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Old 07-13-2017, 02:44 PM   #1
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'93 E350 Goshen - Adventure bus build...

Hey alls..

New to the forum. Just had a '93 E350 Goshen Coach shuttle bus donated to us. Its powered by a 7.3 IDI with 260k on the clock. No blowby or leaks. Transmission has less then 100k on a rebuild and shifts great. It was gutted by the previous owner and a rear drop-down door for loading motorcycles installed.

Now that we have it, plans are to completely strip the remaining wood.. repair any rot and re-skin the interior. Full bath, kitchen area, queen size bunk, twin bunk, and 100+gallons of waste oil (for fuel) on board.

Also planning a 4x4 conversion at some point in the future when funds allow.

Anyways.. here are some pictures of what we are working with...

IMG_20170708_145148206_HDR by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20170708_145208085 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20170708_145221108 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr


Interior stripped out...
IMG_20170709_143317538 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20170709_143308105 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20170709_143244139_HDR by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

Spent last night stripping out old seam sealer on the roof. Once I get the seams re-sealed and the Gaco Roof rolled on.. We'll strip the floor and repair any rotten metal.. then start from the bottom up.

Also have a little bit of mechanical work to do. Going to rebuild the brake system front to back (including new stainless hardlines), and replace wheel bearings/seals on all 4 corners just to be sure everything is ready to roll (more preventative maintenance then anything).

Anyways, I'm a bit picture goofy.. so there will be a lot as the project continues.

Thanks for looking.

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Old 07-13-2017, 04:18 PM   #2
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That rear door looks cool.
A mini toy hauler.

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Old 07-14-2017, 06:48 AM   #3
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I would love more details on that rear door setup. Where are you from?
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Old 07-14-2017, 06:58 AM   #4
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lovde that rear door... put your dining area there... with a pull down screen.. and tyou have an instant Patio-bugless-dining expreience!!!!
-Christopher
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Old 07-14-2017, 09:25 AM   #5
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Lol. I'm in southern Indiana.

The previous owners were setting it up to ride their trike up in the back and have a place to sleep while on the road. A motorcycle accident put it on the back burner which is how I ended up with it.

I've thought about using the ramp as a small patio and putting a bug screen on the back opening... very well might.

The side of the bus will have an awning too.

This whole project started with me buying a slide in camper that ended up being a rot box... however all of the appliances work.. ac and heat work... had a pull out awning.. etc. All of that is being worked into the bus (figure I might as well get my moneys worth out of it).

We've got a layout planned. I'll see if I can post a drawing of it later.
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Old 07-14-2017, 11:09 PM   #6
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Or...how about a rear slide out???
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Old 07-17-2017, 08:37 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tango View Post
Or...how about a rear slide out???
That would be interesting... but here is the current plan...

bus layout by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

Bath area in bottom left (which will be accessible from the outside via the old wheel chair ramp door and from the inside). 1 queen size main bunk with storage under and an upper smaller bunk. Storage/seating next to the shower area and the "kitchen" area will be in the rear of the bus too.

There will be a fuel tank mounted under both the main bunks and seating areas (vent and fill ports will be outside so no smell.. and they'll be full of waste oil so not overly volatile).

So far, this seems to be the best use of space layout we've come up with.
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Old 07-17-2017, 11:18 AM   #8
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I wish my shorty had a wheel chair lift like yours. I would deploy the lift, set up a small shower privy tent and shower outside the bus. Water drains on the ground or in a bucket. That would save room inside bus.
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Old 07-17-2017, 12:50 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leadsled01 View Post
I wish my shorty had a wheel chair lift like yours. I would deploy the lift, set up a small shower privy tent and shower outside the bus. Water drains on the ground or in a bucket. That would save room inside bus.
talk about cold winter showers..
cool idea though if just used for nice weather camping..
-Christopher
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Old 07-17-2017, 01:37 PM   #10
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Well ya. guess I should have mentioned that. I have a stainless steel pump sprayer that I heat on a propane burner, pump it up and get a hot shower but that's only good for chilly weather not real cold.
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talk about cold winter showers..
cool idea though if just used for nice weather camping..
-Christopher
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Old 07-18-2017, 11:07 PM   #11
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Quote:
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Or...how about a rear slide out???
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Old 10-07-2017, 01:24 PM   #12
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Hey alls..

Been a little bit... had a few things come up that put the bus on hold but now I'm getting back to it.

Progress wont be nearly as fast as I wish it would be... but oh well... progress is progress.

I finally finished stripping all of the usable goods from the truck camper. Now Ive got a stove/stove hood, roof mount AC unit, propane heater, 110v/12v/LP fridge-freezer, electrical load center, water pump, battery charger, and a few other misc items.

I also finished sealing the roof of the bus. Sealed the seams with "Through The Roof" sealant... then 3 coats of white silicone based roll on paint. I also ordered 3 30' rolls of butyl tape so I can pull the windows and reseal them.

A guy I've been trading work with now has all the interior paneling that I need so I'll start replacing all of that once the butyl tape shows up. Then its off to cabinets and such.

I'll post more pictures up in the coming weeks as things start to progress.
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Old 10-08-2017, 12:09 PM   #13
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Hey alls...

So its pouring down rain here (has been for 2 days...) so I decided to start ripping out the interior paneling from the shorty and man I'm glad I did.

I had thought all this time that the wood rot around the windows was coming from the windows leaking.... turns out I was wrong. The water is coming in from above the windows basically where the roof sheeting and wall sheeting come together. There is a small gutter like drip rail all the way down both sides... and where that drip rail attaches, is where it is leaking... and man is it pouring in.

So.. I got ~1/3 of the paneling and Styrofoam insulation pulled out. Have a bit of surface rust on the frame of the walls to address (I'll wire wheel it and paint it). Rain is supposed to be out of the area after tuesday... So Tuesday or Wednesday night, I'll clean those gutters really well and check them over to see if I can find where the water is coming in. Then I'll seal the top and bottom edges where they attach to the bus with some "Through The ROOF" sealant and see if that takes care of it. I've also got some small holes in the exterior fiberglass (look like rock chips) to fill in.

Once thats done... pull the windows and reseal them with 3/4 butyl tape... new 1" blue board and new paneling. I've also got a few places in the floor to repair while I'm at it.

It looks like Goshen uses steel frame and wood for the structure. The floor doesnt appear to have any metal over or under it other then the framing. I'll cut out what is rotten due to the water leaks.. and button that all back up.

Here are a couple pics of the mess... Looks a lot worse then it is. At least there are no holes in the metal and such that I can find.

Pile of crap...


Water leaks...




Lots of clean up to do...




Roof coating done... 3 heavy coats cured in the sun 1-2days between coats.


Small holes in the fiberglass....
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Old 10-08-2017, 12:17 PM   #14
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Some goods for the bus I've been sitting on for a bit. Was planning to use this stuff in the house... but figure might as well use it on the bus.

6 - 100w Renogy Panels





Prowatt Pure Sine 2kw inverter...


C35 charger controller (may upgrade to a MPPT controller down the road)



Fuse holders to isolate each panel


I'll be using 5 of the panels to feed the house battery bank... 1 to keep the starting batteries topped up while parked for long periods. Should work out nice. The rack will be built from unistrut... 3 panels on each side of the bus. This will also help add a bit of rigidity to the roof.

Anyways...
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Old 10-09-2017, 09:48 AM   #15
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Found my water leak last night.

After talking to a couple members here, found out how to remove the gutters. I went out and pulled a few feet of the gutter out of the way to find some cracks in the fiberglass behind the gutter along with an unsealed roof to wall seam.

I'll be pulling the gutters tonight after work... clean everything up.. patch the fiberglass and seal the seams.

Then I can finally start on insulation and paneling.
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Old 10-11-2017, 09:13 PM   #16
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Got one coat of sealant on the leaking seam... here are some pictures from that fiasco. I'll recoat it tomorrow just to be sure... then 2 weeks cure time before reinstalling the gutters.

Here is the gutter system...
IMG_20171008_222449469 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

And the main area that water was coming in. You can clearly see the mold that had formed from water leaking past the tape "sealing" the gutter. The gutter and tape was the only thing sealing this main seam from the manufacturer.
IMG_20171009_180134685 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

Scraped most of the goop off...
IMG_20171009_180123675_HDR by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

Rivets in... through the roof applied (first coat)
IMG_20171011_172402478 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

This stuff is clear... thick... and sticks to NEARLY anything. Can even be applied in the rain. From my understanding... it is a synthetic rubber that is partially liquefied via solvent. Once applied, the solvent will dry out leaving a permanent synthetic rubber behind. Even in the wet... the solvent will push water/moisture out and allow the rubber to bond. It's impressive stuff. It doesn't get along with silicone based stuff though... and can soften some types of rubber.
IMG_20171011_172344361 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

After 24 hours... it'll get another coat just to make sure there are no pin holes or anything... then I'll give it a week or 2. After that, I'll apply a wide band of butyl tape over the entire length of the seam (double thick if need be) and reinstall the gutter. Should be good for a LONG time.

Back to stripping the rest of the rotten paneling soon.
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Old 10-11-2017, 11:03 PM   #17
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A good bit more clean up done on the inside. Got a bit more paneling out along with most of the rubber flooring. Looks like a good bit of the floor has been wet.. however the only real damage is in the areas I knew were leaking like an SOB anyways. For once, I'm glad the floor was just wood... no rivets to drill... no shaping metal this time. I'll cut out what is rotten and replace with treated 3/4 or 1/2.. cant tell what is there yet.

IMG_20171011_224110517 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20171011_224130356 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

IMG_20171011_224136995 by acidburn02zts, on Flickr

Was going to strip out the rest of the paneling tonight... but the wife and kid are asleep and its pin-drop quiet outside... Cant be making too much racket. Hopefully I can tear the rest out tomorrow... focus on repair over the weekend.
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Old 10-12-2017, 11:01 PM   #18
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Finished gutting the walls tonight along with a bit more of the flooring. Also pulled the other gutter off for the same leak proofing treatment.

Got everything cleaned up... windows open and fans going to help dry things out before I start the repairs.

Its supposed to rain this weekend so hopefully I can have the majority of the repairs done before it does... that way I can check everything for leaks before insulating.

More to come.
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Old 10-13-2017, 03:49 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr4btTahoe View Post
Finished gutting the walls tonight along with a bit more of the flooring. Also pulled the other gutter off for the same leak proofing treatment.

Got everything cleaned up... windows open and fans going to help dry things out before I start the repairs.

Its supposed to rain this weekend so hopefully I can have the majority of the repairs done before it does... that way I can check everything for leaks before insulating.

More to come.
You are not easily thwarted!

It's like when someone asks me to do a 'simple' plumbing job. Should take only 20 minutes, but then as soon as you touch one old comfortable pipe, it leads to a repair something further up the line...pretty soon you are finding the leak is really inside the wall....tearing-out drywall, finding 'icky stuff'....replacing studs....well, gotta re-tile now so might as well do a bathroom remodel.

Glad to see you are fixing it right, because water always wins if you don't.
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Old 10-13-2017, 08:11 AM   #20
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Lol... Thanks. I dont see it as too big of an issue mainly because I just went through all of this with our house.

We bought a house out of town a ways with some acreage. Housed needed a lot of work so got it for a song. Nothing looked too bad until I started drywall work.. Then I found the roof had been leaking down into the walls in a few areas. It ended up getting floor joists, subflooring, studs, etc..etc.. lots of fun.

After that mess... this is cake.
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