Bookmobile / Turfmobile

[turf]

welcome and howdy

i purchased a retired bookmobile about 2 years ago and have slowly been changing it over to my personal camper. i been posting lots of questions and getting good info, and all that is scattered across 3 or 4 forums and multiple threads........ so, time to make a single thread to show off to peeps.

the vehicle is a 1993 Bluebird, cummin 5.9, allison 545, 30' TC shell. here are the pics from the auction:




hmmmm, rv doors, no windows, 12.5kw genset......
i just became a skoolie owner (March 2012)

[bansil]

Re-welcome, just noticed co. I lived at ft.huachuca and sierra vista awhile

[turf]

got the vehicle home, all ran well

the bus had a known issue with the fuel cut off solenoid, so replacing that was first on the list. instead of the solenoid, i opted for a good ole shut off cable.

let the floor planning commence.....

i want to build the bed over the back door area. that will give me a storage area "trunk" of the car kind of thing. the dimensions for a queen size bed are just right for that. and where is the bathroom gonna go?

2 rv doors, a genset, fueltank, battery box, air tanks, and a spare tire carrier take up all the room under the bus. there is no real floorspace to hang tanks from...... this is gonna take some thinking.

in the meantime: here are pics of the demolition



some good reading leftovers in the bus:

[turf]

Thanks Bansil, that is the area the bus came from. it was quite beautiful there.... except for all the border patrol.

the new home of the bus is now on the eastern plains of Colorado.

[turf]

and paint removal:





the many uses of oven cleaner. who knew?

[turf]

the finished look

[turf]

July 2012
time to go camping.... wait...i got to get the bus ready still.

time for the fridge and the bed.

[Redbear]

Very nice. The 30-foot length will get you past some length-limited regulations that doubt the maneuverability of bigger rigs. And the RE-type escape window over the bed is a plus, instead of the bed blocking a kiddie door. Carry on . . . .

[Motobus]

Big score buying that bus. Congrats, I'm real jealous. Plus the "how to draw cats" book. You know how long I have been trying to draw a decent picture of my cats?

[turf]

Originally Posted by Motobus

Big score buying that bus. Congrats, I'm real jealous. Plus the "how to draw cats" book. You know how long I have been trying to draw a decent picture of my cats?

i know.... worth the price of the bus right there. my cat pictures have improved sooooooo much.

[turf]

back to the floor plan.

it taken a lot of revisions. i want to build a comfy boondocker/wallydocker. seems like everyone else wants to go along for the ride too. i started thinking about my bed, bunk beds and dinette, and sofa and whoa..... i'm only 30'. it fits on paper if you make everything rv sized. but no..... i'm not rv sized, that's the reason for the bus, so little by little, you whittle it down to need and budget.
bunks and dinette were the casusalies. i still think its gonna be tight. it will end up sleeping 2 fine, a 3rd on the sofa if needed, i think.
i did cover up the back door. i wanted "trunk" for storage, and the steps didn't work.

[turf]

first camping trip

pizza boxes from the night before and cooking breakfast in the microwave.

and a cooler that got some bear damage over night

[turf]

this year's bus mods start out with a hitch and trailer brake controller

a recycled trailer hitch receiver got cut up and fitted into the spot the existing recovery hooks were on the truck.

i got a 2nd hand welder for working on the bus and am learning. its good to have welding friends.

[bansil]

Turf,looks good...your showing your age....3 wheelers? Hahaha kids today couldn't ride them w/o a 4th wheel..very cool...bear?...good thing you parked beside a fiberglass rig

[roach711]

Originally Posted by bansil

Turf,looks good...your showing your age....3 wheelers? Hahaha kids today couldn't ride them w/o a 4th wheel..very cool...bear?...good thing you parked beside a fiberglass rig

I got dragged off a three-wheeler a few times when I put my foot down motocrosser style in a corner and ran over my own foot. Haven't seen one of those in decades.

[Diesel Dan]

Welcome! I think bookmobiles make a great base for a skoolie - a lot of work has already been done for you!

[turf]

Originally Posted by Diesel Dan

Welcome! I think bookmobiles make a great base for a skoolie - a lot of work has already been done for you!

I absolutely agree

when i look at the complexity of a roof raise compared to what im doing..... well... you guys rock!

the 3 wheelers are a hoot.
they run like the day they were new. we took them on multiple atv trips trying to break them and ....darnit.... they just keep on going. i upgraded this year, so the 3 wheelers will be finding a new home soon. there is a honda 90 in the same pic... kinda hidden by the wheel. the 90 might make a good hood ornament for the bus.

when i wired my trailer harness, i hooked up an extra wire in my 7 pin connector.... ya know, just in case i ever needed it. the trailer i have didnt use it, but... you never know right? well, that snafu cost me a battery. i posted a thread recently on it here: http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtop...?f=11&t=465451

more help from the forum got me to hang a waste tank. that thread is here : http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtop...?f=11&t=465175

and since i'm real proud of that waste tank.... im gonna repost the pics

[turf]

posts are gonna slow down now this one is gonna get me up to date on the bus.

im starting to rough in the electric and plumbing. i kinda need to build the walls at the same time so i know where to put the holes for the plumbing. so im assembling and disassembling the walls so i can install it all at once.

the bookmobile construction was of cabinets and plywood. it was rock solid. im making my walls the same way, cabinet style and not hollow walls. the plumbing and electric will run in the exterior walls.

im gonna try and build a combo shower / toilet. i'll take all the help / suggestions i can get for that. i was gonna separate them but that would take out any chance for seating if i added another space for a shower..... it is a short bus after all. i tried a very small shower pan (24"x24") and found that it would be unusable and i had no interest building something in that wasn't gonna work for me. so, combo shower it is.

the big shower pan is 34"x48" and the toilet will be mounted about about half way between the drain and the side.

[Motobus]

Originally Posted by turf

i know.... worth the price of the bus right there. my cat pictures have improved sooooooo much.

Nice!

[turf]

the current floor plan: