It’s long been one of my overarching goals with this project to use as much repurposed and salvaged materials as possible, and I’m expecting that pallet wood will be a big part of that. It’s a building material that’s readily available, typically free, and good for both structure and finish effect.
↓ Continue Reading…One of my favorite beers in the world is the Old Speckled Hen from Morland Brewing in the UK. It’s a classic pub ale style, with a light golden color, a sweet aroma, and a thick, malty flavor.
I can’t resist getting a pint of this or two whenever I go to Portland’s Horse Brass pub. Despite having I think two dozen constantly rotating taps of varying beers changing almost weekly, the Old Speckled Hen has earned a permanent place on their tap list, and rightly so.
This recipe is taken from the 2nd edition of Clone Brews, which I’m finding to be a great inspiration for a bunch of modern classic recipes. Had to make a couple modifications based on what I had on-hand.

This week I procured some of the larger pieces for my housebus: the water holding tanks! I’ve had it in mind to use 55 gallon plastic drums for this since pretty early on in the project for a number of reasons. Years ago, I’d used one of these ubiquitous blue barrels for rainwater collection in our garden, and I found it surprisingly easy to work with. The plastic cuts easily with a simple jigsaw and drill, and metal fittings can be threaded directly into the thick walls of the drum with no additional fittings or sealants. The drums are fairly easy to source and are often food-safe.
↓ Continue Reading…Last night, during a bout of insomnia, I fell into one of my regular time-passing habits, which is scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and the Free section of Craigslist, looking for some good stuff I can integrate into my Cruiser. I just casually decided to search for any good trailer hitch receivers, and one popped up, not too far from home.
↓ Continue Reading…In the absence of being able to physically work on the housebus this week, I’ve been tinkering with my floor-plan again. My original floor-plans consisted of a living room area just inside the front entrance, with a work-studio in the back of the bus, both separated by a kitchen, hallway, and a bathroom. When I actually got my bus, however, it was a little shorter than expected, so I had the thought to combine the living room and work studio into the back of the bus, turning it into a small ‘studio apartment’ setup.
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