Sojourner

[david.dgeorge07]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Been a weird day today. Cool and threatening to rain but I decided to push on and hopefully make some progress.
I cut and primed the panels that will cover the school bus hatch openings when I remove the hatches.



Primed the sheet metal where the air cleaner access door is. Disassembled the paddle latch, cleaned, primed and painted the parts. Primed the air cleaner access door and frame. Lubed and reassembled the paddle latch and then installed the sheet metal and air cleaner access door assembly.





Hopefully things will warm up a bit and I can get to power washing inside and out. I've got to deal with the inside of the roof before beginning to skin the window openings I want to cover.

Love the handle! I wish my bus doors were that style.

[Dave in Tucson]

You're giving me evil ideas. I was kicking around doing something similar, so the navigator can sit further forward. Really like what you've done with your emergency door. I've been trying to figure out how to do retractable outside stairs!

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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

You're giving me evil ideas. I was kicking around doing something similar, so the navigator can sit further forward. Really like what you've done with your emergency door. I've been trying to figure out how to do retractable outside stairs!

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The only emergency door I had was the back door. I cut into the sidewall of bus to install our entry door and step well.

[Dave in Tucson]

Originally Posted by sojourner

The only emergency door I had was the back door. I cut into the sidewall of bus to install our entry door and step well.

Yeah, I'm doing an RE, so have the emergency door on the side.

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[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

Yeah, I'm doing an RE, so have the emergency door on the side.

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I have the same but the luggage bays are below the door, so a new stairwell is out.

[Dave in Tucson]

Originally Posted by Twigg

I have the same but the luggage bays are below the door, so a new stairwell is out.

Not necessarily. How about a longer folding stair. I'm thinking something that will fold vertically inside the door. (And a taller door). The stair would have to pivot at the floor level, and no cuts in the floor itself. The top of the stairs could have a horizontal extension that puts the pivot point whatever distance inside the bus that will allow it to clear the door when the stairs are vertical with the door closed.

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[Dave in Tucson]

Also, a "steeper" stair, more like what the Navy calls a " ladder", will actually shorten the vertical height when stowed.

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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Twigg

I have the same but the luggage bays are below the door, so a new stairwell is out.

I don't know why. You'd have to use up a bit of the storage area but you could get back more utilizing the front stairwell area you'll remove to build the co-pilot seat. The advantage to a side door is the floor plan feels more homey.

[Dave in Tucson]

Yup, I definitely want my navigator next to me, so the front stairs gotta go. And I hate wasting a perfectly good side door. Also planning on moving my fuel fill door to driver's side. Out the side, fill 'er up, and back on the road!

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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

Not necessarily. How about a longer folding stair. I'm thinking something that will fold vertically inside the door. (And a taller door). The stair would have to pivot at the floor level, and no cuts in the floor itself. The top of the stairs could have a horizontal extension that puts the pivot point whatever distance inside the bus that will allow it to clear the door when the stairs are vertical with the door closed.

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The problem you'll have with that is working out how it will function when the stairs are down and being able to close the door with a good seal. You'd have to pivot a whole section of the bottom of the step well and essentially have two floors for that section. One that's in place when the stairs are down and one that's in place with the stairs in the up position. You'd have to have good seals all around in both positions. Not impossible, just not that elegant. However, if one raises the roof you can get enough room to install electric steps under the door without losing ground clearance plus you'll have one less step intruding into the floor plan. Ground clearance was the reason I designed my steps like I did with the stock cabin height.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

Yup, I definitely want my navigator next to me, so the front stairs gotta go. And I hate wasting a perfectly good side door. Also planning on moving my fuel fill door to driver's side. Out the side, fill 'er up, and back on the road!

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Just remember to make sure the fuel fill hose is supported and in a consistent downhill run from the fill neck to the fuel tank. Any dip in the hose can cause the fuel to "burp" when filling. I re-ran the fuel fill hose on a good number of new boats in my day dealer prepping them. The condition is a nuisance in a diesel truck but a serious safety hazard with gasoline and environmental hazard on both while fueling on the water. Not that those last two are a concern for our diesel skoolies. Just mentioned for context.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by sojourner

I don't know why. You'd have to use up a bit of the storage area but you could get back more utilizing the front stairwell area you'll remove to build the co-pilot seat. The advantage to a side door is the floor plan feels more homey.

Agreed.

I thought about designing the floorplan around a center door for that reason. The only issue is that it is on the "wrong" side for best use in campgrounds.

So we are keeping the door but it will actually be in the bathroom. Still useful for a through-breeze or loading things but not so much for getting in or out.

[Dave in Tucson]

Originally Posted by sojourner

The problem you'll have with that is working out how it will function when the stairs are down and being able to close the door with a good seal. You'd have to pivot a whole section of the bottom of the step well and essentially have two floors for that section. One that's in place when the stairs are down and one that's in place with the stairs in the up position. You'd have to have good seals all around in both positions. Not impossible, just not that elegant. However, if one raises the roof you can get enough room to install electric steps under the door without losing ground clearance plus you'll have one less step intruding into the floor plan. Ground clearance was the reason I designed my steps like I did with the stock cabin height.

Another thing I've been thinking about is underfloor slide out stairs, kind of like the airstairs on some of the Boeing 737's. Opening (extending) the stairs from inside the bus, without some kind of electric drive is the problem.

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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Twigg

Agreed.

I thought about designing the floorplan around a center door for that reason. The only issue is that it is on the "wrong" side for best use in campgrounds.

So we are keeping the door but it will actually be in the bathroom. Still useful for a through-breeze or loading things but not so much for getting in or out.

Gotcha. Cool!!
Owasso huh? I graduated HS from McLoud (near OKC) went to college in Tulsa and used to work down the road from you in Collinsville (Webbcraft Boats). Met my wife while in Tulsa and got married there.
Lots of memories and family in OK.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

Another thing I've been thinking about is underfloor slide out stairs, kind of like the airstairs on some of the Boeing 737's. Opening (extending) the stairs from inside the bus, without some kind of electric drive is the problem.

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With a rear engine you might be able to pull that off. Mines a FE so the frame rails get in the way of a mechanism to do that on mine. There's plenty of heavy duty (over 1000lbs rated) long reach drawer slides these days that just might be your huckleberry. Couple that driven with a linear actuator and you'd be on your way.

[Dave in Tucson]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Gotcha. Cool!!
Owasso huh? I graduated HS from McLoud (near OKC) went to college in Tulsa and used to work down the road from you in Collinsville (Webbcraft Boats). Met my wife while in Tulsa and got married there.
Lots of memories and family in OK.

I spent one year working at AAR at Will Rogers Airport, and living in Mustang. While I grew up in Minnesota, I've been living in Arizona since '78, and I don't miss the snow and ice at all! OKC was a wake up call, with no fond memories!

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[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Dave in Tucson

I spent one year working at AAR at Will Rogers Airport, and living in Mustang. While I grew up in Minnesota, I've been living in Arizona since '78, and I don't miss the snow and ice at all! OKC was a wake up call, with no fond memories!

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I hear ya.

We have stayed here for family reasons, and then the kids schooling.

We are three years from being free of that and maybe a move to friendlier skies. New Mexico and Colorado are appealing.

[sojourner]

I was planning on removing, prepping and priming the storage bay skins aft of the rear axle on the passenger side but today is calling for cold and rain so going to plan B. The salvaged awning I pulled from our travel trailer is a 21' unit. I need a 13' unit to I drilled out the rivets holding the cap off one end and removed the cap and wind-up spring assembly. Measured 8' (21-8= 13) and set in the bandsaw and cut.





It was then simply a matter of deburring the cut edge, do a bit of repair on the wind-up assembly, lubricate it, drill new rivet holes and reassemble.
I laid it on the step to double check the placement. It will fit perfectly. I've designed extra support for the awning arm anchor brackets when I built the fuel tank mounts and storage bay skin frames. The anchors will bolt firmly to some very strong mountings when installed.



I'm still trying to decide on whether to mount the roll-up assembly above or below the midships clearance lamp. I just might install the awning fabric anchor strip over the light hole and remount the lamp under the awning so it can be easily seen from the ground with the awning rolled up. This way the awning can be rolled up without possibly having to modify the arms to accommodate the radius of the roof and still have it high enough the door won't rub the fabric when extended.

I cut to length and cleaned the old putty sealant off fabric anchor strip and pounded flat the holes that have been pulled on with screws. I'm considering using 3M Double Sided Bonding tape instead of of the Butyl putty strip. I simply can't see any reason for having to remove the strip once installed and I might be able to use less screws to hold the strip on giving fewer chances of leaks in the future.
While I know it's a bit different mounting, this strip, in particular, was the reason water got into the walls of out travel trailer and destroyed it before we knew what was going on. That entire sidewall got wet and eventually delaminated, and grew a big batch of black mold, because of the shoddy repair by the local RV dealer we bought the trailer from and had it repaired by. By the time the damage was found, they were out of business having sold to Camper World.

[sojourner]

While it was most certainly a bad day to paint, the same could not be said for drilling and tapping.
I drilled the mounting holes (3/16") in the frame of the storage bay doors just aft of the new door location. I then mounted the frame and using the frame as a template, drilled the holes through the skin and storage bay framework. I then removed the frame and drilled the 3/16" holes to 1/4" in it and the door skin. I then tapped the 3/16" holes in the frames to 1/4-20 to accept the mounting bolts I'm using to secure all the storage bay door frames.
Here's a pic of the assembly test fitted. I still have to do the finish work on the doors and frame but it's nice to see the doors there instead of just a big opening.



As you can see in the previous pic, I got a Stainless Steel exhaust tip to dress things up a bit. Here's a closeup.

[Thomas1985]

What are those lockable handles you use called? Where can I get them? I'm wanting to make a compartment like that. I'm also making my own door and am wondering how to make my own lockable handle for that as well. Thanks for any information you have.