PNW_Steve's 2002 Bluebird A3RE

[family wagon]

Originally Posted by RRRVBUS

I’d screw something to the rear cap that you can hook a come along or strap to and put tension on it pulling rearward while your beating/jacking.

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I was going to try that. Unfortunately I have moved and don't have access to suitable trees any more.

How far are you from the infamous 11foot8 bridge? It's plenty strong for smashing things down; it should be up to the task of tugging dents out too right?

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I remember when this bus was in the auction, specifically identified because of the compacted rear cap. I thought about bidding at the time but couldn't quite talk myself into it.

I'd have made that booboo into a back porch. I love the porches that look like the back of a caboose.

That shouldn't be that hard to straighten out if you get the ribs out of the way. I assume the interior panels are off?

The hilift jacks are said to be made for roof raises according to the old timers. Each click is an inch. And yeah, as Chris said they also pull very well. You can also use them as a large clamp or spreader. I always thought they were bus jacks when I was a kid.

If I recall... We had some discussion about you bidding on this bus when I first bought it.

I have the interior panels off. I thinking I am going to start with a jack under the longitudinal member that buckled when it all went crunch and try and push the worst of it back out.

BUT... I should probably have someone with bodywork experience look at it before I start pounding on stuff.....

Reminds me of a sign I saw in a TV repair shop (yes, I am old) some years ago:

Labor rate:
$25/hour
$40/hour if you watch
$60/hour if you help
$100/hour if you worked on it first...

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by family wagon

How far are you from the infamous 11foot8 bridge? It's plenty strong for smashing things down; it should be up to the task of tugging dents out too right?

According to Google: 2695.7 miles

That may be a bit far for this project.......

[Robin97396]

You mentioned doing a roof raise. It wouldn't add much difficulty to the process if you removed the rear cap after severing the roof. Then straighten and reattach? Or was that your plan already?

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

According to Google: 2695.7 miles

That may be a bit far for this project.......

11foot8 is waaayyyyy east from you..

[family wagon]

Don't know what I was thinking... for some reason I had it in my head that it was on the west coast. All I got right was the 'coast' part.

Anyway.. I guess you'll be installing a new rib and then massaging the end cap until it fits right and looks good enough?

[Robin97396]

No, no. This is the left coast. They're on the right coast.

[PNW_Steve]

Onward!

So I called Bluebird to find out what the weight capacity of the under storage is as I want to put my house batteries in them.

They were clueless. "That may be too heavy. I don't know".......

I am considering either 8 x GC2 or 4 x L-16 batteries. To be safe, I want to reinforce the storage box that will hold the batteries.

I was thinking about running threaded rod from underneath the box up through the bus floor to transfer part of the load to the bus floor. Probably in 6 locations. 2 at each end of the batteries and 2 in the middle.

Anyone see any problem with this plan? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

S.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

Onward!

So I called Bluebird to find out what the weight capacity of the under storage is as I want to put my house batteries in them.

They were clueless. "That may be too heavy. I don't know".......

I am considering either 8 x GC2 or 4 x L-16 batteries. To be safe, I want to reinforce the storage box that will hold the batteries.

I was thinking about running threaded rod from underneath the box up through the bus floor to transfer part of the load to the bus floor. Probably in 6 locations. 2 at each end of the batteries and 2 in the middle.

Anyone see any problem with this plan? Any suggestions?

Thanks.

S.

Seventy backpacks at 30lb each in a full pass-through basement.

2100lbs ... minimum, with the weight spread around.

I think you are good

I'm not saying that's a rating, or a restriction, but it would be typical use in a bus full of kids.

My basement has intermediate supports. They are made of rods with spreader plates under the basement floor.

[Tango]

Personally, I would never attach such weight to the floor. There are plenty of chassis supports and reinforcements down below that can be utilized or weld/bolt directly to the frame.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Twigg

Seventy backpacks at 30lb each in a full pass-through basement.

2100lbs ... minimum, with the weight spread around.

I think you are good

I'm not saying that's a rating, or a restriction, but it would be typical use in a bus full of kids.

My basement has intermediate supports. They are made of rods with spreader plates under the basement floor.

I wish they were pass through. Then they would be supported by both frame rails.

Mine are only about 18" deep. They are supported on one side by the frame rail and the skirt on the other.

[brokedown]

The under-belly storage on my big bus is basically hung from a frame rail. I was planning to do the same with anything I added to it, not touching the floor.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by brokedown

The under-belly storage on my big bus is basically hung from a frame rail. I was planning to do the same with anything I added to it, not touching the floor.

I don't understand what you are describing? I'm a little slow sometimes...

[PNW_Steve]

Josh,

I just noticed something that is a bit motivating (embarrassing..)

I have been a member here 7 months longer than you. I have removed the seats from my bus all ready. What have you done besides convert your first bus, travel all over the country and start on your second bus......

I am sure glad that Angela doesn't read these posts....

I had better step away from the keyboard and pick up my air chisel,.......

[brokedown]

Ha! Well we all have different circumstances. In our case it was a hurry up and go deal from the start.

I would send you a photo of the mounting but I am not near the big bus.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[PNW_Steve]

A small victory!

All of the metal is out except one small piece in the back that is hiding under a huge pile of insulation.

It's raining/snowing off and on so I don't want to load the insulation in the truck until I can take it to the dump. They charge by weight and I don't want to pay to dump wet insulation.

I am curious about the insulation used in my Bluebird. It looks like regular fiberglass but it is not the least bit "itchy". Anyone know what material this is?

[david.dgeorge07]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

A small victory!



All of the metal is out except one small piece in the back that is hiding under a huge pile of insulation.



It's raining/snowing off and on so I don't want to load the insulation in the truck until I can take it to the dump. They charge by weight and I don't want to pay to dump wet insulation.



I am curious about the insulation used in my Bluebird. It looks like regular fiberglass but it is not the least bit "itchy". Anyone know what material this is?

It is polyester. Much nicer to deal with than fiberglass.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

It is polyester. Much nicer to deal with than fiberglass.

Thank you David.

I expected fiberglass and when the first piece fell on my head I was "oh no!" I am going to itch!

Not so. I wound up handling much of it with bare hands and zero itch.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Tango

Personally, I would never attach such weight to the floor. There are plenty of chassis supports and reinforcements down below that can be utilized or weld/bolt directly to the frame.

Exactly!! I totally agree on such dense weight. "Use the chassis frame luke (in an Obi wan voice)..." LOL!!

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Exactly!! I totally agree on such dense weight. "Use the chassis frame luke (in an Obi wan voice)..." LOL!!

Sojourner,

The "back" of the box is hung from the frame and the "front" of the box (with the door) is supported by the skirt.

It is the skirt side of things that I am concerned with.

I am trying to visualize some method of extending support from the frame to the front of the box without removing and seriously modifying them.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!!