Declaration of Independence

[skooliedave]

I've been lurking here, and elsewhere, for a good while now, and dreaming, and thinking how cool it'd be to have a skoolie as an RV.

Random chance gave me the opportunity, and a mighty big challenge. She's a 1971 IH/Superior school bus that had seen service with schools, at least one church, and as a deer blind.

I've started a blog with pictures, at http://daves-old-bus.blogspot.com. Check it out.

--Dave

[wtd]

She's a 1971 IH/Superior school bus that had seen service ... as a deer blind.

How'd they get it up the tree?



Good luck!
Tom

[skooliedave]

After about three weekends of back-and-forth, monkeying with carb gaskets and such, Declaration of Independence finally got to come home. Fifty mile drive, and after the first ten square-tire miles, she rode just fine. Top speed is about 55 on this underpowered old girl, but I'm "happier than a tornado in a trailer park." Didn't even rattle too very much, except for where the aluminum panels were tacked on insufficiently tight.

Pics, and an update on my blog, later this evening. We've already started gutting the deer-blind interior; in less than four hours, we've already stripped the cabinets and bunks down the driver side, and started on the door-side.

--SkoolieDave

[skooliedave]

I've updated my blog, at http://daves-old-bus.blogspot.com. We finished the gutting of the interior, and it looks *wonderfully* empty.

--Dave

[swinada]

looking good, and good to hear that you made it home safely.
Happy converting to you.

[skooliedave]

I started peeling skin out this evening--and sure enough, there's not a *shred* of insulation in there, so it looks like I made a good call taking all that off. But, as other threads have noted, there are three jillion and two rivets to grind off. Fun....

But I have a question... Anyone know where to find replacement door rubbers? How about replacement windshield gasket? This rig has four panes of glass in the front, with no metal between 'em, just more window gasket...I'll take pics if it helps. But two of the front panes--the big ones--and one in the back--one of the big ones--will need to be replaced. My plan is to regasket all of that glass, as the rubber is very dry, and very brittle.

--Dave

[Abbott]

there are three jillion and two rivets to grind off.

I found drilling the rivets out worked much better for me then grinding them off.

[skooliedave]

Originally Posted by Abbott

I found drilling the rivets out worked much better for me then grinding them off.

In getting started the last two nights, I've found out the same thing. Might be variations in technique or something, but my cordless drill does a fine job of that, for an hour or two at a time (then recharge the battery). I'm off work all next week, and going to get all the sheet metal out of the inside of the bus, so I'll probably need to get a corded drill.

I've already learned something really, really important about this sort of work. As I've read about all the great projects people have done, it's always looked like a lot of fun. And it is!

--Dave