As has become the norm, project documentation is a bit behind progress. I am currently working on waterproofing the bathroom and shower stall, but that will not be finished for a few days yet. I’ve already framed out for the bedroom (if you can call it a room- its more like a mattress alcove) and bathroom, finished running the AC wiring to both sides of the bus, built the enclosure for the fresh water tank and made the electrical enclosure into a closable cabinet.  But that will come later. For now, we have some catching up to do.

Over the last several weeks, I finished the first set of countertops and framed out counters for both sides of the bus.

Framing out for the sink supports
Sink fitted in place and secured- this took a good deal of work with a rasp to get a snug and secure fit

With the counter framed and sink in place, it was time to construct the countertops. After some consideration I decided to use cypress due to its local availability and rot resistance. Cypress is a relatively soft wood, so will be prone to picking up dents and scratches, but I’m finishing it with oil and wax, so dents and scuffs will be relatively easy to deal with and will hopefully just add to “character”.

Butcher block countertop in raw form- Sourced from Wilson's saw mill and lumber yard
Rough cut 2x4's were ripped in half, then planed on all sides
First countertop glued and clamped. The table saw made a perfect flat surface against which to secure during curing
Unfinished countertop in place to test out fit
The L-shaped countertop was a multi-stage affair due to its size and the limited working time of the glue
Backsplash affixed and initial sanding completed

Fast forward a few weeks for multiple coats of hard oil and wax:

Finished and awaiting final mounting!

Now I just have to make ~5 feet of matching countertop for the right hand side of the bus, but that must wait until a final decision has been made on the stove, which may not happen for a while yet. I also still need to select a faucet for the sink, plumb the supply and drain lines and build under counter shelves or cabinets. More on that later.