August 24th. A trip to Portland to pick up the custom millwork at Versatile Sash for the rear of the bus. Here are two photos showing the upper windows for the sleeping loft and the downstairs door and side lights. The plan showing the relationship of these units is shown below.

No, it's not the Titanic after it hit the iceberg and broke in two, but the resemblance is striking. After the trip to Portland, I removed the existing temporary wall, using the windows and other materials to construct a new temporary wall inside the bus to keep things secure while construction of the permanent wall is being undertaken. A door has been added, another recycled find at the salvage yard. This door will be one of two raised panel doors that will be installed in the bathroom when no longer needed at the rear.

Here the project has been surrounded by scaffolding and covered by a camouflage parachute to add stealth to the maneuvers. This is necessary so that the nosy neighbors who are putting a new roof on the chicken-coop they live in can't see in, and to give the troops a break from the sun, as well as shield the welding areas from direct wind.

This page isn't getting updated very often, but not because I haven't been working on the coach. With all of the scaffolding, ladders, boards, bracing and such, it has been hard to find anything photo-worthy which would make any sense. Here, September 9th, I am test fitting one of the expensive windows prior to welding in a supporting member.

Sept. 25th. Almost two weeks of on-again-off-again labor went into the construction of the piece of metal that joins the rear wall to the roof. The complex, multiple compound curves necessitated fabrication of a dozen or more wooden templates to assure that the final product lived up to my high standards of quality. Also visable in this shot are the overly heavy-duty diagonal bracing members that insure that there is no movement in the wall during travel.

November 4th. FINALLY!, something worth posting on this page. Yesterday I picked up the rear sheet metal from the machine shop where it was being roll formed. The Rain Gods were not paying attention this morning, so I was able to get a little done before the afternoon torents began.
Most of the last five weeks have been spent on sanding rust, priming, caulking and staying in out of the crummy weather. Fall chores present themselves as well, so I've been busy installing the woostove, putting away outdoor tools and fixtures and generally being disgruntled that I can't work on the bus more.

November 12th. It might look like a big chain saw-weilding squirrel in that tree, but it's actually Michael, helping take out a dead maple tree that was hanging over the bus, making me nervous about the coming winter winds and ice.

Nov. 21st. This is likely to be the final exterior photo of the bus until spring, unless we have some quirky warm winter weather. The rear framing is complete, all of the raw metal is primed, and the curved corners are riveted in place. The temporary interior wall and door will remain until I get the windows and door finished and installed. Reinstalling the bumpers and trim will go a long way towards making the back look road-worthy. I also have special plans for frenched-in tail lights!