Widening a skoolie?

[pete c]

I have seen many examples of skoolies that have been stretched vertically, but, none to make them wider.

Somewhere I read that max legal width is somewhere around 100 inches. I also read that more insulation is better. But, other than skinning over windows, I don't see any examples of building out.

Seems to me that bolting 2x4s to the outside vertically, maybe 16" o.c. and sheathing it in maybe 3/8 plywood would give you a nice clean flat side which allows you to put windows anywhere you please, rub strips be damned.

You could have a very good r value without giving up interior width. You could skin it over in either aluminum or fiberglass. Or if you have the $$$$ you could do it in teak!

If there are examples of this, I'd like to see them.

One other advantage is that if you built these walls sturdy enough along with an equally strong ceiling, you could could tie the bus roof to the new roof with a handful of pieces of threaded rod and accomplish a rather drama free roof raising.

I guess you could just hack the roof off like trx did, but, there's something about having that tried and tested gubmint certified roof inplace when you roll this topheavy monstrosity into the ditch.

[Les Lampman]

This is wading into a morass...there are 50 States with 50 different sets of regulations, 49 of which we can get to by land. There is only one standard that keeps you legal in all of the lower 48 on every road (if you don't exceed a posted weight rating) and that's 96" wide. The practical reality is that there are so many things being built at 102" wide (boats, buses, motohomes, travel trailers, utility trailes, horse trailers, commercial trucks, and more) that it seems like almost no state goes out of their way to enforce the width laws (unless you're really grossly over). Can you see turning a bunch of 8.5' wide motorhomes away from your 8' max state highways and losing all that tourist money? That said if you go wider than 8' you will not be 100% legal 100% of the time. I think this is a situation where you have to figure out where you operate the most, if the states where you do have 8' max widths and if you'll be on back roads where it makes a difference if it makes any difference at all. On federally funded highways (those that are truck routes generally speaking) 102" is the norm (and mandated) so you're going to get by on any freeway, 4-lane highway, or major 2-lane road. That itty bitty narrow back road in Vermont might be a different matter.

[paul iossi]

I agree with Les, 102" is the standard on federally funded roads, their are going to be some exceptions but they are going to be local issues like height or weight restrictions for bridges and overpasses, just be aware that you can run into restricted areas and be prepaired to adapt to the situation at hand.

[GoneCamping]

I think the best way to create more interior living space in these things, is to design and build a slide-out....that's how the big boys do it, and if I had the engineering skills I might try it.... But I don't have the engineering skills to raise the roof, so a slide-out is way beyond my means....

I have seen one bus that they skinned over the outside with sheetmetal... it looked kind of funny actually, only thing I like about it was the smooth sides...read that as no rub rails...!! But it sill looked kind of silly....

[the_experience03]

Originally Posted by paul iossi

I agree with Les, 102" is the standard on federally funded roads, their are going to be some exceptions but they are going to be local issues like height or weight restrictions for bridges and overpasses, just be aware that you can run into restricted areas and be prepaired to adapt to the situation at hand.

How about this photo from the Needles Highway near Custer, South Dakota? Yes, this is a fullsize charter bus and yes, that tunnel is as tight as it looks.

[Roasting8]

Wow! talking about tight

[quote=the_experience03]

Originally Posted by "paul iossi":f4b60

I agree with Les, 102" is the standard on federally funded roads, their are going to be some exceptions but they are going to be local issues like height or weight restrictions for bridges and overpasses, just be aware that you can run into restricted areas and be prepaired to adapt to the situation at hand.

How about this photo from the Needles Highway near Custer, South Dakota? Yes, this is a fullsize charter bus and yes, that tunnel is as tight as it looks.

[/quote:f4b60]

[Elliot Naess]

Yep, Les explains it very well. Personally, I like the idea. Just keep it down to 3"
total addition on each side.

[pete c]

hey mr mod, I just noticed I started this thread in the wrong place. Would you kindly move it to conversion discussion or maybe the wild ass pipe dream forum, if you got one of those.