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Old 10-23-2016, 02:30 AM   #21
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Darrington, Wa.
Posts: 304
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Genesis/Am-Tran Tall Roof
Chassis: International, 643 transmission
Engine: DT 466ci 250hp, International
Rated Cap: 86 screaming Monsters
Good Questions I spent months now thinking about this project and more questions and ideas keep coming into play As I start in on it.

I don't want any door between the two area's. My biggest reason is I don't want the coach to smell like a shop. Welding , running engines, and oils greases. Also I'm adding a smoke hydrocarbon detector in the shop. I'm running the buzzer wire to a low voltage relay that turns on my factory emergency roof escape slash powered fan ceiling what ever. I still have all the windows back there just tinted out. But if I start a engine up or weld some thing or am just sitting idling and some type of gas or smoke gets in through even a window the fan will come on and clear the area out. I have this over my old welding station and it was hooked to a bathroom fan and was great for keeping the shop warm by not having all the doors in the winter open and it shuts right off when its clear.

When we used a semi truck to haul or race car you could not go from the truck to the trailer so I'm not its to much to make sure its all strapped down. Plus today there are cameras. The Toad inside will be on the hoist then chains running to 5k lb D-rings bolted into the chassis frame. As far as tools and parts in that room i am going to just have to ply with bungees and straps and different stuff. Right now i use peg boards and the tool trucks like snap on use peg boards and bungee straps to keep every thing on the walls.
Surely there will be a learning curve.
After watching Eric the Nomadic Fanatic videos I have come to the idea that the video camera system he has in and around the out side of his rv is a great idea. Not only are you recording with color and sound in HD for possible YOUTUBE video content. The feed is live so you can watch every area inside and out from the drivers seat. Why have a back up camera when you can have every angel from inside and out. Whats a few tera bytes any more.
I want to start recording my actual traveling down the road in case anything interesting happens. plus I would like to have multiple angles on anything I'm working on with out having to reset go pros or pay fro my Nest cameras I have now that are on the cloud and really wont work on teh road any more with cell data costs. Long answer huh

The wall thing behind the driver? Honestly I came with in about 4" of the space i needed to pull this off I hope. I never considered a wall. I don't want a wall any how i am trying to keep the front first couple windows open to view through if I need to. I have so little room I just don't see what would come at me. Assuming i strap and bolt every thing down tight or well. No wall no Helmet there never going to take me alive and I drive this thing like I stole it.
I have this beautiful white leather couch i took out of the alfa RV before it left when the quilt machine was installed for Nik to take her business on the road. You can see that motor home here in this slide show. The quilt machine is 14ft long and 5ft deep and next to it is a 4ft sewing station. This is all on the 20ft by5 ft tip out. It makes an amazing office class space. Nichole Wilde, Artist & Adventurer - Home
At first I was going to just buy a enclosed race trailer and haul it behind the Alpha but it was decided I was going to want to do everything my way and boss her around to much on the road with crazy things like keep to a schedule for clients instead of stopping on the side of the road for the day and painting a scene.
Any how the couch bolts to the floor and is DOT rated. plus it is a nice bed. Just have to make it fit and its very close.

It does have the side door emergency exit. I'm making a steel step that is mounted to the floor just inside the door that will fold down to the ground to give a stair system to walk in and out. The door is short to walk through it would be proper size if the floor was built into the stairs but I need that area in front of it to walk into my parts room. external step hinged at base of floor so it can be pulled up and door closed behind it for travel.

In the drawings i have a rear door that is a ramp to drive in o the bus. Today we settled on a rear lift gate from a semi trailer rated at 6k lbs. I believe the rear of the bus door will open like a hatch back on a car hinged at the roof line and opening upwards. I found some lift gates in a semi tuck recycle yard for about $500 bucks. unbolted or cut off? and laying there for some to pick up and make fit.

Ive planned for a year of work so will see.

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Old 10-23-2016, 05:40 AM   #22
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
IDK, but I'd imagine with a car in the rear and big honkin engine up front, you're gonna have a manly, mechanical bouquet of smells in that beast. Just sayin.
I'd wanna have that door, myself.
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Old 10-23-2016, 08:00 AM   #23
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,757
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
id rather not have the door... you can seal off and ventilate a garage pretty good... I would think to just run the garage vent fan anytime I was camped out or driving just to keep gasoline vapors and what not down.. gas sloshing around in cans and fuel tanks generates vapors quickly...

the bathroom fans at workstations.. I have an electronics station wherre I solder alot that i did the same thing.. its fantastic way to get rid of the smoke from soldering , welding, glue vapors, etc...

-Christopher
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Old 10-23-2016, 02:55 PM   #24
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Darrington, Wa.
Posts: 304
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Genesis/Am-Tran Tall Roof
Chassis: International, 643 transmission
Engine: DT 466ci 250hp, International
Rated Cap: 86 screaming Monsters
The smell issues are minimal and the fan is more of safety for A dumb guy in the cold OR HOT RUNNING A/C that have not opened a door or windows before you start welding or soldering something. I don't have any issues more than if you were working at your home Garage.
Can of carb or brake cleaner maybe some spray paint in the air. Just don't wont the living room side when you have some one over to have that. be nice to have some fresh air cleaner in the living area and have no issue.

My main concern is the skoolie looking like a super clean conversion from the outside. Id really like to be able to have no hassles at the camping clubs. Driving around from trade shows and keeping my customers supplied with parts and pieces would be very convent to be able to have hook ups.

My current shop is air conditioned and heated so I'm really use to this and would like nothing more than to be able to work in a steel box and be comfortable. At the same time I want to be stealthy enough to be in a park and enjoying it with every one else. then be able to go in to the shop and get some work done and my neighbor RV'r will have no idea I might be building a engine or transmission or what ever.

I would think a guy could do wood working , knife making, jewlery I even think a bus is a great platform for a couple CNCs running. So many options. With a little respect and some custom design in side will have two RV's out there ourselves doing what we love doing from home but now with different scenery and the chance to explore. Plus the cost to full time RV is very low compared to a business location some where. Then your stuck to just the people around you for the most part. We have home to fall back to as well but I could see a day when I may not want to or need to go there as it may not be home any more.
My only regret is my daughter is grown up and moved away and we didn't do this when she was little.
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Old 11-01-2016, 12:44 AM   #25
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Darrington, Wa.
Posts: 304
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Genesis/Am-Tran Tall Roof
Chassis: International, 643 transmission
Engine: DT 466ci 250hp, International
Rated Cap: 86 screaming Monsters
I'll post some video tomorrow of my progress. I have the seats out the vinyl floor and ply wood. The floor has only some surface rust around the seat holes but no corrosion.

I was surprised to see how poorly the vinyl flooring breathes. It makes no sense at all to build with out removing the floor and sealing up all the leaks around the bolts holes and holes themselves. I had some punky wood in the front and by the emergeny door. It was all from the bolts holding the seats in wicking the water into the wood.

The rear sheet of ply wood was the weight of two sheets saturated in water. I assume now that is because were it was parked the ass end of the bus was on the uphill letting the rain run right down around the emergency rear door and soak right into the lumber.

But under it all is a nice thick steel galvanized sheets of solid steel. Its making me re think my shop area floor and I may just seal the holes up now seeing how solid it the sheet metal is and put a floor coating on it instead.

The living quarters in every ones bus should never be ply wood on the steel. there is just no way to let it vent? After the floor has all the holes sealed up i think not screwing the floor down and instead gluing it with foam board under it is a super great idea.

It was hard to appreciate why people were doing the sub floors this way and all this extra work but with out it its just going to be a mess. probably black mold as soon as you turn on the heat if leaving it all original.

I don't have the very front piece of wood trim around the dog house or steps torn up yet. Needed a new drill bit to drill the heads off the stripped screws. I'd say getting to the steel floor was a 40 hour job removing every thing on this project. plus its time to go to the dump.
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Old 11-01-2016, 05:20 PM   #26
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Darrington, Wa.
Posts: 304
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Genesis/Am-Tran Tall Roof
Chassis: International, 643 transmission
Engine: DT 466ci 250hp, International
Rated Cap: 86 screaming Monsters
video update



Either scooby doo is editing my video or i have my finger over the mic.
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