Skoolie House Rocks! 1986 Saf-T-Liner 84 px, from Big Bus to Tiny House

[YOLO_bus]

Thanks again!

How did you get the bus home? Did you put plates and insurance on the bus before you picked it up? Did you have any trouble driving it home (get stopped by the cops)? I see that the school district name is paint over - did you do that?

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by YOLO_bus

Thanks again!

How did you get the bus home? Did you put plates and insurance on the bus before you picked it up? Did you have any trouble driving it home (get stopped by the cops)? I see that the school district name is paint over - did you do that?

I did not get specific insurance the first time I moved it, but my auto policy covers me for any vehicle purchased for 10 days.

However, I did not have a CDL, so I got a bus driver friend to drive it home for me (and back it down the looong alley and into my backyard so I could pull it out forward when I had to move it ). No plates at that time (the school district removed them), so I rolled the dice.

Then my landlord said it had to be gone out of the back yard, so after I got plates and tabs I moved it to it's current resting spot early on a Saturday morning. Still no insurance or CDL, so I rolled the dice again on that trip.

No trouble on either trip, but it wasn't that long a drive. I don't plan on moving it again until it is retitled with a MH designation and I have liability coverage.

The school district name was painted over and the plates removed when I got it. I don't know if that's the law or not.

I would not recommend flouting the law regarding plates, insurance or a CDL, especially in some places. YMMV

[Cityratt]

Originally Posted by OMGIBoughtABus

I did not get specific insurance the first time I moved it, but my auto policy covers me for any vehicle purchased for 10 days.

However, I did not have a CDL, so I got a bus driver friend to drive it home for me (and back it down the looong alley and into my backyard so I could pull it out forward when I had to move it ). No plates at that time (the school district removed them), so I rolled the dice.

Then my landlord said it had to be gone out of the back yard, so after I got plates and tabs I moved it to it's current resting spot early on a Saturday morning. Still no insurance or CDL, so I rolled the dice again on that trip.

No trouble on either trip, but it wasn't that long a drive. I don't plan on moving it again until it is retitled with a MH designation and I have liability coverage.

The school district name was painted over and the plates removed when I got it. I don't know if that's the law or not.

I would not recommend flouting the law regarding plates, insurance or a CDL, especially in some places. YMMV

They left the plates on my bus, i rolled the dice and hoped in the bus and drove it cross the state , no CDL, no registration, i have broad form insurance but i doubt that it would cover a bus.

your coming along great with the deconstruction of the bus, but i will tell you that pulling the ceiling panels down SUCKS big time. I recommend getting a couple #2 square bits and an impact drill, you will strip some out. what i did after that is use a cut off wheel and make them a flat head. at first i just ground the head off the screws, but after getting one panel down, you still have the body of the crew to deal with.

hope this helps and good luck

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Cityratt

They left the plates on my bus, i rolled the dice and hoped in the bus and drove it cross the state , no CDL, no registration, i have broad form insurance but i doubt that it would cover a bus.

your coming along great with the deconstruction of the bus, but i will tell you that pulling the ceiling panels down SUCKS big time. I recommend getting a couple #2 square bits and an impact drill, you will strip some out. what i did after that is use a cut off wheel and make them a flat head. at first i just ground the head off the screws, but after getting one panel down, you still have the body of the crew to deal with.

hope this helps and good luck

Thanks!

The impact driver is stripping more than it is getting out. I am hoping that a set of stripped screw removal bits will help.

I really hate using the angle grinder. I might try the 4 lb hammer and chisel method Nat_Ster spoke of if the impact driver doesn't work out.

Did you change the gear ratio with the switch in the engine compartment before going over the pass? Old #33 really lugged up a hill going toward Tulalip even in 2 and the smoke poured out the back but it was still in the regular gear ratio.

I look forward to seeing how you disconnect the heaters so I can copy you I was thinking of pinching off the pipes at the engine.

[Cityratt]

Originally Posted by OMGIBoughtABus

Thanks!

The impact driver is stripping more than it is getting out. I am hoping that a set of stripped screw removal bits will help.

I really hate using the angle grinder. I might try the 4 lb hammer and chisel method Nat_Ster spoke of if the impact driver doesn't work out.

Did you change the gear ratio with the switch in the engine compartment before going over the pass? Old #33 really lugged up a hill going toward Tulalip even in 2 and the smoke poured out the back but it was still in the regular gear ratio.

I look forward to seeing how you disconnect the heaters so I can copy you I was thinking of pinching off the pipes at the engine.

I could cruise without a problem at about 65-70, except for Sherman pass, i did 30 with a cloud of smoke behind me, i stopped in Leavenworth, i had used about a gallon of oil getting over the pass. My wife tried getting me to try the hammer and chisel method, but i could see it working out well after about 30 or so of them, cause trying to hold the chisel in on had and swinging a hammer in the other over your head for roughly 900 screws. on my other bus, there was a portion of the heater hoses that were hard line, i used an exra piece of hose from the removal and looped it back to itself, i lost a bit of coolant, so make sure you catch it in a clean bucket so you can put it back into the overflow tank.

[OMGIBoughtABus]

DW caught this during rush hour last night in Everett. I thought it was a Skoolie at first. I still like the windows on the side.

[nat_ster]

Smacking each screw sideways with the hammer and chisel will knock them loose, breaking the rust and paint so they will come out with the impact / screw driver.

We do this at work when doing electrical, ect.

Nat

[OMGIBoughtABus]

After measuring and DW deciding the only place for the bed is in the back, I have discovered that, without a roof raise, a queen murphy bed just ain't gonna work.

I could just build a frame and put a queen bed in that space, but I really want to use the back window space over the engine bay as a closet, and I don't want to walk on top of the bed just to get a clean shirt in the morning.

I think I can fit two twin murphy beds in the space that would fold together and essentially make a king size bed. I also think I can buy a couple of piston sets and make my own murphy frame out of 3/8" wood on the cheap.

Here is my rough design. I will have to inset the beds into the finished wall just a bit.

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Thought I would try to get some work done before the windstorm moved through today. Started in on the ceiling screws with the stripped screw removal bit. It performed beautifully... for the first two screws, then the tip sheared off.

You buy cheap, you get cheap.

I battened down the hatches and will look around for a better quality tool for the next visit.

Excelsior!

[Scooternj]

Have you tried using a #2 square bit? That's what holds the panels up in my Amtran. Took me about 45 minutes taking them all down

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Scooternj

Have you tried using a #2 square bit? That's what holds the panels up in my Amtran. Took me about 45 minutes taking them all down

In the Thomas I have they are all rusty #4 Phillips head screws.

[Tango]

I had very good luck on the 70 year old Phillips heads that hold everything together on my Shorty using an old fashioned, hand held impact driver and a three pound hammer. Once they were broken free, my Milwaukee drill/driver did the rest. Had to use a cut-off blade on some but not many.

http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2910-2-...+driver+manual

Hints...buy several extra bits and do use safety glasses.

[Stewzer55]

I have a feeling that the manual impact could quickly become a favorite tool, the hammer strike could jar the rust loose. Have you tried giving them a little bit of penetrating oil?

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Stewzer55

I have a feeling that the manual impact could quickly become a favorite tool, the hammer strike could jar the rust loose. Have you tried giving them a little bit of penetrating oil?

That sounds like a good idea, thanks!

[Tango]

Most of my screws had 86 coats of paint and were just lumps...so there was no place for the penetrant to go. Whacking does indeed jar the rust and paint loose.

[OMGIBoughtABus]

Originally Posted by Tango

Most of my screws had 86 coats of paint and were just lumps...so there was no place for the penetrant to go. Whacking does indeed jar the rust and paint loose.

Hmm I might have to try whacking instead of screwing.

[Cityratt]

Originally Posted by OMGIBoughtABus

In the Thomas I have they are all rusty #4 Phillips head screws.

I used #2 square bit on all of my screws, you would probably get better grip with the square bit than with the #4 Phillips bit. that's just my opinion though

[family wagon]

I've been known to stack adapters to reduce my 1/2" air impact wrench to 3/8, then 1/4, then put on a 1/4" hex socket to hold the screw driver bit..... It's perversely satisfying to hear that air wrench zipping sound while pulling out stubborn screws. Several driver tips have been broken by this gross application of way too much torque but often it gets the job done.

Really should pick up one of those manual impact drivers. I bet the thump along the axis of the screw combined with the simultaneous twisting would be very effective.

A chisel digging into the screw head, tangent to the head so that the blows from the hammer apply force in the "un-screw" direction, works well too. It's a nice fall-back when the heads strip out. Air chisel is nice for this; the vibration helps work things loose.

[Tango]

A torch can also help break nuts, bolts and even sheetmetal screws loose. Oxy, Blow, propane, whatever. But...you do have to keep up with which ones are hot...and which ones are OK to sit on. Ask me how I know.

[ol trunt]

I also use the "Tango Tool" but I've learned to use an awl to pick some of the paint out of the slots before I use the tool. That way I can use a 1# hammer to work the tool and it doesn't completely flatten my thumb when I miss.