Toyhauler/camper project: - Page 2

kthelen · 11-07-2009, 10:03 AM

Under 10,000 miles on that thing - and they traded a lawnmower for it? Wow.

At $3000 the church got an excellent deal... but you got a STEAL! Good find.

ramairws601 · 11-14-2009, 07:35 PM

Well, last weekend I moved it to a new location closer to home and hopefully will get more work done on it. I had to pile up all the seats I removed back into the bus to move it and unload them again today.

I got all the windows and both doors removed today. marked the wiring and pulled it down. started pulling out the rest of the interior metal, lots of rivets to drill........more work tomorrow.

ramairws601 · 11-15-2009, 05:00 PM

Today was productive, I got the old stairwell removed and the new door location partialy cut open.
one more ceiling panel taken down. never realized that drill was so heavy till I tried overhead for so long.....

ramairws601 · 11-15-2009, 09:57 PM

Yeah using the windows would be nice but, I see too many people that cant hardly give them away let alone sell em so I figured I should try to get a few dollars back from my purchase price. the windows had a few screws on the sides, take em out and they practically fell apart, the glass came right out no problem, no breakage.
my plan is about 1/2 way down the first page. Yeah I do plan on removing the door and bringing my co-pilot up next to me. Its something I have pictured doing since I first thought of a schoolbus a year or so ago. RazorCityDen did it well but I am going to try and keep from having any stairwell inside the bus, that will mean a bigger set of steps outside but thats ok, I have seen RV's with 3 & 4 step setups.
I was going to try and squeeze my toys in like it was and lift the roof later but I decided to do it now since its stripped anyway. so I figure somewhere between 12 -16" of lift is what I am going to do. angle the front down like mentioned in my previous postings.
I tried the angle grinder with grinding and cutoff wheels, didnt like all the sparks and I am trying to save the metal for another project. so I went back to drilling which is easy except the ones that spin on me. I used a sharp chisel on them to pop the heads off, they popped easy, I am going to try my air chisel next time I get out there.

Diesel Dan · 11-16-2009, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramairws601

... Yeah I do plan on removing the door and bringing my co-pilot up next to me. Its something I have pictured doing since I first thought of a schoolbus a year or so ago. RazorCityDen did it well ...

SportyRick also did a great job on moving the door - check out his pics in the gallery.

ramairws601 · 11-16-2009, 07:01 PM

I found sportyrick's pics, yes it was a good job too.

Sojakai · 11-16-2009, 10:56 PM

I wasx looking around at Ikea cause someone mentined something that they have but no pictures... But I figured out what to do with the extra window glass...

I figure that those with wives will get some use, and those who have just about anything Signed can use it... or those who have something worth showing off...

ramairws601 · 11-26-2009, 08:49 PM

Got some more progress done today, yes I worked on my bus on Thanksgiving! weather was fair so why not.........anyway,got all the interior metal/fiberglass out along with some rivets on the outside and the steering wheel is off now.
I just wanted to say the air hammer was by far easiest for me with those rivets! I had a punch ground down to knock the core out, then followed by a sharp chisel. Had to re-sharpen now and again but much easier than drilling or grinding to me. drilling meant I had to knock out the core anyway plus all the bits I would use and over half the rivets started spining before I was done drilling off the head! the the grinder, all those sparks and the metal/disc dust everywhere plus the discs were a couple bucks each.in three hours you can see I got all the panels out much faster than the other methods, try it out if you can, you may like that method, you may not but experiment anyway!

ramairws601 · 11-29-2009, 06:04 PM

got all the rub rails off this weekend and started on opening up the rear for my ramp.

ezbme · 12-14-2009, 11:05 PM

Can't wit to see what is next!!! You have been a cuttin fool...

ramairws601 · 01-24-2010, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ezbme

Can't wit to see what is next!!! You have been a cuttin fool...

How's this?
also got my original stairwell filled in with some scraps of metal from the inside walls.

ramairws601 · 01-25-2010, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smitty

Looks good! How'd you lift the roof?

Smitty

I will put all the picture in the gallery once it is working properly. Havent been able to add/edit anything in a week or so now. SO..here's a couple of the lift.
Only went 12" up, thats more than enough to clear the roll cage on our side by side.
I used 4 jacks and the post/guide design I seen somewhere on here.

I had to stop at the end of the jacks stroke and add blocks under it to keep going up.

RazorCityDen · 01-25-2010, 07:38 AM

Up goes that roof!

Take care,
Den

NewSkewlHauler · 01-25-2010, 11:54 AM

Nice work! How are you going to make the transition from the low part to the higher part of your raised roof?

Ben.

ramairws601 · 01-25-2010, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewSkewlHauler

Nice work! How are you going to make the transition from the low part to the higher part of your raised roof?

Ben.

hard to explain but will look similar to this,

NewSkewlHauler · 01-25-2010, 02:31 PM

That makes sense...awhile back, there was some discussion about using the roof cap from an 18 wheeler. I've seen it used on a couple of the RAGBRAI buses to vent air around their roof racks with bikes and whatnot. There's some good pics in the gallery of what I mean.

Ben.

ramairws601 · 02-20-2010, 08:45 PM

Well, the "cutting fool"

was at it again today. My plasma cutter makes slicing things up too easy! with temps finally above OMG ITS FREAKING COLD! I was able to get alot accomplished.
I removed the seat rail on both sides, got the rest of the rear opened up, and got rid of the window brows. with the brows gone I think it will look alot cleaner and give me a small area to secure the new skin to.
tear down getting close to done, gonna have to start spending money to get building!
While under the bus today I noticed the left rear wheel full of gear oil...

related to my first day experience I am sure.

ramairws601 · 02-21-2010, 05:43 PM

Planning to skin the entire bus to make it smooooooooth.

20 ga is what I plan to use, $33 for a 4x10 sheet. 6 sheets per side is what it will take. I got it laid out so most of the seams will fall within a window/door/fender well area and the seem down the middle I can hide behind a pinstripe! I do plan on butting the pieces together so if I dont weld then I will have a backing strip and 2 rows of rivets and that takes away from the smoothness!
for todays progress.......
Chevy Silverado steering wheel from todays swap meet $6
Dash removal
rest of round corners in rear gone, gonna extend and square off the rear to the end of the floor
and wire wheeled the floor in prep for primer.

Elliot Naess · 02-21-2010, 09:31 PM

Yeehah! You are really going to town, RamAir!

I think I know where you learned your roof-raising method.

Say, where do you live? I want those rub rails! You cut your window eyebrows off -- I would like to do that myself, but it is too late for me to make it look good without covering it up. So I'm thinking of covering with a rub rail.

Nice work -- keep it up!

ramairws601 · 02-21-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Yeehah! You are really going to town, RamAir!

yeah I tend to go overboard but I keep telling myself "I'm not building a watch"

but I just keep going......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

I think I know where you learned your roof-raising method.

yeah I seen how you did yours and someone in the gallery did that type of setup also, I looked for some hi-lifter jacks to borrow but no one had those......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Say, where do you live? I want those rub rails! You cut your window eyebrows off -- I would like to do that myself, but it is too late for me to make it look good without covering it up. So I'm thinking of covering with a rub rail.

Southeast Missouri, still want em?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elliot Naess

Nice work -- keep it up!

Thanks!

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