Bingo the Bus

[sproutroot]

Thanks. I'm hoping to make the live edge cedar a theme throughout the bus.

I'm not home, so I'm going from memory. I believe the cabinet hangs 5" below the frame rail. About an inch lower than the condenser that was there before.

[joeblack5]

OK, thanks, did not realize you took the condensor out. Are you getting a roof top unit?

[sproutroot]

I haven't nailed down any plans yet, but I definitely don't want anything on the roof except solar panels. At this point I'm pretty set on installing an ebay DIY mini split inverter unit with the evaporator in the weird roll cage thing over the cab, and the condenser mounted underbody, just in front of the cabinet I made. Since its primary use won't be while moving, and it'll be much smaller than the original, I think finding a place for it will be pretty easy. I have a friend who's in HVAC who'd be willing to help me button up the install, but that means doing it here in VT.

What's more likely is I'll cut the old leftover hoses out of the way, then never think about AC again. Never needed AC in a vehicle before, but who knows, parking under a tree isn't an option with solar panels..

[sproutroot]

Hey guys,
Been working on the bus off and on. Here are some pictures to catch up with the underbody box.

Getting it under the skirt required lifting the bus, but the box was such a tight fit that I needed to drop the bus back down so I could use the jacks for help in installation.


Just enough room. If it hadn't been such a pain to install, I'd be pretty happy with my fab work on that build.


Then I set about gathering scraps for my door build. As you can see, I had to weld scraps together to get some of the lengths I needed.


I mitered the corners on this one. Made for some easy welding (my new helmet definitely helped, though!).


Had to make a fancy little notch in the frame to fit around a joist.


Then I was ready for paint!


And here's where it stands today.


I need to figure out a latching/locking system. For now I'm just going to put in a cam latch, because I haven't decided whether I want to lock the box to protect my stuff, or leave it unlocked to ensure quick access to my LP tanks..
I still think I'd like to put trim all the way around the door, and I'd definitely like to reseal the seam just above the hinge.

[sproutroot]

I also resealed my roof. I went with the easy, expensive route.

Started by pulling all the seam moulding off.


Then I had to get this butyl rubber tape off. It was really stuck on there, so I had to go at it with a hot knife.


After hours and hours of that, stage one was complete.


Then a simple rub with mineral spirits got things shiny.


I had to sand this down to sorta-flat before sealing.


After all that was done, I used a 4" tape called Eternabond to seal all the joints. I had to buy three rolls for everything, so it ended up costing around $165, but it was super super easy. I'll post a picture of the finished roof as soon as I can.

[sproutroot]

Other stuff, too.

I got this cool kit for my sink drainage. It will drain into a bucket in the cupboard.


I finished my counter with three coats of poly satin.


Put that all together.


Threw a motorcycle in it, and drove it to my buddy's for some plumbing.


That's all for now. Will be taking more pics as things progress.

[Robin97396]

Nice progress. Love that countertop.

[sproutroot]

Hey guys,

Trying to get back into this project. I've been out of work for almost 7 weeks, and I feel like I've rebuilt the whole house - now I want to make some time for Bingo. This rig is too useful to just sit behind the barn collecting rust.

As you can probably guess from my last post, I drove the bus to my buddy's so he could help with the propane plumbing, and there has been virtually no progress since. I did get it back home later that summer, but all I've actually accomplished in the interim is drawing plans for a custom dinette seat:


a custom overhead bed:


and along with those I found an old to-do list in my notes:


The fact that I don't remember what the "smoke problem" was is a little unnerving, but I'm sure it'll come back to me!

The bus needs some major rust overhaul before I get fancy with the interior. The contents of the bus need a new home so I can rip the floor out and replace 5 (of 6) cross members with new metal. I sourced some new H-Beams from my local steel supply, and now I'm searching for a little motivation.

Here's a sample image of what I'm getting myself into:


Should be a whole lot of fun!

[leadsled01]

Nice work.

[sproutroot]

Converting an econoline.
Restarting because stars aligned.
The underside's rusty,
all I hear is "must he?"
to which I say "every time".

[TheArgobus]

If it makes you feel any better, my bus sat in my driveway for a YEAR without hardly moving... just an empty metal shell reminding me every day that I should get working on it but other things just kept coming up. It’s really because I didn’t know how to proceed after removing the floor/ceiling/walls/seats. Finally I said **** it and just started going and figured I’d learn on the way and now it’s like 70% done and two years after buying it we took it out on our first real trip with the family and it’s totally worth it!

[mc11237]

Wow Back in action!!!! So exciting to see this continue!

[sproutroot]

Thanks for the kind words guys. They really mean a lot.

These are the best pics I could get of the bus body crossmembers I need to replace (sorry the pictures are upside down). They are sort of a C channel made of what looks like 20 gauge steel.

Currently my plan is to use w8x10 steel beams for new metal. That’s 3/16’’ thick, but it’s the lightest I can get at the local steel yard.

When I search for “bus body cross members” on google I don’t see anything like what I’m working with. The bottom of my floor sits almost 10 inches above the Ford chassis rails, whereas the pictures I’ve seen of similar busses’ construction puts the floor much lower.

Can anyone recommend a source for a more appropriate beam I could use in this application? My only concern with using w8x10 beams is weight.

I’m basically out of time dragging my feet. This bus needs to be roadworthy in about 5 weeks, so I’m already in the process of ripping out the old beams. I’m holding the bus up on pressure treated 2x10 boards until I pull the trigger on new metal.

BTW, my dad thinks I could pass inspection just by using the 2x10s and hiding all the bad metal behind wood

[sproutroot]

the price on these w8x10 steel beams aren't cheap the online quotes I'm seeing range anywhere from $450-$900 for 40 feet of it

[musigenesis]

Do you really need to use something 8" high? Can you use a smaller-depth material and gain some extra headroom?

[flattracker]

A suggestion:
Based on your pictures I think a good replacement would be steel rectangular tubing 2" x 6" x 3/16". Since you are in a place that destroys your vehicles by corrosion from salting the roads the material is "closed" vs open to attack from all sides. It is more weight, but worth the strength.
You could weld the ends closed with steel plate. I would then coat the pieces the coatings used on pickup beds or some other undercoating. It will not be cheap, but it will be the foundation of your project.

[BeNimble]

You don't need 8in thick cross members, it probably had a flat floor for wheelchairs, no wheelwell humps. I would suggest just using some 2x4 steel tubing, or how about just some wood? Or foam cored panels, say 3/8 ply with 2in foam mounting on the rails.

Of course with the price of 4x8 osb/ply right now, this would not be cheap...
so instead you use fiberglass sheets instead.

SIPs:

[hammerdg]

**********

[hammerdg]

Originally Posted by sproutroot

Here are the nozzles that came with it (I guess 2-time-use was more appropriate).

I believe that if, immediately after use, I pop out the mixing insert and submerge it in acetone, I'll be able to scrub it clean.

The nozzle itself will be no more difficult than that of a bottle of Great Stuff.

Time will tell, and if I fail, they were nice enough to give me two.

I found that I could use CRC Brak-kleen aerosol with the little plastic tube extension and flushed everything with this while it was still soft. Into tank, nozzles and it kept them clean so I could use it over several days.

[sproutroot]

Lowering the floor is surprisingly complicated. The sill that holds the bus body on these crossmembers is at the bottom of the wall. Below that is just side skirts. So to lower the floor I'd also have to extend the exterior walls of the bus body in a way that might look good someday.

I'd also have to lower the door sill in the back, as that is my main entrance.


I have definitely considered the idea heavily, and I'm still considering it right now (my dad totally agrees with you guys) - but if I go that route, it will be a project that I'll start in the fall, and for the summer I'll just use wooden 2x10s