Replacing Bus Door with Wooden Exterior Door

[PURA VIDA]

I have seen others do this and I would love to change our front door out, too. I am just wondering about the process of removing the bus door and mechanisms (ours is a manual pull and push system) and then how do you install a regular house door? Anyone already done this and have a link or info to share? I would be most appreciative. I have been searching in the search engine on here and looking through all of the skoolie blogs I have bookmarked, and still can't seem to find the names of those whom I have seen do door removal and replacements.

I am super excited to get started up again in the next couple of weeks, and know that we will be keeping a lot of our tools out there...and that is why we decided we should check into getting a door that locks and can be accessed easier than the back door. We were thinking of using our back door for our main access, but that would be in our bedroom and would require stairs, which would be impossible with a hitch there...etc, etc.

Thanks to anyone who will share their door replacement info and pictures...I love pictures!

[lornaschinske]

We removed ours (doorless right now). Used a Dremel with a cut-off wheel to slice off part or the remaining piano hinge. I found a (special order) 30" Steel Exterior door with 1/2 glass encased mini-blind panel for $339 at Home Depot. I can't remember if its a pre-hung or a slab. If pre-hung we will just remove the door & build a new frame.

[PURA VIDA]

Lorna, that's EXACTLY the type of door I want to get, steel with the blinds inside of the glass....but I don't have a lot of money right now to put into the door. I have someone who has 2 used solid wood exterior doors that would fit in our opening (and could be cut to fit better) that I can pick up for $10 each. I have no clue how to use the old hinges which swing inwards or if I need to do something entirely different. I can't wait to see your door once it is on! I am soooooo jealous.

[M1031]

Lorna, that's EXACTLY the type of door I want to get, steel with the blinds inside of the glass....but I don't have a lot of money right now to put into the door. I have someone who has 2 used solid wood exterior doors that would fit in our opening (and could be cut to fit better) that I can pick up for $10 each. I have no clue how to use the old hinges which swing inwards or if I need to do something entirely different. I can't wait to see your door once it is on! I am soooooo jealous.

Pura Vida;

All you need to do is remove teh old hinges, dremmel the wood to accept the hinges being reversed, drill new pilot holes for the screws (so you don't slpit the wood or some other crazy event), and re-hang the doors to fit the opening. I'm seriously thinking about doing the same thing if a front door comes available on freecycle.

[Smitty]

Danni, I removed the hinge, and flipped it over so it hinged outwards. The holes will re-align (they're staggered so the heads don't hit), but it offset the hinge 1" lower in the door opening, so I just trimmed an inch off the bottom (which used to be the top) of the hinge. Not sure if yours will be the same, but remove the door, and hinge & flip it over & see what happens.....

Smitty

[PURA VIDA]

M1031 and Smitty, awesome info...THANK YOU both!

I picked up the doors...one of which was THE HEAVIEST piece of wood I have ever carried, and we now have 2 solid exterior doors for less than 1 new interior door would have cost us. We are going to use the lighter of the two for the front door and still haven't figured out what to use the 100 lber for...any suggestions for what we could do with the heavier one?

I have someone coming by tomorrow that has hung far more doors than either my hubby or I have and I will pass on the info and see what we come up with...thanks again!

[Stuff]

im replacing mine with a 30" lawson screen door. its got a full piano hinge on one side and ill just add a couple extra catches on the other side to secure it while driving.

[zim]

Thanks to anyone who will share their door replacement info and pictures...I love pictures!

I pulled the folding doors out of mine and went to one of the RV shops and paid about $400 for a replacement door, frame and all. I could have gone a cheaper route, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the FL sun making something work and I wanted the screen door. If I drove this bus more, I'd like something with more window, but I can always hang a camera there.

The install was fairly simple. The 2x4's are held into the bus with lag bolts and the door fit perfectly inside and is mounted with 1.5" screws about every 4".



After sealing with caulk, I covered the wood with fiberglass reinforced paneling (shower liner) from the local building supply.



More pics are available on my picasa album.

[Stuff]

i thought of that but the small, frosted window is a big deterrent for me to go that way. I need to get me some 3/4" aluminum square tubing and im getting that 30" storm door installed!

[PURA VIDA]

Zim! I LOVE the pictures. Thanks! We were debating upon using a used RV door (we could pick one up around here for under $20), but I couldn't figure out how to adjust the opening to the smaller door. We will probably go with the larger door because we won't be able to fit much through the back door once we are through with the conversion. Since we are full-timing it for a year or so, we want to put a deadbolt on both the front and back door, otherwise I would TOTALLY want the screen....I am putting screens on all of my windows. Thanks, again, for the awesome picture!

Stuff, can't wait to see your door installed! Make sure you take lots of pictures, too. I like the idea of having windows on the door...maybe I will sell my used exterior doors and save up for a door with the blinds inside after all...I do like driving with a view out that side.

Thanks, guys!

[lornaschinske]

... otherwise I would TOTALLY want the screen...

Have you looked at the retractable screen doors? I'm thinking of one of these for our bus. http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=313799-29359-10524&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3126885&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=sim&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

[PURA VIDA]

Lorna...I likey. I have a feeling that the front door is going to cost more than most of the items we purchased for this conversion, by the time we are done. A door with blinds inside, a retractable screen door, and an awesome deadbolt, we could easily spend around $800 alone....I am definitely going to wait a while to replace the door. There are so many options (all of them costing more than I have right now).

[lornaschinske]

Tell me about it! While I will EVENTUALLY get the retractable screen door.. it will be at some point down the road. Too many other things I NEED and they take precedence over the WANTS. We have to be moved into the bus as soon as possible... and that means before it is completely finished.

[zim]

Since we are full-timing it for a year or so, we want to put a deadbolt on both the front and back door, otherwise I would TOTALLY want the screen....

I added a hardware store deadbolt a month or so after the pictures were taken. It was no different than doing any other door and the screen closes over it fine.

[PURA VIDA]

That's good to know, Zim...it is a very good looking door. I like the fact that it is lightweight. There are so many choices here...so many choices.