Saoirse- The Freedom Unicorn

[Native]

That's a hard pill to swallow. I know you really love that machine! Hope you get top-dollar for it.

[EastCoastCB]

We've been thinking and talking... and went ahead and ordered an ac unit for the roof. Went with an Advent 15k.
going to put the emergency hatch patch on and have it ready to install in the next couple weeks.

we took out a couple of the remaining seats and wheelchair tie downs today.

I've got an rv roof vent already, so I'm going to cut out the factory passive vent and put the rv vent in its place. And i've also got a lil square of steel to delete the strobe light.
Will get another roof vent for the rear probably.
I figure for even Florida a 15k unit and a couple fantastic vents should be good enough for all occasions. Also going to add the heat strip to the ac unit.

[Ronnie]

Good plan. I will say on adding a heat strip I am disappointed in the heat strip on ours. The fan blows a bit to forcefully so that the heat from it feels cool, plus the fan noise. I just use a little portable electric heater when we have shore power.

[EastCoastCB]

getting the panels to patch the roof ready for paint.

We've spent the afternoon peeling up the rubber flooring so far. This is THE most stuck down rubber floor I've ever encountered. Metal looks brand new except one tiny bit where the hatch had been dripping.
We're getting a few feet per hour done. Its brutal.

[EastCoastCB]

Only one little rust spot. so far everything is PRISTINE!

[Native]

Originally Posted by Ronnie

Good plan. I will say on adding a heat strip I am disappointed in the heat strip on ours. The fan blows a bit to forcefully so that the heat from it feels cool, plus the fan noise. I just use a little portable electric heater when we have shore power.

Our A/C came with a heat strip free as part of the "package". That is about what it is worth. They refer to it as a chill chaser. When it is engaged, it draws as much power as
in A/C mode.


You are so right about the fan ... noisy and way too fast for the strip.

[EastCoastCB]

Glad I saved the $ and didn't get the heat strip.

[EastCoastCB]

Finished stripping the rubber from the right side of the bus yesterday.



No rust really at all. never seen a bus floor this pristine. Amazing for a 21 year old bus.

[cadillackid]

the lack of plywood is a huge factor in that floor being clean, the plywood when its aged and the marine properties long gone is just a harbor for that moisture which leaks in.. with no plywood i think most of the moisture evaporates out or runs away if the rubber floor has been glued in..

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the lack of plywood is a huge factor in that floor being clean, the plywood when its aged and the marine properties long gone is just a harbor for that moisture which leaks in.. with no plywood i think most of the moisture evaporates out or runs away if the rubber floor has been glued in..

Yeah, if the floor is well glued it helps. This one looks to have had a film of glue evenly applied. The only areas it wasn't STUCK down on was where the hydraulic fluid from the WC lift got onto the floor. The rest was slow going.

Very glad this bus didn't have plywood.
I'm going to leave the floors as-is and focus on seam sealing the roof for a while. And get the ac unit up and intall it asap.

[Ronnie]

come up here and you will not need the a/c. A snow shovel yes, supposed to snow tomorrow.



Nice to see your progress.

[EastCoastCB]

Thanks, Ronnie.
I think we'll stay where its warm and let the ac do the work lol.

[WIbluebird]

My CO/WY bus looked like that too. SHINY metal everywhere! I had plywood on my floor between the rubber and steel.



There were a few small surface rust areas by one of the heaters (presumably from an old coolant leak?) and near the door/seat area.



This more than anything is proof that rust free buses are worth it. I see members on here consistently have to spend weeks or months fixing their base floors before they can even start on the rest of the build.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

My CO/WY bus looked like that too. SHINY metal everywhere! I had plywood on my floor between the rubber and steel.



There were a few small surface rust areas by one of the heaters (presumably from an old coolant leak?) and near the door/seat area.



This more than anything is proof that rust free buses are worth it. I see members on here consistently have to spend weeks or months fixing their base floors before they can even start on the rest of the build.

Yeah its totally worth finding a rust-free bus. this one's the most pristine I've had.
Only "damage" to the floor is a slight bulge just behind the wheel well. A flat on a bus can do a LOT of damage. Thankfully the overbuilt wheel wells held and did their job. All that remains is a bulge. Why I warn folks about modding the wheel wells. A bus tire coming loose makes a lot of damage.

[kazetsukai]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Yeah its totally worth finding a rust-free bus. this one's the most pristine I've had.

Any pointers for that?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by kazetsukai

Any pointers for that?

Just gotta look at all the usual bus-rust places and shop in the least rusty areas. So far I've tried Colorado, texas, GA, and KY. All were good in terms of rust. the CO bus had *some* but mild by most standards.

[DeMac]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the lack of plywood is a huge factor in that floor being clean, the plywood when its aged and the marine properties long gone is just a harbor for that moisture which leaks in.. with no plywood i think most of the moisture evaporates out or runs away if the rubber floor has been glued in..

/\
CK - Thats my 'table coaster' theory.
Also, without wood, no self tapping screws were used, ergo, no material volcano (metal flake) left behind to become rust powder. Then rust soup.
Another well chosen ECCB bus. Maybe add 'no wood floor' to the Unicorn spec sheet.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by DeMac

/\
CK - Thats my 'table coaster' theory.
Also, without wood, no self tapping screws were used, ergo, no material volcano (metal flake) left behind to become rust powder. Then rust soup.
Another well chosen ECCB bus. Maybe add 'no wood floor' to the Unicorn spec sheet.

yeah for sure- not having a factory plywood floor is a definite "unicorn" point to me!


Another bit of news- and this is a big one for us- we may have named it.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by DeMac

/\
CK - Thats my 'table coaster' theory.
Also, without wood, no self tapping screws were used, ergo, no material volcano (metal flake) left behind to become rust powder. Then rust soup.
Another well chosen ECCB bus. Maybe add 'no wood floor' to the Unicorn spec sheet.

I recently took up the driver floor in my 1978 Superior because i thought I had a rust hole in the floor (could see the street).. yet the rest of the bus didnt appear rusty.. once i removed the original glued down rubber, come to find on the Loadstar chassis there is a 2 inch gap between the chassis floor and body floor.. normally covered by plywood unless said bus is like mine ordered without plywood.. theres damn no rust even on those exposed edges of metal floor.. and same with the rest of the bus.. granted it lived in a mostly dry climate of eastern oregon.. still 42 years old and didnt rust.. yeah i definitely think adding no-plywood to the list of "unicorn options" to look for.. not to mention theres is MUCH LESS chance of mold and mildew in a non-plywood floor as well



I never thought about the fasteners.. but boy you are right it seems like a lot of rust starts around a hole made by a fastener..

[plfking]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

yeah for sure- not having a factory plywood floor is a definite "unicorn" point to me!


Another bit of news- and this is a big one for us- we may have named it.

So it sounds like you're keeping it? Glad to hear.