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Old 07-23-2009, 04:54 PM   #1
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New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Well I did have about 5 grand to pick up a new bus with...but in the last week our AC system went out and we developed a leak in the shower that is going to require a complete tearout of the Master Bedroom water closet at the house...

So it's been delayed several months...

That, however, does not keep me from looking and asking questions...

I am 6'6", so height in an RV of any sort, is topmost on my priority list...from reading through the boards and doing some searching and googling...I've only found one skoolie that fits the profile, and I'm not 100% on that.

From my reading it seems the Thomas MVP has a center height of 6'8", is that correct? Are there any other buses that have a center height near there without committing to a roof raise...that's a project I really don't wish to tackle.

I believe what I'm going to want is a Diesel Pusher, and I am sure looking for a 40' diesel pusher is going to put me in the upper spectrum of price unless I have missed something. While I do prefer a pusher, I am willing to look at front engine of any variety, but would prefer a flat nose. Height is going to be the telling factor really.

As far as what I am looking to utilize this for...weekender type activities and something to bug out in for hurricanes. If we stay overly long I intend to have a full shower facility available to me. Bedroom, conversion dinette, sofa, air ride seat for the driver, basic kitchen facilities (nuker, tea maker, small propane stove, converted chest freezer for a fridge and an upper deck for lounging and enjoying a good brew and a cigar. I know most of these will have no issue with towing, but I will be hauling either my Chevelle or my Crown Vic PI package.

This site has already given me a good heads up on several things NOT to do...and it will continue to inspire jealousy in me for many years to come I bet...

So back to the original question...one I haven't been able to REALLY get an answer to in my searches, what skoolie's have the best interior height, and exactly how tall are they?

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Old 07-24-2009, 07:53 AM   #2
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

1993 Thomas All Star 72"
1993 Bluebird maybe an inch or so taller
I dont know about the others....

I am 6'. I am still wrestling with the idea of raising the roof. Due to "too many irons in the fire" I will probably NOT do it, although I am sure I will regret it in a few years.

If I were 6'6" It would be a no brainer. I am sure those buses are out there but limited and in demand....good luck in your search.

S
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Old 07-24-2009, 09:42 AM   #3
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty
Welcome! Before you start knocking the walls down at home, check the shower faucets. Dad had a spot developing on the ceiling downstairs, directly under one of the showers. The faucets had bad stems and the leaking water (around the packing) ran down into the wall then onto the 1st floor ceiling. I replaced the stems &stopped the leak for about $20.

What sort of AC problem do you have?

Smitty
On the shower, my fiancee was shaving her legs and her foot went through the tile on the shower, in peeking around it appears that water has been leaking through the pan and wicking up the wall. We already started the tearout and thank goodness, we have some structural damage to repair (outside corner, upstairs and it is part of an overhang that was interestingly developed or settled so that extra run off went into the backyard. Insurance is going to help with some of it, but we have to tear out the 6" pan and retile the entire bathroom, since we can't get matching tile. It would not have been nearly as bad, but the old pan was installed improperly, so it's been slowly leaking for years. The home inspector missed it five years ago. Probably settled, as this is Houston and the whole city was built over a swamp. Foundation problems are a part of life down here that you just deal with. I would move to get away from the heat 8 months out of the year, but I have one of THOSE jobs that is just too good to give up, at least most days...and the economy down here isn't hurting nearly as bad as most of the rest of the country.

On the AC, it just gave up the good fight Tuesday night. I had to make a run to Walmart at 3am...which by the way, if you have NEVER been to a Wally world around then...go. It is an interesting mix of people that boggle the mind. I picked up a window unit so we could at least get some sleep and called out the AC guys. Thankfully he's a family friend, and we got a great deal on an American Standard 5 ton unit and in a few months we'll be replacing the coil and air handler before new regulations take over in Jan. While equipment will be available until they exhaust supply, we are just going to go ahead and replace it before it becomes a problem. It's original with the AC unit, which in all honesty was at least 15 years old, probably closer to 20 but just hadn't been giving us any issue. If I can get 20 out of this one, I'll be a happy camper...but I'm not holding my breath.

On the height issue, if I can't find a skoolie that is already high enough, I will have to go with a pusher and floor drop between the frame rails so that I at least have a walkway...I was just hoping I could fine a pusher that WAS tall enough so I could hang belly boxes between the rails for storage, and leave the outside boxes for gens and ac systems.

Thanks swhite for info on your two...I'm with you on the roof raising, honestly I just don't see me being able to pull that off with everything else we have going. I fear that would end up a project I would end up not finishing and result in having a really good skoolie converted to scrap slowly and painfully. I don't see it being nearly as difficult to do a walkway floor drop, perhaps I am just underestimating the work involved...it just seems to keep the structure of the vehicle intact, with fewer chances of really hosing the whole thing up.
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Old 07-24-2009, 04:04 PM   #4
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Yup, we run the vent any time the light is on in the bathroom, and we are looking at tile because we can tile ourselves (and have in the past), it will increase the resale of the house, and honestly I just like the look better. It is a bit more expense as well as a bit more maintenance but in my mind worth it.

Yes, we are on a 5 year plan to sell this house and move out to at least 15 acres, if not more...and yup, we are just shy of 3300 sq feet in the house, and we keep our house cooler than most (75) and running during the day since there is someone home at almost all times. Add to that we no longer have a giant oak tree shielding the house (thank you hurricane Ike). I would run a dual setup, but the way the house is constructed it is rather difficult to make that change. This is not a house I would have chosen, my fiancee bought it while in her last relationship and it worked for them since there were children involved. Now it's just three adults, and it's not setup for the way we live our lives.

So we fix it up here and there, and get prepped to move out where I can't see my neighbors and there are no zone laws against having a bus, a cow and a pig on the property...and no HOA to tell me how I should have my yard decorated, what colors I can paint my house or write me nasty letters because someone saw me working on my car outside of the garage. Lets just say I have issue with HOA's...*laugh*. I have no problem keeping my property nice and neat, but they have gotten quite ridiculous. Just an example I have a 1958 Pontiac Hearse. While not the prettiest thing ever, it has the original paint, original interior, a coffin and is great fun at Halloween. My intention was to set it up as a Rat Rod style (now it's up for sale), however it is not a rusting hulk, runs, drives and has a valid TX Antique tag (covers registration and inspection). The letter I recieved from the HOA stated I was not allowed to have a commercial vehicle parked at the house overnight. I had some fun with that. Thankfully my brother lives 20 minutes away on 10 acres and no HOA, and has gracefully told me I can park a bus there while converting it and store it later when not being used. If for some reason that doesn't work out there is an RV storage place around the corner for long term storage or a little further away I found a place that will rent me a storage unit big enough for a 40' bus and the owners of that facility have no issue with people working on their vehicles there, as long as they don't leave a huge mess. Clean up the work area each day and they are happy as clams.

Recently I have discovered exactly which neighbor dislikes me so, since I have my beater 92 Chevy 3/4 ton and two retired police cars int he driveway (probably average value of a vehicle in my neighborhood is 20k or more - resale value). She doesn't like me one bit, and believes I drive the property value down by having such old clunkers. Never you mind they are all legal, run and drive on a regular basis...not to mention paid for, something most of my neighbors can not claim.

That is very much the reason I'm looking at skoolies. I refuse to finance a 100K RV/Bus/Trailer and truck combo. The ones I have found you can purchase for less have a temporary and 'cheap' feel to them. I would rather spend the time to build something that is solid, feels solid, and is comfortable to me. I want to pay cash for the bus, use cash to pay for the installation and have something uniquely fitted to my lifestyle. I am only concerned that they will be too short, and then I will have to look at a much more expensive coach option...I would rather put that extra money towards my permanent home and acreage. If I can pull off a skoolie, realistically given my size, then I believe I can find and furnish my conversion for 20-25K since I will not be needing a shower, blackwater tanks or a battery backup/solar system for boondocking. With AC being either window units separated as I have seen on this site, or portable AC systems with cabinetry built around them my maintenance costs go down significantly as compared to a coach style central AC and I don't have to worry about overhead AC systems, which I refuse to have in any RV I would own. I'm just too tall.

But that does lead me to the question, has anyone here done a floor drop? What difficulties did you run into? How far were you able to drop your floor? AND, most importantly, how did you do it, and how did you make it structurally sound enough?
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Old 07-24-2009, 06:01 PM   #5
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus
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Old 07-24-2009, 06:30 PM   #6
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

@vanguy - The certainly do. I love my paid off cars, I love them I love them. And you know, when one of them dies to the point it's no longer fiscally sound to repair it, junkyard gets a call and I'll simply buy another Crown Vic Police Interceptor. Besides, driving that thing around here is like parting the red sea of traffic... *laugh*. In all seriousness, I paid my interest rates when I was younger, and at this point in my life I can say the only money I owe is on the mortgage. That frees up ALOT of expendable income for me to do stupid things, like convert a schoobus...*grin*. None of my cars are eyesores, both CVPI's are in good condition, no major body damage anywhere, the 3/4 Chevy is old and abused, like an old farmer, and simply is enjoying it's retirement from chemical refineries. The Chevelle stays in the garage, and the hearse, when it comes home, well the kids love it...but they are NOT rusting heaps of trash in my drive.

@mightybus - I don't know about knowledgeable...I'm learning more than I knew I needed to know, and finding out I have a large void of knowledge I need to continue to fill. You may have a point about removing the plywood. One of the threads here I found talks about cork floors, that's a helluva insulator, and while pricer than most floor coverings...not that much more than buying all the plywood AND hardwoods or carpet...and should add quite a bit of sound deadening from road noise. Honestly I did not think cutting and welding in a new floor would cause a problem, but considering I want a party deck on the roof I may need to rethink that idea completely. Thank you for that, I have much more information to go hunting for. I just wish I could find a place that gave me interior specs on these buses so I would have an idea of what I"m looking for.

So from here I can start researching Thomas MPV, Wayne Lifestar, and I need to see which other skoolie's offer something at least close to my height...
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Old 07-25-2009, 08:54 AM   #7
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

I was wondering about why you planned to move, until I got to the "neighbor" part.seems like theres one on every street.

Isn't that the truth...There is two on my street. Fortunately we DO NOT have an HOA but the newly incorporated "village" I live in is slowly becoming one.

I would think a roof raise would be far easier than a floor drop and it would still be stout enough for a deck on top. I may rethink my decision not to do it.
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Old 07-25-2009, 10:51 AM   #8
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

@smitty - Were it just the neighbor or the HOA, I would tough it out and just deal with them. But this house is exactly what I avoided when I was looking for a home several years ago. Two story, all four bedrooms upstairs, small kitchen, little room for entertainment, a two car garage and no room for a woodshop/workshop. My fiance bought this house 5 years ago, while in another relationship. Her ex had two children and this house was perfect in price and what they needed. Three years ago they broke it off, and two years ago I met her. When we met I was looking at homes, I held off because she was renting the house to her ex, and lets just say it was not a good situation for her (and thus for me as well). When it all came down to it, about a year ago we decided to go ahead and move in, fix the house back up and prep it for sale, rather than put it on the market as a rental property. It allowed me to let her stay home and work on a home based business, as we are keeping our expenses low we can live comfortably on just my salary for now.

What we want is acreage, a main house, a guest house (aka mother in law quarters in case one of our families needs a home as they creep up there in age), and a climate conntrolled barn 20x40 or 20x60 which gives me enough room for all my cars, and a work shop/wood shop. Everything one story, I blew out my knees when I played football, so I'm very much aware as I get older stairs will get harder and harder to navigate.

I will, like swhite, have to reconsider a roof raise. I believe I have seen the drop the floor thread, where I think he wanted to turn the vehicle into a horse trailer. A roof raise may be a better solution, and I've looked over Millicent's build I guess I need to repost to that and see if he's found a way to keep the 'booming' noise down he has spoken of in the past.

But that's why I ask alot of questions and do tons of research before I purchase and start building right? I can build on the successes of those who have come before me, and hopefully buy them a beer, cigar or dinner for their troubles...
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Old 07-25-2009, 09:55 PM   #9
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Damn, Smitty! That makes my knees ache just looking at it
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Old 07-25-2009, 10:39 PM   #10
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

[quote="Rowdymon"]
I am 6'6", so height in an RV of any sort, is topmost on my priority list...from reading through the boards and doing some searching and googling...I've only found one skoolie that fits the profile, and I'm not 100% on that.

[quote]
Just a FYI... Our Thomas Transit Liner has a center ceiling height of 6'6", & if I am not mistaken Thomas makes 3 heights, this being the tallest interior of the 3...Of course the ceiling is curved so you will be bending over outside of the center. The only problem is the Transit seems to be hard to find. Anyway, my 2c
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Old 07-27-2009, 01:43 PM   #11
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Re: New...and questions about interior height...and a new bus

Oh, that looks like a total knee replacement yeah?

Ouch...and thank you for the info on the Transit...I'll have to keep that in mind

So many buses, so little time.
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