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Old 05-14-2016, 11:30 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 17
Our Silver Schooler

We code named our bus the Silver Schooler. It will make sense assuming we manage to paint it silver.



We've taken out the seats. I donated them to the local school system. The guy said they could use some of the foam and seat covers for sure. He was telling me about their state police inspections. I guess once the foam starts breaking and they can feel the metal frame on the top of the seat it will fail inspection and they'll need to replace the foam. He was a talker so I learned a lot. I did't mind hearing how the schools take care of their busses.



For most of the seats I used an angle grinder with a metal cutting disc to cut the bolts. Some I did underneath where there was less to cut through, but getting to them from inside the bus was easier. A few just broke when I hit them with an impact wrench.



I made the screws that hold down the walkway trim in to slotted screws to make them easier to remove. Again, using an angle grinder. I did this to just about every screw I came across.



We started tearing up the floor. Lots of rust. I will likely use the angle grinder again.





It is coming along!


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Old 05-15-2016, 12:10 AM   #2
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Beautiful bus! Congratulations. You came to the right place and I see you post pics. That's good because we love pics here. it is nice having you on board.
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Old 05-15-2016, 12:26 AM   #3
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Location: Willamina, Oregon
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Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
I think you like that angle grinder just a little to much, but nice job. That's a lot of real estate there. That floor doesn't look so bad... well, from here anyway. That's a good looking bus overall.
Silver huh? Interesting choice. It would be interesting if you could wrap it in shiny mylar. You could be the Camelion. Then again on a bus that long it's hard to cover it with anything. You're tackling this job at a nice time of the year, so kudos for that.
At the rate you're going it looks like you intend to do the full build. Is this a toy hauler at all?
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Old 05-15-2016, 07:18 AM   #4
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Looking good! silver looks great on a schoolie. ive seen several of them in ohio with scarlet highlights of course.. im guessing silver paint must cost less than gray since the tailgaters busses all seem to be silver and scarlet rather than scarlet and gray..

-Christopher
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Old 05-15-2016, 06:10 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Is this a toy hauler at all?
Not going to haul any large toys. Maybe some bikes in the back. Our current design has sleeping for 6, a couple booth seats, a small kitchen, and a bathroom so it will be pretty full.
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Old 05-15-2016, 08:59 PM   #6
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You've got more real estate there than a lot of us. So are we talking triple high bunk beds or are the booth seats going to be convertible to beds? A bathroom for six people? You know, how does that work when six people are in about a 200 square foot room? That's one thing I like about a fast food bathrooms and rest stops while traveling. Yeah, I know you need a bathroom for that many people. A bus seems to shake loose things that's been in people's guts since the fifth grade? I'm talking about my kids there. Fifteen minutes from home they're hungry and they need a bathroom. I'm not sure about the order.

The back four feet of my "maxi-van" is a garage/kitchen and contains the wood stove. I have an aft mounted lift and rear door. Like any garage it gets used for lots of other things. A couple dirt bikes could still tuck in there while traveling. My modular electric kitchen cart can roll into the isle away from the garage area while traveling if the garage is being used. It's not a perfect system but I've changed the furniture (yes furniture) around about six times in the past six months figuring out what works best. I'zve arrived at a more practical layout that will require more permanent fixtures eventually. Yes it's a bugger traveling with furniture, but this bus has L-track and I have lots of straps. it's easy to forget to anchor the wood stove because it kind of gets buried when it's not being used for heat. I found the wood stove in the middle of the walkway when I got home from my last trip out to town.

We get big buses and we fill them up. I'm still wanting one of those articulating double length city buses and I'd buy it just to park it and convert it. You'll find that there are things you'll take out of your bus later because they take up space and you can actually get along quite well without them.
Twelve hundred years ago you might have gone out and lived in a tent. Aren't you glad we've got buses now? I suppose they said that about the tents at one time. Off topic, sorry.
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Old 11-17-2016, 09:18 PM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Update - floor cleaned, seats ready

I used bondo to plug the holes in the floor left by the seats that were bolted in. Also used it around the wheel wells where some rust had left gaps after welding things together.



I welded some 1.5"x2.5" square tube in so I could bolt the seats down without going through to the bottom. These are on both sides. I'll have flooring around here to level things out.



I used some rust reformer and then coated the floor with rubberized undercoating. Two coats. I'm hoping rust won't bother me for a long time.



I hope to get some flooring with insulation in soon! I'm also considering a spray foam insulation in the walls and ceiling.
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Old 11-17-2016, 09:35 PM   #8
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Location: Music City USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverSchooler View Post
I used bondo to plug the holes in the floor left by the seats that were bolted in. Also used it around the wheel wells where some rust had left gaps after welding things together.



I welded some 1.5"x2.5" square tube in so I could bolt the seats down without going through to the bottom. These are on both sides. I'll have flooring around here to level things out.



*snip*
The square tubing..... that might just be the answer for my intent to reuse a couple of my bus seats for a dinette area. I am curious how you're gonna get the nuts on them though.... or are you gonna tap the holes in the tubing to screw the bolts directly into it?

I might also have to "borrow" the Bondo idea for the holes as well.
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Old 11-17-2016, 09:46 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
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I'm going to cut a slot in the side near the bolt holes so I can fit a nut and a wrench in. The ends are open so two legs will be easy. I considered tapping but prefer a nut. I may also consider JB welding the nut in place in case I want to remove the seats sometime.

The bondo worked great. Quick to apply, solid, and won't rust. I used the "hair" stuff for some of the holes. It is made for up to 1" holes so it didn't fall through.
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Old 11-17-2016, 10:05 PM   #10
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I'll keep that in mind as well, thanks!

Sounds like you have it all worked out, will be interested to see how it works in practice.
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Old 11-18-2016, 09:45 AM   #11
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Channel "iron", toes down could also be used making the bolted connections more easy to deal with.
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Old 09-21-2017, 06:49 PM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
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We got the floor down. It's 2x4's, foam boards, and plywood. I found someone to spray foam the walls and ceiling. I used some 1/4" PVC panel for the walls with PVC h-channel in between the panels. I really liked the material. Moisture resistant, easy as wood to cut, and paintable.


We covered two windows. One behind the rear passenger wheels for the shower and one behind the driver so we can build storage and an electrical panel. One of the things I love about the school bus is all the windows. I understand wanting wall space but I look forward to a panoramic view when we travel so we only did two.


We painted it silver! I found Rust-Oleum aluminum colored paint at rural King. Rolled it on. Foam brushed the finer details.


I cut a section to add a 48" truck box to store house batteries. The frame to hold it is setting in there but not all mounted.
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Old 09-26-2017, 12:36 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Added a truck box

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Old 09-27-2017, 12:25 AM   #14
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Beautiful work on the truck box. You may wish to put a small gutter over the box to keep water away. Mine are about 1" above the box and extend 2" past the edge of opening- riveted.

Like the battery box has.

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Old 09-27-2017, 05:12 AM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Thanks Rusty. A gutter is a nice idea. Where did you get that material?
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Old 09-27-2017, 10:05 AM   #16
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Thanks Rusty. A gutter is a nice idea. Where did you get that material?
Mine isn't quite as nice as the stuff in picture, which i got from ebay.

It is available from RV sources, too.
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Old 09-27-2017, 11:33 AM   #17
Skoolie
 
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Engine: 7.3 idi
How did you mount that box? Been kicking around the same idea. Just hung up on the mounting
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Old 05-29-2018, 08:09 AM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
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How did you mount that box? Been kicking around the same idea. Just hung up on the mounting
I welded a frame for it. All 2" x 2" angle. I bolted that to the floor ribs underneath. The angle fit right over the ribs. I'll attach some pictures I took underneath.
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