Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 03-19-2019, 11:29 PM   #21
Bus Crazy
 
joeblack5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,498
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
It is pretty easy. Took me an hour of measuring and cutting. Take a 1" hole saw at each corner.. Cut the center out ..deburr.. And use sikaflex or similar to glue a piece of lexan onto it.. Light comes in and operable as hatch or vent.

joeblack5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2019, 09:17 AM   #22
Skoolie
 
HappyInTN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 233
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84lug
Flange or new vent hole

I was wanting to install either a max air or fantastic fan. As we all know they don’t fit exactly. My intent was to make a flange of sheet metal to cover over the existing to escape hatch holes. I’d like the fans to be where the escape hatches currently because my escape hatches leak anyway, win win. Can anybody tell me if the flange idea is good or bad, I’d really rather not cut new holes?
__________________
Note: I am no longer selling skoolie insurance. I sold my agency and am traveling N. America full time with my family. Wish us luck!
Serenity Bus Project: OUR NEW EBOOK. ITS A HOW-TO GUIDE. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! --> https://www.serenitybusproject.com/store/p1/So-Your-Dream-Of-Owning-A-Skoolie.html
HappyInTN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2019, 10:02 AM   #23
Bus Crazy
 
david.dgeorge07's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 1,413
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: CAT 3126
Assuming that you have pulled out the inner sheet metal roof skins, use that sheet metal and cut a square that is a couple inches bigger in both dimensions than the hole left when you took out the hatch.

Line the edges of the patch with butyl tape that will be sandwiched between the outside of the bus roof and your patch.

Then use short self drillers on 2” centers to attach the patch. Clean off excess butyl tape that squeezed out.

Check for leaks.

Then use the fantastic fan template to mark and cut the fan hole in your patch.

Paint your patch to match the roof and install fan.

Check for leaks.

Wire in your fan to your 12v load center.

Enjoy your fan!
__________________
My Build Thread:

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/4-...ner-18205.html
david.dgeorge07 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2019, 11:40 AM   #24
Bus Nut
 
Ninjakitty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Brevard County, FL
Posts: 911
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Ford
Engine: 6.6 New Holland Diesel
Rated Cap: 60 kids, 10 window
For fans, stay away from the e-z-breeze model. I have two. While they do let a nice ambient light in, work for ceiling fan or exhaust, they are cheaply made and I would have been better off with anything else.
__________________
Nick
Ninjakitty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2019, 01:26 PM   #25
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Not sure what you mean by "making a flange"? The hatch hole is 24". I bought tinted Lexan, 26" to cover the hole using screws and butyl tape. I will seal it further with the roof coating or a sealer. I then cut a 14" hole centered in the Lexan to mount the fan/vent. This way I still have a surround of ambient light coming through.
Attached Thumbnails
20180919_191659.jpg   20180919_191613.jpg   20190107_155454.jpg   20190107_155637.jpg  
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-23-2019, 03:21 PM   #26
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Greater Boston
Posts: 504
Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Not sure what you mean by "making a flange"? The hatch hole is 24". I bought tinted Lexan, 26" to cover the hole using screws and butyl tape. I will seal it further with the roof coating or a sealer. I then cut a 14" hole centered in the Lexan to mount the fan/vent. This way I still have a surround of ambient light coming through.

Nice work!
I like that idea.
Mark_In_MA is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2019, 08:06 AM   #27
Skoolie
 
HappyInTN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Posts: 233
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: Genesis
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 84lug
Quote:
Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07 View Post
Assuming that you have pulled out the inner sheet metal roof skins, use that sheet metal and cut a square that is a couple inches bigger in both dimensions than the hole left when you took out the hatch.

Line the edges of the patch with butyl tape that will be sandwiched between the outside of the bus roof and your patch.

Then use short self drillers on 2” centers to attach the patch. Clean off excess butyl tape that squeezed out.

Check for leaks.

Then use the fantastic fan template to mark and cut the fan hole in your patch.

Paint your patch to match the roof and install fan.

Check for leaks.

Wire in your fan to your 12v load center.

Enjoy your fan!
Sadly my sub ceiling was perforated.. I'll have to find two steel plates elsewhere.
__________________
Note: I am no longer selling skoolie insurance. I sold my agency and am traveling N. America full time with my family. Wish us luck!
Serenity Bus Project: OUR NEW EBOOK. ITS A HOW-TO GUIDE. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! --> https://www.serenitybusproject.com/store/p1/So-Your-Dream-Of-Owning-A-Skoolie.html
HappyInTN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2019, 08:10 AM   #28
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyInTN View Post
I was wanting to install either a max air or fantastic fan. As we all know they don’t fit exactly. My intent was to make a flange of sheet metal to cover over the existing to escape hatch holes. I’d like the fans to be where the escape hatches currently because my escape hatches leak anyway, win win. Can anybody tell me if the flange idea is good or bad, I’d really rather not cut new holes?
Hmmm
I take a piece of steel and rivet/screw it down over the hole. Then cut a hole for the roof vent. Its pretty easy.










Couldn't find pics of the seam sealer, but use seam sealer. I had a couple small beads on the underside of the panel and did a bead around the edge afterward.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2019, 09:11 AM   #29
Bus Crazy
 
Drew Bru's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Grayson County, VA
Posts: 1,428
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 65
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Hmmm
I take a piece of steel and rivet/screw it down over the hole. Then cut a hole for the roof vent. Its pretty easy.

Pretty much what we did (minus the fancy hat). We cut out a 14" hole for the fan, then popped it right into place. It really couldn't have been any easier.
__________________
Our Build: https://dazzlingbluebus.wordpress.com/
Drew Bru is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2019, 10:42 AM   #30
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyInTN View Post
Sadly my sub ceiling was perforated.. I'll have to find two steel plates elsewhere.
If you have any seats left over, you can cut the back panel of steel out of them and use them for a patch. They are 27" tall. just right.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-25-2019, 11:35 AM   #31
Bus Crazy
 
Mountain Gnome's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,222
Year: 1999
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC1000 HandyBus
Engine: 5.9L 24V-L6 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 26 foot
I want to retain the roof access, have a skylight, an open/close vent that I can drive with open in the rain, a fan, and be warm in the winter nights.
So I am building my own e-hatch replacement.
See pics.

The green one is the inner flange; non-structural to the actual hatch. I polished the aluminum to a mirror finish, and then painted it with "Metalcast" paint (only 4 colors to choose from, or I would have chosen another shade of green - this one is a tad toward blue-green, I would prefer "emerald"), which is a tinted clearcoat that allows the mirror to show through. Sunlight can reflect off of it and brighten up the space, while the side-window curtains are up for privacy when parked in public spaces. The darker green tint will keep the in-your-eye glare down, I hope, and add a warm-fuzzy-cheery ambiance. I'm going to polish all the original aluminum framed bus windows the same way (3 done already), and paint them green inside also, and MetalCast (dark) blue on the outside to match the exterior color scheme. The dark blue for inside trim would be too dismal on rainy days when you're stuck inside a small metal box. And the factory interior ceiling paint is off-white towards yellow, so green works.

The frame with the panel in front is the top-exterior one. The panel is clear poly-carbonate (a.k.a. Lexan, still in its protective wrapper) and will fit inside the frame and be held in place with brackets riveted to the sides of the frame. No holes drilled in the poly-carbonate or the top surface. It will hinge to the third frame at the front edge with hinges that have removable pins, so the whole door can be removed quickly if desired. But the pins will be internal, so thieves can't sneak in. I will polish this down to near-mirror and paint it with MetalCast blue on the exterior surface, to match the rest of the chromed metal parts on the exterior of the bus (marker lights, BlueBird insignia- originally bus-yellow or black, etc.)

The third frame is heavy-duty thick 2" aluminum T-bar for the exterior flange. The surface that faces the interior will be polished to mirror and painted the same MetalCast green, to match the interior flange, so when you look up from he inside, the whole portal will be shiny green up to the window.

I have some untested ideas for spring-loaded pop-ups, based on the original hardware from the original e-hatch. When done (I hope this week), I'll post pics here. But I want the hatch door to stay open 1"-2" like the original one, open to a full 90°, or seal shut; and "lock" in all three positions, using a single (or matchhing on each side) spring loaded piston with hinges in key places...
Oh, and check out the voo-doo dishes. Someone told me years ago that you could balance an egg on its pointed end during the equinox. These dishes managed to balance themselves during the equinox-supermoon last week. They were leaning up against the big gallon bottle, but when I added in the plate, they stayed up by themselves and I removed the bottle.
Attached Thumbnails
0325191141[1].jpg   0325191141a[1].jpg   0325191141b[1].jpg   0310192248[1].jpg   0310192248b[1].jpg  

0320192201[1].jpg   0321191353a[1].jpg   0321191407a[1].jpg   0321191354[1].jpg  
Mountain Gnome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2019, 03:24 PM   #32
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post

Ah ECCB, I like your use of cargo straps to bend the sheet metal down to the roof surface evenly. Nice!
Native is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2019, 04:15 PM   #33
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Thanks, man!
I've used them a bunch for bus metal work.


EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2019, 04:39 PM   #34
Bus Geek
 
musigenesis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
Quote:
Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
If you have any seats left over, you can cut the back panel of steel out of them and use them for a patch. They are 27" tall. just right.
Can the seat backs be used to patch holes in the floor, or is the steel too thin for that? I have 22 seats and a strong urge to do further damage to them.
musigenesis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2019, 05:08 PM   #35
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
Can the seat backs be used to patch holes in the floor, or is the steel too thin for that? I have 22 seats and a strong urge to do further damage to them.
Just about any thickness metal can be used for patching holes. The seat panels are more than thick enough for that purpose. I patched some with soda cans.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2019, 11:50 PM   #36
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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Thanks, man!
I've used them a bunch for bus metal work.



Wow, that was another fine example of using the cargo straps for sheet metal work. I've used them for pulling bar and angle stock into place, just never thought to use them for shaping curved surfaces. That technique is going into my bag of tools!
Native is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-27-2019, 10:15 AM   #37
Bus Nut
 
tugboater's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Palmer, AK
Posts: 279
Year: 2004
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf T Liner MVP 11 window 32’
Engine: CAT 3126E
Rated Cap: 72
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kdebo View Post
Does anybody have any recommendations for what brand of skylights to use to replace the current emergency hatches? Also what brand exhaust fans have you guys seen work best? I'm at the point where I'm ready to paint my roof and figured I'd do all the roof stuff at once. ANY advice wold be appreciated.
I marked this fella's method for skylight installation & plan to use it.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/4-...-18205-12.html

This reminds me...I've been meaning to hit him up and ask how they're holding up. They've been in for over a year I think.
__________________
One...slow...step...at a time.
tugboater is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-28-2019, 06:36 PM   #38
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: dover, nh
Posts: 16
The guy who owns Gilligan Phantom, Justin, used marine hatches, you can get them in a size that is almost an exact fit (just a teeny bit tight). This is what I'm hoping to do on my someday bus as well.

diannetea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2019, 09:13 PM   #39
Skoolie
 
matthews2001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Southern VT
Posts: 154
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Bus
Chassis: Allison MD 3060
Engine: Catepillar 3126B 210hp/605 ft lb
Well I bought the 26x26 suggested, $97 on Amazon.

The hatch was hollow inside so i just cut the largest hole i could,, and screwed the skylight onto the remaining (flimsy) 'frame' with sealant. It stiffened the cutout hatch back to normal and the hatch still works. Love the lightened up inside (I have smallish windows), price and time. Need to trim the inside and not look at the outside-looks rough!
matthews2001 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-31-2019, 09:14 PM   #40
Skoolie
 
matthews2001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Southern VT
Posts: 154
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Bus
Chassis: Allison MD 3060
Engine: Catepillar 3126B 210hp/605 ft lb
i posted pics, took an hour! but i dont see them!
matthews2001 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.