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Old 03-30-2021, 08:11 PM   #1
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Looking to Hire Skilled Labor for Bus Upgrades in Arizona or California

Hi there. I’m looking for someone to do one, two, or all three of the following projects on my already converted Skoolie. You will need to have a space to park it and the tools and knowledge to work on it. It is 33’ long and 8’ wide.

1. Woodwork / Custom Cabinetry / Carpentry: In my bus there is a fold-down Murphy bed which holds a full size mattress. The mattress orients from tip to tail of the bus. I want to remove the Murphy frame and build in two facing couches that slide or somehow fold together to make a queen size bed, oriented sideways. This would be like the Dinette in an RV, Travel Trailer, or Airstream. In the space where the Murphy frame was there will then be an unused space, which I want to fill with cabinets (matching the style of the kitchen / overhead cabinets).



2. HVAC Technician / Air Conditioning Installer: I want to install a roof-mounted RV A/C system. This would mean cutting into the steel roof to make the 14” opening, reinforcing the opening as necessary to support the weight, and routing / connecting the electrical behind the removable wall panels to the breaker box. Of course everything needs to be sealed back up and weatherproofed. If you have the skills to pull this one off, the next project goes hand-in-hand.



3. Solar Installer / Electrician: On the roof there are already 8 panels in two rows of four. I want to move them to be closer to the centerline of the bus, and then install two more rows of 9 panels along the long edges of the roof (for a total of 26). I prefer to do this project together with the A/C, as routing cables through the roof and to the electrical box overlaps with routing the electrical for the A/C. Might as well do two jobs in one. The solar cables must be connected together on the rooftop and run through the walls to the box, but don’t need to be connected to charge controllers (I can do this later).



The bus will be available to begin work mid- to late- May and must be completed by July 1st which is about 5-6 weeks. I would be open to a general contractor subbing out the various parts of the job or having a van conversion or bus build company do it all. If you are not in the immediate Phoenix or Southern California area that’s OK so long as you have a valid drivers license, insurance, and experience / comfort driving a large vehicle.

If this sounds like you, the next step is to connect via video call so you can see inside the space. Pay rate depends on your previous work history (references and photos requested) and attention to detail. $75 - $150/hr. Large items and some materials will be ordered and shipped to you; miscellaneous materials to be reimbursed as needed.

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Old 03-30-2021, 08:43 PM   #2
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Pay rate depends on your previous work history (references and photos requested) and attention to detail. $75 - $150/hr.
I've been trying to think of ways that doing conversion work on skoolies could be a viable business - and here was the solution all along!
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Old 03-30-2021, 09:16 PM   #3
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musigenesis, text/call me if you are qualified and interested.
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Old 03-30-2021, 09:22 PM   #4
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musigenesis, text/call me if you are qualified and interested: (###) ###-####
Ha ha, thanks, but I'm on the other side of the continent from you. And I would only be willing to attempt your #1 right now.

You might want to edit out your phone number while your post is still editable. You can send private messages on this forum - it's safer to establish real-world communication that way.
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Old 03-30-2021, 10:44 PM   #5
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PM Rossvtaylor. He's done a good amount of conversions for some well known people, kind of his thing at the moment. He's a solar guru.

I'm almost positive he's in AZ.
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Old 03-30-2021, 11:14 PM   #6
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I would highly recommend going wall-mount heat pump or underbelly A/C instead of a rooftop A/C. You're inviting leaks, mold, and serviceability issues if anything goes wrong. Ask me how I know.

Also, be sure to source solar panels with parallel-wired cells vs those wired in series. Parallel-wired panels can produce some power output partially shaded, those wired in series cannot. Series can be more efficient, and they're cheaper because they're easier to produce, but it's like Christmas lights, one bad bulb can take down the whole works.
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