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Old 06-29-2020, 05:35 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Calgary
Posts: 51
Chassis: GMC B7 T042
Engine: GM 454 7.4L Gas
Rated Cap: 66pas
Front door - repair or replace?

I wanted to keep my front doors as they are, just to keep a bit of the bus feeling and also visibility while driving. But I'm starting to think otherwise after noticing some issues with the doors.

Problems I've noticed so far:
1. Failed seals, with water being stuck between the double panes. 1 panel has nearly an inch of water sitting in the bottom which doesn't seem to be draining out any time soon. I've tried to create a gap below the glass pane to let the water drain with no success so far
2. The bottom hinge on the left door (as you enter) seems to have seized and welds broken. The door still opens fine with the whole hinge barrel turning... But it's still broken and I'm thinking I might get problems in the future.
3. The steel at bottom of the right door (as you enter) is bent out a bit and there's a 1+ inch air gap. There's also a bit of rust.
4. I have a leak somewhere above the door... Water is dripping onto the arm that opens the left door then down the inside of the door and adjacent wall. I believe this leak has contributed to rusting the bottom steep and caused problem #2

I'm starting to lean more towards welding the 2 doors together in the middle and using the existing hinges on the right door with the existing handle/opening mechanism. But to do this I still need to solve my leaks and pooling water.

Welcoming any advice on repairing the issues or if ill be better off just replacing the door with a new door of some sort
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Old 06-29-2020, 06:05 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
I performed some minor repair on my right-half of our door. The bottom of the right-half can be leveraged (bent) back into place by strategic placement of lumber on the stairwell and the use of c-clamps (with a piece of pressure distribution hardware ... a piece of wood) along the bottom edge of the door. The idea is to have the lumber on the stairs provide the fulcrum for the c-clamp pressure to bend the bottom back in place.
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Old 06-29-2020, 06:06 PM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
Oh ... as for the windows, you may need to take them out and take them to a glass business. They should have the equipment and skills to drain, clean, and reseal the double pane panel. Or, get one from a junk yard.
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Old 06-30-2020, 08:35 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Calgary
Posts: 51
Chassis: GMC B7 T042
Engine: GM 454 7.4L Gas
Rated Cap: 66pas
I think i'll start calling around to find a bus junk yard somewhere in western canada... It looks like the bad pane has been replaced in the past and failed.

Until then I'll just do a quick fix and bend the bottom down and try to seal some leaks... ill be happy with this door until winter if it takes a while to find something
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Old 06-30-2020, 08:38 PM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,259
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 8.3 Cummins ISC
Rated Cap: 75
Replace the entire thing with an RV door. Regular bus service doors are pretty bad for skoolie life. They're nice for visibility but that's about it.
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Old 07-01-2020, 10:30 AM   #6
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 400
With the rust showing thru on the bottom, I would not spend very much money on the door.

If it was me I would try to take it apart and fix it and have a plan B in case my weak glass skills don't pan out.
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