Pixie I absolutely love you blog! I can't stop reading it!
You and Moss look like beautiful reflections of Gaia and I send you light and love on your fabulous journey

~Namaste~
Barefoot Willow

the digester attatches to any septic tank
its my own design
ifn you look into it im sure you can come up with a way to macgyver anything
the stove i use is a regular propane ca,per srove with new orifices put in
from an active septic (like a campground ) i can fill a hundred lb tank in one night
thats usuall y a week or two of cooking and heating
in summer i dont cook as much or heat at all so it last a long time
also in case i cant get methane it only takes 15 minto change the stove and heater back over to propane
as far as making electricity if you are ok with the batteries it takes to store it then all you need is dc lights and appliances and some car generators
figure out how to turn the generators and you got juice
ive strung them in secuence to a bicycle or made my own wind mill out of plastic barrels and bike tires
same thing will work for water wheels
right now im modifying an air compressor tank to fill with pressure from a hose i run across the street
like the old gas station bells only filling an air tank instead of ringing a bell
the possibilities are endless

Hello Valerie

It's pretty exciting picking up your first rig. Im pretty sure that engen and tranny are "bullet pruff" Your ne home should take you to a lot of great places. My little wind turbine is whats called an "Air-X" There between $500.00 and $600.00. Some times you can pick up a used one for a couple of hundred bucks. I've added to my solar since my last post. I now have 2200 watts of PV panels and 5200 amp hours of deep cycle batteries. If your thinking that you might want to go with solar power I have 12 / 51 watt (612 watts) used but in great shape PV solar panels that I would sell for $2100.00 plus insured shipping. There 13 years old but when bought new they come with a 25 year warrenty and they last far longer then 25 years. It's a nice starter set up. Also, stop by your local highway department and see if they have any old ones laying around. Along time ago, I got 8 old 48 watt panels the catskill highway department for $200.00 I used them for allmost 6 years and sold them for the same $200.00. As far as I know he's still useing them. also keep an eye on Ebay for some good deals. Hey, Good luck with the new bus/home }:o)

Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.

We are still working on the water system at this point...we already have the tub,one holding tank and the tankless hot water heater..but have not installed it yet (except the tank)

Since we are doing all the work ourselves..the work will be free.

Holding tanks come in all shapes,sizes and materials..hence the price differences can be great.We got our grey water tank from a junkyard..real cheap..like 60 bucks.There are alot of used parts you can get off of old motorhomes in junkyards.

I have seen new ones for 100 bucks..do a google search of rv fresh water tanks , or something along those lines and youll see. They can go anywhere from 100 bucks to 500..you just gotta look around.

Because of our layout..it will not be cramped really (our bus is 37 feet also) and we are not really making a seperate room for the bathtub but are including it as part of the bedroom. It will also double as a bench while not in use..lol

For a toilet there are a few options... are chemical toilets, compost toilets,thetford casette toilets and regular flush rv ones with black water holding tanks.

Curently we are using a large thetford chemical toilet..which I was very skeptikal of but now we are thinking we may stick with it. It is less weight and hassle then having to empty out a huge black water , and is way smaller. We are going to build a little cabinet for it in the back under the desk to keep it out of the way when not in use. We have had no problems with it all..it even has an area for fresh water and flush. There is never any smell , although we do try,within reason to go to the bathroom elsewhere when we have the oportunity.

We looked int cmpost toilets too but they are expensive and so huge, so we ruled it out.Thetford cassette toilets are nice..they have a litte compartmnet on the outside of the vehicle and you just pull out the cassette and empty it .

Instead of air presseure thing for the water system we will just get an air pump and fill the tank with air..this will force the water through the pipes.

The on demand hot water heaters can be expensive..ours is 800 but is made for rv's you can also get a poloma or aquastar models for houses.

There is a website..I think it is called busconversions.com and they sell all sorts of books about how to convert a bus..and have ones on water systems, electric..ect..

I would reccomend doing that. I know it;s overwhelming to think about all the things that need to be learned and done to a bus to make it a home...but just take it one project at a time..search the net, talk to people and find out all you can about each project..you will be amazed what you will acomplish.

Moss and I knew NOTHING about building or aything before we started.

If you like,check on our blog, we have step by step details with pics of how we converted our bus..still not done though...it is ongoing.

Maybe it will give you some inspiration.

Much Love ~ Pixie