Wildcat Lodge

[Wildcat]

First post in this forum - Just purchased an 1992 International chassis, Ward Senator coach with a DTA 360 with roughly 160,000 miles. Drove it home 150 miles and averaged 10 mpg and went 70mph down hills and 55mph up the hills. The coach is in pretty good condition as it was in a fleet hauling kids up until a month ago. Service records and the such came with the purchase price of $2,500.

It's my first bus and we are excited to have a new toy. We plan to use it for plugged in camping while horseback riding with an occasional day trip thrown in such as tail gate or concert. We hope to sleep 4+ and ride 10+ comfortable.

[Wildcat]

Here are a couple of more before pictures

[Wildcat]

even more pics

[Wildcat]

We spent a day over the weekend and removed most of the seats. We left a couple in for the mean time so the bus has some function. We took 660 pounds of seat frames to the scrap and paid for the diesel used to get the bus home. I know we should have re-used ourselves, but I don't have the patience.

We then removed most of the other interior swag and then went to the outside. Off came the pneumatic stop sign, the decals, and the warning lights. A little bit of sanding to remove the last of the adhesive and then some rattle can primer to keep the rust at bay.

All in all a good day's work. I am looking forward to all the "little" projects this bus will bring.

Here are some more pics of the results of the demo day.

Next project - removing the flooring in the bus and then skinning the back six windows.

[Wildcat]

Here is one more pic of the first demo day (i can't seem to attach more than 3 per post)

[Wildcat]

Attached is the most current floor plan now that we have the seats out and can get good measurements.

[Wildcat]

I priced out corner shower pans and doors today and man they are expensive and hard to find used. Therefore I have moved the shower across the chassis and to a square configuration which should be cheaper and easier to fabricate. Here are the new floor plans.

[Griff]

You can also try your local Habitat for Humanity store, if you have one. I've seen lots of great stuff at very reasonable prices in a few I've been to.

[bikeforthelight]

i second that habitat store idea. ours here is huge with all kinds of useful odds and ends. tons of plumbing stuff, cabinets, paint, wood flooring. really anything you could need, and its all pretty cheap. plus its all helping a good cause.

[Wildcat]

I'm back - this work stuff gets in the way of my bus activities. Here is the final plan. We are ordering and measuring sheet metal for the back windows and hope to get the exterior done by Thanksgiving. Here are the final plans we expect to build.

[Wildcat]

I will post pics soon, but we are making progress. The back six windows are removed, skinned and primed. The floor is stripped and painted with alumithane (sp?), and I have built the five walls which flank the bunk beds and the shower and roughed in the bed platforms. I have ordered all my plumbing parts from rv surplus online and have my 30 amp charger/12v/110v panel. Next is to install the plumbing, electrical and start putting in the cabnitry.

Question for those of you out there with much more experience..... I replaced the chassis batteries with two new ones and they will not keep a charge. I have cleaned the terminals and removed the two hot leads which were on the battery side of the solenoid, but I can't keep them charged for more than a week. The alternator is pumping out 14.4 volts and there doesn't appear to be any current going across the solenoid when the key is switched off. Any ideas as to what may be draining the batteries or where else I should look?

[Wildcat]

I was looking at procuring a generator today. Does anyone have experience with Magna inverter generators? They look to be honda clones made in China. This one is pretty cool as it will run for 8-20 hours, is very quiet, will power a 13,500 btu a/c and has remote electric start.

http://www.rvtoyoutlet.com/c-listall/p-RVSF3600.html

[Diesel Dan]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

I was looking at procuring a generator today. Does anyone have experience with Magna inverter generators? They look to be honda clones made in China. This one is pretty cool as it will run for 8-20 hours, is very quiet, will power a 13,500 btu a/c and has remote electric start.

http://www.rvtoyoutlet.com/c-listall/p-RVSF3600.html

If you're willing to spend that much $$, you might consider a diesel generator. That way you wouldn't have to carry gasoline on board, and could perhaps even run it straight from your diesel fuel tank and never need to fill it.

[Wildcat]

Well - we're making some progress in the wake of competing projects. Here are some pics of the framing of the walls, bunk and shower installation.

[Wildcat]

more pics of the shower install in progress

[thesaltydog24]

Looking good. I like how you did the bunks, I want to do something similar, what are the measurements you used?

Chris

[browncrown]

Construction looks really good. Not to long and you'll be able to sing in the shower

[madpsalmer]

It makes talking your wife into letting you buy a magnetic drill press a bit easier when your wasted after drilling the first of many holes!

[Wildcat]

Looking good. I like how you did the bunks, I want to do something similar, what are the measurements you used?

Chris

The bunks are 30" wide by 80" long before the trim goes in. I designed to work around the mattress at the following web site:

http://www.americanbeddingmfg.com/camp_mattresses2.html

The height of the bottom bunk is right above the wheel well and the upper bunk is half the distance to the roof. I am planning on having storage under the passenger side bunk and will use the driver's side to run all the plumbing down the bus.

[Wildcat]

Attached are some pics of our progress on building the cabinets for the kitchen, closet, and electrical (behind driver)