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Old 04-16-2017, 09:29 AM   #1
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Little black box and rear heater removal

After removing the seats and ripping up the rubber flooring, I'm left with a somewhat decent sub floor and a few things to either remove or repurpose. The rear heater is something I'd like to remove. This particular model has a two hoses going to it and a series of low voltage wires. What I'm concerned with are the tubes. I'm assuming thats some sort of radiator fluid in those. What is the process of removing this like? Are there any videos or walk throughs anyone could provide?

Another one is the photo, that is, what I'm also assuming to be the data storage for the camera system already on the bus. What I don't have are keys to open the thing. What's a good way to open that thing up without destroying what's inside? And would it be possible to continue using that system post conversion?
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Old 04-16-2017, 09:41 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Winging_It View Post
After removing the seats and ripping up the rubber flooring, I'm left with a somewhat decent sub floor and a few things to either remove or repurpose. The rear heater is something I'd like to remove. This particular model has a two hoses going to it and a series of low voltage wires. What I'm concerned with are the tubes. I'm assuming thats some sort of radiator fluid in those. What is the process of removing this like? Are there any videos or walk throughs anyone could provide?

Another one is the photo, that is, what I'm also assuming to be the data storage for the camera system already on the bus. What I don't have are keys to open the thing. What's a good way to open that thing up without destroying what's inside? And would it be possible to continue using that system post conversion?
See my post on your other thread. It isn't a high security box. Just tamper resistant.

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Old 04-17-2017, 01:16 PM   #3
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For the coolant lines, just cut them and drain. Then you can either reinstall the hoses and heater later, or loop them together under the bus. Don't forget to add more coolant. We are adding our heater back in.

That black box contains a VCR lol. There are 4 screws under the bus. Easy removal. Good luck.
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Old 04-17-2017, 01:38 PM   #4
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I think that black box was a small gun safe just in case the children became unruly.
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Old 11-08-2017, 04:10 PM   #5
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Whats the point in looping the hose/coolant lines? I think i read on another thread that its to be able to heat where the driver seat is or the front of the bus?
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Old 11-08-2017, 09:21 PM   #6
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follow the coolant hoses under the bus from the heater in the back to near the front of the vehicle. You need to pay attention to how they are routed and connected up there in the front. There likely is a foot-heater for the driver, also, so the loop from the engine may include a branch to that. My bus and others have shut-off valves at the motor for the heaters. I suggest you close them when removing the hoses, if you have them. If you are not using the heaters at all, keep them closed.

Don't let all your coolant/antifreeze fluid drain out, unless you plan on flushing the whole system. Either way, be sure you properly refill the system and don't have trapped air bubbles that will surface to the motor head when you go over that mountain pass... If you are not absolutely sure, get a pro to help you or pay one.

If you leave the heater in the back and ever open the lines for it, you will almost certainly need to bleed air from the connection back there at the heater. Possibly needing to disconnect one and filling the hose with coolant until it fills the whole circuit and trickles/pours out of the heater. Then reconnect the hose, and proceed with filling the engine.
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Old 04-19-2020, 06:50 PM   #7
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follow the coolant hoses under the bus from the heater in the back to near the front of the vehicle. You need to pay attention to how they are routed and connected up there in the front. There likely is a foot-heater for the driver, also, so the loop from the engine may include a branch to that. My bus and others have shut-off valves at the motor for the heaters. I suggest you close them when removing the hoses, if you have them. If you are not using the heaters at all, keep them closed.

Don't let all your coolant/antifreeze fluid drain out, unless you plan on flushing the whole system. Either way, be sure you properly refill the system and don't have trapped air bubbles that will surface to the motor head when you go over that mountain pass... If you are not absolutely sure, get a pro to help you or pay one.

If you leave the heater in the back and ever open the lines for it, you will almost certainly need to bleed air from the connection back there at the heater. Possibly needing to disconnect one and filling the hose with coolant until it fills the whole circuit and trickles/pours out of the heater. Then reconnect the hose, and proceed with filling the engine.
Hi there,
Sorry to reopen old thread. It’s Kaleth. We finally have the bus home and have started to gut her. Feels good to have her home. Hope you’re well? So much has happened in our world since we last chatted online.
You said there were shutoff valves by the motor in this thread about taking the back heater out. Is that the heater off switch near the drivers seat? We have that closed. We were thinking of keeping the front heater and defrost. We want to just remove the back and reclose the loop. We’re hoping we could just find a 1 inch copper u joint that would fit the tubing. How did you handle yours? We’re hoping a mini split will take care of the rest of our heating and cooling needs.
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Old 04-19-2020, 08:01 PM   #8
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Hi there,
Sorry to reopen old thread. It’s Kaleth. We finally have the bus home and have started to gut her. Feels good to have her home. Hope you’re well? So much has happened in our world since we last chatted online.
You said there were shutoff valves by the motor in this thread about taking the back heater out. Is that the heater off switch near the drivers seat? We have that closed. We were thinking of keeping the front heater and defrost. We want to just remove the back and reclose the loop. We’re hoping we could just find a 1 inch copper u joint that would fit the tubing. How did you handle yours? We’re hoping a mini split will take care of the rest of our heating and cooling needs.
I used this to close the loop. Worked great. Used the existing couplers from the hoses I removed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 05-17-2020, 07:27 PM   #9
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Question about the passenger heaters

My wife and I are new to the skoolie game and trying to get the two passenger heaters out. We have a 2005 thomas rear engine bus. I read people mention the shut off valves and looping. I found two sets of turn of valves, one over the engine itself and the other that looks to be from the heater pump. But they all connect in a round about way. And I have one hose that runs from the back engine compartment all the way to the front and another that taps into each of the two heaters before connecting to the front. If I loop the two ports in the front, what feeds it with coolant? I want to make sure I keep the defroster. Any help would be great.
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