'92 40ft Thomas 8.3 RE Adventure Bus!

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Adventure Bus

Then it would be anchored at 4 points.

Needs some kind of quick release for the forward anchor points. The bus is on fire or I gotta pee NOWWWW. With a toilet on board it ain't that big a deal but the kids want off the bus and you need to fill the tank. The wife gets the boot whether she's getting off the bus or not. No dice.

Gives you a good reason to relocate the front door tho I don't know how that would work with your garage.

What would be even cooler.. 2 bench seats that can swivel so all 4 of us could be up front and buckled in while on the road.

Would a long single bench be long enough and still comfy? If so, you could leave the back permanently mounted and swivel the base over the top. Forward while driving. Flip it over while parked facing the rear of the bus. This would require relocating the door too. I don't have a clear idea of this "garage" but can you live with it being the ingress/egress for everything?

Kinda the opposite part flipping as I was thinking but still.

[Adventure Bus]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Needs some kind of quick release for the forward anchor points. The bus is on fire or I gotta pee NOWWWW. With a toilet on board it ain't that big a deal but the kids want off the bus and you need to fill the tank. The wife gets the boot whether she's getting off the bus or not. No dice.

Gives you a good reason to relocate the front door tho I don't know how that would work with your garage.

Would a long single bench be long enough and still comfy? If so, you could leave the back permanently mounted and swivel the base over the top. Forward while driving. Flip it over while parked facing the rear of the bus. This would require relocating the door too. I don't have a clear idea of this "garage" but can you live with it being the ingress/egress for everything?

Kinda the opposite part flipping as I was thinking but still.

Relocating the door is a possibility because the garage is on the drivers side. But it breaks rule number one of this build. Keep it simple. I don't want to be marred down in great ideas for years and keep adding to the to do list. I'd like to have it done in 2017 sometime.

And that chair isn't a bad idea just looks quite uncomfortable. Gonna be behind the wheel for hours at a time comfort is a premium and any kind of chair I could ghetto rig would guarantee to be uncomfortable.

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[Brewerbob]

Rip the old door out frame and all, cover with sheet metal, can opener new spot, weld in old frame. I heard 2017 is going to have some weekends in it. Some as early as 2 or 3 weeks from now.

[Adventure Bus]

Took a pic in the day light.


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[Adventure Bus]

So my wife ran by a few big rv dealers to snap pics and get ideas from the 350k dollar rigs and snagged a bunch of brochures with plans in them. A few things stand out.
The covering the stairs idea in front of the passenger swivel seat idea isn't anything new and looks quite simple in practice (of course these are square stairs and not as big but nothing insurmountable).
That just folds down easy.


Also... The kitchens in these things are way smaller than I thought. I was under the impression I'd need like 7 or 8 ft on one side and 4 or 5 ft of counter on the other side. Most of these have maybe 7 ft of counter total. Some only like 5 or so. I think I may shrink mine some to allow more living/dining room.

Found a few other neat ideas I may try and implement as well like: a removable table in between the two swivel chairs

And a slide out counter top/cabinet to use while cooking and roll away when not in use:

And a garbage holder spot that can be removed from outside of the bus :


Of course I'm not expecting mine to look all that fancy and the appeal of a bus is that it's unique to us, but these companies have spent years on space saving designs and unique ways of doing things, I'm going to use as much insight and ideas as I can. Of course many of the floor plans are useless to me because all of these use a slide out of some sort, but the little details are interesting.

Can't wait to get started.

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[Tango]

Great idea to study the high dollar rigs. There are some good ideas there...even if they are stix & staples.

[BurlKing]

its a great idea, i agree. i do that all the time too, i just google expensive rv interior or what not and browse the pictures all the time and get ideas. We might not get it to look as sleek but like tango said there are good space saving ideas.

a little envious if she got to tour all the high end ones in person though.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Adventure Bus

That just folds down easy.

Where is the passenger in relation to the driver? I want them exactly side by side.

Also... The kitchens in these things are way smaller than I thought. I was under the impression I'd need like 7 or 8 ft on one side and 4 or 5 ft of counter on the other side. Most of these have maybe 7 ft of counter total. Some only like 5 or so. I think I may shrink mine some to allow more living/dining room.

You need 3 ft to cut/prep stuff. Someplace to put hot pots. I'd like at least a 3 burner stove with oven but then I like cooking.

Found a few other neat ideas I may try and implement as well like: a removable table in between the two swivel chairs

Slightly bigger table I think. Use it as the dining table. Keep the pole or have it attached to the wall behind the driver's seat and foldable. If attached you could do a table top that folds out like a tri or quad fold door. Put the pole behind the passenger seat.

And a slide out counter top/cabinet to use while cooking and roll away when not in use:

[/quote]And this gives you is a slide out counter top. You're losing storage by the slide only to get it back by the cabinet itself. Easier, cheaper, and quicker to do just the pull out counter top.

And a garbage holder spot that can be removed from outside of the bus :

[/quote]This I really like. Put as close to an air tight seal as you can get especially for your TX summers. One of those nose pickers of yours is going to throw a hotdog in there that's going to ferment.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by BurlKing

a little envious if she got to tour all the high end ones in person though.

Went to the RV show in Hersey; one of the if not THE largest RV show in the US. I walked thru a few of the big rigs but at the time I was hunting for the Ford Transits. Found the Sprinters but not much for the Transit.

[cadillackid]

one thing to think about is turning your stairway 90 degrees.. if you leave your skoolie door and even the skoolie floor.. you could always angle your entrace steps so that you enter the bus where the first seat currently is.. allowing you to put a co-pilot seat almost dead center on the floor..

the Prevost that i used to drive to florida every year for a couple friends had that setup.. you came in the door and immediately turned to the left as you came up the steps.. most Prdvosts didnt have co-pilot seats on te lower level but this one did.. you could cut a little bit of your floor out to add a step and still not run into your fuel tank.. and it also makes the area where your fuel tank service plate as your entry-way.. so it can stay intact (uncovered for service)..

just something to think about.
-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

one thing to think about is turning your stairway 90 degrees.. if you leave your skoolie door and even the skoolie floor.. you could always angle your entrance steps so that you enter the bus where the first seat currently is.. allowing you to put a co-pilot seat almost dead center on the floor..

the Provost that i used to drive to Florida every year for a couple friends had that setup.. you came in the door and immediately turned to the left as you came up the steps.. most Provosts didn't have co-pilot seats on te lower level but this one did.. you could cut a little bit of your floor out to add a step and still not run into your fuel tank.. and it also makes the area where your fuel tank service plate as your entry-way.. so it can stay intact (uncovered for service)..

just something to think about.
-Christopher

Fuel tank there on a front engine bus makes sense but is it in the same place for a RE?

Hmm, got any pics of this setup? Do you lose tread on the stairs? I still kinda like the fold out stairs on the RVs and getting rid of the stairwell altogether.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Fuel tank there on a front engine bus makes sense but is it in the same place for a RE?

Hmm, got any pics of this setup? Do you lose tread on the stairs? I still kinda like the fold out stairs on the RVs and getting rid of the stairwell altogether.

hmmm maybe the tank isnt there... i keep forgetting its an RE not an FE...

i dont have any pics.. they sold that bus a couple years ago.. since there was a bit of a cut into the bus floor the steps were no steeper.. and being indoors the stairs werent slippery.. (if I remember the stair treads were heated in fact).. the second seat was right in the middle so there was still plenty of room to get out of the driver seat and and get out.. I do remember the seat wet back fairly far too as to make it easy for the driver..

the closeness of the seat made it easier to have a conversation with the rider.. I know in my conventional school bus.. its noisy enough that its hard to talk to a person who is standing in the stairwell while going down the highway.. (I use it as an example if you were going to put a co pilot seat where the stairs currently are.) since you are RE, noise wont be near as much an issue.. but there is still wind noise ..
-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

hmmm maybe the tank isnt there... i keep forgetting its an RE not an FE...

I have no idea. If it was a car, it would be in the same place but since they build these with the body off, there's no reason they couldn't put it somewhere different. The shorter the fuel run the better.

i dont have any pics..

Damn it all to hell.

since you are RE, noise wont be near as much an issue.. but there is still wind noise ..
-Christopher

Tire noise alone... buses are NOT quiet places until you get to the coaches.

[Adventure Bus]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Where is the passenger in relation to the driver? I want them exactly side by side.

You need 3 ft to cut/prep stuff. Someplace to put hot pots. I'd like at least a 3 burner stove with oven but then I like cooking..

Ya, I am going to make ours a bit smaller than intended and push the wood stove over a bit for more living room space, on a side note, my wife was looking at a bunch of skoolies on pinterest and saw one that the back bedroom was so small, like all mattress turned sideways, we are thinking of adopting that, can change in the bathroom. Its all about priorities and having the front living area big enough to stretch out and not feel cramped is more important to us than being able to walk around our bed. Or we could use that space for more closet space. Time will tell.

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Slightly bigger table I think. Use it as the dining table. Keep the pole or have it attached to the wall behind the driver's seat and foldable. If attached you could do a table top that folds out like a tri or quad fold door. Put the pole behind the passenger seat..

This was just thought of in addition to the dining table, but will depend on how much room is there with the stairs and all that, just random thought. The dining table will probably start behind the drivers seat and fold out across the way, thinking of a 2 fold table, first fold makes it just big enough for 2 or for use while driving, the second makes it all the way to the U or L shaped couch to pack more people around it... its a design in progress, only real issue with that is that it would block the door, so if dinner guests are still arriving you cant put the table out all the way. Ill tweek that a bit.

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

And this gives you is a slide out counter top. You're losing storage by the slide only to get it back by the cabinet itself. Easier, cheaper, and quicker to do just the pull out counter top...

But I feel this would be so much stronger than just a slide out counter top, if its just a wood countertop extension and you set a big pot or something it would be wobbly, May do some high end drawer slides and just a wood extension because its easier, but idk, and if the whole cabinet slides it makes whatever is in there accessible even if you have it out.

[Adventure Bus]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Where is the passenger in relation to the driver? I want them exactly side by side..

Oh, they were exactly even, on my bus there may be a few inches, the chair currently sits even with the stairs, her seat will be mounted as close to the stairs as possible and mine will move back some, im a big guy and there isn't currently enough room, so they will be real close to even when Im done.

[Adventure Bus]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

one thing to think about is turning your stairway 90 degrees..
just something to think about.
-Christopher

This isn't a bad idea, but I think right behind and a little right of the copilot seat ill be doing a couch, really right in front of the passenger seat is probably the best place for the stairs, keeps it out of the way of everything else and a cover for her to put her feet on will solve the issue I think.
Though I am still thinking of doing a dual swivel seat up there... I saw some sprinter van seats online that someone did a swivel on both.. I may dig into that a bit and see if there is room up there for both to spin 180. That way the kids can ride up front sometimes if they want.... Although I foresee a TV and Xbox in this thing so I doubt they'll want to ride up front with us.

[Adventure Bus]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the closeness of the seat made it easier to have a conversation with the rider.. I know in my conventional school bus.. its noisy enough that its hard to talk to a person who is standing in the stairwell while going down the highway.. (I use it as an example if you were going to put a co pilot seat where the stairs currently are.) since you are RE, noise wont be near as much an issue.. but there is still wind noise ..
-Christopher

Ya the noise was pretty significant, not so much engine noise on the RE but still some wind noise, but a few of the windows were cracked and not sealed well and once I insulate (still really wanting to save money for spray foam DIY) then it should be a lot better, and Ill delete about a third of the windows all together probably, then try and seal the ones in there better, and having a mattress over the engine, and a real RV door instead of the folding one I think all combined will make for a quieter rig.
I will be using the original windows for the most part. So ill be looking for a better way to seal them and make them more efficient. Im just not dealing with installing a ton of windows, the only notable exception being the boys bunk area, ill delete the ones in there and install a very small RV window so they can peek out through curtains but not have a massive window right next to their bed. May do the same thing in the bathroom, haven't decided yet.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Adventure Bus

my wife was looking at a bunch of skoolies on pinterest

D'oh!!!! Didn't even think of using pinterest for that.

we are thinking of adopting that, can change in the bathroom. Its all about priorities and having the front living area big enough to stretch out and not feel cramped is more important to us than being able to walk around our bed. Or we could use that space for more closet space. Time will tell.

Futon or folding mattress; a coach when not folded down but still a place to hide from the kids. Folded down, all mattress.

This was just thought of in addition to the dining table, but will depend on how much room is there with the stairs and all that, just random thought. The dining table will probably start behind the drivers seat and fold out across the way, thinking of a 2 fold table, first fold makes it just big enough for 2 or for use while driving, the second makes it all the way to the U or L shaped couch to pack more people around it... its a design in progress, only real issue with that is that it would block the door, so if dinner guests are still arriving you cant put the table out all the way. Ill tweek that a bit.

I'm waiting.

But I feel this would be so much stronger than just a slide out counter top, if its just a wood countertop extension and you set a big pot or something it would be wobbly,

I'm just going to throw this out about here...



The full size RVs have slide outs that don't bounce around. Hell, BUILDINGS have slide outs. And you're going to do what on it; cut some really tough carrots?

Seriously tho, there are slides more than tough enough. For the semi cheap I'd look at computer server rack slides. Probably cheaper in price than the cheap quality crap you'll get at Home Depot. I dunno what the slide rails are rated for in the racks but I can certainly find out. Heavier than your stock pot for sure.

May do some high end drawer slides and just a wood extension because its easier, but idk, and if the whole cabinet slides it makes whatever is in there accessible even if you have it out.

Cutting a hole in your cabinet face and then locking a roll away cabinet in there while the bus is in motion sounds like more work than a slot and rails screwed into the sides of a butcher block to me.

And I didn't think of it until I typed it but I'd go with a butcher block too. Not some little board glued to 3/4" ply. Get/make a 2~3" thick SLAB of wood. You'll replace the bus before you replace the cutting board. Burn it with a torch and it won't matter if you put a hot pot on it even. There has to be a temp rated clear coat out there.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Adventure Bus

Oh, they were exactly even, on my bus there may be a few inches, the chair currently sits even with the stairs, her seat will be mounted as close to the stairs as possible and mine will move back some, im a big guy and there isn't currently enough room, so they will be real close to even when Im done.

Hmm, didn't think of moving the driver's seat. Never drove a bus. If you don't have the leg room, I won't likely either.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Adventure Bus

Although I foresee a TV and Xbox in this thing so I doubt they'll want to ride up front with us.

Make a deal with them...
They can bring whatever TV and console they want but they have to carry the extension cord for it. 250 miles of extension cord is HEAVY. They don't need to know that you'll have power on board just yet. It'll make them think a little. Stretch their brains a bit.