Canadian Skoolie Project

jkindt · 02-01-2010, 08:29 PM

I just found out that I have officially acquired a 1981 Ford chassis bus with a Bluebird body. It is an 8 window (48 passenger) bus that has been already been converted. It has a LARGE 3-way fridge, bunks, couch that pulls out to a queen size bed, counters, overhead storage, and many other fun things. What it does not have is insulation, flooring, running water, stove, sink, toilet, etc. It also needs to be painted because it still looks like a schoolbus!!! It has a Ford 370 engine that runs on good ole' clean burnin' propane, through a 5 speed transmission (I don't know what type of transmission, how do I find out?) I need to fix the speedometer as it doesn't work, but everything else is in good running condition. I got super lucky and found a brand new 600w inverter for $25 because it was a discontinued model. Eventually it will go in there somewhere. I have a plan for the layout but I don't know what CAD software to use to get it posted up here, anyone with experience with CAD? The best part is that I will no longer have to set up tents everytime I go anywhere and I can now tow my toys behind me since this unit has a hitch already! Pictures are coming...once the bus gets here next week...sooner if I can't wait!

timbuk · 02-01-2010, 09:33 PM

another canuk bus welcome you may need some insulation depends where you are!

jkindt · 02-02-2010, 01:08 PM

As promised, here is a picture of the bus. I couldn't wait to get it to my house, I went for a drive and took some pics of it where it is. I will be bringing it home next week after the previous owners (my wife's parents) have time to get their camping gear out of it. They are currently driving to California to pick up a fifth wheel trailer. Now that is a long drive!

jkindt · 02-02-2010, 05:20 PM

Here is some pics of the bus as it sits. Notice the nice large refridgerator, it is the main reason I bought the bus. That and it's size, small enough to go many places, large enough to sleep a half dozen people.

Here is the counter on the port side behind the drivers seat...

Here is the BIG refridgerator. They used to keep four pails of ice cream in the freezer!

Here is a pic of the overhead storage above the fridge. Also seen is the bunk to the rear of the fridge.

jkindt · 02-02-2010, 05:26 PM

More Pictures...

Here is a pic of the bunks...

Here is a pic of where the couch is on the starboard side, under all the gear. It is opposite the bunks...

This is where they usually had a folding table set up with a couple folding chairs. The area is used to hold the cooker and the outside table when travelling...

browncrown · 02-02-2010, 05:47 PM

Welcome and thanks for posting the pictures...you are going to have a lot of fun from here on out!

jkindt · 02-02-2010, 06:43 PM

First things first, I gotta paint this bus. The previous owners have used it like this for the past 17 years, but they avoided campgrounds and stuck mostly to camping on crown land in the mountains. We were thinking white on the roof, medium grey as a main color along with light grey and then black checkerplate around the bottom from the lowest rub rail down. This would also allow me to easily add underbody storage bays behind the checkerplate. The bus has a hitch already installed for towing their quad trailer. This will come in handy for towing my two jet ski's to the lake. I am planning on tinting all the passenger windows, the bottom two door windows, and a strip across the top of the windshield in about a 5% limo style tint. Then I will paint all the window trim black. Do the individual windows come out separate from the frame or would I have to pull the whole frame to get them out? They are much easier to tint if I can get them out.

Also, does anyone know how to take these wheels off? I was thinking of painting the center part black and the outer ring silver. It would be a lot easier if I can separate the ring from the centers. I haven't worked on a truck this large before.

paul iossi · 02-03-2010, 07:09 AM

first off; welcome to schoolie

if you go to the index page you will find a search function, put in tire or wheel change and read the info that comes up, tires are dangerous and heavy work.

my suggestion would be to paint the wheel and hub one color and then jack the tire ub and spin the tire by hand while painting the outer ring with a brush, this will save you from having to touch up the paint after you install the tires.

jkindt · 02-03-2010, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjespers

Your have Dayton Split-Rims (on the front) like me. Please Do Not attempt to remove them yourself. They are extreamly dangerous and have been known to kill.

Thanks for the warning. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to remove them myself. My dad warned me of split-rims many years ago, said a guy he knew lost his head while working on one, literally! I like the look of the hammered style paint and will probably do as you suggested and paint them by hand with a brush. Does the spray on hammered paint match up with the brush on style? I ask because I would also like to repaint the front grill and bumpers to match the wheels and I would prefer to spray these if possible. The rear tires are all brand new and it appears that they are not split-rims, but the front tires need to be replaced soon. Do they make non-split style wheels that I can put on the front that would match with the rear ones?

paul iossi · 02-03-2010, 11:14 PM

you have Dayton wheels, if you look closely you can see that this is a tube type 3 piece wheel, the inner flange and rim, an outer 1 piece flange or rim and a lock ring to retain it, with the proper knowledge and training once the wheel, lockring and flange are seated and the tires aired up the wheels are relatively safe. the rear wheels on your bus are the same as the front wheels, the inners mount on a taper just like the fronts do then their is a spacer ring and the outside wheel is turned around and mounted on the spokes, their is a tapered wedge and nut to center and clamp the inner and outer wheels to the hub.
Dayton "spoke wheels", Budd "stud pilot disc wheels, and hub pilot disc wheels are available either tube type "multi piece", or tubeless one piece assemblies.

The original split rim ''widowmakers'' haven't been made since the 40's, 2 pieces with the split centered between the flanges,
be aware that their are several types/makes of multipiece wheels available and that the parts are not compatable or interchangeable,

if you don't have the ability to properly inspect and identify wheel parts, be considerate of your loved ones and the paramedics, leave your tire work to a professional

jkindt · 02-05-2010, 11:22 PM

Here is the floorplan that I have come up with for the bus. The 'front room' will include a table with seating for two that will drop into a single bed, an L shaped counter that will make up the kitchen area with a sink and probably a stove, a couch that pulls out to make a queen size bed, a small storage closet, a large fridge. The 'rear room' will include a 24x36 tub shower, a queen size bed that flips up like a 'murphy bed' to allow through access via the back door, a corner storage unit, a counter with a small sink, and a 30x36 bathroom with a toilet. There will be a door that will close off the 'front room' from the 'rear room' as well as a door on the bathroom. The shower will likely get a shower curtain for simplicity. I also plan on mounting a 32" TV at the front of the bus above the windshield. How does this look so far?

jkindt · 02-08-2010, 02:33 PM

Here is one of the paint jobs that I have come up with for the bus. What does everyone think? The bottom silver colored part will be aluminum checkerplate. The wheels, bumpers, grill, and headlight housings will be silver hammered metal paint.

lornaschinske · 02-08-2010, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkindt

... How does this look so far?...

Where will you keep your clothes?

We discovered that 1 person needs 18" space to hang 1 weeks worth of clothes (7-8 shirts, 7-8 pairs blue jeans plus a light coat/rain jacket).

If you fold shirts... here's a link that shows how http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Shirt and here http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fas...204/index.html
I fold up my shirts around a magazine that fits inside the short drawers under our bed. You can also use a dedicated piece of cardboard or foam core poster board.

jkindt · 02-08-2010, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

Where will you keep your clothes?

We discovered that 1 person needs 18" space to hang 1 weeks worth of clothes (7-8 shirts, 7-8 pairs blue jeans plus a light coat/rain jacket).

I didn't show on the floorplan, but there is going to be overhead storage above the couch and the bed. The storage unit between the fridge and the couch is full height to be used for a couple jackets. The angled storage in the rear room is also full height so that we can use it as a closet for clothes. Overhead storage above the kitchen counter for food. I will also be putting in underbody storage for larger items and outdoor things. And there is all that room under the bed for rubbermaid containers full of other gear.

jkindt · 02-08-2010, 08:23 PM

The wife didn't like the blue that I picked, and she wants black checkerplate instead of polished aluminum, so, here's a revised paint scheme. I think it looks like a heavy duty RV and less like a schoolbus.

Diesel Dan · 02-09-2010, 09:26 AM

Looks good. I'm just impressed that your wife likes black checkerplate!

jkindt · 02-10-2010, 01:58 PM

Yeah, we went to an RV show to get some ideas and such (Man, those things are built poorly!) and she really liked the toy hauler fifth wheel trailers. They happened to have black checkerplate all around the bottom. But she has always been into motorsports, quads, etc.

I want to replace the split doors with a single door. I will most likely have to build the door myself. As long as I use a window the same size as the side windows, the door will look like it belongs. I was thinking framing the door with 1" square tubing steel, insulating with pink foam like the floor, and skinning it with 20ga steel sheet, and using an RV door latch. Anyone built their own door before? Here's a picture of the concept...

Seeria · 02-11-2010, 07:13 PM

Love the look but dang it! Why can't you people use something more cheery? Like pink

jkindt · 02-11-2010, 09:28 PM

I didn't know Barbie was a 'skoolie' kind of chick! I think I will pass on the pink though, some things are not meant to be pink...

timbuk · 02-12-2010, 06:00 PM

HEY I KNOW THOSE GIRLS AND SHE SAID HER NAME WASNT BARBIE! just wait till i see her and her friends again i like the black cplate is is aluminum or painted steel?

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