Plumbing

“A good flush always beats a full house”

• The shower space perfectly fits a 32x32” shower. We had to cut the top down 8” so we could stand it up - it measured at 72 ½”, which fits the space, but there’s no door tall enough to bring it in vertically.

• Drain from the shower is directly over the fuel tank - a 90deg pipe fished between the tank and metal joists.

• Plumbing is mostly PEX run from bathroom and kitchen under the bus to water source (will be an on-demand propane water heater)

• PEX is insulated under the bus. Ensure piping is secured from mechanical elements like the muffler, so it doesn’t melt while the bus is running.

• Plumbing going into the bathroom sink is copper piping running on the face of the lower wall - the sink is directly over a wheel well, so you can’t hide it under the cabinet.

Builders Notes
We had the privilege of working with Justin Eager, a South Medford High School shop teacher and trained plumber. Justin took the lead with plumbing and will be continuing this work as the bus gets its finishing touches. The plumbing is primarily insulated PEX that will run from a shared propane water heater on the exterior underside of the bus to the bathroom and kitchen. The PEX runs between the underside of the bus and the bus mechanisms like the axel and fuel tank. Therefore, it is essential to be precise with drilling water line outlets in the bus floor, so they don’t hit the metal rib supports that run along the underside of the carriage.

We chose a 32”x32” three-sided fiberglass shower that fit the space but needed to be trimmed on the top so that we could stand it vertically in the bus. Alternatively, a pan could be installed, and the sides could be tiled.

*We chose not to have students involved in most of the plumbing due to time and the unpleasantness of having to drill through and snake PEX underneath the bus. However, we did give a soldering demonstration and workshop. It is good for them to be aware of the process and how it fits into the bigger picture, and hooking up fixtures could be a great way to get them involved.