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06-08-2018, 07:46 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 15
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Chevy G30
Engine: 5.7L
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Family Short Bus project
My son Julian has always wanted a bus to turn into a camper and we just bought a bus at auction because he's 16 and a half and I really want to do this project together with him while he still lives at home. I love tackling big projects and after researching skoolie builds here and on Instagram, I'm totally hooked and am super excited about our project. After looking for a while on surplus auction sites, we bought a 1990 Chevy G30 short bus. It has a V8 engine and about 120,000 miles. My husband, brother in law, and son drove 21/2 hours south to pick up the bus and drove it home without incident.
We started demo today, my sons Julian and Avery, as well as two of their friends and I worked for 3 and a half hours this afternoon and got a ton done!
All the seats are out, the side panels screws are all out, and the rubber on the floor is getting there. I'm thrilled.
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06-08-2018, 07:52 PM
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#2
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 15
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Chevy G30
Engine: 5.7L
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Side Panel Tricky Bit
Maybe it's just because it was the end of the day and I was tired, but I'm not sure about the side panels- it looks almost like the metal goes under the windows or down into a channel- has anyone encountered this? We had little luck loosening it.
Also wondering about the heater that's in the back corner and the ceiling mounted AC unit- need to research here to see if people generally keep them or remove them.
Also need to get serious about researching workflow next steps for when we finish demo... lots to read here!
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06-08-2018, 09:18 PM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 419
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: GMC G3500 Vandura
Engine: V-8 5.7L Gas
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The side panels do go under the windows. It's really not hard to take the windows out. It's usually only three screws per side. The heater can be removed by shortening and looping the hose back together close into the engine.
The next step is usually using rust converter on the floor followed by a primer and pait. Then you can use insulation on all surfaces, replace the plywood floor, walls and ceiling. If you plan on removing windows permanently I would do that first and reskin the bus with sheet metal before insulation.
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06-08-2018, 10:03 PM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Those side panels are hard to remove even after removing the windows, as easy as that sounds, I understand they have a tendency to leak after reinstall and that metal isn't there. Usually the plan is to use a cutting wheel and cut it off a couple inches below the windows and be ready to get insulation up under that short lip.
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06-08-2018, 10:33 PM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Fayetteville Arkansas
Posts: 419
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: GMC G3500 Vandura
Engine: V-8 5.7L Gas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc
Those side panels are hard to remove even after removing the windows, as easy as that sounds, I understand they have a tendency to leak after reinstall and that metal isn't there. Usually the plan is to use a cutting wheel and cut it off a couple inches below the windows and be ready to get insulation up under that short lip.
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That's not correct. It's fairly easy after the windows are out. After removing them if you fold that edge back you will find one or two more screws to remove and then you can get the rest of the wall off. Very rarely some will be welded in place but considering we have the same vehicle just one year difference I'm pretty sure it's the same as mine.
Everything o1marc says is hearsay. He does a lot of talking and reading but hasn't quite picked up his first bus.
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06-09-2018, 01:46 AM
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#6
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,136
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas1985
He does a lot of talking and reading but hasn't quite picked up his first bus.
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Agreed. I cringe when I see the newbies taking his word as gospel, just because they don't know any better, and don't realize that there are tons of qualified members here who actually have first-hand experience about the subjects under discussion.
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06-09-2018, 02:06 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by plfking
Agreed. I cringe when I see the newbies taking his word as gospel, just because they don't know any better, and don't realize that there are tons of qualified members here who actually have first-hand experience about the subjects under discussion.
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I'm sorry, I was relaying info I got from some of the tons of qualified members who had first hand experience with it.
As many say here, YMMV, not every bus is the same.
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06-09-2018, 02:11 AM
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#8
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas1985
That's not correct. It's fairly easy after the windows are out. After removing them if you fold that edge back you will find one or two more screws to remove and then you can get the rest of the wall off. Very rarely some will be welded in place but considering we have the same vehicle just one year difference I'm pretty sure it's the same as mine.
Everything o1marc says is hearsay. He does a lot of talking and reading but hasn't quite picked up his first bus.
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Everything on the internet is hearsay, including what you add.
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06-11-2018, 07:12 AM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Cuyahoga Falls Ohio
Posts: 592
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Startrans
Chassis: Ford e-350 single wheel
Engine: 5.4 litre
Rated Cap: 12
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IMO keep the heaters. Kentucky does get cold in the winter. I cringe every time I see people take the heaters out in order to save space. So not worth freezing just to save a couple square feet. Maybe relocate it or build around it? Unfortunately everybody has their own opinion so you have to do your own research for the truth... Or the truth as you perceive it.
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06-11-2018, 07:17 AM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leadsled01
IMO keep the heaters. Kentucky does get cold in the winter. I cringe every time I see people take the heaters out in order to save space. So not worth freezing just to save a couple square feet. Maybe relocate it or build around it? Unfortunately everybody has their own opinion so you have to do your own research for the truth... Or the truth as you perceive it.
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IF not needed in the rear, one could simplify their build by shortening the hoses and putting all that heat up front.
I like the thought of putting one in the restroom so even on long highway trips there's always a warm loo in case nature calls.
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06-11-2018, 08:30 AM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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I'm keeping my heaters! But I will be substantially reducing the length of the heater hoses, and mounting it much farther forward. My bus has a heater for defrost, a heater under the driver's seat, and a big ole' bastard that was halfway back in the bus. THe big ole' bastard is the one I'm shortening, the others stay just like they were!
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06-12-2018, 01:55 PM
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#12
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 30
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: G30
Engine: 6.2L diesel
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Hello fellow Kentuckians.
I took my heater out. If I had that A/C, and it worked, I would have left it in. Mine did not have an A/C unit.
My bus is mostly a summer adventure primitive camper (aka metal tent) .
Good luck on the rebuild
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