Roof Raise Question

[sdHeights]

Hello,

I had a question on roof raises. I don't like the visual look of extending the roof so high as seen in some of the 20"ish type raises. We are thinking of keeping the original windows, and more importantly the visual style of the original school bus windows (not going to RV type windows).

The Two Nerds And A Bus conversion on YouTube was a roof raise, but the cut was made well under the existing window line, thus keeping the original window sizes in tact. A band of metal, probably a foot wide/high, was added as a belt to cover the cut area. This is one of the few that I have seen done this way.

Does anyone know if there are issues with doing it this way, and why this does not seem to be a very popular method of getting more head room but trying to maintain the look of a school bus?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Tango]

Unless you plan on installing oversized, RV windows, making the cut below the existing windows is a good choice. And as others here have noted, you wind up with windows that are closer to "eye level".

[sdHeights]

Something like this is what we are thinking

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by sdHeights

Something like this is what we are thinking

That's what I did.



A little roof raise goes a long way. Less is more!

[G Dub]

How do you keep the original windows from leaking like a sieve (thereby making any attempts at temperature control a mountain to climb)?

They are very inviting to summer heat and winter cold. They say, "Come on in, there's room for everyone".

[johnforrest]

I like your logic about the windows. I think its done at window level since its easier to get to the posts, cut them and add to them. Down lower you have a ton of rivets and screws to get the inside panels off. maybe this pic helps your bus might be different? At the bottom of that wall, even with the plywood is the bottom of the fram loop. They have to get added to or set on a new.. higher framework i think.

[johnforrest]

sorry i got this post mixed up with one lifting the whole wall up.

[sdHeights]

Originally Posted by G Dub

How do you keep the original windows from leaking like a sieve (thereby making any attempts at temperature control a mountain to climb)?

They are very inviting to summer heat and winter cold. They say, "Come on in, there's room for everyone".

Are they really that bad? I'm ok with the thermal loss from the single pane, but if they inherently cant be sealed from air flow, that may be a different story.

An alternative might be to change them all out with similar looking RV windows.

The intent here is to maintain the look of a school bus (to the largest extent possible of course).

[Tango]

Skoolie windows leak. They ALL leak. Air, water, bugs, antelopes, marmots, squid...everything!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Tango

Skoolie windows leak. They ALL leak. Air, water, bugs, antelopes, marmots, squid...everything!

In all 5 buses I've had so far this has been TRUTH!

[G Dub]

Like I said somewhere before, keeping the bus windows is like keeping rust holes for the "patina". I don't get it. But then, there's no accounting for "taste". I guess you could see about getting them custom made...at a price...a big price.

[bus-bro]

School bus windows can be easily regasketed and resealed if they leak. Outside of the toll window and in the 2 rows of the 33 inch wide windows in my bus, I haven't had a leakage problem.

On my 13 window bus I have about half of the window openings blanked, so less windows to maintain. At least as far as me and my Bluebird are concerned--they are great windows, outside of the fact that they slide down from the top to open.

[o1marc]

I don't know what the proper overlap is for the new ribs, but you'll need to deskin below your cutline that amount.

[cadillackid]

most leaks in skoolie windows are around the windows.. taking pout the windows and re-gasketing them helps immensely with water intrusion... noted when i was my bus the water that ends up on the floor is not coming in from the sliding part of the window seal or the seal where the window mates the frame its the crappy jobn the original builder does in installing the window seals.. Ive taken out a copuple windows and re-sealed them succesfully. i will say though that thermally they are terrible.. if I were going to be using my busses for anything other than vehicles i would ditch the skoolie windows in favor of double pane LARGE (I like lots of light) RV windows..

-Christopher

[BoxGods]

I can see why some people would want to keep the "charm" or w/e of the original windows but for me personally it is not really a question of if they will leak...more of a when will they leak. If you are putting all the time and money into building out the inside...those windows are just waiting to screw you.

[sdHeights]

It's sounding like a small roof raise, but replacing the existing windows with RV windows, but attempting to maintain the general look and feel of the original window layouts by using smaller RV windows.

It's the big vertical ones that just really change the look and feel to something that's not very school bus like.

Also perhaps where windows are not utilized, use dark paint to create the illusion of a window there, again trying to keep the overall general look and feel of a school bus.

[sdHeights]

Something like this - some of the dark window areas are just dark gray paint.

[Mark carr]

Question about rv windows. When you install them
Into new sheet metal is it only a single wide gasket
Or do you need a matching inner hole?

[BoxGods]

Originally Posted by sdHeights

Something like this - some of the dark window areas are just dark gray paint.

How clever is that =)

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Mark carr

Question about rv windows. When you install them
Into new sheet metal is it only a single wide gasket
Or do you need a matching inner hole?

There is usually no gasket, but an inside trim ring that "sandwiches" the window in the wall. I would recommend welding in any RV window frame work before skinning the outside. Trim rings come in different widths to accommodate different thickness walls, make sure yours are correct for your application.