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Old 03-27-2007, 10:39 PM   #1
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Rubber deck matting and other questions?

(1) Got "Big Gary" totally cleaned out and down to basics and I was wondering about keeping the rubber decking or just pulling it up and sealing the metal and then covering it with plywood sub-flooring?? We're thinking of doing a tongue and groove wood flooring in most of the bus with actual tile around the bathroom and shower area. So.........should we keep the rubber and just lay the plywood sub-floor over that or junk it all and lay the plywood down directly on the metal floor after sealing the metal.

Thoughts, comments, ideas, experience?

(2) Has anyone replaced the old rubber glazing on bus windows? Where can you get that stuff and how difficult is it to do?

(3) What will remove contact cement from metal surfaces.....you wouldn't belive how much of this stuff I have to clean up!

(4) Basement storage - has anyone salvaged basement lockers from one bus and used them on another? How much is involved in doing that?

(5) Drivers seats - suggestions, swaps, what has worked and what hasn't. I've got to get rid of the original drivers seat...it's a killer on the backside!! Are there other vehicle seats that drop right in with minimum modifications???

(6) Where would you put a spare tire? Seems wrong to go without one...but where the heck would you put it?

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Old 03-27-2007, 11:21 PM   #2
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#3. You might try acetone or a product called goo gone or something like that.

#5. Find an air ride seat out of a semi. I have seen them used for $50-100.
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Old 03-27-2007, 11:24 PM   #3
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Regarding 4, I took the boxes off my first Blue Bird before I scrapped it. Those were
held in with a combination of bolts and rivets and two big J-hooks on the frame, and...
like most things, it was just a matter of plugging away until it was done. Your bus
may be different.
I have not used them yet.

On 6, I have not done this yet, but I intend to put my spare horizonally in one of those
boxes. It does not fit as it is, but I think I can rework the box so the tire slips under
the frame rail. Thus it will be at a slight angle, which will keep it from falling out
even if the door pops open.
In fact, I think I'll make a drawing of this idea and we'll see what everybody
thinks of it.
An alternative would be to mount one of those three point spare carriers you see
underneath 18-wheeler trailers.

An argument can be made that there is no point in carrying a spare unless you
have all the tools to change it. You'll be calling for road service from a truck stop
anyway. But availability of a new tire, and the price, can be issues. For that reason,
some truckers carry a tire, but no rim (to save weight and cost and muscle
power). The road service guy just mounts it on the old rim.
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Old 03-28-2007, 12:48 AM   #4
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Does this make any sense?



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Old 03-28-2007, 12:58 AM   #5
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I'd have that set-up in front of the rear tires...
You know, issues with the aprons in and out of fuel stops...
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Old 03-28-2007, 01:10 AM   #6
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Yes. Immediately in front of or behind the drive tires. I'm going behind. I've eyeballed
a line from the bottom of the drive tires to the bottom of the rear bumper. Nothing
should be below that. The rear box on Millicent is already crunched. I'm lopping that
corner off. And I mashed the landing gear on my trailer in a driveway with my
first bus, so this hitch is higher.
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Old 03-28-2007, 11:02 AM   #7
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On my SafTLiner I've got a factory box just like you drew for a spare. Wish they would've actually included a spare! There's also a curved rail on the inside back of the box. It looks like it's set up to help get the tire out easier. It's right in front of the of the driver's side drive tires.
Since my bus is a RE, I was kicking around the idea of relocating it to the very front of the bus.
On #5 Fred Hobe (on his MCI) mounted a leather seat from a Lincoln Towncar or some such. It was one of those 8-way power seats he said he paid $40 from a salvage yard.
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Old 03-28-2007, 11:47 AM   #8
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Quote:
I've got a factory box just like you drew for a spare
Great minds think alike! Then we know that this can be done.
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Old 03-28-2007, 02:26 PM   #9
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Great ideas....thanks!

I was thinking about mounting a spare up under the bus like they do on pickup trucks. You know, the kind you can crank the tire up and down on a chain. I'm going to have a look at the one on my truck and see if I can duplicate it on a bigger scale. That way I don't have to muscle it directly. What do you folks think of that?

Went by Cherokee RV Parts in Westminster (Denver) Colorado this morning. http://www.cherokeervparts.com Unfortunately my timing was a little off as they are moving to a new location and most of their stuff was packed up ready to relocate. Talked extensively with the owner and got a lot of good ideas and a strong indication that their prices are going to save me at least 50-60% off retail and they back up their stuff! So we'll see. So far it's the only RV bone yard I've located along the Front Range of Colorado.

A six way seat would be really nice, but right now any seat at all would be better than the brick of a bus seat in there now. I'll see if I can locate a big truck bone yard locally and check them out.

As to basement storage I was thinking about fabricating the metal support brackets, building plywood boxes and then fiber glassing them myself. They should be as strong as anything out there. I can get several doors from the RV salvage yard, perhaps if I can locate a salvage yard with some buses in them I might be able to transplant those to my rig. Are there any special tools necessary to take those off a bus? Air chisel or what ever?

I would like to have two electrical systems, one 12v and the other regular household 120v. I also have a 4800 watt generator that I'm planning on mounting in the back so that I'll have that option as well. Unfortunately its gasoline so I'll need to plumb in an auxiliary tank for that somewhere. Wonder if I could replace the motor with a diesel or propane unit and save carrying a third fuel? Come to think of it my generator can put out limited 220v which would be handy for a small portable welder...hmmmmm.

I went into the new Camping World on interstate 25 south of Colorado Springs on the way home from Denver. They just opened up...very shiny and sparkley! I noticed that in the electrical section they has stuff for 30 amp systems and 50 amp systems. I remember the KOA I lived in for over six months while house hunting out here was putting in more 50 amp hook ups to accommodate the newer and larger RV's. Any thoughts on which level to go for....or can both be accommodated? Whatever I build it will be capable for Solar, Wind, Generator, and shore power hook up. I don't want to over build...but I also don't want to under build.

REFERENCE BOOKS?
Are there any good reference books/manuals etc., out there that I should be consulting?
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Old 03-28-2007, 08:29 PM   #10
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I put some truck air ride seats into mine...they come with pedasels and bolt right in... I already had air lines just inside the side electrical panel for the air wipers...so it was matter of cutting in a "T" line and feeding the seat valve... I got lucky with mine, I work for a truck dealership and wound up with an almost matched pair of them for free....I think I've thrown out a couple of them too (not in good shape but usable)....
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Old 03-28-2007, 08:30 PM   #11
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I think the underbody tire thing could be replicated easily. Just do something the auto manufacturers still haven't figured out...keep the metal on the lift assembly from contacting the metal on the rim. Otherwise you may well end up with a road salt weld job......way annoying and common here in the salt belt.

You probably could replace your gas engine with a diesel engine on the gennie, but have you priced small diesels lately? I think an old car fuel tank (carbed vehicle-no in tank pump) or even a boat tank would be a cheaper solution. Yeah it's a pain to carry two types of fuel, but I carry propane because fuel oil cooking stoves are $$$. It's a tradeoff and just depends on what is important to you. Don't forget that if you tie into the stock diesel tank you will likely need a fuel pump since the tank will be lower than the gennie. Are you thinking about mounting the gennie under the bus or just toting it around when needed? I just tote mine but would like to build a permanent mount.

Have you ever read about homemade welder build ups? A GM 10SI or better yet, 12SI alternator is a common start point although an externally regulated Ford alternator might be easier. A guy had one out on the trail once and I was WAY impressed. By bypassing the regulator in the 12SI he was able to get 100 amps and 150 volts with a decent enough duty cycle. It might not have been the longest lasting welder ever, but for $20 in an alternator and some chopped jumper cables, it sure was cool. I with I could remember exactly what rod he was using, but I think it might have even been plain old 6013. The really cool thing was that by varying the RPMs and the field voltage he could get 120 volts DC which will run most motors and incandescent bulbs great.

As for wiring...wire it for what you need. A 50 to 30 or 30 to 50 amp adapter is cheap and easy. Just don't overload it. Mine is wired for 20 amp service (regular plug) just because my electrical needs are pretty limited and I haven't had problems with hook ups for that.
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Old 03-28-2007, 11:31 PM   #12
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Books: "How to build low cost motorhomes" by Louis C. McClure -- 2004 edition
edited by Ben Rosander, Has lots of good info on plumbing and wiring and more.
That and many others should be available from:
http://www.rv-busconversions.com/
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Old 03-29-2007, 09:10 AM   #13
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AIR RIDE SEATS….now there’s a dream come true. Awesome luck there GoneCamping. I’m just now starting to make my rounds of the salvage yards in the area…who knows I might get lucky. Too bad you’re so far away I’d have you keep an eye out for some seats needing rehabbed and a good home.

The more I think about it the better I like the idea. I could situate the spare up high under the back end where it’d be relatively easy to get to and out of the way. I had already thought of just winching it up against a rubber buffer to eliminate any tire or rim rub against the undercarriage. Yeah Wayne you’re right about the cost of trying to convert over the generator to diesel…so unless I just happen upon one I’ll probably not mess with it and just carry gasoline for it. I was thinking about building it a permanent mount with a slide out drawer for maintenance and access. It’d have to be fairly heavy duty as the dang thing is heavy. But it should power all my needs if necessary.

I was thinking up just picking up one of the Harbor Freight welders they have some 120v and 220v wire feeds that are pretty cheap. I should be able to run either on off my genny without any problem. Though I would be interested in that $20 alternator welder….hmmmmm.

Talked to an Electrician friend of mind and with a suitable supply of beer he’d be interested in helping me draw up a system that is adaptable for my needs. He’s actually already done something like this for another BIG bus conversion (greyhound size), so that is a plus.

I put in an order for the book you suggested Elliot so that should help. I had a complete copy of The Bus Nut online’s Bus Converters Bible….but lost it when my hard drive bit the dust last November. I’ve managed to download the first nine chapters again and am just waiting for the next batch to become available. I lost a lot of good notes, pic’s and diagrams and such in “the Crash”, next time I’ll remember to burn stuff to cd/dvd instead of trusting IBM! Or better yet just take the hit and print everything out. Oh Well, live and learn.
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Old 03-29-2007, 10:41 AM   #14
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I have at least a million miles in air ride seats, in trucks that bounce like jack hammers,
and I'm not impressed. They tend to bounce up and down too much. That's bad
enough, but when you drive over a big whoop in the road, they bottom out, and
that REALLY hurts. I once installed a stiffer damper ("shock absorber") from a
car suspension on one and that helped a lot. I've also been known to let all the
air out, with a block of wood underneath for height adjustment. My bus sure
doesn't need an air ride seat, and neither did the conventional I had before.
For me, it's all about finding a seat that fits my butt and back.

If you do buy a used air ride seat, you'll want to replace the damper for
sure -- they wear out and the bouncing gets worse.

Your milage may vary, of course.
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Old 03-29-2007, 12:52 PM   #15
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I agree with Elliot. All the buses in Nashville's school district have air ride seats and they're not all that wonderful. The conventional buses aren't too bad since you're behind the front wheels. The transit buses are like riding a roller coaster- one moderate bump and "away we go!!" Especially the older buses! The new one's are tolerable - better shock absorbtion- but as much because the foam still has some life in it.

That's why I got a RE bus- longer wheelbase + engine in back= smoother ride. In fact, my bus rides almost as smooth as an Eagle bus I owned. Now I just need to get a seat that's ergonomically correct.
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Old 03-29-2007, 12:54 PM   #16
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Actually my bus doesn't bounce all that much so maybe air rides are a little bit over kill. The idea of bouncing up and down doesn't seem very appealing. A good seat that fits properly would be a great improvement over the stock one. Heck I could get one from a Dodge Caravan minivan and that would work just fine. Simple is better....or at least easier.
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Old 03-29-2007, 11:19 PM   #17
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I like air ride on the axles and on the cabs, not on seats. I usually kept mine cranked up all the way (on large cars and also our rollback) or if I am getting beat up by the road too much, let just enough air out to compress a little on the big potholes. I want to find a good comfy chair with plenty of adjustment for my bus. I drove 1700 miles in 2 days in the factory seat on my bus. My back hurt for 2 more days. Maybe a good used 8 way electric. That's why the forums are so great. Helps you to think your way through an idea before you spend the money. Have fun!
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Old 03-30-2007, 01:12 AM   #18
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Lumbar supports have NO equals. My lumbar support is a small pillow wedged between my back and that rock hard bus seat. It doesn't matter what angle I adjust it to...after 500 miles in a day I'm SORE, nevermind that gross sitting-on-vinyl-in-100%-humidity feeling.
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Old 03-30-2010, 09:34 PM   #19
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Re: Rubber deck matting and other questions?

OS
I recently salvage some basement storage boxes, the tools needed are A Saws-all several lengths of blades a right angle grinder several thin cut off wheels a big Friggen Chisel, Hammer to match the chisel and the Vocabulary of a Old Crusty Sailor It was a long day.. Robert
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