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Old 05-18-2018, 04:20 PM   #1
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Inside wall panel removal

Did any of you come across the inside wall panels to being kinda tack welded? I'm referring to the sheet metal material under the windows. I took all the screws out, and one rivet? , and even had to deal with a few stripped screws just to find that something is keeping the panel intact. At first, I thought it was some kind of glue or seal or maybe even hidden screws but discovered its like tack welded at the top of the sheet metal panel. I have to use vice grips to pull up a metal flap right under the windows to get to the sheet metal so I can pull it apart but I think pulling the metal flap up is going to make it easy for water to get in when it rains.

Anyone have to go through this? How did you go about it?

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Old 05-18-2018, 04:38 PM   #2
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Is this a redundant post in error?
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Old 05-18-2018, 04:44 PM   #3
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you did have a thread about this already. Just leave it. A lot of people cut the metal below the window line, and just leave the extra. It will be covered up by your walls
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Old 05-19-2018, 10:45 AM   #4
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From the looks of that other guys bus I thought he'd maybe went through the same thing. Didn't wanna keep posting in his build thread, that's all
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Old 05-19-2018, 11:15 AM   #5
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That's ok by me.
Some of these young whippersnappers, have a hard time just leaveing things lie.
Did you get rid of your saw? If I weren't on the other side of Harris Cty. I would be over giving you a hand and learning at the same time.
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Old 05-19-2018, 12:48 PM   #6
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That's ok by me.
Some of these young whippersnappers, have a hard time just leaveing things lie.
Did you get rid of your saw? If I weren't on the other side of Harris Cty. I would be over giving you a hand and learning at the same time.
I'm thinking you posted to the wrong thread?
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Old 05-21-2018, 01:58 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by jjhwick119 View Post
you did have a thread about this already. Just leave it. A lot of people cut the metal below the window line, and just leave the extra. It will be covered up by your walls
I have battery powered tools and only a few batteries that i have no place to charge at the moment . Do you know of a way to get the tack welds or what ever this is loose? Rather not cut and save the batteriesfor when I absolutely need to use them. Posted pictures to show what they look like. Was able to pry some loose with a flat head screwdriver but its bending the part of the bus it's attached to, easily. But even its pretty hard after the few i was able to pry. Also tried pulling it with vice grips. Those tack welds are holding good but its gotta be a way people deal with this right?

The first image is after I was able to pry loose. The others is where i cut. These tack welds (is that what they are?) Were unnecessary IMO as there were plenty of screws

Appreciate any help anyone could give in advance
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Old 05-21-2018, 03:32 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by adic27 View Post
I have battery powered tools and only a few batteries that i have no place to charge at the moment . Do you know of a way to get the tack welds or what ever this is loose? Rather not cut and save the batteriesfor when I absolutely need to use them. Posted pictures to show what they look like. Was able to pry some loose with a flat head screwdriver but its bending the part of the bus it's attached to, easily. But even its pretty hard after the few i was able to pry. Also tried pulling it with vice grips. Those tack welds are holding good but its gotta be a way people deal with this right?

The first image is after I was able to pry loose. The others is where i cut. These tack welds (is that what they are?) Were unnecessary IMO as there were plenty of screws

Appreciate any help anyone could give in advance
Get you a spot weld cutter, they make spot welds a piece of cake. Just put the pointer in the center of the spot weld and the cutter cuts around the weld through the top layer releasing it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pack-of-3...8AAOSwA3dYRmZJ
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Old 05-21-2018, 04:51 PM   #9
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Thanks for this response! Gave me the idea to use drill bits. Don't know why my brain is so slow at times
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Old 05-21-2018, 04:55 PM   #10
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Sounds like that should work. I started out with just battery operated tools, but you really are muuuuch better off just getting a generator. I wish i would have sooner. It would have made things go so much faster in the beginning.
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Old 05-21-2018, 05:00 PM   #11
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Thanks for this response! Gave me the idea to use drill bits. Don't know why my brain is so slow at times
Why not use the correct tool? Welds are hard and will wear out your bits. This cutter cuts around the weld through the softer sheet metal. it saves massive amounts of labor.
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Old 05-21-2018, 05:44 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by jjhwick119 View Post
Sounds like that should work. I started out with just battery operated tools, but you really are muuuuch better off just getting a generator. I wish i would have sooner. It would have made things go so much faster in the beginning.
Gas generator for electric tools? I have a inergy kodiak solar generator but my cigarette lighter receptacle melted along with the generator car charger. Gonna run a stronger gauge wire straight to the battery using a heavy duty receptacle and a 25 amp fuse holder.

Is your generator loud? I'm storaging my bus at a storage place and don't wanna draw the attention. How many watts and are you keeping/gonna keep it in your build some how?
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Old 05-21-2018, 05:53 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Why not use the correct tool? Welds are hard and will wear out your bits. This cutter cuts around the weld through the softer sheet metal. it saves massive amounts of labor.
I heard you. No patients i guess lol. Might see if a hardware store has them later today. If not then oh well . Thanks tho
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Old 05-21-2018, 06:13 PM   #14
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Gas generator for electric tools? I have a inergy kodiak solar generator but my cigarette lighter receptacle melted along with the generator car charger. Gonna run a stronger gauge wire straight to the battery using a heavy duty receptacle and a 25 amp fuse holder.

Is your generator loud? I'm storaging my bus at a storage place and don't wanna draw the attention. How many watts and are you keeping/gonna keep it in your build some how?
I have a gas powered 2800w inverter generator. Inverter generators are quieter then regular ones. They also output a pure sine wave. I'm also at an rv storage lot. Not all lots are the same so check the paperwork you signed and make sure you can work on it. People come out and run their rvs periodically, and I've heard others in our lot using generators. Honestly though, once you get 50 to 100 feet away, you can't really hear it. Especially with vehicles and / or buildings around you. It helps the sound from travelling

I will be keeping it and mounting it under the bus to use for recharging my battery bank, backup power, and for any power tools I may need to use, I'll just use the generator to save my batteries

Edit - this is the one I picked up
https://factorypure.com/products/cha...gaAqy7EALw_wcB
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:02 PM   #15
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I very far away from storage units and even further away from the front office. Also, the lady at the front desk mentioned a guy had 2 school buses and another lady had one she was in the middle of converting but left fir some reason. Pretty sure I'll be fine. Bought this one after going 8 days without electricity due to it snowing in little Rock AR years ago but never used it.

DuroStar DS4000S, 3300 Running Watts/4000 Starting Watts, Gas Powered Portable Generator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004918MO2..._SCmcBb0J90DTH

Never even took it out the box. Not an inverter generator tho. Gonna get a real good one one day for mounting to my bus. Think it'll come in handy.
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Old 05-25-2018, 10:08 PM   #16
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Any clue how to get these off? There on the lower wall panels. Doesn't look like sheet metal. Seems thicker.
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Old 05-25-2018, 11:08 PM   #17
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Any clue how to get these off? There on the lower wall panels. Doesn't look like sheet metal. Seems thicker.
I angle ground a few off and then realized I wasn't 100% sure I should remove them so I stopped.
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Old 05-26-2018, 02:58 AM   #18
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Any clue how to get these off? There on the lower wall panels. Doesn't look like sheet metal. Seems thicker.
If that's the chair rail leave it.
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Old 05-26-2018, 08:28 PM   #19
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If that's the chair rail leave it.
You mean what the seats were bolted to?
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Old 05-26-2018, 08:32 PM   #20
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Yes...it is structural in every full sized bus I have seen and basically holds the body together. Don't want to remove it!
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