa comes to mind. It was well worth the ridiculous winter hookup just for the song I wrote 2 days after with a smile.

"My woman left me. Took my ford and my dog. I'm sure gonna miss....that dog.
She was an old pit bull. Then again, so was the dog. I guess that's what I get for trying to drag some tail along.
She snarled and bit and whined but then again, don't get me wrong.
That also all applied to the dog." (I wont torcher you all with the rest of the song)

Now anyone that recognises the photo will have to wonder if they are the fascinating girl...or the embarrassing biatch.

The first thing you need to know about LIVING in an RV is that everything inside of them was built with RVing in mind...Not living in. It was made for a weekend or week in warm climate. Almost EVERYTHING in it DOES NOT WORK for extended or often, winter use. You may have to replace everything. Example. My first winter storm in a camper van in Calgary, I got off work, drove a distance away, parked and turned on the heater and gloried in my own brilliance that my survival strategy worked flawlessly. No rent. No long commute. No room mates. No one could track me.
The heat went out in the middle of the night. Damn. I better get that figured out in the morning but I had plenty of blankets. In the morning, I woke and went to start the van...Nothing...and the learning experience begins. The fan on the propane heater as well as the Sparker and thermostat all drew off the battery and on a cold night the fan used it all up. Short drives meant my battery was not charging. Once winter hit, that was always my biggest fear. It takes a lot of cranking power to start an old vehicle in the cold. Do it once or twice without a long drive to recharge it and you are stuck in the snow, often in the middle of no where or in places you cant wave down another car for a boost. I always charged a jumper box each day at work and charged the battery anywhere I could get away with it. Same problem with the propane fridge. Electric parts. I gave up on refrigeration. Most times, I lived without heat, only leaving candles going all the time to stave off the deep cold and burn off condensation from my breath. To start fixing the problem, I found a really old heater that I pulled out of a hunting trailer but it was pathetic for heat. Eventually, I got a quality propane BOAT heater and cut a hole in the roof for the exhaust chimney. Very Pricy. 600$. Well, that is my first lesson, Grasshoppers. More latter.

"...I seen a sasquatch once. Remember it to this hour. The first time that she stepped out of the shower..." Ah, crazy Lisa, mountain women.

My first thoughts to you last C5 was ...WTF! 😯

I too wrote a ditty along that same premiss of comparing the loss of a dog to that of a woman...maybe less personal though 😆
(seems we walked alot of them same roads...)

A lot of adventures I had required outthinking bikers though.... once a backyard biker party happened where my bus was parked nearby. I'd found someone pretty to play with before bed (and was doing just that) when others decided that it would be innocent fun to light a fire under my toilet's holding tank. Bubbling crap and the smell of sh1t burning makes one not waste much time on dressing 😕 And I had to sleep elsewhere for a couple of nights as the bus needed to air itself too.

On a better note, I once parked my bus where a garden used to be. Rhubarb grew right beside my front wheel at the front door. I never ate any of this as that is also where both the dog and I took our morning piss. It's hard not to smile when someone who drops by starts chewing on a piece of rhubarb before I can tell them not to do that 😀

Ahh, them bus stories! 😆 😆

PS: We'll have to start a lyrics section just to show how twisted one's thoughts can get when they spend too much time thinking.... 😎

I'm all typed out from a different project so I will keep this one short...but since I have a captive audience...

Trailers, specifically, but older class Cs as well, are really susceptible to dry rot. I had the floor rot out on mine, under the bed. A rat moved in through the hole which pointed out the problem. Trailers are hard to travel with. Best to just hire a tow truck for a few hundred dollars when you need to move it. I went through two vehicles. One lost breaks. The other burst into flames on a hill...and the clutch was toasted as well. Best to find a place for a trailer and just leave it there...then build a proper roof over it so water flows way over the edges and does not pool to find its way into cracks. Also, make sure you place it in full sunshine where the wind can get to it. Not tucked away beneath some trees. Ventilation is the key. Once its there...forget about using the toilet (Another topic). That space is now for shelving and storage of all your preps. Think about what you can rip out to make space for a proper wood stove. Not one of those pot belly stoves. There is a reason they call them 'Hippy Killers'. Condensation will be a problem in all of these rolling homes. Wood heat will dry out that moisture. Propane generally wont. That's enough for today. Stay tuned

A couple more thoughts before I get onto the day. 6 new chicks have been born this year. That means we can begin thinning out the older chickens. One breed kept squishing to death the chicks (Killed a half dozen) so it went to the pot to save one.

I wouldn't go with trailers again unless it was one of the small Airstreams, much smaller Bolers or a similar. They are expensive but there is a reason they are collectors items. One of the big airstreams is perfect for a permanent retreat home. All aluminum construction means none of that rot so it should last forever (and not burn easily). A small Boler trailer can be handled by most vehicles. Its only where you sleep and keep your stuff dry. Not where you live (Same with the vans). Life is happening...outside.

We have two trailers on the property at the moment. A small antique aluminum one that I hope to rebuild at some point. Its not road worthy at this point but could easily be pulled by the ford ranger without wrecking the truck. We got it as a spare cabin for a guest that wanted their space. Also, incase our house burns, we have a place to sleep wile sorting out what to do next.
One of my team members had planned to sell his rather large trailer now that his retreat cabin is livable. It was just starting to develop the problems we mentioned above. Instead of selling it...he decided to pre place it at our property. Now he has a back up to his back up plan and has provider for us the ability to house several more people at our place. He greatly increased our ability to house our MAG. The darned thing has the foldout beds to sleep 10...though realistically, that means it could house one of our families. Or 4 WWOOFers. Yay team. Its in the sun where the wind can get to it...and it needed to be dried out and sun baked to deal with the moisture problems...since it was originally parked in a shady enclosed place. Now, we need to find a woodstove for it and get a proper roof built on it. None of my survival advice is theory (or , 'If the shit hits the fan', I will do this, wanking). We live it...so we can find out the problems before our lives depend on it.

I agree that propane is not the way to heater your RV, especially in the winter. Propane's natural bi-product is moisture and it quickly accumulates on your windows first and everything else too in certain conditions. Wood heat is dry yet proper ventilation is critical in small spaces, so care must be given when determining what method of heat you'll use(electric heat is not an issue). If in doubt during a temporary situation, just wind down a window a little. The biggest deterrent from propane though is the cost of it.

Wood Stoves

I installed a small ice shack stove in my first bus but used it little as small electric heaters were less work. Yet wish to build a small stove to use in the RV and considered a temporary system the best route as it could be set aside when not required otherwise. As I am a firm believer in dual purpose items, I would like to also cook with this stove too and design it to be used in other things such as trailers and even tents.

I have researched rocket stove designs quite a bit. There are so many designs and concepts on the web to choose from and it is a topic many of you might find interesting. They burn very hot and efficiently so therefore use less wood vs the amount of heat they create. I just found this demo showing a really good design and how it captures alot of the heat usually goes out your chimney. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVoJ14qMvPs

There are many versions of this stove concept but they all have a draft that starts at the bottom to stoke the flames for an efficient burn. I have started 2 designs, 1 small and the other large. http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=4925&p=54102&hilit=rocket+stove#p54102 . (I haven't gotten too much farther on these stoves since but will post the finished products when I do).

The nice thing I like about the small rocket stoves is that they burn kindling and produce heat like it was a small log. This allows you to use wood that dries quickly and often burn brush and dead branches without stripping the area of trees as often. Less effort (and mess) is required as swede saw is only required for bucking up instead of a chainsaw and less splitting too. The safest method would be to create a small separate pipe to feed fresh air from outside to the draft on the stove. This is how a furnace is set up in a house so as not to steal all the oxygen. It is not a factor in a tent as they leak air in everywhere but critical in trailers and RVs.

Here are some good designs I like too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45cGRzl4hnQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aki1IsFlSpw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlOelD5HOE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OTym69w_j4

Kerosene Heaters

This is another good option, especially if your RV is running on diesel. They are very efficient and clean burning these days but again require careful consideration in their use in small places. The downfall I find is that they don't have dual purpose and cost money to run compared to FREE fuel. 😆

Called on account of rain.

Lets get to the pros and cons of buses. Absolutely fantabulous vehicle. I would never get another one though accept to use as a permanent storm proof green house. These are created to move our most precious cargo. They are rated to roll over capability. If it rolls on its side, winch it back up and drive away. Plenty of room and that big steal, curved roof causes all water to easily flow off of it. One to 2 and a half feet clearance in most parts. Reliable engine. Paint over any rust and its structure should last for ever. You can buy them cheap because school municipalities are generally only allowed to use them for ten years and they have plenty of maintenance during that period.
Now the cons. The biggest one is that any repairs require a heavy duty mechanic and the tools to go with it. I wouldn't be able to change my own tires. Repairs are expensive. Take what you would pay to repair your car...and add a zero. If you are going up to a tour bus, add another zero to that. The big problem is that, as a commercial vehicle, they are designed to be run 5 days a week. Let it sit for any amount of time and you will start having problems soon after. Let it sit for a year and a half and its done. There is a lot of prejudices of buses. Some RV parks wont allow school buses. In Alberta, (the best place to get them) you cannot get cheap RV insurance unless it has been factory converted. So, that would be 5000$ a year as a commercial vehicle instead of the few hundred it should be. Hippy hatred may have the cops violate your rights more freely or some drunk logger put a round through it. On the plus side, you can ram it into his pickup truck, wrap it around a tree and drive away giggling like a school girl. A bus on your property will probably have a neighbour call a bylaw officer. Same goes, if you are squatting in a city. You stand out like a mardi gra float and will be ticketed the fastest. The windows are bad for letting weather in and will need some re working. The height sometimes snags on trees or the rear overhang can get you caught up on ditches. Because of their size, its really hard to get them turned around on logging roads. I had to back up 3-4 miles once and then do a twenty point turn...and that was with the short bus. This had something to do with 3 perky bisexual hippy chicks. They were a riot but I barely survived them. Never again....on the bus, I mean. If I had to do it all again, I would have gone with a municipal workers van (Far lower profile and way easies to get around. I could sleep on any street). I would hang a ladder on it for the disguise, and a short covered matching trailer for the Bike. I'd probably pass on the three hippy chicks as well. That was a story of survival in itself.

Geez, I forgot that the insurance for a bus would have gone the same way it did with my Dual wheeled welding trucks...thru the roof! I only paid for PL & PD last I had a bus and it was cheap as a car back then. My RV was around $430 and I thought that high considering we'd only use it a couple times a year. Seems like I won't be doing the bus build ever again either!

I considered the RV less of a heat score way back though. I figured I would repaint the RV even a medium green but thought later it was best left the original tan as a grey man's camo instead. I miss the sturdy roof rack as it doubled as a heat deflector and I had a few roof parties on the bus in the past....won't be doing that on an RV!

We have various tarps of different sizes and bring many of them camping. Wife uses them as ground sheets and I use them for shade around and even over the RV to keep things cooler. This often looks less fancy than others but it keeps our campsite more private too. I don't drag large rugs as many bimbo's do so they have a carpeted sight...sheesh! 🙄 this type of camping is more her bag and I bring the hog and bugger off lots instead. 😎

I see the RV as a way of staying married and still not having to buy a cabin or such.
That multi-purpose role fits as it's:

1/BOV appeal
2/a way to have visitors and not trip over them
3/ another place to store and organize your duplicate junk 😯
4/ a hunting shack
5/ a cheap motel if if need to do work out of town
6/ it didn't cost much to have all these advantages

I know that living in a city would make parking an RV harder and paying storage would become an added expense. With the problems occurring from ethanol gas separating over even a few months, one wouldn't want to leave fuel in an RV for long either so I'd suggest folks stick to finding diesels as a get around to this problem. Diesel keeps for 5 years and therefore allows preppers to properly prep still. Other issues C5 mention are things such as brake rotors rust up even over a year without being used as a means of keeping them polished. Letting any vehicle sit for a few years is bad as condensation occurs on everything metal, inside your motor and outside. Things we have to do....sigh! 🙁

Its also seals drying out. Just try moving it without power steering or seized breaks or rusted break lines. BC makes it far easier to do the conversion. You need 5 of 7 things in it. I don't remember what they all were. A bed. A sink. A heater, a fridge, etcetera. I built them all into the bus for the inspection so it was considered a motorhome... then promptly ripped it all out afterwards to go with simpler systems that are more resilient. The insurance then became cheap. Cheaper then a car because they don't expect it to be used for commuting.

You called it right on the RV though. There is a saying," Women and cats Rule the world...and men and dogs should just get used to it". There are exceptions to the rule that prove the rule but.... Its close to impossible to survive in the middle of BF nowhere without a woman backing your play...and that requires flexibility. ( Don't worry. I will biatch slap our betters on the board later...with loving admiration.. and tell them to butch the F up...when it comes to toiletries. Wait till we talk about peeing in a bottle). A friend on a farm just went through a divorce and both me and Mrs C5 realised with horror that he could not survive here unless he quickly got his mojo back and attracted another babe. Its a death sentence in the outer worlds.

I remember a humorous banter between Joe Rogan and Michael Rupert. " The survival of the human race rests solely on hippy chicks. Without them, its just a bunch of agro dudes hanging out in the woods together...and that's not worth surviving".