Smells Like Teen Spirit: Conversion of 1999 Thomas MVP

[bansil]

Jack,
Fire that puppy up, hit the interstate with no windows installed, that should allow your (white styrene) balls to fly out the windows...see clean
Oh and wear goggles, safety first!

Edited to add "white styrene" just sounded wrong

[porkchopsandwiches]

No updates for a while, progress is slow. I had surgery 12 days ago and have been recovering since. I have almost finished insulating the ceiling. I wired all of the exterior lights (markers, added more side marker / turn signals, and white LED side accent lights on the pillars). I am almost done running wire for the interior lights and speakers, using the stock ceiling panels and speaker / light locations. When I finish this I will cram as much insulation / spray foam into the gaps and then install the ceiling panels, hopefully this week!

This is what $425 worth of CAT parts looks like:



$60 well spent:



Finished exterior lights at night:



And a big freakin mess:

[Tango]

Smells like Progress! Stay after it!

[browncrown]

As we all know, parts aint cheap, but keep the faith. Love your new horns

[sdwarf36]

Ok-I just looked quick-I thought you had a skateboard ramp installed!

[ol trunt]

Don't show any more of those Cat parts-------I think I'm going to,be sick------

[porkchopsandwiches]

Alright, been moving right along.



Finished insulating the ceiling, insulation is held in now with friction and some foil tape. Wires for lights are run in the insulation (grooves cut) and speaker wire as well. The original bus had 6 speakers, I am cutting it down to 4. Easier to find head units that power 4 speakers, and 2 of them would be in awkward spaces anyway (one in the shower). No worries though, I will have a bangin' supplemental stereo



Blue tape is to mark where lights / speakers go, wires friction fit in insulation held in by foil tape. I have vacuumed the ceiling since.



9 mahogany veneer solid core doors, 3' x 8' I scored for free. Planning on using these for countertops and maybe partitions for the shower / bathroom, but not sure about that due to how freaking heavy they are. They are 90 min fire rated.



My layer between living space and insulation, tyvek. Held on with foil tape (love this stuff, very strong adhesive on it). Cut holes for lights and speakers and taped around them.



Panels to be tyvek'd



Interior side of panels. They have been scrubbed with bleach and hosed down and dried off.

I have finished tyveking them but haven't put them back up yet. The first one I attempted to at 11 pm Saturday night but the first one is at a weird angle and wouldn't line up right and I got pissed off and was tired so I called it a night. I may try again tonight. The rest should go up easy.

Notes thus far:

This foam board stuff is nice, it is expensive but has great R-value. The kerosene heater I have been using on its lowest setting and it is getting to be too much, even with no floor or side insulation.

If (when, rather) I were to do this again I would definitely have it spray foamed professionally. This board works ok but there are plenty of gaps still and it takes a long time to cut the small pieces for the curves.

Next up is fixing one last leak, welding in a few metal bits, and then resealing a few windows, taking out a few windows and putting blanks in, and insulating the walls with the same 2" polyiso foil board. Then, 1/2 or 3/4" foam on the floor overlayed with 1/2" osb. Then, let the building commence

[porkchopsandwiches]

Update on the ceiling project- DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES reuse the ceiling panels on a Thomas bus if you don't have to. They are an UNBELIEVABLE b!tch to put back up, lining up all the holes and getting the screws to go in straight. I finally got all of them, but with the time and frustration I spent I could have done 3 bus ceilings in pine 1x3s or whatever. What didn't help is the insulation is slightly deeper than the support ribs so you're trying to line up 2 overlapping panels with the holes drilled in the ribs, all while pushing hard enough to slightly compress the insulation. 1/10 would not recommend.

What's up with the site recently? The last few days I've tried to get on and it's been down.

[Tango]

LOVE the LED's! --- Just maybe one of the best "new" things to happen to RV's in years. Real battery savers and they seem to be getting better and cheaper by the day.

[Docsgsxr]

Hey Chop,

I bought the exact year and model you have. Did you ever get that injector/oil issue resolved in your fuel?
Seems like I have a larger amount of whitish smoke than normal coming from my crank case tube and I was
wondering if I might have a similar problem with my injector(s)?

Rocking job man! I am going to start mine this summer when I get back home from New Hampshire and can't
wait!!!! (I plan on using a few of your ideas. I think the external soft white led's are a great idea!)

-Doc