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 11-02-2008, 12:51 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Posts: 39
Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

After talking it over some more with others and thinking about things, we have decided to go with a metal roof raise.

Since we do not have experience at all with metal fabrication and welding, we will be looking for someone to pay to help us with this project. We have a few grand saved and hope to start in mid November.

I have some questions I was hoping some of you could answer.

We want to raise the front of the bus for a sleeping loft, instead of the back. The reason is that the front we thought would be nice because we could leave part of it just open to create a cathedral type affect. Also the back is where our daughters playroom and bedroom will be...( eh, hem... )

Anyway, I was hoping to get some opinions on the best way to transition from a raised front to the back. Our ceilings are naturally higher to begin with, like 6 foot and few inches ( don't remember how much exactly) so the difference will not be as great. Will it look ascetically bad to have the front higher than the back ? Any ideas on how to integrate this ?

Also, how much should we expect to pay for something like this, at minimum ?

Thanks ~ Pixie

__________________
Enchanted Gypsy ~ Travel Diaries
https://www.enchantedgypsy.blogspot.com/
pixie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2008, 09:30 AM   #2
Skoolie
 
Lady Franklin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Posts: 130
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: 7.3 International Diesel
Rated Cap: 72
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

I don't think it would look stupid if you raised the front and not the back. It might look a little peculiar, but seriously have you looked at the photo gallery on this site?! Pixie I did a massive roof raise on my skoolie, like two feet in the front and three feet in the back and it worked pretty good. I have a very detailed description on our website, http://www.fuzzytravel.com/waalner/. As for your transition, I just welded in slanted 1X2 steel tube framing. You could just make the rear one go back down into the roof instead of up like ours does. As for someone to do it...how close are you to Manitoba, Canada? Really though check out the site I think you will find it helpful. You mentioned on your previous post about using another structure to attach on top and just make your emergency exit hole bigger, is this still an option? It would make things easier in that you wouldnt have to tear apart the interior of you bus which I imagine is all finished. Even just the roof of an old vehicle welded nicely on top then cut a much bigger hole in you roof to open it up. Neil Youngs Tour bus has two 1950 Hudson Hornet roofs (car roofs) attached to the top in this manner and it looks pretty good. Just a thought
Attached Thumbnails
82476230-L.jpg  
Attached Images
 
Lady Franklin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2008, 06:25 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
timbuk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: vancouver island bc
Posts: 1,028
Year: 1965
Coachwork: thomas
Chassis: chevy
Engine: 350
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

i gotta say that tour bus with the hornets look pretty good say that gives me an idea.... timbuk
timbuk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2008, 09:38 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
oldog12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 381
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

I'm doing a roof raise myself... In the beginning I thought the cost of a welding unit and the cost of steel and just the hassle would be a wash if I had a weld shop do it. My red line was $7000.00.... The one weld shop that would even agree to do it estimated the cost to be $23,000.00 !!! Needless to say, I'm doing it myself and enjoying the hands-on conversion, not to mention I'll know exactly what was done and where. I'm sure I'm over-engineering it, but I'm happy with the way it's turning out, even though it's going slowwwwww...
oldog12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2008, 09:53 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...


Well, I may be repeating myself around here, but I say lift the entire roof, and lift it plenty. Why do all the work for half the benefit?

Of course, I'm biased.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-07-2008, 04:11 PM   #6
Bus Nut
 
oldog12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 381
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliot Naess
Of course, I'm biased.
OMG!!! Do you mean to say that you have two of them?
oldog12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-09-2008, 02:34 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
oldog12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 381
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

Thank you.... Thank you..... and I'll be signing autographs after the show.....
oldog12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-09-2008, 08:48 PM   #8
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...


The English language has been around for quite a while, yet linguistic scholars are still debating whether "bi-annually" means twice a year or once every two years. Thus, the possibility would seem to be that "bi-assed" could mean that I might have either four cheeks or only one.

What needs no debate, is that.... To count for yourself, you would have to be female and cute, then show up at a Kinetic Sculpture Race or Burning Man and ask to take a shower in Millicent -- with mutual back scrubbing service.

And also quite clear that this is called "thread drift".
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-09-2008, 09:25 PM   #9
Bus Nut
 
oldog12's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 381
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

YAWN..... Thread drift .... YAWN...
oldog12 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2008, 12:45 AM   #10
Moderator
 
crazycal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NUNYA
Posts: 4,236
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
Rated Cap: 23 500 gvw
Re: Metal Roof Raise ~ Questions...

I saw Neil's bus back stage at the Bridge School concert. That is one very sweet bus. It's an Eagle. There are beds down on the bottom where the oval windows are.
__________________
I'm hungry!

You Gotta Let Me Fly
crazycal 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


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Roof Raise - Building My Own Flat Roof iverSUN Conversion General Discussions 26 02-18-2019 10:41 AM
Roof Raise ~ Cutting Roof ABOVE Windows ?? chev49 Conversion General Discussions 3 12-04-2012 02:07 AM
Wood VS Metal Roof Raise keith Conversion General Discussions 5 07-13-2012 05:13 AM
Skoolie Newbie... Roof Raise Questions jrock Conversion General Discussions 11 11-16-2008 09:49 AM
Roof Raise ~ Cutting Roof ABOVE Windows ?? pixemoss Skoolie Conversion Projects 6 12-31-1969 07:00 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:49 PM.


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