'99 BB to become a tiny home...

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

NO sq tubing would even remotely fit my Ward. The channels were some odd proprietary size. Nothing generic would fit at all.

That sucks. The screws would have been nice but standard tubing is the better of the two.

Congrats! I remember muddaEarth was able to find sq tubing that fit his nicely too.

Yeah that rat bastard!!! Found is the right word too. Walks into a scrap yard and there they are; all pre-cut and pennies on the dollar. Lucky SOB.

$92 for 100 feet in 10 ft sections. Metal house near me had it in 24 which would have been better since I want 36" pieces but it was almost $160. Metal fabrication shop quoted $229. And that was 20ft sections. WTH???

[Brewerbob]

It's been slow going but progress is being made. I've got all the metal for the roof raise now. All of the passenger side rivets are ground down and ready to come out. Driver's side has 24+ rivets. Front nose has a bunch yet too. One decent day and they would be done.

[Brewerbob]

Hat channel, winter lighting (if you squint you might can see it on), and the Blue Bird about to fly the coop.

[Drop out]

A lot of shops bid small jobs high because they would rather do big jobs.

Or they put a lot of margin in materials to try and make up for a competitive labor rate.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Drop out

A lot of shops bid small jobs high because they would rather do big jobs.

Or they put a lot of margin in materials to try and make up for a competitive labor rate.

$222 for 100ft of square in 20ft lengths. I got it for $92 in 10ft lengths. Would have been cheaper in 20ft but I used the car instead of the bus to fetch it. I understand some mark up but some =/= 200%!!!

Every time I look at my bus, I learn/figure something new out. Today while just sitting out there for lunch, I saw that the rear corners are overlapped more than I thought. Figured it was one row of rivets that needed to be removed. Today I saw, from the inside, that both rows of rivets have to be removed. Grrrr. Well, at least these rivets can be flappered from the inside.

Need to call the fab shop in the morning and tell them to go ahead with the hat channel pieces. 1 1/2" insulation + 3/4" ply + whatever floor covering = 2 1/2"+. Ceiling will be 2"+ of insulation. So, let's call it 5" total; my 15" roof raise will only net 10". The ribs are 1 15/16" thick all by themselves. I dunno how much I'll worry about thermal bridging.

Since the attachment didn't get saved right last time....

[cadillackid]

looks like this bus is about to blow its top real soon!!!! you gonna try to raise it and skin it before winter sets in real hard or wait till spring?
-Christopher

[Tango]

When I raised the roof on my 40' BBAA, I used 1-1/4 square tube riveted and welded inside sections of factory ribs. I ordered the repair ribs directly from BB. Note that BB is (or at least...was) unique in that their ribs were the only one piece ribs that went from side to side so what you got was a giant horseshoe shaped section. They did not sell anything less than a full arch.

I just cut what I needed (19") for the straight sections and used a couple of the arched portions to support the opened ends of the roof. Worked out great and the price (way back then) was less than I could get hat sections made for even with a little waste.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

looks like this bus is about to blow its top real soon!!!! you gonna try to raise it and skin it before winter sets in real hard or wait till spring?
-Christopher

The plan is to get my butt in gear and get it done soon. The plan however doesn't account for reality. In reality, it's getting dark at 4:30 and I work until 4. Weekends in PA instead of at the bus have brought work to a near stop.*

Originally Posted by Tango

When I raised the roof on my 40' BBAA, I used 1-1/4 square tube riveted and welded inside sections of factory ribs. I ordered the repair ribs directly from BB. Note that BB is (or at least...was) unique in that their ribs were the only one piece ribs that went from side to side so what you got was a giant horseshoe shaped section. They did not sell anything less than a full arch.

'99 Blue Bird uses single piece arches as well.

I just cut what I needed (19") for the straight sections and used a couple of the arched portions to support the opened ends of the roof. Worked out great and the price (way back then) was less than I could get hat sections made for even with a little waste.

$100 for 26* new pieces. I wouldn't mind real arches but 1) the waste you mentioned in the curves if nothing else 2) I'd have to go get them. I dunno if I want to go driving the bus with this many rivets out.

*Going to the bus at lunch. The guy at the sheet metal shop asked if I wanted holes in the new hat channel. That would save some time, effort, and sweat!!! Need to go measure the spacing. And verify rib count (gotta remember to do that!!). I'd hate to find out later I need 28. Might just have them make 30 and call it good with extras.

[Brewerbob]

So my $100 hat channel quote has changed. It's $190 now. But then the order itself also changed. I dunno if it change $92 worth but still. So, I need 32 ribs not 26. Rounded that up to 35 "just in case". I'm also having 3/16th" holes 2" on center put on one side of the flange. It'll be that much less drilling and they will be evenly spaced whereas if I did it, it would look like a drunk squirrel was chasing his own tail. It may be ready to be picked up before Thxgiving.

[Rusty]

Hey----

Where is everybody??? Awful quiet in here.

Is this thing raised yet or what?

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Hey----

Where is everybody??? Awful quiet in here.

Is this thing raised yet or what?

I need to add you guys to Facebook.

Time of death 15:33 for the last of the rivets!!!


Bob Rogers Damn it all to hell. Zombie rivets!!! I found 7 more I was otherwise ignoring. Got 5 of them out with the remaining air in the compressor tank. One needs ground more. Already rolled up the extension cord. And one that may need drilled. Still, close enough.

Next is cutting these into 39 1/3 inches. I'm thinking self tapping screws to secure the hat channel sections. Would be easier than drilling and plug welding. Thoughts on this? Both are 14 gauge.

[cadillackid]

im gonna bring the sawzall out and start slicin his bus in half!!



-Christopher

[Rusty]

Alright. As long as some work is getting done.

Next bus will go a lot quicker.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

im gonna bring the sawzall out and start slicin his bus in half!!

Attachment 17533

-Christopher

Don't bother packing it. I have an extra angle grinder with your name on it. Rusty is getting the manual hack saw.

[cadillackid]

6 inch wheel and 150 PSI of air will cut anything.. I love making sparks

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

6 inch wheel and 150 PSI of air will cut anything.. I love making sparks

Except when it's in the corner of two things you want to keep.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Rusty is getting the manual hack saw.

I'd still be faster than your molasses self.

I'm out busting tail- cold snap coming Wednesday. My alternator took a crap so I'm waiting on Fedex with my Bosch SB200, right Cadillac? 200 amps means I can charge 2 cellphones while using the wipers !

[Brewerbob]

That's also 166% more pressure than required. Plus the angle grinder is electric.

[cadillackid]

ive run down the road in the DEV bus with my SB200 running my CLi-Max A/C pulling 1100 watts and my 2 road A/C units maxxed out and still was at 13.2 volts..
-Christopher

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Rusty

I'd still be faster than your molasses self.

Left work twice this week due to inclement weather; sunny and 60°. I got real work to do. Real= bus.

They know it's only a matter of time before I roll out of there..