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Old 07-21-2009, 10:20 PM   #21
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

A few pics of the RV door opening.

The RV door/screen unit that I bought is out of an 07' fifth wheel and fits the opening with about a 1/2" space on both sides. When I get the step in I'm also going to cut back the ribs in the body panels so the door will fit tight. Building the step is going to be the "technical" part of this program, but I scavenged some sheet metal that's going to work fine. I made my stair well rough opening 20" deep and the width of the door. From the finish floor to the bottom of the skirt I have about 20" so that will give me about an 8" rise and 10" tread for two steps.

Take Care,
Den
Attached Thumbnails
rv door conversion 005.jpg   rv door conversion 006.jpg   rv door conversion 007.jpg  

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Old 07-21-2009, 11:32 PM   #22
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Here are the 2"x2" square tubing braces welded in place for the door panel and window. I pulled all the window trim pieces off the doner bus when I got the window so it shouldn't be too much drama installing it.

I'm hoping to get the new stair well installed, the passenger side floor patched in and close her up this weekend

Take Care,
Den
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rv door conversion 008.jpg   rv door conversion 004.jpg  
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Old 07-22-2009, 07:14 AM   #23
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG-BIRD
Keep up the great work! Can't wait to see the final product!
Thanks

Getting the exterior on it's way has been quite a scavenger hunt! You just wouldn't think finding another bus to loot parts off would be so much trouble, but when we finally found one we moved in like heavily tooled locus

It's going to be a big push this weekend to get the exterior squared away I want this thing painted before the weather changes! A trip today to the steel yard for some 1/8"x2" angle and then Fastenall for some rub rail sheet metal screws is all we lack.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 07-22-2009, 09:37 PM   #24
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Door? What door?

We had a little time today so we installed the panel, rub rail and cut off the remainder of the stair well.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 07-22-2009, 10:00 PM   #25
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Now that looks great! You are inspiring me to do the same with ours... Minus the front door makes it a totally different looking vehicle! Sweet - keep up the great work & photos photos photos!
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Old 07-23-2009, 06:47 AM   #26
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

From the first time I saw SportyRicks bus, I knew that's what I was doing to do to our bus

It looks cool on the outside, but I think the biggest difference is the interior, that stair well takes up a surprising amount of space and changing the entrance and flow of traffic to the middle of the bus really changes the "feel" of the interior. It also changes the perspective from the drivers seat, giving a nice big 180 degree view and of course side by side seating for my sweetie!

She is now a Class A HD

Take Care,
Den
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Old 07-23-2009, 11:03 AM   #27
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

That look's fantastic. You've done a great job! I also am now thinking of a little revamping and get rid of the bi-fold. Again, great job. (keep the pictures up)
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Old 07-26-2009, 08:11 AM   #28
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Papa Bear if you have trouble getting parts for your door conversion, drop a line, the salvage yard I got mine still has some.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 07-28-2009, 09:00 AM   #29
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Quote:
Originally Posted by RazorCityDen
Papa Bear if you have trouble getting parts for your door conversion, drop a line, the salvage yard I got mine still has some.

Take Care,
Den
Den, thanks for the offer. I have a lot of the interior close to done. Am still thinking (now) of the door on the side, just not ready yet. Your not that far away, if I decide to do it. I really do like the looks of yours without the bi-fold though.
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:01 PM   #30
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

I made some progress on the RV door installation and I'm about 80% there.

I wasn't sure what I was going to build the metal well out of till a buddy gave me a stack of commercial shelving.

The shelves were already bent with 2" flanges on both edges, one edge being bent to make it more rigid, sort of an "I" beam arrangement, take a look at the picture and you'll see what I mean. All the cutting I needed to do was easily done with a jig saw and metal cutting blade using some angle iron for a straight edge saw guide. I simply ripped the shelf at the right width with the simple flat flange on top and turned the piece with the "I" beam around to support the floor and screwed the pieces back together. I did all the three sides the same way and then cut a shelf for the floor sealing everything with silicone.

The flat flange I simply slipped under the plywood sub-floor and screwed though the plywood, stair well flange and steel bus floor with 1/4 x 1 1/4" flat head sheet metal screws. The whole unit was very rigid even before the treated plywood got glued and screwed in. I'm not sure what gauge the shelving metal is but it's much thicker than the 20 gauge I used to fill the windows.

Before I lined the metal stair well with treated plywood, I temp fit the the sliding RV steps to make sure everything was going to work ok, and it did take a little fitting to get them where I wanted. When I got the fitting done I held them in place with a floor jack and drilled the mounting holes though the stair well floor and temped them in with a couple bolts. Once the well was lined I used three 3/8 bolts with fender washers on top and lock washers on the bottom per side.

I'm going to add another piece of 3/4" treated to the bottom of the well with the back side routed for the stair well bolts, before I put in the step and mount the door permanently. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the well for finish floor, but with it wrapped in plywood anything will work.

This part of the project went pretty smooth, but took all day.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:12 PM   #31
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Veeery nice!
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:18 PM   #32
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Once the stair well was sorted out installing the door was just a matter of centering it in the rough opening, marking the body panel rails to be cut back and scribing the top of the door.

I used a Milwaukee cordless sawsall with a metal blade for all the trimming and it worked like a champ. The RV door I have couldn't have fit better, 26 1/2" rough opening and 25 1/2" door. I wanted my step buried as high as I could, so I have the door cheated up as high as I dared, right into the curve of the roof line, I will have a 1/2" gap up there, between the back of the door flange and curving roof line, but I'll seal it good and am putting on a gutter. The jamb of the door is same thickness as the buss struts and will be easy to trim out. Right now the door is held in place with 4 screws till I'm satisfied it's going to be good to go, then it will get a heavy bead of rubber sealant, screwed off and sealed with foam on the inside. Bluebirds have a bolted in window header, I unbolted it and slid it up to support the top of the door.
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:31 PM   #33
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Starting to shape up on the outside, I can almost smell the paint already

I'm heading up front now to fill in the passenger side floor and and install the passenger side sliding window, it pretty straight forward and shouldn't be too much drama.

Actually we have been messing with paint and paint schemes, but don't have anything solid yet. Pretty sure we're going to use a premix oil based Ace Hardware product in earth tone colors and spray it on.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:41 PM   #34
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

WOW...I love custom work...
The more I look at the great job you are doing on your bus the more I think I want a mid-ship door in our transit also. I think it really makes sense & I can't wait to see the difference it makes in the interior! Keep postin' them photos!
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Old 08-03-2009, 10:52 PM   #35
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Quote:
Originally Posted by ezbme
WOW...inspiring! I love custom work...
The more I look at the great job you are doing on your bus the more I think I want a mid-ship door in our transit also. I think it really makes sense & I can't wait to see the difference it makes in the interior! Keep postin' them photos!
Thanks for the boost bro!

The exterior work was intimidating at first, but It really hasn't been all that difficult just one baby step after another. SportyRicks bus was my inspiration for the door change, I got most of my idea's from his blog.

Take Care,
Den
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Old 08-04-2009, 12:29 AM   #36
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Den: great job on the door removal and cover up and an excellent job on the installation of the mid door. You have also done an excellent job of describing the work in progress and pictures to boot, very encouraging. I think you understood why I did all that work and what a difference it will make to remove the front door and put in a mid door and now you are seeing the results of YOUR imagination of the finished product and the hard work it took YOU to get it there. I think more people will do what you did now that you have made it look so easy. Like I said before, it's a little scary when you cut that gaping hole in the side of your bus and wonder if it will all work out or you just passed the point of no return and are out of luck. Like someone else said it changes the whole flow of traffic through the bus, makes it seem smaller to me because you aren't coming in the front and looking down a long alley to the rear. It also makes driving pleasurable because you get to share your time with whomever is in the passengers seat (the grandkids love riding in the seat up front and looking out that great big front window).
We have taken 5 trips in our bus so far this year and are planning at least 3 more counting our Christmas trip to Salina. I hope you get to enjoy your bus as much as we have ours, we love our bus and you will too when you get to travel in style and comfort in something you designed and constructed with your own 2 hands. I try and get others to build a bus but can't seem to get them to jump into the deep end with us, what a shame.
I'll share a story with you Den and everyone else here about our trip last year to Salina. Last Christmas worked out exceptionally well because the weekend was between Xmas and New years so we got lots of riders, 18 counting me so we had a bus full. The younger ones, below 40yo, stay in the back on coolers and sleeping bags drinking liquid refreshments and visiting with each other and the "older" ones and babies are up front on the more comfortable seats. We had just left my brothers house and a huge Sunday brunch, everyone was settling down for the 3 hour trip to KC, we had just got on the interstate and low and behold a Salina cop pulls us over. I was thinking what did I do wrong, I used my turn signal, wasn't fighting to stay in my lane, no way I was speeding. Here she comes! She gets out and walks up to the navigators window and asks that the person that just mooned the cars behind the bus please come out and face the consequences, WHAT! I hollered to the rear that someone needs to get there ass outside RIGHT NOW and talk to that COP! It seems my NIECE had bent down to get her seat arranged and inadvertently shown her plumbers crack to the cars behind the bus and one was a police car! She turned beet red and went outside to face the consequences. She listened to the charges and then explained that she was sorry if she offended anyone but that she didn't pull her pants down and it must have been the low cut tan pants that made it seem so. The officer then asked what the party on the bus was, some fraternity, ski group or choir. My niece then explained that we are from a very large family, that everyone on board has the same last name and we visit Salina every Christmas to see other relatives also with the same last name. Smiling ear to ear the whole time, the officer then lets us go, no ticket, and told us to have a good trip and and be careful bending over in front of rear windows. We all yelled Merry Christmas to her as we pulled away and the laughter lasted until we reached KC. We still give my niece grief about it whenever we can.
I am sure everyone here has some good bus stories like this to share with us.
Keep those pictures coming so we can all enjoy your bus construction together Den. sportyrick
ps if you take the front door out then I insist that you install a 150db train horn under the front to scare the whits out of pedestrians and idiot drivers, you'll never regret it.
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Old 08-04-2009, 08:22 AM   #37
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

"Get off the bus longhair! Hands on the hood, Feet shoulder width apart! You know the drill!"

Great story Rick, your lucky the cop was reasonable and didn't demand a roadside "line-up" so the victim could identify the offending buttock

Kudo's to you for keeping your clan so close together!

I live in a rural subdivision (10 acre lots, 8 miles from town) and you can see the bus backed up to my shop from the gravel access road, at first my neighbors would run into us at the mailboxes and ask if construction was slow and if I was driving bus for the country After I cut the big holes in it they asked what the hell was I doing to that nice bus! I would explain the camper and door conversion thing but I don't think anyone really got the gist of what I was doing. There are actually four Skoolie conversions in our sub-division (that I can see from the road) Two that are kinda rough, quicky jobs, still in the yellow, probably for hunting camps and one really nice looking unit that looks professionally done, a mid sixties Chevy. One of these days I will catch the owner and see if he will let me take a peak inside.

Now that the bus is coming along my neighbors stop in with a cold beer to check on progress

The mountain west means big road trips and a comfortable, side by side, drivers compartment is important to my sweetie and me!

Thanks again Rick!

Take Care,
Den
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Old 08-04-2009, 08:50 AM   #38
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Den, great job so far. It's going to turn out well.
Sportyrick, thanks for the story. Mak'in memories with the family. That's what life is about. You can't put a price on those kind of things.
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Old 08-04-2009, 07:32 PM   #39
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

Thats a funny story Rick! I am diggin your bus also, very nice!
The mountains look wonderful Den! Where were the photos taken?

I have a question while we are on mid-ship door talk... On the Transit the profile is so low that if I were to cut the body down to the rub rail like your schoolie I think I would have too many steps & they would be offset too far into the frame rail making it not feasable... So I thought maybe a platform inside the door opening & then the steps 90 to the right up to the floor... Any Input or suggestions to why this would or wouldn't be a good idea?

Jonathan
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Old 08-05-2009, 09:28 AM   #40
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Re: RazorCityDen's 1994 Cornbinder

somewhere i saw a conversion where they put the door in at floor level and then built a "drawer" with a platform and stairs that were at a 90% to the door, open the drawer and you have steps, clpose the drawer and the steps disappear, just put a warning light on the dash so you don't forget to close the steps before you go down the road.

or how about foldout, swing out or pull out steps under the door on the outside?

note; look at some stick and staple trailers, they use external steps that fold out and keep the floor all at one level.
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