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08-01-2018, 10:15 PM
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#181
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plfking
Well....on the bright side....you probably have the nicest bus in the entire county.
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I am a celebrity.
Everyone here knows the "bus guy"
I have the only Skoolies in the county.
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08-01-2018, 10:22 PM
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#182
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Kalispell, MT
Posts: 290
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Amtran Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84
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Where are you getting the quotes from??
Have you tried Pacific Steel in Pasco?
Pacific Steel & Recycling >> Steel
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08-01-2018, 11:41 PM
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#183
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Salt Lake City Utah
Posts: 1,635
Year: 2000
Chassis: Blue Bird
Engine: ISC 8.3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve
Great description! I can visualize almost all of it. One clarification: do I understand correctly that you put the metal in place then riveted the sides followed by the top?
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I should have left my original text as it was!
We hoisted the new exterior wall metal into place with ratchet straps. The hook on the end of the straps was awful big and held the sheet out from the wall surface too much so I made a low-profile J hook from a scrap of sheet. The ratchet strap hooked into this, which then hooked under the bottom edge of the sheet. We made coarse adjustments to sheet position by winding the ratchet and fine adjustments by sliding the hooks sideways and/or shimming the strap out away from the sheet. With the sheet positioned just where I wanted it, I drilled 3 (?) holes through the sheet and the hat channel and placed clecos. Then we drilled and riveted the entire sheet.
After all the wall sheets were fully installed I turned to riveting the roof metal down onto the new sheet. You can see in these photos how the edge of the roof metal differs between my commercial series body and your school body. I had a pretty sizeable flap of roof metal loose. I started with a piece of threaded rod several inches long for pulling the roof flap down to the wall. It was just too long and hard to work with; the 1" machine screw was much more convenient.
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08-02-2018, 11:34 AM
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#184
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 56
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: C8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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Definitely check out Pacific Steel. I do not have my notes with me but it seems to me their quote was between 5 and 6 hundred.
I had a similar delima sourcing 1 3/16 tubing...it is unobtanium. I ended up cutting a small section of hat channel so that I could get an accurate internal dimension. It turned out to be 1.23". The 1 1/4" square tubing I purchased from Pacific Steel was 1.26" . I spent the next 2 weekends grinding/belt sanding .015" off both sides of both ends of each piece using the piiece of hat channel as a gauge. Good times, good times.
Casey
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08-02-2018, 12:51 PM
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#185
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Seems you folks pay a hefty price for living out west!
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08-02-2018, 12:59 PM
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#186
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Eastern Washington
Posts: 56
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC 2000
Engine: C8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
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On some things..can't beat our power bills though
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08-02-2018, 01:05 PM
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#187
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CaseyBrown
On some things..can't beat our power bills though
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IDk man! My power, water, and trash pickup are well under $200.
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08-02-2018, 01:06 PM
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#188
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Asetechrail
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$923.....
How are things going Kent?
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08-08-2018, 11:24 PM
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#189
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Tahoe
Posts: 513
Year: 1997
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3000RE
Engine: T444E w/ MT643
Rated Cap: 84 pass, 40'
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve
Metal quote #2 - $923 plus tax.....
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Sheet metal prices went up with Chinese tariffs. I paid $450 for 7 pieces of 18 gauge cut to 25.25x29. And they screwed 5 of them up and made them an inch too narrow so I am waiting on replacements. I didn't measure when I picked them up. Who can't cut a F-ing RECTANGLE?!?!?!
__________________
middle aged mom on a learning adventure
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08-09-2018, 10:03 AM
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#190
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Accufab came back with a $750 quote.
Better but still higher than I had expected.
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08-09-2018, 11:14 AM
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#191
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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Almost as bad as owning a boat!
Did I mention i sold my boat?
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08-09-2018, 07:16 PM
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#192
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Tahoe
Posts: 513
Year: 1997
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3000RE
Engine: T444E w/ MT643
Rated Cap: 84 pass, 40'
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve
Accufab came back with a $750 quote.
Better but still higher than I had expected.
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After reading about the guy who found duraplate pieces from his local trailer place I went to MY local trailer place and MAJOR SCORE! If I take my own tools and safety equipment I can cut pieces of duraplate off a wrecked trailer. They were also willing to put takeoff pieces aside for me, but this will actually be easier and there are some airhose fittings and plywood that I can salvage as well. I am so excited. It may be better for the windows than the emergency hatches, but the doors are thicker so maybe they would work?
Duraplate is aluminum skinned on both sides of a composite interior. It's what they may truck trailer walls and doors out of.
I also discovered that the big boys use dow froth packs for their spray foam insulation. They said reefers use 2" of that with the duraplate walls and doors. They have a really cool foam trimmer that looks sort of like a reel mower blade. Maybe if I take the shop some baked goods when I go scavenge duraplate they will let me come back and use their trimmer...... they said I can cut it with a circular saw with a blade with small teeth or a Sawzall.
I think this will work just as well as the sheetmetal I got for the first few windows and save me a ton of money.
__________________
middle aged mom on a learning adventure
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08-09-2018, 09:44 PM
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#193
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2018
Location: topeka kansas
Posts: 1,778
Year: 1954
Coachwork: wayne
Chassis: old f500- new 2005 f-450
Engine: cummins 12 valve
Rated Cap: 20? five rows of 4?
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good for you
I would add a blender with ice cream to go with the cookies... milkshakes....
but i go overboard....often.
william
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08-15-2018, 12:48 PM
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#194
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Looks like Accufab:
qty length width price cost
2 68 41 $65.79 $131.58
4 59 41 $52.92 $211.68
2 66 41 $59.20 $118.40
2 73 41 $65.48 $130.96
2 57 41 $51.13 $102.26
Sub-Total $694.88
Tax $61.84
Total $756.72
Going to cover two window openings at a time.
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08-15-2018, 01:14 PM
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#195
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Wright City MO
Posts: 280
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins/Allison
Rated Cap: 74
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I skinned the outside of the Bluebird with prepainted white aluminum repair panels for semi trailers they are 49"x110" I paid $476.00 for 7 of them delivered to where my son works.I have 1 left for making the end caps where I raised the roof.the installation was straight forward. I did it by myself and I cut it with a circular saw fitted with a 60 tooth carbide blade set a twice the depth of the material. EZ peasy
__________________
Its hard to be wrong when you live in Wright City!
There is no mechanical problem that cannot be overcome by a skillfully applied combination of brute force and ignorance!
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08-15-2018, 01:26 PM
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#196
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Wright City MO
Posts: 280
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins/Allison
Rated Cap: 74
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I forgot to add that because it is prepainted one avoids the problems associated with finishing aluminum, even if you don't like the color or you want graphics you just tape it off hit it with a fine scotchbrite pad and paint it like you would anything else. Gene
__________________
Its hard to be wrong when you live in Wright City!
There is no mechanical problem that cannot be overcome by a skillfully applied combination of brute force and ignorance!
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08-15-2018, 01:37 PM
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#197
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Thanks Gene for the suggestion.
I have decided to stick with steel.
There were some repairs that had been done to my bus using AL rivets in steel panels. After my experience with those I decided to avoid dissimilar metals as much as I am able.
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08-15-2018, 01:39 PM
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#198
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Rivets
I just got off of the phone with a REALLY helpful gentleman who is very knowledgeable regarding rivets and their application in skoolies.
From: Kevin Bush
From e-Mail: kevin@rivetsinstock.com
From Company: Jay Cee Sales & Rivet, Inc.
From Phone Number: (24 478-2150
From Fax Number: (24 478-6416
Edit: When I edit this the phone numbers show up properly... 248 area code...
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08-15-2018, 01:41 PM
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#199
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown
Almost as bad as owning a boat!
Did I mention i sold my boat?
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You did......
I was looking forward to going sailing when we get there..... Charter works
Edit: Captain Hillary needs to get healed up first!!
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08-31-2018, 07:05 AM
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#200
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Essex, MD
Posts: 3,738
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: Blue Bird TC RE 3904, Flat Nose, 40', 277" wh base
Engine: 8.3L Cummins ISC 260hp, MT643, 4.44 rear
Rated Cap: 84 pax or 1 RV; 33,000lbs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW_Steve
N
I was going to try that. Unfortunately I have moved and don't have access to suitable trees any more. I have one tree in my new yard and I am concerned about it's health. It may be coming down this year.
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You were out in the sticks right? When did you move? Am I losing (what little) mind I have left? Didn't you live in a bus that was the fishing bus?
I'll mutli-post the rest of my comments as I read thru your thread.
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