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Old 07-29-2012, 10:42 PM   #101
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Now you tell me.:/

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Old 07-30-2012, 04:09 PM   #102
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

You could throw in some yeller and make her a Oregon Duck bus....... Green & Yellow.lol
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Old 08-05-2012, 10:49 AM   #103
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Wisconsin DMV won't allow yellow on converted school buses. *shrug*

What color of green did you use? Ours is a dark green, Rustoleum with nearly 2 pints of black added. The rustoleum silver shouldn't be used for wide coverage btw as the bugger separates in seconds, even with electric shaker. Looks weird and bad on large areas. Definitely a detail thing.
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Old 08-05-2012, 04:49 PM   #104
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreyEagle
You could throw in some yeller and make her a Oregon Duck bus....... Green & Yellow.lol

reminds me i gotta screw on the ducks sign i bought on the back....
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Old 02-04-2013, 09:44 AM   #105
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Lessons learned from nearly two years in this skoolie.

Don't under estimate the need for insulation and vapor barriers on the walls.
Bus has had no problems with the ceiling, which we left factory style. The walls got barely half inch of padding on top of the factory, with a vapor barrier. The walls are COLD. This might be due to the factory windows. However, the deal is the condensation drip factors we can't see. Had the chance to pull a wall board to check a spot for a new electrical outlet and eeww. Yeah. Damp. Mold. Nasty.

Kids have developed sinus problems. Could be we're in the Northwest but I doubt that is the whole of the problem.

Insulate. Prepare for condensation. Our wintering experience generally has us above freezing and on electrical heat, rarely propane furnace. Days in the 40-50s, nights usually 40s. Condensation isn't a problem in 50plus that I've noticed.

Oh and the ONE area on the floor that has no insulation is under the floor heater in the back of the bus. It has to be cleaned weekly due to the HUGE white and black mold growth that happens there. Defintely don't skip spots.

Yes, I do think 21' interior space is enough for four adults (okay, teens but one turns 18 this year). I get asked this a lot on the road. The key is to make each their own living space and always allow space for everyone to lay down without having to pull out, make up beds. Give storage, easily accessible for personal items. And spend a lot of time out doors. We also have two cats now and they love exploring.

Defintely our last year in this bugger. Still working on finding other RVing, and even renting a house for next year or two get it done. Was going to buy land but all land deals we find fall through. Doh. So working on getting either a shuttle this year to convert or traditional RV (*scream bloody murder*).

There is never enough storage space. And I'm not a packrat! Think storage inside and out. Or tow a utility trailer ;)

OR state parks don't care for unusual vehicles as volunteers exposed to the public. That was our experience after months of volunteering. Oh well, we didn't find their lack of organization to be worth giving our time.

Dog-nosed school buses, especially painted green attract a LOT of police attention. We even had a diner tell us not to park near them, people think they serve inmates. O.O But we were dining there! Geeze. Yeah, bus is painted totally silver now. or will be once I finish a couple more spots.

Factory windows are nice but if I there had been time way back when I would have splurged to get better insulated, RV style windows put in. More work, more money, less condensation problems and less of the 'school bus' look. Which really draws more attention than I care to have.

TV mounts on the ceiling might not be as secure as you think. O.O

A freezer 5cu size is GREAT. Wouldn't ever go without in any type setup. And with a thermastat control thingy (see this board for more on that) you can use it as a fridge when need be.

Clothing and linens must be aired and rotated weekly. In a house I did this once a month. Here, they get nasty smelling fast if not rotated. Also, never put clothing items near a wall. They get wet, fast. Same for electronics.

Not having a toad is a bitch and I won't do it again. Love to drive Fran but unhooking everytime I want to go somewhere is a pain and some places I want to go are National Forest owned, which means big things like this won't fit. Get a tow setup!!!

Think that's all for now.
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Old 02-04-2013, 11:59 AM   #106
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeria
... Don't under estimate the need for insulation and vapor barriers on the walls.
Bus has had no problems with the ceiling, which we left factory style. The walls got barely half inch of padding on top of the factory, with a vapor barrier. The walls are COLD. This might be due to the factory windows. However, the deal is the condensation drip factors we can't see. Had the chance to pull a wall board to check a spot for a new electrical outlet and eeww. Yeah. Damp. Mold. Nasty.
Bear in mind that we live in a very dry NM desert. We have been in our bus for a little over a year. Until recently, the only insulation we had was the factory stuff. We have not ha any moisture/mold problems. We only have 1" radiant barrier foam sheathing on the wall with laminate flooring over that. We kept the factory windows as well. No drips, even after I take a steaming hot shower. We welcome what little humidity we generate. That is liable to change when we finally move back east to a high humidity area. At that point we plan on buying a small dehumidifier.

Based on what I have read on RV forums, you have three choices:
#1. Change location to a drier area.
#2. Buy several tubs of that DampRid type stuff
#3. Dehumidifier (either house type or marine type) and run the drain either outside or into the waste drains.

Quote:
Insulate. Prepare for condensation... Definitely don't skip spots.
Can't stress the need for both INSULATION and THERMAL BREAKS enough.

Quote:
There is never enough storage space.
No there's not. It is a constant battle. Every few months you need to go thru clothing and toss part, go thru books & magazines and toss part, pantry and toss. You are always fighting the accumulation. Doesn't matter what size you are in. Your stuff will expand to fill any and all existing space and then overflow that space searching for more space to fill. We've been in the bus right at a year and I have gone thru the clothes several times. We keep a specific amount of clothes. When it creeps up by one or two items, something gets tossed. Also when we rotate our clothes for the seasonal change, we pack up only the decent stuff and trash the damaged or items that need to be ironed. We keep one set of "dirty job" clothes. Since we shop at thrift stores (currently the local Goodwill store) for clothing, we can replace clothes cheaply and often for less that we could at Wal-Mart.

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OR state parks don't care for unusual vehicles as volunteers exposed to the public. That was our experience after months of volunteering.
Not just OR parks. We aren't interested in volunteering. We still need money to live on.

Quote:
Factory windows are nice but if I there had been time way back when I would have splurged to get better insulated, RV style windows put in. More work, more money, less condensation problems and less of the 'school bus' look. Which really draws more attention than I care to have.
We has so few of the factory windows (9 in 40 ft... not counting the 1/2 window in the shower) that I don't think it is that noticeable. I like that I can open the windows a bit when it rains. We will be making a plexiglass interior "storm window" for winter use before next winter rolls around.

Quote:
TV mounts on the ceiling might not be as secure as you think.
And that is why we mounted the living room TV in the top section of the fireplace mantle (on plywood) where the old mirror was. The rear TV (when we get one) will be installed on a removable wall (removable so we can get appliances in/out)

Quote:
A freezer 5cu size is GREAT.
A 12 cf upright freezer is fantastic!

Quote:
Clothing and linens must be aired and rotated weekly... Also, never put clothing items near a wall. They get wet, fast. Same for electronics.
We have not had that problem. Clothes have been hanging up against the original factory insulated wall with no problems. I keep several extra quilts and seasonal clothes in my cedar chest. I have 6 drawers (2 plastic stacks) that Ive been using to hold "foldable" clothes in until we get a closet built. I think the desert dryness has a great deal to do with this but I also didn't have a moisture problem in the Class C in high humidity GA, NC, TN when we fulltimed in the Class C (Fall 2006 until we left NC in Summer 2009).

Quote:
Not having a toad is a bitch... Get a tow setup!!!
Most definitely! Either a towed or small scooter. While we have the Jeep, we would like to pick up a small 250cc touring scooter. This would give David transportation while I'm at work with the Jeep. Plus we could both ride on it to make sightseeing trips. The Jeep is not very cheap on gas.


This is not our first time full-timing. After decades of "extended" camping trips, fulltiming in the pop-up and fulltiming in the Class C we applied what we had learned to the bus.


As for land.... we are thinking of picking up an unimproved lot here to satisfy any gov officials. All we need is an "RV space" to park on and a brush cutter/weedeater with a carbide tipped blade. I've cleared plenty of land like that... along with the Jeep as a tractor for pulling downed trees & stumps. I hope to find a similar place in what ever state we end up moving to. Then we will either sell the Livingston lot (hopefully for a profit) or hang onto it and just pay the yearly HOA dues and land taxes, both of which are pretty low in case we end up moving to "no income tax" TX. I get tired of paying out-of-state tax rates (usually double of resident rates). David says he can't handle TN (no state income tax) winters anymore.
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Old 02-15-2013, 10:40 AM   #107
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Thanks for the dry weather input. Maybe after the next bus is built I can get these guys to hit the dry lands That 12cuf freezer of yours needs to be moved into my bus. Come on, you know you wanna donate it
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Old 02-15-2013, 11:34 AM   #108
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by lornaschinske
I've cleared plenty of land like that... along with the Jeep as a tractor for pulling downed trees & stumps.
A school bus also works well at pulling stumps. I'll do futile tugging with my small tractor, until I remember I've got a bus. A stout chain and a short run, and plop.
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Old 02-15-2013, 08:42 PM   #109
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeria
...That 12cuf freezer of yours needs to be moved into my bus. Come on, you know you wanna donate it
That freezer was Stacey's first "major appliance purchase". She was so upset that she couldn't put it into the class C. But she does have the 4.4 cf freezer in the Class C and it holds plenty of food for her. The 12 CF stayed mostly empty. It's really too big for a single.She wanted us to just "baby sit"it at first until she could come up with the $$ to buy her own skoolie. She has since realized that it will take her longer to save up the money plus we will help her buy a new freezer, if she needs one, in her own "new-to-her" skoolie. The poor economy is really beating her up. I know the government says the economy is doing so much better but, like us, she is still dealing with her own private recession.


I LOVE HAVING A BIG FREEZER!!!!! The 12 cf will easily hold 6 to 8 weeks of frozen food.
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Old 05-21-2013, 08:55 AM   #110
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Despite my own words I went ahead and painted the entire bus in Rusto's aluminium paint. Thing with it is the reflection shows every little detail. So yeah, it doesn't look at smooth and pro as the thinned green paint did but from the road it looks like an Airstream gone bus-wild! Can't believe how many people ask us if it is.

Photo found here (also shows the old custom green)
here, whichever works

the top of the hood is done in a matte grey to match the silver. Found it too shiny to drive with. The details have been done over in Rusto's black and looks MUCH better than the custom green details we left on originally.

The top is painted in the silver as well. We had that iso rubber coating on top but it looked weird with the silver so painted whole thing. MUCH better looking in our opinion.

We also redid some of the interior. Ripped out the old single bed in the back and put in a queen size high bed which allowed us to store tanks, tools, etc with an easy crawl space and the center of the bed designed much like the front bed, laid across support boards so I can remove it if need arises. Redid the kitchen stand and stove area to make more storage and stick with the rustic farm design look I love so much. LOVE the new counter space. Can bake, make any food, knead bread, etc with plenty of space. Lovin' it!

Next is the front bed shelves, should be done this week with those.

We are still planning on moving into another RV eventually, but as plans are delayed we figured we'd make this one more comfortable for the weight. Now if I can just figure how to expand the space for a 12cft freezer!

We are having trouble getting the plug out for this years oil change. grrr We had a full tune up deal last year and the guys machine tightened it so we can't do the oil ourselves. A plot I'm sure. Any ideas how to loosen that thing?
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Old 05-21-2013, 10:11 AM   #111
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
machine tightened it
Not sure what that means, if you are saying they used an impact wrench that would be really unusual. If that is all is, you should be able to do it yourself with a six point socket and a long breaker bar. It should "crack" loose and them come out easily. If it comes out hard all the way, they may have cross threaded it. There are some ways to deal with that. It's been a long time since I have done anything like that, They used to make oversized drain plugs that would cut their own threads. There is also a robber drain plug that works kind of like a thermos stopper.

Dick
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Old 05-21-2013, 11:27 AM   #112
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

You might also use a hammer and cold chisel or flat screwdriver to gently tap the plug all around its perimeter on the flats to break the hold. I've found this helps a lot. But then, yes after the tapping, use an extension bar. Speaking of impact wrenches, I've also found those helpful in removing stubborn bolts. Over-tightening an oil drain plug should be a punishable crime!
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Old 12-23-2013, 11:21 AM   #113
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

2014 Update. Time has come to say goodbye to skoolie living. Selling Fran.
Building a home out of a bus and drivin' around the Northwest has been interesting and not something we'll forget. We've learned a lot from the experience. The time to settle down is approaching, gears are shifting. We'll be selling Fran this year and taking one last road trip around the NW and SW of the USA via truck+travel trailer before settling down on the homestead. So this thread is now, well, complete.
Maybe one day, once the kids are all out on their own I'll get a shorty and build a nifty, cozy just for two skoolie for weekend trips. Until then, thank you to everyone for the great tips, advice and inspiration!

*wave* And have a great new year!
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Old 12-30-2013, 10:58 AM   #114
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

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Old 12-30-2013, 11:15 AM   #115
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Re: Fran (Sinclair) skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeria
2014 Update. Time has come to say goodbye to skoolie living. Selling Fran.
Building a home out of a bus and drivin' around the Northwest has been interesting and not something we'll forget. We've learned a lot from the experience. The time to settle down is approaching, gears are shifting. We'll be selling Fran this year and taking one last road trip around the NW and SW of the USA via truck+travel trailer before settling down on the homestead. So this thread is now, well, complete.
Maybe one day, once the kids are all out on their own I'll get a shorty and build a nifty, cozy just for two skoolie for weekend trips. Until then, thank you to everyone for the great tips, advice and inspiration!

*wave* And have a great new year!
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Old 03-15-2015, 06:12 PM   #116
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Here we still are, driving and living in Fran. Life makes some weird turns at times. Heart attack in 2014 has kept us in the bus for now because I used our savings to pay off medical bills. Can't stand having bills.
Now that's done we are heading out to Idaho to see about settling down for a few years and retiring Fran.
Love the new look of the forums. vbull, not bad.
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Old 03-16-2015, 05:09 PM   #117
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seeria View Post
He also showed us what was wrong with the heat guage (coolant temp) and what to do to replace it ourselves (no fee charged for instruction and testing YaY).
So far
I know this is kind of old but I have the same problem. All gauges work except coolent temp. Gauge.
Did you fix the gauge or did you replace it with an aftermarket one?
What was wrong with it ?
Thanks!
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Old 03-16-2015, 08:48 PM   #118
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Hank.
I didn't read all messages in this thread yet but hope to follow you on what you did to recover from a lack of response on the temp gauge.
Bizarre! I fought with mine for half the day today!
My coolant temp gauge is the only one that does not work.
I don't know if it is my sending unit or the wire to it.
I used a homemade test light and got power at the gauge. There are 3 connections on the back of the gauge. I understand one is power, one goes to the sender/sensor. Is the third contact ground?
I am cracking up at the fact that three of us are dealing with this!
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Old 04-22-2015, 01:14 PM   #119
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We replaced it ourselves again with a new one and still no luck on getting it to work. Wish we know what is up but don't. Electrical search would cost more than we're willing to put out for something that "may not turn up" as one mechanic said. Risky to go without, yes. We use old style techniques, like slow climbs, no more than 1500 without a 20min rest. We watch the other guages, watch how hot rad and hoses get. Five years and never had it overheat so far. Yearly oil changes, filters, lubes, etc. We don't drive in hot temps either. 80 F plus we never do longer than an hour and only IF we must. Only time our alarm goes off (temp guage doesn't work but alarm does) is if we climb elevation too fast. Even at 30f outside, we go 1500 feet and take a picnic break.
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Old 11-09-2015, 10:34 AM   #120
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Update. We no longer own this bus, but will try to respond to questions. Can't guarantee the timeliness of a response.
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