window blocking

[Telestar]

Hello! everyone,
I have pulled some of the windows out of the bus. She is a Bluebird body
and, the windows have a rain cap over each one on the roof (GRRRRR)!

This rain cap is open to the inside where there is not a good place to rivet to. Can anyone shed some light on what they have done with this situation?

Any help will certainly be appreciated.
Cheers from the Sleepcheater.............

[Ron]

I was faced with the same problem with my Bluebird and solved it as follows. I used 16 ga painted steel panels I installed from inside the bus. I then framed around all 4 sides of the window opening using a good bead of sealant to essentially glue the panels to the framing and used #12 sheet metal screws to fasten my fabricated frame to the bus frame. By doing it this way, there are no rivets visible. The only change I'd make if doing it again would be to have to cut the panels slightly longer in the vertical direction and take them to a shop with a brake and bend a flange top and bottom that I could rivet to the frame.

[Telestar]

Hey Ron, Thank you! That is precisely what I am doing.

I have room for inch and a half of insulation (ridgid)

Got two done allready and it looks great. Right now I am one happy camper Cheers and thanks again.

[Telestar]

Hey, U Turn How are ya!

Not ready to post pictures yet. One reason, the bus is a messy disaster and the other is (I need to learn how to post pictures.

Anyway, I will try to explain what I have done. Here goes!

Measure the opening after the window has been pulled, top to bottom side to side.

Then allow three quarters of an inch all the way arround the perimeter of your sheet metal.
Bend or brake this 3/4 towards the inside of the bus window opening.

You now have a (solid lip) to rivet on the inside. This will make the panel very strong. A little bit of sealer arround the inside, and a (nice bead on the outside) voila! a nice finish!

I painted the inside first and used urethane seam sealer on mine. Works for me, hope it helps you! Cheers

[RevKaryn]

Hey, Telestar! If anyone understands messes when converting it is sckoolies!!! Especially those of us who are living in them and converting at the same time!! Don't worry about the mess, just figure out how to post the pics, then maybe you can tell me how to post! HA HA! I am in the process of converting a 1980 Wayne GMC 6000. My daughter and I are currently living in it while we do the construction. That makes for interesting issues, for sure! Lots of luck in your conversion :P

[code4]

I went to a local guy that makes sheet metal ducts etc. He cut me 20 gauge steel then bent the top & bottom to give me about an inch. I disassembled the windows from the bus & just kept the vertical frame rails. Then I installed the sheet metal with plenty of silicone then installed the frame rails with the stock screws to tighten the sheet metal. It also took 1/8 spacers behind the rails to seal the metal up tight. It looks OK. I did not mess with the drip rails above just left them as they were. I'm in the process of trying to paint but it just keeps raining, I'll post some pics one of these days.

[Skoolie BOBB]

We used a material called FRP. This is a material that truck bodies are made of. It really looks like plywood and plastic laminated together. We decided to blank each window individually rater than run a long sheet of it. When I get to the painting process, I will paint the window panels charcoal gray and put an aluminum strip in to simulate the original window. Our bus will hold 15 passengers and is more of a "team bus" rather than a motor home-style bus. The FRP is held to the body with wood strips that are screwed into the body. It is a different approach than some use, but it works for us.

[SeanF]

Just started blanking our windows this weekend.
See here for details (Conversion/July 4th).