Painting the Skins
I spent last weekend packing up all of the exterior aluminum skins (12 pieces!) and hauling them to get a new coat of automotive-grade paint. I know a couple of lovely people up in the mountains of Vermont who offered to help do it the right way (shout out to Quint and Laura, you guys are amazing!) so I traveled to the shop in Eden Mills. I purchased my paint through Eastwood; first all panels were primed with a grey epoxy primer and then finished with their USA Bright White single-stage acrylic urethane paint. Several days of sanding/cleaning/painting later and the panels look like new. Can't wait to get them up.
AC Cabinet
I wasn't originally planning to install an air conditioner however the first heat wave of the summer hit and I instantly changed my mind.
1) I knew I didn't want it to hang outside of a window and
2) I wasn't investing $500+ in a rooftop unit (part of the issue being that this type of roof isn't built to support the weight anyhow).
So I'm left figuring out how to house this inside while providing adequate fresh air and venting. Coincidentally another couple converting a school bus just went through this exact dilemma and gave me a good heads up with a two-part tutorial and later on their lessons learned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB1Ur8QaIaI
So... the AC is located above the fridge (central and high enough to encourage air circulation). I've built a 'pan' for the AC to sit in that will collect any water and drain directly outside near the floor using 3/8" ID vinyl tubing and a Camco drain valve. The pan is pitched 1/4":16" using wood shims that you can buy at any hardware store. The pan is lined with Tite-Seal rubberized flashing tape. The drain plug is a piece I had left over from a Shark Bite plastic PEX female adapter crimp fitting which I mounted flush with the pan lining. The next step is configuring how to exhaust the hot air from the back and encourage fresh air flow at the sides. Currently in the works, as I'll need to provide additional through-wall vents and want to be careful in doing this.
Interior Painting
The underside of the bedroom cabinets is complete. All walls painted. Trim is now being installed and shelves are being stained.