Projekt: Freedom Panda begins!

[FreedomPanda]

I'm plugging along...it seems like the process of cleaning -- REALLY cleaning -- takes a good while! I'm cleaning the ceiling, after that the walls...spent some time this week on a section under the floors, and ground it clean then Por15'd it. It really looks nice...



I'm using the clear type, since I am also using it where I'm painting over with white paint (roof, particularly). I'm excited. I also have 3 of the 4 outside top corner areas Por15'd, and the passenger gutter treated as well.

This week looks like this:

-- Finish prepping & then Por15'ing the driver side gutters.

-- Locate all trouble spots on the roof & Por15 those.

-- Sunday, Monday, Tuesday paint the roof & gutters (2 coats), the ceiling during the days (it's forecast to be 79 & sunny!) and hopefully locate a welding tool to cut through the 1/8" metal near the top of the windows & the floorboards. I'd be so freaking stoked. As for now, it's either that or a lot of money on grinding wheels...they wear down so fast!



I'll grab some photos this weekend...hope everyone is doing well & converting happily ;)

[nat_ster]

It's a messy job, but some one has to do it. lol

Nat

[MuddaEarth]

You're doing a great job at making sure the you have a good foundation to build on!! I restore vintage cars and build hot rods for a living. I see so many people forget about the foundation, floorboards and frame. Seems too many people nowadays just want shiny paint and to look cool, and forget about the important stuff. Keep up the good work!!

[EastCoastCB]

Yes I too have been putting in lots of painful hours on cleaning up the "foundation". I've been stripping bits of surface rust here and there and wire brushing the whole thing in small manageable sections.

[FreedomPanda]

Hey all,

I've been away from posting, but haven't stopped the work. Did slow down for a bit, I tweaked my back working on the bus and it's been a bit frustrating...it just seems to get fatigued way before the rest of me does, but I'm on the mend and my hours per week have gone back up!

I have new photos to post on the progress, and am excited to share them with you!

Dug

[EastCoastCB]

Lookin forward to that!
I've been wondering what happened to you.

[FreedomPanda]

Thank you ECCB!

Yeah, I got caught up in the work, the process, and a little of life thrown in there too. But I have a stack of photos to upload, and I'm pretty close to laying the floors down and framing out the wall, and skinning over the Windows.

Like we all find out, once we start to peel the outer layer off the onion, we realize there's way more layers that need our attention! ��

[FreedomPanda]

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So one of the nice moments since I last posted photos was moving the bus under this stand of trees, where she'll officially be sitting even after the build. This will be 'home.'



We've been experiencing a lot of rain recently, and I've taken all the windows out, so in this shot you can see I've taped over and sealed the bus up. It makes working late nights easier right now as well, since we've been in the high 20's to high 30's here later in the evenings.

[FreedomPanda]

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I'll be skinning over the windows on both sides with 20 gauge steel, and I've treated both sides with multiple coats of Rustoleum.

On the way back from the fabricators, the sheets bent a little. Not a crease, thankfully, but a bend. I'm hoping that as I rivet the sheets to the bus, the sheets straighten out that one little curve. Fingers crossed. The steel + cutting to size cost around $275, so it's not an expense that I want to do over.

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And it's been a while, so there needs to be a goat picture:
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[crazycal]

Cool bus, nice goat. What's the story behind the knife?

[FreedomPanda]

That's been one of my best tools! It's a Schrade SCHF10, about $40, nearly indestructible. She gets used to open packaging to everything else. I believe they've discontinued this model:

The Schrade Extreme Survival F10 has a full tang blade of black 8Cr13MoV High Carbon Stainless Steel with a drop point style blade with jimping, Ergonomic Multi-Directional Textured Micarta Overlay Handle Slabs with Spine and Grip Jimping, Lanyard Hole, and Ballistic Belt Sheath with Storage Pouch

Features
Overall Length: 10.6"(26.8cm)
Handle Length: 5.3"(13.4cm)
Blade Length: 5.3"(13.4cm)
Weight: 14.6 oz.
Black Micarta Handle Scales (Shades vary between Black to Dark Grey)

[FreedomPanda]

So there's a zillion little things I figure need doing, and I feel like I have a serious case of "Squirrel!!" when I'm working on the bus.

Filling these water catching empty grooves on either side of each wheel well seemed like a good idea. I cleaned them out thoroughly, ground out any old rust, rust-proofed them, then filled them with expanding foam gap filler.


Yep, there's a use for the knife right there, trimming the excess foam off. Then I took some Dap clear silicone, and sealed the exposed foam up, to insure it doesn't get wet and prolong the foam life.

[Canned Ham]

Originally Posted by FreedomPanda

First scene from the new series "Breaking Bus".

[EastCoastCB]

Nice!

Its a beauty of a bus, for sure, man.

[1olfart]

Really enjoy re-reading your built. In looking back, I noticed something in the picture of you hanging out the drivers window. Is there also a Delta on our shirt? (just wondering) Hurry up with the build....cant wait 2 c it.

[FreedomPanda]

Hey all!

Long time no update, but work has been ongoing! Lots done, but a quick question first:

BATTERIES

I want to throw in the best batteries I can get. This is to start the bus, not for a solar bank.

I'd love your input, I searched the forums and was super short on time (heading down to the bus as we speak to put in another 12 hours on her today!)

Short list of things I've completed recently:

[] Finished the sub-floor build, insulated, and put in new floor boards

[] Treated ceiling, insulated, and have majority of ceiling panels put in (stained knotty pine in front 3/5, red cedar in back 2/5)

[] Installed air conditioner (Dometic Brisk Air II)

[] Begun welding 20 gauge skins over window openings, (welding top strip, riveting other 3 sides)

[] If ceiling goes well today, will be cutting & installing two Fantastic Fans (model 1250)

Plus other little bits & pieces that as we all know add up and take time lol

Hope everyone is well, and I've been following many of your builds. You all inspire me. And inspiration is sometimes the only fuel burning at times 😂

Blessings,

Rawhide

[MuddaEarth]

Originally Posted by FreedomPanda

Hey all!

Long time no update, but work has been ongoing! Lots done, but a quick question first:

BATTERIES

I want to throw in the best batteries I can get. This is to start the bus, not for a solar bank.

I'd love your input, I searched the forums and was super short on time (heading down to the bus as we speak to put in another 12 hours on her today!)

Short list of things I've completed recently:

[] Finished the sub-floor build, insulated, and put in new floor boards

[] Treated ceiling, insulated, and have majority of ceiling panels put in (stained knotty pine in front 3/5, red cedar in back 2/5)

[] Installed air conditioner (Dometic Brisk Air II)

[] Begun welding 20 gauge skins over window openings, (welding top strip, riveting other 3 sides)

[] If ceiling goes well today, will be cutting & installing two Fantastic Fans (model 1250)

Plus other little bits & pieces that as we all know add up and take time lol

Hope everyone is well, and I've been following many of your builds. You all inspire me. And inspiration is sometimes the only fuel burning at times 😂

Blessings,

Rawhide

Very cool...sounds like you've been busy!
I just purchased those same fans 3 days ago, still waiting on them to arrive.
I'm going to mount in the existing holes where my escape hatches are. I'll have to do some mods to make them fit though I'm sure.

[FreedomPanda]

The fans are REALLY nice! The quality & looks FANtastic. �� I think you'll really like them. The opening I cut into the roof is only 14x14, so the mod you'd have to make from your existing escape hatches would be pretty serious. I'm envious you have escape hatches...I'd consider keeping those and making a new opening specifically for the fans so that you have as much integrity as possible. The last thing you want is a leak. But check it all out when the arrive...they're seriously nice.

[FreedomPanda]

One area I'm struggling in is finding replacement windows. I have 9 standard sized windows I'll need to install, and 2 larger sized. I'm not really considering the smokey darker windows because I do want light in the bus. I have contacted two different custom window makers that some of you have encountered as well...$1,000 for s window is asinine lol. Ain't happening. So I'm scouring eBay...I'll find two...but need 7 more lol.

[MuddaEarth]

Originally Posted by FreedomPanda

The fans are REALLY nice! The quality & looks FANtastic. �� I think you'll really like them. The opening I cut into the roof is only 14x14, so the mod you'd have to make from your existing escape hatches would be pretty serious. I'm envious you have escape hatches...I'd consider keeping those and making a new opening specifically for the fans so that you have as much integrity as possible. The last thing you want is a leak. But check it all out when the arrive...they're seriously nice.

Sweet.....My fans came in today! I hooked them up to a battery to test them out, and wow, they really put out a nice breeze. I think one set up in forward and one in reverse will be very nice!! You're right, they are really nice. I may keep on hatch, I haven't decided yet.

Run over to my thread "The Story of Transcendence"....It's way too late for me to be worried about a leak!