The 608 bus

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Yeah, I'm drawing a blank on a bus name so we're gonna stick with the district designation for now. Anyways, Brought her home Wednesday. 2000 bluebird 14pax with a functional lift. 176k T444e/at545 governed at 56mph which I don't think I really care about as it will be a weekender and I rarely get days off anyways. Made the journey home(50mi) with no issues, people don't drive like twats around school buses. Main purpose is a niceish A/c place to sleep at the beach/lake a few times a year. I don't need the lift, is there a market for them at all? Attempting to attach a few photos.






This morning I cut most of the seat bolts in the aisle but I could only get so much done, it's not exactly cool in TX and since I work afternoon shift at a Forge I have to be careful about overworking in the morning

[ol trunt]

Your pics don't seem to work. Google "How to post pictures on Skoolie.net" and you will easily be lead to instructions. Google search seems to work better than the Skoolie search mechanism for most things I have found. Jack

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Figures, ill fix it when i get home

[Carytowncat]

Welcome!
Excited to see le Bus. You work at a forge? Like a metal forge?

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Originally Posted by Carytowncat

Welcome!
Excited to see le Bus. You work at a forge? Like a metal forge?

Yes, we make large diameter seamless pipe for power plants and turbine parts. It's not a happy place, extreme heat, filthy, and little regard for employee safety.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by ChiliChzPoopTart

Yes, we make large diameter seamless pipe for power plants and turbine parts. It's not a happy place, extreme heat, filthy, and little regard for employee safety.

Dear Mr. Tart: I'm sad that you're not safer and more comfortable at work. But as a user of electricity let me thank you for helping make it possible. And your work really is good, honest work - think about it: would you prefer to wear a suit and have air conditioning... and work in DC?

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

most of our pipe goes in Chinese power plants, US plants tend to buy from our German competitor that makes a much nicer product It's mainly the little things, like it taking 2 years to get the pothole I rolled my ankle in patched, never mind that the equipment is falling apart. It's a union shop so us hourly types are peasants and disposable, A/c goes our in a salary person's office? Fixed within 2 hours. Fridge dies in the hourly break room? 6 months.

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

basic interior plan: then benches will be 3rd row seats with integrated belts, table will drop down for 3rd bed.

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

So I'm thinking that instead of removing my wheelchair lift I may make it into a foldout bathroom. I plan on building a composting toilet so I could either a)build it on the "floor" of the ramp and make sure its empty before "closing" up (con: can't poo while underway) or b) build it on the bus floor on slides & drop the ramp before moving it into position.

As for enclosing the "foldout" I have an old tent that I can cut up to skin it and can make a simple, collapsible frame out of angle iron or something.

Input appreciated.

[dan-fox]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Dear Mr. Tart: I'm sad that you're not safer and more comfortable at work. But as a user of electricity let me thank you for helping make it possible. And your work really is good, honest work - think about it: would you prefer to wear a suit and have air conditioning... and work in DC?

I resemble that remark! (Except for the suit. Us computer types never wear suits. We're more into lederhosen and Birkenstocks.)

[BusFiend]

Originally Posted by dan-fox

...We're more into lederhosen and Birkenstocks.)

That's the official uniform for DC data centers? Not sure I want to imagine that. =P

[FlyboyHPD]

Hey Chili, I don't have a wheelchair lift in my bus so I'm not sure what the best thing to do with it is. But if you do decide to take it out and sell it post an ad on Craigslist. It should be worth something. Good luck.

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Got the 3rd hand I needed last night, seats are all loose and piled in the back of the bus. Panels between windows and roof all down, started cutting the lower panels loose but it got hot. Rained cooled it off, now it time for a few beers and some more angle grinder time.

Think my neighbor got bit, He popped over this morning and was asking questions (I told him months ago I was getting a bus, he thought I was kidding) after poking around he said this is perfect for a weekend for Matagorda trips. Then I told him where I got it and what I paid. "I need to get one"

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Got a bit more done, the low panel is pic 3 is also cut out now.

Started cutting the rivets in the ceiling but my arms turned to noodles no it's gonna have to wait til another day.

To sum up where I'm at: seats are demo'd, all upper wall panels down, right side lower panels out except a small one, first ceiling panel is ~30% down.


Run into 2 types of rivets, really easy to grind off the ones that only go through a single panel, the ones through double panels are WAYYY beefier. Tried drilling, eff that, grinding disc worked pretty good, flap wheel worked pretty good, might fire up my bigger grinder to knock out the ceiling, 4.5" dewalt ain't cutting fast enough for my liking.

[x225x]

I want a bus with a wheelchair lift.

Where did you get your bus from?

[ChiliChzPoopTart]

Local auction site, call school district maintenance departments and ask how they dispose of surplus buses.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by dan-fox

I resemble that remark! (Except for the suit. Us computer types never wear suits. We're more into lederhosen and Birkenstocks.)

no DC, and only jeans and black or white T-shirts for me... sometimes No shirt when im drivin the bus across the country... then again I roll differently than some of the computer types.. - but I do have a server rack in the bus

-Christopher

[FlyboyHPD]

You're making great progress Chili, especially in this heat. Keep up the great work !!

[Tedd]

More pictures!!!!!!