Necessary tools?

[zelseman]

The other thing to consider is what is your budget and what are you using your bus for. If you are flat broke and using the bus for a weekend camp rig, you might not need to remove all of the rivets and re-plank the interior. If you are just using it during the warm months and don't plan to live in it full time you can probably get by with just insulating the floor.

Our shorty was already insulated in the walls and it was in good shape so we opted to not pull the ceiling and interior and just insulated the floor. Something to consider. I would start with a list of things you must have in your bus.

[Jolly Roger]

A quick note on the air compressor stuff.
Big note is if you can? Plug it directly into a power source no farther away than what the factory provided cord is (3-5').and if you only need to go 20' then don't use a 100' extension cord. If you need to go a 100' or more from the power supply then you need 10 guage cords at a minimum.
And I can only recommend for a portable tank that you drain it at the end of everyday.
Don't leave the drain valve open over night but the next time you run it let it build some pressure and open the drain and let it blow for a few before you go to working pressure or begin to work it.
Just opinions from someone who has seen several HF and even better compressors give up way before there time and some HF ones only a week old? Mainly because of the length/guage of extension cord. In the long run it is cheaper to run more air hose than it is cord and you don't have to listen to the compressor run? Unless you just really like to hear it?

[cadillackid]

some busses seem to be insulated better from the factory than others..

my 1991 carpenter is terribly insulated.. that bus is an icebox in cold weather and a hot box in hot weather.. even for what I use it for (mobile DEV lab) its insulating properties are bad..

my 2000 Bluebird (whiuch came with A/C) is insulated pretty well.. that bus warms up easily and cools down easily.. maybe because its 9 years newer? maybe A/C busses are insuklated better from the factory? bluebird vs carpenter? not sure.. and im not sure how to tell other than perhaps talking to people on the forum as to whether their bus is insulated decent or not and try to put patterns to it..

but any project i do.. I always make the complete wish list and then start putting prices to it.. and add it all up... if im over budget (always am) then i start looking at parts to Nix.. and ewhat hasd the leatds impact on experience but most impact on cost.. and tools are included in that..

-Christopher

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger

A quick note on the air compressor stuff.
Big note is if you can? Plug it directly into a power source no farther away than what the factory provided cord is (3-5').and if you only need to go 20' then don't use a 100' extension cord. If you need to go a 100' or more from the power supply then you need 10 guage cords at a minimum.
And I can only recommend for a portable tank that you drain it at the end of everyday.
Don't leave the drain valve open over night but the next time you run it let it build some pressure and open the drain and let it blow for a few before you go to working pressure or begin to work it.
Just opinions from someone who has seen several HF and even better compressors give up way before there time and some HF ones only a week old? Mainly because of the length/guage of extension cord. In the long run it is cheaper to run more air hose than it is cord and you don't have to listen to the compressor run? Unless you just really like to hear it?

THIS!!! yes I agree run longer air hose rather than extension cord... !!

-Christopher

[TAOLIK]

It never occured to me to use a longer air hose..That makes a lot of sense.

In the beginning when I started working on my bus, I bought a lot of tools I don't need/barely use with the mentality of "I'll need this soon when I do x or y" Some of these (cheap) tools broke a day or two after use. if you plan to buy cheap tools, I reccomend buying them very close to when you plan to use them so you can return/replace them. I like buying from walmart, home depot, and harbor freight for their 90 day return policies. I guess what I'm getting at is, buy the stuff you need not too far ahead of when you'll need them.


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Storage:
I recently got some cheap toolchests off craigys, and oh man I wish I got these sooner, they are super helpful with organizing your tools.

I've been using two enclosed trailers to store my stuff. One I got for $250 (great price), the other was $560 (acceptable price). Both of these trailers have been really great for storing stuff and opening up my work space.