Last week, I thought fixing my bus bathroom would be a quick and easy job.

But if you’ve ever tackled a bus or van bathroom renovation, you’ll know how quickly a small fix can turn into something much bigger.

This week, I realised I might have to dismantle the entire thing.

We’re pulling panels off.
We’re fixing rust.
We’re taking windows out.
We’re chasing leaks.

And I also bought a brand new toilet along the way.

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Watch the Video Version

If you want to see the chaos unfold (and trust me, there is chaos), you can watch the full video here:

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From Simple Bathroom Fix to Full Demolition

After removing the sink and toilet last week, I expected to finally understand what needed fixing in my bus bathroom.

Instead, I uncovered more problems.

Water where it shouldn’t be.
Leaks I didn’t expect.
Panels hiding things I needed access to.

And that meant one thing…

If I wanted to fix my bus bathroom properly, I had to start pulling everything apart.

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The Reality of a Bus Conversion

This is something you quickly learn during a bus or van conversion.

To remove one panel…
You have to remove another…
And then another one after that…

Just to figure out what’s actually going on underneath.

At one point it genuinely felt like I was accidentally renovating the entire bathroom in one day.

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A Small (But Important) Toilet Lesson

Quick tip if you’re using a temporary toilet setup:

If you’re using a bucket toilet — add sawdust.

Without it, condensation builds up and the lid gets wet. Which means when you lean back…ick

Not ideal.

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I Bought a New Toilet (And Lost the Footage)

In the middle of all this, I bought a brand new toilet for the bus.

I filmed everything:

• Picking it up
• Unboxing it
• Explaining how it works

And then somehow… all the footage disappeared.

So I ended up recreating it for the video (mostly for my own entertainment).

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The New Bus Toilet Setup

I went with a Joolca toilet, and so far I’m really happy with it.

It’s a separator toilet, which means:

• Liquids go into one container
• Solids go into another

What I love most is the flexibility.

You can:

• Use it as a composting toilet
• Or swap to a cassette system if needed

That’s ideal for van or bus life where different setups work better in different situations.

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The Plumbing Situation (Not My Best Work)

Here’s where things got messy.

In my enthusiasm, I removed the toilet…

But left the plumbing behind.

So now I had:

• Open pipes
• Water sitting where it shouldn’t be
• And no clear idea how it all connected

We had to trace everything back, find the leaks, and work out where water was escaping.

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Finding the Leak (And the Rust Behind It)

Once we started pulling things apart, we found the real issue.

A leak around the window had caused rust in the frame.

Which meant:

• The window had to come out
• The rust had to be treated
• And the holes needed repairing

This is one of those problems you can’t ignore — it has to be fixed properly.

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Welding Inside the Bus (Slightly Terrifying)

Fixing the rust meant welding.

My job?

Fire watch.

Which basically means sitting there with a fire extinguisher while sparks are flying inside your future home.

It’s… slightly nerve-wracking.

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Fixing the Water Pump Leak

While we were at it, we also found the cause of the water pump issue.

It turned out to be a worn-out O-ring.

A relatively simple fix — once we actually got to it.

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Reinstalling the Window

Once the rust repair was done, it was time to put the window back in.

This involves:

• Placing the window into position
• Using a rope to pull the seal into place
• Working it around carefully until it sits properly

It’s one of those jobs that looks easy but definitely isn’t the first time you try it.

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Where the Bathroom Renovation Is Up To

Right now, my bus bathroom is:

• Partially dismantled
• A bit chaotic
• But finally moving in the right direction

The important part is we’ve:

• Found the leaks
• Fixed the rust
• Sorted the structural issues

Now I can actually start rebuilding.

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What Happens Next

Next week, I’m planning to:

• Start rebuilding the bathroom
• Install new wall panels
• Fix the layout properly
• And hopefully have a working shower again

I’ll also show you what’s been happening with the ceiling — a few people have already spotted changes there.

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About My Bus Conversion

I’m converting an old Toyota Coaster bus into my travelling home, learning everything as I go.

On this blog I share:

• Bus conversion projects
• Mistakes and lessons learned
• Van life experiments
• Travel stories from the road

If you’d like to follow along, you can also find me on YouTube where I post weekly videos about building and living in a bus.