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Old 09-09-2015, 04:49 PM   #41
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ArmyChap Oh bummer I just gave them away yesterday. Had some scrappers come pick them up and take them away for me.

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Old 09-09-2015, 06:00 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Josiahdr View Post
ArmyChap Oh bummer I just gave them away yesterday. Had some scrappers come pick them up and take them away for me.
That's where mine went. I hope they enjoyed their natty lights.. Or meth... hahahahaha

I'm poor and unemployed but I always help out the poorer and more unemployed old scrapper dudes in my area.
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Old 09-09-2015, 07:31 PM   #43
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The windows on my bus are lined with ????rubber/foam???? strips that seal the windows when closed.

And I'm assuming that they are glued there & not caulked.....am I right?

Those strips are what I would be replacing with new if I was to remove the windows.
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Old 09-13-2015, 04:48 PM   #44
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Not to much to update on the bus. An unfortunate accident happened the other day that took the wind out of my sails.

We were over working on the bus 3 days ago and were making some progress with getting the wheel chair rail out and deciding to grind of the wall panels off which will be after the rail is out.

While I was busy working on the rails my wife and my friend were taking ceiling panel screws out. Well they had made there way towards the front of the bus so I reminded them they needed to be mindful of what they were doing. Hardly any time passes before I hear smash and followed by "OH SH**" friend wasn't paying attention and let a door cover piece swing and crack my whole right side windshield.

Needless to say I am not a happy camper as my list of items I wanted to complete will need to be placed on hold till this is taken care of. I will have pics of the window tomorrow when I go back to the bus. Was to pissed of to take them at that time lol. However I did upload a new video to YouTube and will be working on getting another one up tonight.

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Old 09-13-2015, 06:28 PM   #45
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Probably better the glass than an arm...or eye...or...
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Old 09-13-2015, 06:41 PM   #46
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Ya that is very true
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Old 09-13-2015, 06:59 PM   #47
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It also isn't the one in front of the driver so you can still work with it until you get to replacing it. Now you friend has a new nick name Crash, or XX>>insert name here <<XX destroyer of windshields.
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Old 09-14-2015, 05:54 PM   #48
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HAHA I like that "Alex destroyer of windshields" that is a good one!
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Old 09-19-2015, 12:08 AM   #49
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Got another video up. The ceiling cam down pretty smooth overall. Ive also started removing the wheel chair strips on the floor. Best way as far as I can tell is just to grind them down and pop the rail off.



Haven't looked into the replacement for the windshield yet, however I have started to think considerable hard as to a replacement for the stock bus windows. I now understand why they suck in every way possible. I am hoping to find a replacement window that is the same size so that it should just be a matter of replacing them.
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Old 09-19-2015, 10:50 AM   #50
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Keep the pics and video's coming.

Nat
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Old 09-19-2015, 11:28 AM   #51
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If you find a source for replacement windows then share the wealth! I can't find anything that's less than $300 per window.
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Old 09-19-2015, 01:23 PM   #52
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Quote:
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If you find a source for replacement windows then share the wealth! I can't find anything that's less than $300 per window.
This is why I used residential windows.

I wanted a large panoramic view. To buy RV windows 4 foot by 5 foot would be over $1000 each. Even after paying that kind of money I did not like the quality and how they were made.

A 4 foot by 5 foot two pane sealed slider window with screen from home depot is only $250. 2 foot by 2 foot are only $125.

And unlike RV windows, if one gets broken, you can find a new one almost anywhere.

That was the price for slider style. For casement crank out style, they can be custom ordered to any size, in right or left hand. This way they would not catch the wind when driving down the road with one open a few inches.
Price for casement crank out style start at around $300 even for small ones. It's the mechanism that causes the higher price.

Small sliders suck because of the center bar through the window.
For small 2 foot by 2 foot to fit a standard skoolie window opening, I would choose casement crank out style.

Residential windows are made from vinyl, don't rattle, conduct heat or cold, won't leak, and have drains at the bottom. They can also be ordered with safety glass, and expansion tubes for elevation changes.

Nat
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Old 09-19-2015, 01:26 PM   #53
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Rv windows are great for bus conversions and are pretty easily sourced.
They're safety glass, they seal a whole lot better, and they won't rattle going down the road.
They can be found cheap or free on CL or for regular price all day on ebay.
The windows are cool looking on school buses, but for livability windows are one of the most basic of upgrades. The rattly, leaky regular windows are useless for full timing in a variety of temperatures. Sure they are fine in the high desert as long as it isn't winter.
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Old 09-19-2015, 04:15 PM   #54
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My thought is to find something the same dimensions as the stock windows... I don't want to do body work, so direct replacement is needed. Prefer something tinted and/or UV coated, and double paned. Safety glass is a must... I have children who will be riding by those windows. I could mix them up with some solid pane (don't open) and some with slides or push outs... We'll really only open up when stopped, so I don't need sliders.
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Old 09-19-2015, 04:18 PM   #55
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Panoramic Windows is what drew me to skoolies. We want to show the kids America. We had a 30' class C... Made several 1000 mile trips and the kids didn't see anything because of the stupidly small windows on that thing. Our current setup is a Ford van towing a trailer... Much better (and more comfortable traveling!), but I want my living space connected to my driver seat.
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Old 09-20-2015, 08:11 PM   #56
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ArmyChap yes that is exactly what we love about the school bus! on our drive home it was absolutely breathtaking seeing the countryside throughout the entire bus.

Still haven't fully decided what I am going to do with the windows. Still considering swapping them out but have a feeling they will stay. EastCoast I have considered rv windows but don't much care for the look of them.

Nat definitely like the casement windows just not the price, those would be perfect though. And great point about being able to replace one anywhere.

What do you guys think of these as a replacement.
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Old 09-21-2015, 11:42 PM   #57
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Got a bit of an update:

If it doesn't have pictures it didn't happen right:


(I'd rather not be able to take that picture though lol)

But anyway I have started to trace some of the wires to start cleaning out the fuse panel. Hoping to be able to re wire a few items and remove a whole lot, goal is to Keep It Simple Stupid. Just click the pictures below to check out my post about the wires and for more pics.





Hopefully going to go and take a look at those windows in person and see how much of an upgrade they would be compared to the bus windows.

Other than that got some progress on removing the wheelchair rails but it is slow going. Hopefully will be able to crank those out tomorrow and will post a video soon after.
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Old 09-22-2015, 06:30 AM   #58
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Do all Thomas buses have wiring that messy?
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Old 09-22-2015, 06:52 AM   #59
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Probably I can't foresee them having more than 20 people who wire the busses and they were probably trained by the same group of guys who clearly don't give a rats ass.
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Old 09-22-2015, 07:03 AM   #60
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My AmTran wiring looks really clean compared to a lot of the pictures I've seen of other buses'. A LOT less of it too. I guess in that regard I got lucky.
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