"YOU BACKED THAT THING IN HERE!?" ASKED THE UPS MAN INCREDULOUSLY.

The day after we arrived in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, still unsure of where we would park our 40-foot bus, our gracious host asked, "Do you think it could fit beside the house?" Our first instinct was no, hell no, are you crazy? But, when she went off to work, the idea started to look more and more like our only feasible option. The parking lot at Hobby Lobby wasn't exactly an enticing risk.

It took about an hour, included expert maneuvering on Alhen's part and a mess of inexperienced spotting on mine... but we did it!

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We hit the ground running, with Alhen dismantling the underside of the AC system (which surprisingly didn't fall off while we were driving).

It did spray fluid EVERYWHERE but didn't do any harm to the bus. In addition to that, we made progress on:

Removing the driver's seat
Removing everything from inside the bus (including the extra seats for our friends) so it was completely empty
Grinding rust, which was relatively minimal
Grabbing necessities from the hardware store, like cleaner, caulking, drill bits. We even grabbed a 4.5" angle grinder that's been doing wonders beyond what we expected.
Removing some exterior pieces for restoration

When not in the bus, Alhen is typically scouring forums (hello skoolie.net), watching videos, and researching the best sustainable products we'll use in the future for flooring, insulation, appliances, and beyond. I've been working on narrowing down the layout and interior design features, budgeting, media and writing, and updating our social media pages.

NEXT UP, RIVETS!

Check out my profile and follow me to stay up-to-date on the progress of the Slow Rolling Home conversion!

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Hi, I'm Amelia! It's nice to meet you.

I'm a writer, minimalist, tiny home dweller, and maker living in East Tennessee, USA. My blog has lived at www.amelia-bartlett.com until I discovered Steemit, where I now post most of my work. To learn more about me, check out my introduction post, get up-to-date on my school bus tiny house conversion, and follow me for articles on slow living, sustainable fashion, self-expression, and quality curated resteems!

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That will be like a mansion! I converted my van and remember being a little envious of school bus people. Even the short bus, you can stand up and everything! These are great photos and I know that some great adventures are coming your way soon. I look forward to seeing what unique features your bus will have. There is a ton of possibility for artist expression in that thing! It's good you have your spot in the woods to do the work.

Thanks for dropping by! I'd love to see your van. I can't wait until we're done. It's a TON of work and this thing really is huge. But, yes, the spot in the woods to work is literally perfect. We're going to homestead soon, though!

This is awesome! Converted skoolies are the best, I might do this someday as well. Currently living in a truck camper.

Thank you! Have you posted about your truck camper? I'd love to see it!

Wow that is a project!

Good to see you up and running again!

Couldn't have done it without you! Happy to be back up.

This looks like a huge project. And also fun :-) It will be nice to see your progress!

that looks like a really fun project!!! good luck with it.. also is that a bruise on your leg? if so I hope you are ok!

It totally is, @deadgrlsuppastar ! And yes, that is a bruise. You tend to get banged up in construction. 😂

Im totally accident prone lol... but becareful... arnica gel will help them clear up quicker but it doesnt seem like you are too worried about them 😁😁

Oh yes, I am oft-slathered in arnica gel! I have been accident-prone recently, but mostly because I've been a bit absent-minded. That happens sometimes.

This seems like an exciting project, can't wait to see the next steps and how it all transforms. I am going to follow you so I don't miss it. #steemsugars

Thanks for dropping by @canadianwoodguy! We just fixed a major problem today so we are full steam (steem?) ahead! 😂

The bus is going to be an amazing project! Love seeing the progress. That is a loooong driveway to back up with such a big bus, but kudos to you both for doing it. I'm going to have more friends to visit in Tennessee when I drive down later this year (unless you roll out with your bus and go somewhere else). Hooray! :)

Yes! Come visit me and @enginewitty, we are practically neighbors. We should have a guest bed in the bus and our little homestead soon!

I'm wiggling in my chair I'm so excited. :) Yay!!!