Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-10-2015, 02:04 PM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2
Escape hatch replacement

Hi everyone,

New to this forum/owning a bus.

Long story short; I bought this bus the other day and already in Texas we need A/C.

I want to replace the roof escape hatch with an A/C unit but I'm having a hard time finding information on what I should get.

The hatch measures approximately 22.5" x 22.5".

Please advise,

Thanks
Attached Thumbnails
bus.JPG  

shortbuslew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2015, 02:09 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
you need to cover the hole from the hatch with steel and have a 14" hole cut into that for the rooftop ac unit. I'm doing the same with both mine plus I'm adding two powered roof vents. Us southerners NEED AC!
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2015, 11:43 PM   #3
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 2
Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about bolting down the hatch and just cutting the 14x14 in the hatch. Then secure the a/c to It. Those roof vents sound like a good idea
shortbuslew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2015, 12:25 AM   #4
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
I don't know how strong yours are, but mine both leaked from the ill-fitting plastic framing and the hatches themselves were extremely brittle.
For now I have some patch panels I made from the ceilings i pulled out and they're held on by the screws that held the hatch on there.
There are also RV roof exit hatches that can be bought in various sizes too.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2015, 01:31 AM   #5
Almost There
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oregon
Posts: 87
I've used silicone sealant for years to patch up leaks on RVs and my old van(vent hatchs seem to like to leak regardless of the type of vehicle). It's illegal to buy in California, but should be legal in Texas.(http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-II-Win...vZc5bpZ1z115jp)

Also...can we trade places please? It has yet to get into the 60s here...
__________________
"Courage is not the absence of fear. Many couragious people have been terrified out of their wits. They are just tired and can't take anymore" Cptn. 'Hawkeye' Pierce.
Veganvegabond is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 11:23 AM   #6
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8
Ours are leaking too..... is it better to replace or just remove? What sort of AC are yall installing?
cat.bleish@gmail.com is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 12:55 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by cat.bleish@gmail.com View Post
Ours are leaking too..... is it better to replace or just remove? What sort of AC are yall installing?
Panel over it and put a vent in its place.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 12:59 PM   #8
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
Quote:
Originally Posted by cat.bleish@gmail.com View Post
Ours are leaking too..... is it better to replace or just remove? What sort of AC are yall installing?
I replied on your other thread.
Docsgsxr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 03:05 PM   #9
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
The hatches seem to be designed quite well to keep rain out. You could put all the silicone you want on mine and it would still leak. Putting a rubber gasket under the knob used for opening the hatch from the outside stopped the leaking in my hatch. The hatch wasn't leaking at all. Water pools on the top of the hatch and comes through the knob hole. That caused me a lot of mopping and several months of stepping around a bucket in the center of the isle during the winter. I fixed that knob without realizing that was the source of the leak until later.
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 03:25 PM   #10
Bus Nut
 
GreyCoyote's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
Saw a skoolie on the road once that had a snow saucer inverted over, and bolted to, the escape hatch. Simple and effective, albeit inelegant. It kept the water out and let air in.

I'm seriously thinking about doing this for my bus as an in-storage option.
__________________
"You can finally say you have enough horsepower when you leave two black streaks from corner to corner"
(Mark Donohue, famed TransAm driver)
GreyCoyote is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 08:25 PM   #11
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Panel over it and put a vent in its place.
We have 3 vents, also all leaking...
cat.bleish@gmail.com is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 08:28 PM   #12
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8
This is great info... I wonder if that is our issue, too. There is a TON of sealant from the previous owner, and we tried adding more to no avail.
cat.bleish@gmail.com is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-12-2016, 09:11 PM   #13
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by cat.bleish@gmail.com View Post
We have 3 vents, also all leaking...
Re-install them, or look into higher quality units. Seal them up properly and they don't have much of a way to leak.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 08:59 AM   #14
Skoolie
 
RHOMBUS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 217
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner HDX
Engine: CAT 3126B250
Rated Cap: 84
Going to look for snow saucers now. Sounds like a cool option for other things.

Meh, nevermind. Was hoping for the big metal ones. THey just make plastic these days.
__________________
My project: The Cruel Bus
RHOMBUS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 11:10 AM   #15
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Kansas
Posts: 492
Year: 2000
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: Your mom +1
Someone on here gave me the genius idea of just siliconing a small pet food dish over the exterior knob on the hatches. Super cheap, effective and it should be pretty much unnoticeable...
slaughridge85 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 11:40 AM   #16
Bus Geek
 
Robin97396's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Willamina, Oregon
Posts: 6,409
Coachwork: 97 Bluebird TC1000 5.9
I'm thinking the roof hatch doesn't need a handle on it. Why not remove the knob and seal that hole shut?

The problem is water pools on top of the hatch. If it's raining you can hear the water running off when you open the hatch. Stop the pooling of water on the top of the hatch lid and you'll likely stop the leak. That's what the snow saucer does. You could always put a garbage can lid on top of the hatch. Anything that will stop water from pooling on top of the hatch seems to work.
Robin97396 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 11:53 AM   #17
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin97396 View Post
I'm thinking the roof hatch doesn't need a handle on it. Why not remove the knob and seal that hole shut?

The problem is water pools on top of the hatch. If it's raining you can hear the water running off when you open the hatch. Stop the pooling of water on the top of the hatch lid and you'll likely stop the leak. That's what the snow saucer does. You could always put a garbage can lid on top of the hatch. Anything that will stop water from pooling on top of the hatch seems to work.
Mine didn't leak from any knob, they leaked from all around.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 12:30 PM   #18
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Chicago
Posts: 260
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cat 3126e
Rated Cap: 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Mine didn't leak from any knob, they leaked from all around.
Same with mine. I actually just removed the back one the other day and found out it was leaking from a broken screw. Not to mention there was little to no sealant surrounding it.

Put 20ga sheet metal sealant and screwed it down, no leaks after a storm passed through the next day.

Was trying to find a pic of it but not able to see FB @ work.
Josiahdr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 12:44 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: AZ
Posts: 32
Year: 92
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Leaking here too. I toyed with the idea of putting boat hatches in in place of existing roof hatches in order to get a skylight + exit. Unfortunately they're a little pricey and need to be installed on a flat surface so i'd need fabricate a platform to mount them. Also, they can't vent when closed i dont think. Replacement emergency hatches are also pretty expensive as well though.

What other types of roof units have people used?
Lewmar Hatch Low Profile-Size 60 - Star Marine Depot
captblarney is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-13-2016, 01:07 PM   #20
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
in my last bus it leaked from the trim around the hatch.. black silicone around that trim and a little dot on each screw and it never leaked again.. the bus was stored inside but that thing would leak crazy when driving it in the rain...

first step is to determine where its leaking from.. in my case I got out the garden hose and ran water all around that trim without getting any on top of the hatch.. and when it leaked I knew that at least some of the water weas coming from where the hatch met the roof..

its sometimes easier to find where its NOT leaking from to eliminate those as a source.
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:11 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.