Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-05-2014, 06:53 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Margarit The Bus

Hey All! I bought my bus back in May, and have been on Skoolie.net 100 times, but finally just signed up.

Here is my Blog about the bus that I got...her name is Margarit! (Like Mar-gah-reet) She is 1980 Thomas Built Diesel Pusher...Cat BUilt engine...I am in love with her.

http://margaritthebus.weebly.com/ I've done a bit of work since I updated her last.

I just finished pulling out her seats and rubber flooring. The photo of the Ripper Stripper below is what I used to pull up the floor...it was amazing. The rubber came up like butter curls. Otherwise it was coming off in one inch strips and I was going mad.

There is a wooden sub floor...which has mold spots. I'm thinking of spraying it down lightly with alcohol and letting it dry...not sure if I should then seal it? Any thoughts? I really want to avoid too many toxic chemicals.

Well, grateful to be part of the Skoolie community.

Thanks Team,
Gwen
Attached Thumbnails
1613852_604721376263442_7557984992690832361_n.jpg   empty bus.jpg   rippr stippr.jpg  

Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2014, 11:05 PM   #2
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 722
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 RE
Engine: 8.3l Cummins
Rated Cap: 78
Re: Margarit The Bus

Welcome to the forum! I only joined in July since I started a conversion myself. I read through your blog post and I'm excited for you since you have listed many compelling reasons for doing what you want to do.

As someone who has replaced a lot of rotten plywood in things, you need to determine where the water is coming from or it will continue to deteriorate.

Also, speaking as a guy who hasn't even ripped up his bus floor yet, my advice would be to remove the plywood and replace it with something that has more insulative properties, such as a foam and board sandwich. It might be an extra inch thicker but every bit counts.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gwenweiss22
Hey All! I bought my bus back in May, and have been on Skoolie.net 100 times, but finally just signed up.

Here is my Blog about the bus that I got...her name is Margarit! (Like Mar-gah-reet) She is 1980 Thomas Built Diesel Pusher...Cat BUilt engine...I am in love with her.

http://margaritthebus.weebly.com/ I've done a bit of work since I updated her last.

I just finished pulling out her seats and rubber flooring. The photo of the Ripper Stripper below is what I used to pull up the floor...it was amazing. The rubber came up like butter curls. Otherwise it was coming off in one inch strips and I was going mad.

There is a wooden sub floor...which has mold spots. I'm thinking of spraying it down lightly with alcohol and letting it dry...not sure if I should then seal it? Any thoughts? I really want to avoid too many toxic chemicals.

Well, grateful to be part of the Skoolie community.

Thanks Team,
Gwen
aaronsb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2014, 12:03 AM   #3
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 195
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Re: Margarit The Bus

That grill is awesome on your bus!

As for the water... my vote is to rip up all the plywood. Our rust-free bus had SOAKED plywood! There was considerable surface rust on the floors underneath it. A bit of rust converter and paint and we were good to go. We also ripped out all our ceiling panels and insulation.

Water has come into our bus through the bolt-holes for the seats in the floors. Now that we have the ceiling panels out and I have spent some time in the bus during the rain, I can say that a large majority of the ceiling leaks where the rooftop body panels come together and overlap. We caulked them all with silicone caulk from the inside and it seems to have done the trick. I don't think making a watertight seal was in the minds of the factory workers and engineers Don't forget you also have years of kids getting in with wet boots and shoes!
__________________
Follow our conversion:
Two Birds - 1992 Bluebird TC2000
WVO Powered!
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=467346

www.LiveLoveTravelDream.com
White99z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2014, 10:33 AM   #4
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Re: Margarit The Bus

I second checking out things under the floor as the place to start. Fairly easy to correct any issues now...extremely painful process after everything is built on top of it. I also second a thorough application of a quality rust inhibitor.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-08-2014, 09:29 PM   #5
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 195
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Re: Margarit The Bus

We used two different rust converters on our floor since we ran out of the first one before finishing. Corroseal and Ospho... The corroseal did a much nicer job in my opinion!
__________________
Follow our conversion:
Two Birds - 1992 Bluebird TC2000
WVO Powered!
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=467346

www.LiveLoveTravelDream.com
White99z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2014, 04:06 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

So, at closer examination...it wasn't mold! YAY! It was actually small specks of burnt wood from when they were doing some welding in the bus. The wood sub floor actually seems like it's in very good condition and I got a few second opinions. Seems like it is dry and solid. I'm not thinking of ripping it up, being that I live where it never gets colder than about 35 degrees, and I am going to insulate the roof and walls, and there will be a bit of insulation when I put the floor in. Any other opinions out there? Would love to hear them.

Thanks, Gwen
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-17-2014, 07:56 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
Re: Margarit The Bus

So you are saying there is absolutely no chance to ever be in a chilly climate??

Just a thought,

-Doc
Docsgsxr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 12:08 AM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

I Hear you Doc, good point. I have a question...is it possible to take up the wood floor without destroying the wood and then use it again? Because it is a lot of nice wood that I don't want to ruin. And how would I do that? I think insulating the floor does make most sense. In case I ever want to take it out into cold climates.
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 08:49 AM   #9
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 195
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Re: Margarit The Bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gwenweiss22
I Hear you Doc, good point. I have a question...is it possible to take up the wood floor without destroying the wood and then use it again? Because it is a lot of nice wood that I don't want to ruin. And how would I do that? I think insulating the floor does make most sense. In case I ever want to take it out into cold climates.
I would likely be very difficult. But... if it is nailed in, you would have to pry up each and every nail individually. Mine was nailed in. If it's screwed in... then unscrew! But then you have the glue to contend with...
__________________
Follow our conversion:
Two Birds - 1992 Bluebird TC2000
WVO Powered!
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=467346

www.LiveLoveTravelDream.com
White99z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 06:58 PM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

Dang, I think it's just glued down...I gotta start prying!!! Better to be patient now, than regretful later...this is what I am telling myself on a daily basis!

: ) THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your help. I'm so in Love with Skoolie.net
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 07:53 PM   #11
Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Monrovia California
Posts: 151
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Engine: 3208 turbo Cat
Rated Cap: 78
Re: Margarit The Bus

Hey welcome to this "but why would you buy a bus" community, I have the same dilemma about the floor, my bus is a California bus and the wood floor is clean and dry, but I think I will take off for insulation and sound barrier.BTW, what CAT engine is on your bus? My is 3208 turbo' got the bus in Ojai near Santa barbara.
juliol is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 07:58 PM   #12
Bus Geek
 
lornaschinske's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
Re: Margarit The Bus

Okay, I gotta ask....

If nothing is wrong with the plywood, so WHY are you insisting on ripping it out? Y'all make things so hard (and expensive) on yourselves.

The wood will give you a place to attach nailer/furring strips for the top layer of plywood (your subfloor for the flooring material). The insulation (most likely a rigid foamboard) can be laid between the nailer/furring strips. The plywood will also help quieten the road noise. You might be surprised at how much plywood will cut down on the coolness. Well, at least ours does. But we also left the rubber flooring down and we had no plywood in our floor until we laid the OSB down. Whatever. My Brats & Cabbage Casserole is cooled off enough to eat. Time to pop a Redbox movie in and eat supper.
__________________
This post is my opinion. It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Fulltime since 2006
The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335BC-264BC)
https://lorndavi.wordpress.com/blog/
https://i570.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps0340a6ff.jpg
lornaschinske is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2014, 12:02 AM   #13
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
Re: Margarit The Bus

Lorna,

Good question. I bought my bus in Chattanooga. They don't salt the roads there. The rubber matting was clean and not damaged. Then I found out my bus came from Indiana, where licking the roads in the winter can give you high blood pressure. Then I pulled up my floor and BAM! See my thread????

Just playing devil's advocate. But you are right. It is the owner's discretion. I'd hate to see a lot of work put in only to find wood rot a few years down the road.

Brats and cabbage sound great!

-Doc
Docsgsxr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2014, 07:22 PM   #14
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 218
Year: 1997
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84
Re: Margarit The Bus

Removing the flooring got rid of the 'school bus smell'. As much as I like the bus, that smell had to go. Further, my no-rust bus had a rusty floor under the wood that needed treatment/painting before it became a problem down the road.
Timelord is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-20-2014, 10:57 AM   #15
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Re: Margarit The Bus

Not always easy to tell the condition of a metal floor from just looking at the top of the plywood. I've seen what looked like pristine ply (no evidence of water damage on top) hiding serious issues caused by sweating and condensation on the down side or leaks from below around seat bolts. Either way, be sure to at least thoroughly examine the metal around the wheel wells. Probably the number one problem area for rusting floors on buses.

Whatever you do...let us know what you discover. Best of luck on the buildout.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2014, 05:06 PM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

ALright friends,

I have decided against some non-skoolie folks advice, and decided that they don't know jack in comparison to the folks who have done it already. I'm taking up the floor! I'm planning on making this way too nice of a home to NOT take it up and see whats going on below. Patience is what I am learning. And doing it right the first time, eh?

So my friend Trevor came over and we took out the bulk of the ceiling panels yesterday to find that most of the insulation is pretty great. I am only going to toss a few pieces. I'm going to stuff it into some big trash bags to store while I work on cleaning everything up and finish with the floor and side walls. The side panels are giving me hell...I'm going to have to grind quite a few of them off. I hate grinding...ANyone want to help?

I also picked up a great FREE camper shell this morning. This is going to go above the kitchen to create more feeling of space when you enter the bus. There are windows on all sides and screens on the side windows for ventilation. I am probably going to caulk it from the inside to reinforce all the seams for leakage...I think there may already be a tiny leak.

I have yet another question...If I am going to cut a hole in the roof for this camper shell to go on top, does anyone know where to point me for info on whether or not I have to keep the ribs of the bus there, or if there is any way I can get rid of them and reinforce the structure by doing anything else? Does this make sense? Id love to have it entirely open where the camper shell will be. Let me know if anyone has any ideas.

Loving the process! And all the feedback!
Attached Thumbnails
Trev 2.jpg   Trev.jpg   Bus ceiling.jpg  
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2014, 08:29 PM   #17
Bus Geek
 
ol trunt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,227
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
Re: Margarit The Bus

My bus came with a rectangular section in the roof that the roof bows were welded to. The thus created hole was plugged with what looked like an upside down cookie pan to complete the roof. I took the cookie pan out and substituted a tilt up section with tenting on 3 sides. I'd imagine you could do something similar but put your shell over the hole. This could be easily done using fairly stout square tubing to make the rectangle. My bus survived its first 80 years with the hole in the roof and I expect it'll make another 80, all things considered . You will find some pics of what I did on my "13 fun steps to-------" thread under skoolie conversions. Hope this helps, Jack

PS make sure you stay under 13' overall height or the places you will be able to drive your bus will be severely limited.
ol trunt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2014, 10:42 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

Thank you! I have looked at your beautiful projects numerous times. Amazing I must say!!! You are quite a wizard my friend.

Thanks for the ideas and thoughts.
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-28-2014, 08:49 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Posts: 25
Year: 1980
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: Catapiller
Re: Margarit The Bus

The floor was screwed in! I just pulled up some of the plywood and the floor was PRISTINE...like it was fresh from the factory...pretty amazing. I am feeling very grateful.

I have decided not to pull out the side walls. Im going to go right over them with insulation and some sort of wood siding.

I will insulate the ceilings as well, and will give the floor a lining of aluminum liner stuff...not sure what it's called, then will insulate with foam that comes with the flooring and then flooring. Not a huge amount of insulation, but the plywood in there is already pretty thick, and then with the aluminum, and foam and flooring I will be good. I am also mostly going to be in California. I have a business here and won't be doing a lot of travel far away in cold months.

I am currently trying to get out the coving and the box that runs over the hoses on the right side to the heater and...the air breaks? Not quite sure what those pipes are all about. I want to remove the heater since it would be directly under the bed anyway. And we will have a small wood fire stove and I'll probably have a small propane heater for emergency warmth.

So I just have to remove the two front seat cushions, remove little remnants of the rubber floor, get out coving by grinding off stripped screws, remove the boxes covering the hoses, clean all the incredible grime that's accumulated over 34 years, remove the heater, clean clean clean, rescrew side walls back in, fill floor holes with caulking...then move onto working on the camper shell project!

I got a camper shell for free the other day- a really nice one too. I am planning on cutting the ceiling out above the kitchen, building a frame for it, and putting the camper shell on top-I think this will make the total height a little over 12 feet. My dad is going to help me with this, as I have NO clue how to start. We will also be cutting out a small space for a skylight box above the shower so it feels more spacious. I get all my good ideas in the shower, so it needs to feel good in there. We have decided on a galvanized steel trough tub. I think it will work best for us.

I am wondering if anyone can guide me on the cutting out the roof piece and removing the ribbing...if I remove say, 2 ribs...do I need to secure them first with a welded steel frame? If not Will the bus collapse in? Haha, that sounds silly, but I have no clue! Or can I cut, then secure them. ANy takers on that one?

thanks for the help ya'll!
Gwenweiss22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-29-2014, 12:18 PM   #20
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
Re: Margarit The Bus

You could remove 2 out of 3 roof ribs and you would still have more structural strength than most S&S moho's.

The important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that the bus is sitting flat on the ground before you start removing stuff that is structural If you aren't flat it will be next to impossible to get the new addition to sit square with the bus world it is joining.

I would not cut holes through the roof with the ceiling panels removed. The ceiling panels add strength and rigidity. Cutting roof ribs and roof panels out with no ceiling panels could make things a little loosey goosey which will again make the joining of the two pieces square with each difficult.
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:12 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.