It is exciting times as we have officially moved into De Trucksta. There was a lot going on to allow this to happen.
Plumbing – Fred connected the water to the shower, vanity and sink as well as installing an ultra violet filter under sink for drinking water. All the water is double filtered and then as an added extra, the drinking water goes through the ultra violet filter. We wanted to make sure we could safely drink any water that we collect particularly when we are cruising around out the back of nowhere. He also installed a tap downstairs beside the outdoor kitchen. In line with all this he installed the vanity basin and cut the bench top and put the sink in, attaching the taps for both.
Hot Water – it was time to connect it to the switch. It worked on 240v but the diesel pump wouldn’t work. Even though we will probably use it on 240v for the majority of the time, we wanted the option of diesel as well. We sourced a new pump but this didn’t make any difference. We are now wondering if we might of wired it incorrectly at the beginning and perhaps have fried the circuit board; a new one is on the way. Unlike the hot water system in De Busta, this one is not instantaneous so we have to remember to turn it on in advance. So far we have been bit hit and miss with remembering 🙂
Toilet & Washing Machine – We are sticking to a compost toilet as it was fantastic in the bus. Fred built the frame to house the compost bucket and fitted the urine separator. He added a box on the side to store the peat moss and the whole setup is complete with soft closing toilet seat and lid. And all of this fit perfectly in the bathroom, tucked neatly beside the washing machine. Speaking of which, it is now hooked up and I did the inaugural wash yesterday – a little ripper!
Awning – The 270 degree awning was attached to back of truck a few weeks ago but at the time I didn’t take a photo of it setup. Well here it is and it’s fantastic. Easy to pull out and pack away – I can do it myself and it provides heaps of shade, you really notice the temperature difference when it’s up.
Drain for Black/Grey Water – We bought big ass ball valves and lay flat hose to attach to the pre-threaded spots on the grey and black tanks. Our plan is to empty the tanks at super sonic speed, we will literally dump n’ run lol!
Front Winch – we had attached the back winch a few weeks ago and it was now time to attach the front one. Being a hefty item, we needed a decent bit of steel to mount it with. Fred picked up some scrap bits as steel isn’t cheap, and welded them together to make the sizeable bracket. It looks quite impressive on the front.
Downstairs Kitchen – We utilised one of the toolboxes we had already mounted to the truck. Fred built a shelf with a handy little drawer, on attached it to drawer rollers and this is where the induction cooktop will live. There is a fair bit of space let underneath and I took full advantage, filling it up with all my cooking gear. I was concerned that I was going to miss my big BBQ for cooking, but the induction setup is working a treat so far.
I have also sourced the containers for my pantry drawers and am very happy with the result. It’s all coming together.
The final job for the week was to build some shelves in the big boot space and then trial pack it to make sure everything will fit. The pictures speak for themselves, very efficient utilising as much of the space as possible.
We still have a few jobs to finish but are feeling very excited, chomping at the bit to hit the road again. We have been living in De Trucksta for a week now and are amazed at how comfortable and right it feels. In order to leave though we need to tidy up our mess, bits and pieces everywhere. I organised a skip bin and we are now sorting through items and cleaning up ready to get on the road.
We are keen to take De Trucksta out for a weekend to make sure everything is working and to ensure bits don’t fall off, however are waiting on our safety certificate to register De Trucksta as a motorhome. This has been organised for a good while now, just need the final paperwork. Once we receive this, hopefully this week, we will be able to get the wheels going round.
Stay tuned………..
Looking fantastic Gayle & Fred. It is a credit to you. I’m sure you are getting itchy feet with almost all of your rebuild complete. I’m waiting for you to appear in one of the travelling magazines now.