Can’t Live Without These Essential Items in Our Bus

When we began to map out our bus conversion, finding products that we couldn’t live without for our specific lifestyle choices were key. Every person and/or family that decides to take on this adventure will have different needs and wants. All of our research supported this. We are a family of three with a small dog, so a full size bus wasn’t our priority, but being comfortable and having exactly what we needed was.

A Few of Our Can’t Live Without Products

We live in a four season climate, so staying warm and cool during the fluctuating seasons was important to us. A great example is that even though it is still winter, our heater is off more than on because of the heat wave that has been moving through the last couple of weeks. Temps will be dropping again mid week, so we are incredibly grateful for our diesel heater.

It is easy to set up and maintain. There is flexibility when it comes to where you want the heater to be placed inside of your build. Diesel itself is more cost effective and lasts longer than propane. We have had great success over the last 5 winters, with temperatures dropping as low as -30 Celsius.

To stay cool, we have made a few modifications. We have a shuttle bus, so there are four emergency exit windows. My dad custom built screens that we can pop in and out quickly for traveling and when the rain decides to pour. We also self-installed mesh screens into the upper slider windows. The only time we close them up is when it rains.

To help with the extreme temps, like 35-40 degrees Celsius, we have two fans. One is this small USB powered fan that we have above our bed. The other is the Ridgid 18V Cordless Fan that we place wherever we are hanging out during the day. It helps keep our dog cool, moves air around the space and has three different speeds. At bedtime, it is pointed at our daughter’s bed to keep her comfortable. These two products alone we can’t live without during the warmer months.

A later addition that we wish we had from day one is our 12V exhaust fan in our bathroom. It helps keep moisture down in the bus during showers, as well as helps with smells that come with using our composting toilet. It also has an LED light, which is much brighter than the one pot light already in the space.

A Few Honourable Mentions

Our bus is littered with so many products and materials that we use daily and allow us to live this lifestyle comfortably. One main example of that would be our two burner propane stove top. It has yet to disappoint us, over five years in. Making more complex dinners takes more time, but the stove itself is efficient and takes up very little space on our small counter. One pot meals have become some of our favourite dishes. Our crock-pot is also a necessity and has allowed us to be more creative with the foods we prepare.

Just one more aspect to think about during your design and build process. Space for the appliances you want and having enough power to run them, especially if you plan to be off-grid.

Having hot water is essential for most people, but I have seen people living in buses without it. If traveling full time, having a gym membership is all you need for showers and a kettle to warm up water for dishes. We have used our local YMCA for showers in the colder months, when our tankless hot water heater can be temperamental. Turns into a fun family outing when you enjoy the pools, hot tub and sauna afterwards, which our daughter always looks forward to.

Here’s a quick tutorial we made of setting up our hot water heater. One lesson we learned in our first year was to unhook it before the temps drop below zero. The water will freeze in the outside lines and crack the inside lines.

Think About Your Needs and Wants

In the end, you need to assess what you will need to make living this lifestyle work for you. What is most important and what can you live without. Why you are choosing this way of living also plays a role in your decision making process. Are you planning to hit the road and not stop for too long? Or are you building to stay in one place for the time being? These will determine the products you can’t live without and you will make them work in your design.

One pro tip: always be open to modifications. If there is one thing we have learned from the design process, is that things will have to change for one reason or another. It’s not until you live the day-to-day life will they become apparent and necessary. You just need to adapt a ‘go with the flow’ mentality and embrace it! What will be your ‘can’t live without’ products?

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