My bus is crooked!

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

Of course. I've only taken the seats out so far. Do you need to see another pic of a bus with the seats out?

I do whistle sometimes, but not like the Life is a Joy guy, Jim, I think his name is.

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of Snow White and the Seven dwarfs type of whistling while you work. I guess it's an age thing. Maybe if your father's my age he can explain.

[Bus'n it]

I'm 51 and know exactly what you're saying! Used to be a treat to watch Disney on Saturday evenings with my parents in front of our Zenith B&W console 22" TV. "Herbie", "That darn cat" and many others were my favorite treats growing up. I think today's Disney releases seem dark and not imagination inspiring to young audiences. Anyway sorry to go off tangent. Please continue with the bus crash statistics!

[Oscar1]

Better get these conversion done quickly.
After a couple of skoolie conversion get in series accidents with untrained drivers doing 70+ mph going of the road and plowing thru a house or vehicle and the conversion of buses will be illegal or at least for every screw that you are taking out or are putting in you will need a PE to sign off on your design.
Build and license as an RV while you can.

Good luck,
Johan

Definitely agree with this statement.
While I am not a big fan of big gov sticking their nose in to everthing it usually comes from a necessity. And you're right a few bad skoolie crashes will draw a lot of attention. Unfortunately the whole draw to this lifestyle is being unique and doing what you want and that's looked down on by so many. Skoolie types can always try a little harder on the appearance of safety concerns on their bus and one can always take an air brake course without getting a commercial licence.
OP sorry for the high jack on your thread
Cheers to all

Oscar

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by Oscar1

Not trying to convince you of anything, just offering facts.

You're arguing with me, an engineer, telling me any engineer would agree with you.

Why are you even here? Leave my thread alone.

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by Oscar1

OP sorry for the high jack on your thread

Then please @#$@ off.

[Oscar1]

Sorry if my words hurt you. Maybe seek some professional help for the rage.
*#%*ing off now

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by Oscar1

*#%*ing off now

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[musigenesis]

Nothing on an Internet forum says "I'm not a real engineer" quite like saying "I'm an engineer" over and over (and over and over) again in lieu of actual arguments does. Unless it's dismissing a well-documented and legally required safety feature because it doesn't provide absolute immunity from vehicular damage in obviously extreme circumstances - that also says "I'm not a real engineer" pretty clearly.

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

I can only assume your bus flaps like a flag whilst you're driving down the road.

Not at all. But I have rails installed. Ride in a cheap enclosed trailer and let me know if the skin moves.

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

How do you know? Are you an engineer?

Nope, a mechanic. Started the classes and decided it wasn't for me. Now I'm stuck with fixing their f-ups.

I've never once been blown away by the intelligence of an engineer who flaunts it. More often then not, the opposite happens.

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

That's not how physics works. If you strengthen something, it doesn't make other things weaker. It may move stress to other areas.

Sure it does. A bus body and frame is in constant flex whenever it's in motion. Doubling the frame in one spot, yet not in another doesn't necessarily make the strength of the non-doubled frame weaker, but it does focus the flexing onto the non-doubled frame, which can weaken and break it.

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

So they aren't necessary? Why do we keep arguing about it then?

There are a lot of things not necessary in this world. Seat belts, motorcycle helmets, the list goes on. I'm not arguing with you about them being necessary, I'm arguing with you about the bus being as good or better without them.

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

I'd love to see your calculations.

Check out this picture of the Bluebird Wanderlodge. Has one less rub rail than standard. I've also seen them one more.

What calculations? The Wanderlodge is coincidentally the exact vehicle I had in mind when I made the statement concerning half the roof rails and side ribs, because they have just that compared to a standard school bus. A wanderlodge would likely not pass school bus crash standards. Most motorhomes wouldn't, that's because they're not required to and it's not in the design criteria. You want to try and tell me that a winnebago made from pine 2x2's and glue is as safe in an accident as a school bus? You'd be wrong.



The moral of the story is that the rub rail will do more for strength in certain scenarios then skinning over the windows. To say otherwise is incorrect.

[WiredForStereo]

Okay, haters ignored, thread looking much cleaner.

On to quickly registering as an RV, hopefully efforts not too hampered by the pandemic.

(Don't start, I'll block every single anti-vaxxer on here).

[Rwnielsen]

Could you please preemptively ban me too? I feel a storm brewin'
Thanks

[Iceni John]

Wow, this is a lot of noise about some guy whose bus is evidently slightly dishonest, or at least shady and untrustworthy, maybe even unethical. Let's offer him some condolences and suggest the bus may need counseling rather than rub rails. Perhaps his bus is the used car salesman of the bus world?

John

PS - I'm not an engineer, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn one time.

[cadillackid]

skinnin over the windows is dumb it makes a dark dingy cave.. why buy a bus full of windows just to skin them over? may as well have a box truck thats a dark depressing cave already..



ive never seen a single bus built 100% true.. they are all a bit curvy..

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

skinnin over the windows is dumb it makes a dark dingy cave.. why buy a bus full of windows just to skin them over? may as well have a box truck thats a dark depressing cave already..

Preach it! I know that conventional wisdom from the engineer-minded types says that it makes a nice tight envelope, easier to insulate, blah blah blah...but for living in the real world? Ventilation and sunlight make a world of difference as far as living conditions. Insulated shades and window screens worked as a nice compromise for us. We had no interest in living in a metal coffin like some goth weirdo.

[cadillackid]

LOL I installed 100,000 BTU of A/C in a 7 row bus so I could keep all the tall windows then again i dont live in it so big difference but still.. the builds ive been ion which give off the best and most cheery energy are the ones that have the most and largest windows.. albeit replacing skoolie windows with big RV windows is a good thing also.. but I instantly get depressed when I hop inside someone;s bus that has 2 or 3 windows per side (and there are quite a few)

[Oldyeller]

Originally Posted by WiredForStereo

Okay, haters ignored, thread looking much cleaner.

On to quickly registering as an RV, hopefully efforts not too hampered by the pandemic.

(Don't start, I'll block every single anti-vaxxer on here).

If you're not aware yet there are a number of ways people have registered their RVs. You should find some threads here about it if you haven't already.

I went the Vermont route. How you have to do it depends on your state. NJ sucks which is why I went the Vermont route.

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

skinnin over the windows is dumb it makes a dark dingy cave.. why buy a bus full of windows just to skin them over? may as well have a box truck thats a dark depressing cave already..

The stock windows are not in the right location, so at the very minimum, the raise needs to be done under the windows.

But the real reason is that I'm putting in fewer nicer better looking RV windows. Bus windows area leaky, rattle, have no screens, and they look like a school bus. I want this to look less like a school bus and more like a coach or an RV. Truly, no judgment to those of you who want a bus that still looks like a school bus (except those that purposely paint it yellow, yuck) but I've grown up around a lot of hippies, some well done conversions (we had a family friend who did bus conversions for a living) and some pretty crappy conversions/non-conversions. And as I've mentioned many times already, I've grown up around hot rods and Randy Grubb (the guy who built Jay Leno's tank car) is a friend of my dad's and lives just down the road from me.

So I have a different aesthetic approach for what I want to do with a bus. I don't like arguing with people, but I have a specific artistic goal with this project and a lot of people don't get it. Me being unhealthy is arguing. Me being healthy is just blocking people. No time for haters. I'm gonna do what I want. And if I'm not happy with it, it's just not going to be done. I'm an artist in that way.

So, my final goal is something that has the external aesthetic of the Broccoli Bus, but with a full length raise, getting rid of the back windows and rear wall angle, and getting rid of the eyebrow look on both the front and back.

The rub rails really are not that important to me. If anything, they're just extra trim.

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by Drew Bru

Preach it! I know that conventional wisdom from the engineer-minded types says that it makes a nice tight envelope, easier to insulate, blah blah blah...but for living in the real world? Ventilation and sunlight make a world of difference as far as living conditions. Insulated shades and window screens worked as a nice compromise for us. We had no interest in living in a metal coffin like some goth weirdo.

The Broccoli Bus has a few too few windows for my personal taste, but that's no criticism of him. He's fit in the most stuff in a bus I've ever seen, and he's done a great job.

I'm looking for about the number of windows of a Class A RV, if not one or two more:

[WiredForStereo]

Originally Posted by Oldyeller

If you're not aware yet there are a number of ways people have registered their RVs. You should find some threads here about it if you haven't already.

I went the Vermont route. How you have to do it depends on your state. NJ sucks which is why I went the Vermont route.

I have done quite a bit of research, yes. I live in Oregon. It seems to be fairly easy here, there are skoolies hanging out of the trees around here. Pretty much just need permanent cooking and bedding and that's about it.

[cadillackid]

RV windows are san obvious great choice.. asll im saying is put lots of them in.. one of the biggest things I hear from people from people who have converted or even bought RVs is they worried too much about storage and didnt have enough natural light.. school bus windows are obviously the least efficient of about anything on the market.. I keep mine because i travel in my busses i rarely erver sleep in them.. im 95% bus enthusiast and 5% conversion enthusiast..



when people talk about skinning over windows the outcome is often with just 2 or 3 sometimes even 1 per side (other than the driver area).. the result inside is a dark dingy interior no matter how light you paint it and how many LED warm-whites are installed..



thats all im saying..



reason given is often someone who wishes to be so off-grid that they use so little energy and to me end up defeating the purpose of off-gridding in the first place (viewing and enjoying nature when its all closed out)..



RV windows are more functional and look a lot better than skoolie windows on a well built conversion 100% agreed