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Old 09-21-2017, 11:01 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Gulfport, MS
Posts: 154
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Bluebird All American Re
Engine: Cat 3126
Hindsight, regrets, mistakes, and do-overs

Hello everybody, finally bought our bus last weekend! I have been reading, A LOT! With all the reading, I have learned how to do a whole bunch of conversion related things (thanks to all of you who post). What I would also like to know, which may be just as important, is what regrets or mistakes have you made during your build that others beginning their projects could learn from? You know they say hindsight is 20/20, what would you do over or not do at all if you could go back to that part of your project. Fill in the blank, if I had it to do over I would ____________________

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Old 09-22-2017, 07:36 AM   #2
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Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,497
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 24v
Rated Cap: 72 pax
I love my bus. I think it is perfect for what I am planning (weekend camper/rv) but I saw a couple come around that after that already had the seats out, or painted, or had a 466. So I know I got a good deal, and I am happy.

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Old 09-22-2017, 07:40 AM   #3
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
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My biggest regret was taking the first bus that came along way back when. It was a thomas with a Ford gas engine and 545. Glad to have nice buses now!
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Old 09-22-2017, 10:22 AM   #4
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First bus did not account for how much condinsation there is when you are living in a bus. Just got our new bus and we are going to take out the original Windows and put some house windows we got we will see.
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Old 09-22-2017, 02:30 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jellyfungi1987 View Post
put some house windows we got we will see.
I was told not to use house windows due to glass safety and longevity issues. Search for the post on here.
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Old 09-22-2017, 04:08 PM   #6
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Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
I'm presently paneling my interior side walls and framing all my windows with pine surrounds. One thing has become very clear to me while doing this project - I HATE WOOD! I hate its softness, its inconsistency, its tendency to split/splinter/crack/warp/bow/rot/etc, its complete lack of reliable strength, its general all-around bloody uselessness! If I ever were to do another bus conversion there would be NO wood in it at all. I'm used to working with metals, and I find it very frustrating that I cannot make things in wood to the same standards as if from steel or aluminum. I'll be making my kitchen overhead cabinets entirely from aluminum, and if they turn out well I may do the same for other cabinets.

Ah, I feel better now. Rant over.

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Old 09-22-2017, 04:38 PM   #7
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: North carolina
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Year: 1986
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford
Engine: Detroit 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
There are only two things that I regret as of now.
My power train is not what I expected as far as road speed but you already have a bus so I hope you were on this forum and studied before you bought.
I built a for beds and storage into the bus for 2 young boys or enough to sleep 4 and it has served us well in the last 4-years but now my young boys are grown and getting ready for college so I don't need 4 beds anymore and my wife wants to repurpose the space.
Not I problem cause I built it and I know how every single piece is fastened so I don't have to worry about damaging anything during DEMO like I do at my work doing demo cause you don't know anything about what your demo'ing except that it has to go.
I can't say that at the time I didnt think about 5-years down the road and my kids growing up and leaving. I was building a family camper.
But now It's time to repurpose the space, good bit of extra work that could have been spent elsewhere.
If I would have thought more long term then the boys would have probably been in hammocks.
Hopefully I got this right this time????
Added a pic of my interior that shows my boys beds with main walls that define the kitchen and living area.
I know it looks like there's junk everywhere but these are old pics.
Now it has the ladies touch with curtains and the like so I guess new pics are in order.
Good luck
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Old 09-22-2017, 10:20 PM   #8
Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Gulfport, MS
Posts: 154
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Bluebird All American Re
Engine: Cat 3126
Thanks for all the responses so far! This is starting to become the thread I hoped it would be. Keep them coming! It is great to be able to search the vast knowledge base on skoolie.net but being able to learn from other people's trials and experience and possibly get some great ideas in the process is invaluable!

As for the bus I got, yeah I did a lot of reading. Scored a 2000 Bluebird All American rear engine in good shape with 150k miles, it has the Allison 3060 trans and Cat 3126 engine. Runs and drives great, has air suspension front and rear. Accelerates great for a big ol bus and will still run 65 on slight hills and 70 on fairly level roads at 2250 rpm.

Thanks again for the posts so far, encourage others to post things they wish they could change or do over on their conversions so we can all learn from the experience of others.
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Old 09-23-2017, 09:57 AM   #9
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Location: Kansas
Posts: 224
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 8.3 Cummins, 643
I started with a smaller bus and after many hours of work decided that a 40' RE would meet our needs better I wish I had all that time into our current bus. In my defense the plans changed halfway through and We decided to build something we could full time in one day.

Going from a bus with subfloor, RV windows, insulation and ceiling wiring back to straight school bus was a kick in the pants! Like kids in college that change there mind after 4 years spend the time to make the right bus choice the first time and save yourself the extra work.
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Old 09-23-2017, 12:54 PM   #10
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Gulfport, MS
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Year: 2000
Coachwork: Bluebird All American Re
Engine: Cat 3126
Yep, we originally were thinking something that would be close to a 28-30 class c motorhome since we rented one a few years back but then decided what the heck, it's only 10 more feet! Go Big or Go Home!
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Old 09-24-2017, 07:20 AM   #11
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I'll have many more but what quickly comes to mind is how thankful I am that I didn't do anything with my floors yet. They would be trashed by now with all of the other work that's delayed my build...ie having to find a mysterious water leak, leading to removing all of my windows...

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Old 09-24-2017, 07:49 AM   #12
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If I could start over I would have put major effort into insulation before I started putting things inside the bus. It's a lot harder and your options are a lot more limited when you have a full bus. Also I don't like my linoleum floor very much.

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Old 09-24-2017, 10:30 AM   #13
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I took someones advice on these forums and purchased the cheapest lamnate flooring aat lowes for .99 sq ft. I would prefered the laminate vynil flooring.

Definite regret!!!! I REGRET. Not crawling under my bus and not finding it needs new exhaust pipe from the muffler back. I regret not starting the big toy bilt generator that came with the bus. The guy told me that everything works.

He let me believe that the genset was purchased at the time of bus purchase. (4 years before)NOT SO. I think there was a new one purchased when bus was bought but he switched it out with another oner he had. The one i got had a blown head gasket and we just ordered a new head because it keeps blowing head gaskets.
I regret not running my hands over the front air brake hoses and not finding the cut in a line that still works bt should be replaced.

I regret not putting air brake antifreeze in my bus and ruining a sensor.

Tilt hood bus: I regret not opening p the electrical plug that connects the stuff connected to the hood and the bus. The uy told me that the last time they drove it at night that the headlights flickered off and on. We opened the plug up and 16 wire connections were BLUE GREEN RUSTED and some rusted off. They don't make replacement plugs either.

Had i known about the exhaust, the electrical plug and the brake hose and the non starting generator. Then i would have offered $500.00 les or then went home after driving 250 miles.

This also. Very smart thing to do:

Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
mix up a bottle of 1part DAWN dishwashing liquid to 3 parts water.. run the bus till you have full air pressure.. then shut it off and go spray every airline, tank, fitting, etc with the mixture.. when you see bubbles there is a leak...
-Christopher
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:20 PM   #14
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im raising my roof and added 4 inches so to insulate however i noticed lots of others wishing they did so to have more insulation up there. lets put our minds together here i suggest adding it to the outside and maybe fiberglassing over? could save major demo to inside now how do we do it?
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:27 PM   #15
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im raising my roof and added 4 inches so to insulate however i noticed lots of others wishing they did so to have more insulation up there. lets put our minds together here i suggest adding it to the outside and maybe fiberglassing over? could save major demo to inside now how do we do it?
Why not use EIFS on the outside? This is tuff stuff. Applied properly it is a fantastic insulator. Rarely cracks and usually around a electrical box or some form of an external outlet.
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Old 09-24-2017, 02:55 PM   #16
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Most insulation won't work if it is wet and it's usually not very tough. For those reasons people keep their insulation on the inside.

Maybe external could work but roof raising works so people do that or deal with less head room.
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Old 09-27-2017, 05:10 PM   #17
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Location: Vacaville, Ca
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Year: 1988
Coachwork: Crown / Pusher
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My mistake was after raising the roof I used fiberglass for the transition area, looking back I think I would either have paid a sheetmetal person to build it for me or try not to do such a big area all at once.
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