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10-30-2010, 02:01 PM
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#141
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bakersfield, California
Posts: 1,013
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach
Engine: Detroit 6-71 Mid-Ship Mounted
Rated Cap: 79 at Birth
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
The stairs are Awesome!!!
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11-06-2010, 02:37 AM
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#142
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Maiden voyage
So here it is 2:30am and later this morning we depart for the maiden voyage of the magic bus. I just spent the past 6 hours finishing up the bottom bunks and bolting the seats in. I'd be in bed now, but I'm icing my sore back and having a glass of wine. My goal was to have the bus ready at least for the family to sleep in it, and have seats with seatbelts to ride in, and that much I did accomplish. We'll be going down to a campground on the San Marcos River to do some canoeing and camping. Temps are supposed to get down in the 40's at night. I plan to bring a couple small electric space heaters. Last time I did this was when I first drove the bus home from Kansas a year ago. Even with the two 1500 watt heaters, it was pretty cold in there. So we'll see if the insulation made any difference. I do still have several original bus windows in place, but insulated the lower walls, some upper walls (with skinned windows) and the floor. I was too busy, and then too tired to take pics tonight, but will be sure to do so during our camping trip this weekend. Were supposed to leave at 9am and I haven't even packed yet. Okay, I guess it's time for bed...
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11-06-2010, 12:42 PM
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#143
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 575
Coachwork: Thomas
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
You're off and driving now! And camping Have fun!
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11-07-2010, 05:17 PM
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#144
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
So the bus did quite well on it's maiden voyage as a converted "motor home". I only have the basic framework up right now, so it mainly acted as a bunkhouse, but we were able to throw a ton of stuff and a bunch of people in there. From this first trip I realized that we will likely be doing our cooking outside primarily, so that makes me feel better about the tiny space I have allocated for a future kitchen. The interior layout is mostly seating and bedding, with only one window's worth of space on each side of the bus for the kitchen, and in the back is a small corner, the size of probably two windows, for a bathroom.
The place we went was an old, and somewhat run down, but beautiful campground with huge pecan trees providing lots of shade. We had the option of 15A or 30A electric, for a total of 45A if we had used them both. But my electric system was not quite finished enough to take advantage of the 30A this time, so we just ran 15A extension cords for the things we needed. There was only a community water spigot, so another thought I had is the importance of holding tanks. We had two small space heaters running at night, and the temps got down into the upper 30's. I don't know what the inside temp was in the bus, but I'm guessing in the 50's. One of the space heaters stopped working at some point during the night, which caused it to get a bit more chilly. I do have a lot of glass in the front of the bus, and later on will make some heavy curtains and possibly also insulated panels that can be inserted in the window openings during cold weather. I'll also have to get a better heater. I'll probably stick with electric heat for now, mainly due to ease of installation and I'm trying to avoid installing any propane if I can avoid it. I also plan to enclose the bunk room so it can be more efficiently heated at night, which is primarily when it gets cold down here in TX. Daytime temps are usually significantly warmer. For instance, after that 38 degree night, it got up into the mid-70's the next day.
Here are some pics of the trip:
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11-07-2010, 05:22 PM
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#145
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
The kids had a great time riding in the bus and hanging out in there at camp:
I love my old kerosene lanterns:
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11-08-2010, 07:49 PM
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#146
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty
Neat pics....reminds me of the weekends as a kid spent in one of dads skoolies. I'll throw this at ya though, regarding the kitchen. Keep in mind, plans change, and weather can change too. I'd have enough of a kitchen that I could still comfortably prepare meals should you hit a rainy spell. You're still in the framing stage, so now would be the time to reconsider, while any changes you might consider could be easily made.
Smitty
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Well, the kitchen will occupy that space right in front of the bunks on both sides. I will have a sink on one side with enough cabinet space for a drying rack, and above the sink will be upper storage cabinets, and on the opposite side of the bus facing the sink will be an empty counter top under which I will stow my propane camp stove and/or my portable electric range, both of which are two-burners, and under those will reside a cooler, and above the counter will be a toaster oven or microwave. The dining booth table can be used as a food prep area. Over the three open windows on both sides of the front will be upper cabinets for pots and pans and food. At some point I will also have an awning so we can still prepare food outside even if it's raining. Fact is, with a family of 5 and a 3/4 length bus, my options are limited. Minimum required seating and bedding needed dictated the size of the kitchen. If we were full-timing I would have got a 40 footer and had a bigger kitchen, but we wanted something that would fit in the driveway, be somewhat nimble in parking lots, and have as much seating as possible for extra passengers and so what we ended up with is what we've got. Compromises had to be made, and the kitchen got the short end of the stick. Still, I think it will be functional in a pinch. Maybe not for making a Thanksgiving dinner, but certainly good enough to make coffee, cook a can of beans, make a sandwich, or whatever. If I find that I need more kitchen space later on, I can always eliminate one of the benches from the dining booth and build out into that space without much difficulty. Or eliminate the opposing couch and reclaim 3 windows worth of space. But when I read about these people who live full time in vans, I figure, I've got plenty of space. Everything is relative.
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11-16-2010, 09:57 AM
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#147
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Bunk bed framing
Since the camping trip, I've been continuing to work on the bunk beds. Here you can see I've framed a ledge for the upper bunk to rest on. The upper bunks will slide up and down in a channel and I will use eye-bolts to hang them from above when it is not in use:
Here is a closer view of the driver side bunk. In the back is the rear heater for the cabin. I will have a grate on either side of the back door to the bunk room. The grates will open and close so that I can select whether to heat the bunk room or the back room or both. You can also see where I have built boxes around the wheel humps and insulated them. And of course there is paneling going up on the walls:
Here is a view from the back of the bunks. You can see that the driver side bunk extends about a foot farther back than the other bunk. This is where I will sleep. I am 6'4" after all. So I decided I would sacrifice a foot of potential bathroom space so I could stretch out completely while sleeping. Some lucky person on the top bunk on this side will also have a luxuriously long bed:
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11-29-2010, 12:52 AM
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#148
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Bunks almost finished
Framing of the bunks is now just about complete. Here is a pic of both bunks with the curb side upper bunk in the raised position and the driver side upper bunk in the sleeping position:
Here is a closer look at how I am suspending the upper bunks when not in use:
I still need to finish up the hooks for the driver side bunk. The one disadvantage of this setup is that the upper bunks are pretty heavy - especially the driver side bunk which is longer. It definitely requires two people to get them into the raised position. I may decide to use a pulley system to raise them, but for now I just want to get them functional.
Next step is to make guard rails for the upper bunks and cut the futons to size, then cut some foam pieces for the upper bunks. Ultimately the front and rear walls of the bunks will be sheeted in with paneling, but I'm waiting until I frame the kitchen and bathroom which both connect to the bunk area.
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11-30-2010, 06:49 PM
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#149
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elk Plain, WA.
Posts: 513
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DTA360
Rated Cap: 16
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
I'm digging the bunks... Very cool idea, might have to steal that one...
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12-01-2010, 11:43 AM
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#150
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Idaho
Posts: 575
Coachwork: Thomas
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Yeah that's a nice setup, minus the weight issue. Makes for great daybed on bottom. You planning on putting up backing to lean back on, maybe some seat belts down there?
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12-01-2010, 12:29 PM
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#151
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeria
Yeah that's a nice setup, minus the weight issue. Makes for great daybed on bottom. You planning on putting up backing to lean back on, maybe some seat belts down there?
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Yes, I cut a full-size futon mattress length-wise on the bottom bunk to fit the width of the platform, so I have a leftover piece that will act as a backing. I will repeat this on the other bottom bunk with another futon I have in the house. I also have a bunch of throw pillows to put in there. My original plan was to add seatbelts, and I probably will still do that eventually. I was also considering a moveable backrest that would rest against the wall when sleeping and then slide out mid-way to act as a backrest when seating is needed, but... I'm getting tired of engineering these bunks! People will just have to sit cross-legged or use lots of pillows if they want their feet on the floor. I think it will be mainly kids back there anyway. They can make do! I reserve the right to change my mind again later! It should be no problem to make changes to this area later on, but for now I want to get the basic bunks done so I can move on to the kitchen and bathroom.
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12-07-2010, 01:12 AM
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#152
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Outside electric
Well, I cut my first hole in the outside of the bus tonight. It's for an exterior electrical outlet. I also installed an outside light:
I will install another one on the driver's side. These are activated by switches on the grab rail panel next to the stairs. I haven't finished the wiring yet, so didn't get to actually install the outlet in that hole I cut . I realized that it would be better to build the kitchen cabinet frame that goes behind that light before finishing the wiring. I hope to start on that tonight. I'll post more pics once I have the cabinet framed and outside outlet installed.
BTW, anyone know how flammable the stock fiberglass insulation is? I cut the hole using an angle grinder, and was seeing a bit of smoldering in the insulation due to the heat and sparks. It quickly went out, but made me nervous.
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12-07-2010, 03:14 PM
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#153
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Bakersfield, California
Posts: 1,013
Year: 1976
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach
Engine: Detroit 6-71 Mid-Ship Mounted
Rated Cap: 79 at Birth
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Can you imagine what a doctor must feel like on their first operation? I got the shakes and sweats when it came time to do bus surgery for the first time
But it looks good DD
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12-07-2010, 05:22 PM
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#154
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 446
Year: 89
Coachwork: thomas
Engine: 7.3 diesel
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
I like the lite, where did you pick it up at? 12v correct?
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12-07-2010, 06:39 PM
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#155
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elk Plain, WA.
Posts: 513
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DTA360
Rated Cap: 16
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Be careful you can catch the insulation on fire pretty easy... I did it with both the plasma cutter and the grinder...
As for cutting holes in your bus, it gets easier... I've been cutting holes in my rigs for many a year... Beware, it can get addicting...
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12-07-2010, 08:07 PM
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#156
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
Quote:
Originally Posted by putterspitt
I like the lite, where did you pick it up at? 12v correct?
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Actually it's 110VAC - got it at Home Depot. I'm wiring my bus all AC for the sake of simplicity and economy of installation, plus I plan to be plugged in to shore power most of the time.
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12-08-2010, 11:06 AM
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#157
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dover, FL
Posts: 59
Year: 82
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: TransitLiner
Engine: Cummins 5.9l
Rated Cap: 72
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Re: Outside electric
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel Dan
Well, I cut my first hole in the outside of the bus tonight. It's for an exterior electrical outlet....
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funny you should mention that. I just did mine as part of a fix for the only real surface rust spot on the exterior. When I cut all the rust away back to good shiny metal, I noticed the hole was not too big to put an outlet in.
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12-11-2010, 01:05 AM
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#158
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Electrical ports done
Tonight I got the batteries and inverter hooked up and also installed electrical inlets and a vent for the battery compartment as well as a fan to help vent the gasses:
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12-14-2010, 12:33 PM
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#159
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,485
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Re: Diesel Dan's Skoolie
wow I like!
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01-12-2011, 12:25 AM
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#160
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
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Bus is now secure
Finally settled on a locking system for the front doors:
Perhaps not as slick as some other solutions, but I think it's at least cleaner looking than a padlock. The back door has a deadbolt on the inside, and the side door, well, I've been just using a spring clamp on the inside of that for the time being - it works fine but eventually I'll drill a hole through the bar and bar rest and stick a pin in there to lock it. The front door is the only one I need to be unlockable from the outside.
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