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Old 09-09-2017, 12:43 AM   #1
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: San diego
Posts: 3
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomas 40 ft
Engine: 8.3 cummins
So I jumped in...

Hello, newbie here. Catching up on progress, I have a40 ft thomas '00 with a perfectly running 8.3 cummins.


The seats are out and about to remove the heater and AC, well finding a mechanic to reclaim and remove the ac. Then doing a roof raise.

Current questions, is it worth it to remove the rear ac or should I just put an extension on it so I can raise the roof?

Or... I have been told newer ac roof units are much more efficient???

Thanks
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Old 09-09-2017, 04:24 AM   #2
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
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Nice bus. You may want to keep the AC ,it is hard to cool a bus.
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Old 09-09-2017, 09:01 AM   #3
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
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Year: 1991
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Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
you may very well want that A/C for while you are driving... its tough to cool a bus out on the road with camper A/C.. though an RE is easier than an FE.. if you plan to be cool in the driver seat on camper A/C then plan on one right above you at the very least... the sun in that big windshield in july heat is a lot to overcome..

you will still want your camper A/C for when you are camped out on shore power or boondocked on generator power as the bus A/C does no good then..

also if you remove the heater lines that go fro mthe rear engine to the front you'll lose the abilkity to defog / deforst your windshield in the rain.. suggested to re-run those lines under the bus so you can keep the front heat / defrost system.

or be ready to bundle up with the hat gloves scarf and windshield scraper in cold weather driving.

-Christopher
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Old 09-09-2017, 07:04 PM   #4
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Thanks for the notes, I was still deciding if to leave the front heater, or looking into a DC electric defrost, but adding a new subfloor anyway so I should just leave the front and remove the rear heat.
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Old 09-09-2017, 07:08 PM   #5
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From Brokedown to Everyone: You need to StOP TAKING YOUR AC OUT unless you live north of Alaska. Half the threads about Skoolies are people trying to figure out how to cool them.

If you are installing a wood stove, taking out the rear heater isn't going to hurt. If you aren't using a wood stove, you'll probably regret neutering your heater.
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Old 09-09-2017, 07:19 PM   #6
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i got news.. you wont defrost a school bus windshield with a DC electric heater... if your school bus has Kysor / Bergstrom heaters in it.. you'll notice a label giving you the BTU of those heaters.. you'll likely find on an FE flat nose nus you have 125,000 BTU heat up front... thats right. up here in cold north ohio we heat 2500 sq ft houses from 0 degrees to 72 with a furnace that size...


brokedown has it right about A/C.. your campoer units may very well keep you cool when parked under a tree or in the sun while your solar panels shield your bus.. However going down the road.. you better be ready to sweat if you plan to be cruisin the summer highways... if you never plan to trravel in the summer heat. or your bus is going to be masinly parked and only driven short trips sporadically then you can probably get away with taking out the bus A/C.. but id still leave it!

FYI Brokedown!! YO!! you'll never hear me telling anyone that wants to travel to take out their A/C... ha! im the guy who added it to a 27 year old bus
-Christopher
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Old 09-09-2017, 07:46 PM   #7
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Yeah I have been bouncing off triple digit temps for months and all the Jamba juice in the world doesn't make up for not having good AC.

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Old 09-09-2017, 07:54 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown View Post
Yeah I have been bouncing off triple digit temps for months and all the Jamba juice in the world doesn't make up for not having good AC.

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-Christopher
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Old 09-09-2017, 09:07 PM   #9
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Both have it right. The original front heat will do the best job of keeping you warm and defrosting the glass when conditions warrant. No wimpy electric heater is going to do that and even a house-sized central furnace would barely be adequate. Manufacturers spent a *LOT* of resources designing, testing, and building such systems specifically for the task. Folks like Christopher, who know the ins-and-outs of HVAC systems might be qualified to design a custom system for a bus, but why bother if a factory has ever-so-conveniently done all the engineering for you?

The same holds true for bus A/C systems. Mine did not have A/C when I bought it but I do plan to add it to mine (it is planned to be converted into a party-wagon). Bus A/C systems are designed and built to cool a *LOT* of BTU's, about on par with an average central house system. No RV A/C system is going to move that much heat, and even if they could, the electrics will draw more current than most alternators can generate. Moving buses generate a lot of heat, even rear-engine buses get it simply from the road and through the windows (solar).
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Old 09-10-2017, 10:00 PM   #10
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I can say I'm planning to add engine driven a/c to my 01 Amtran RE for when we're driving.

If you have a large enough generator to run two rooftop units you'd be plenty comfortable while goin down the road. Our '86 bluebird dognose does ok with one rooftop unit in the center of the roof ( front to back ) and a box fan pointed at the drivers seat. I'm eliminating the box fan on the current build

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Old 09-11-2017, 06:38 PM   #11
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Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomas 40 ft
Engine: 8.3 cummins
Thanks for your advice/thoughts

Just talked to my AC /heat pal, we're running new hose under the bus to the front and keeping front heater.
and up in the air about the rear ac, my vote is to take it out still, the thing is 40 ft from the front of the bus. It has to blow air all the way up front. ... so while driving, planning on ducting the forward roof ac to the driver seat. So only about 8 ft.

Anyone need AC unit? has a brand new engine mounted compressor, and under the bus 4 fan stack? ??
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