Bus Door

 

One of the first alterations we made to the bus was to replace the busted door.  I liked the door opening mechanism that allows the driver to open the door form his seat, but because the door was busted and I wasn't planning on keeping the drivers seat, we ripped off the old metal and glass door and created a new door.  

We took measurements of the opening and went back to Brandon's workshop garage and built a door using two old barn doors we scrounged up somewhere.  It may have been easier to start with new wood, but I like to recycle and I like the character that we achieved by cobbling something together.  It kind of matches the rough exterior of the bus.  

I had a sun catcher stained glass octagon that I bought at Big Lots to use as the window.  Neither of us could remember enough high school geometry to figure out how to cut the angles for the window.  We spent quite a bit of time using a compass and a square trying to figure it out and finally ended up with something that works using the trial and error method.  A "good enough" attitude goes a long way! 

It might not seem like much of an accomplishment to folks with more carpenty skills, but the door was a big step.  I still intend to work on weather and spider proofing some of the gaps around the edges and putting on a working door knob.  I tell my self it's good to have some gaps for ventilation.  And really, spiders have to live somewhere too. 

If this were a true bus conversion, by which I mean that if this was a rolling home with a road worthy engine, some of our alterations wouldn't be sufficient for the rigors of the open road.  But since I've sacrificed function for form, I think the door is pretty cute and is just what I was hoping for.