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Old 08-08-2014, 12:20 AM   #21
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Wow, nice wench set up for the spare SD, I will definitely have to "borrow" that - funny thing, until you mentioned it, I didn't realize there wasn't a spare anywhere on my bus, lol. Hadn't really crossed my mind, but for some reason I think I just assumed there was one somewhere, maybe the trunk...

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Old 08-08-2014, 09:48 AM   #22
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Nicely done --- I am doing something similar in that a boat winch will do the heavy lifting. On mine, I'm making a drop down, hinged tray affair that the wheel will rest on, then the winch will hoist the open side up. I want a mechanical latch/lock to then hold it all in place. Given that the wheel/tire combos on my rig can easily weigh 140+ pounds, I was hesitant to rely on just the cable to keep it in place as it got bounced around. That much weight would no doubt stretch the wire pretty quickly.
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Old 08-08-2014, 11:45 AM   #23
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Thanks. The cable does the lifting on mine also. Although I wouldn't trust it exclusively, I check the handle a couple times a year and its never moved.
I was going to do a frame like your idea- hinged on one end - but in mock up, it was going to put the tire at a steep angle to slide it in+out of it.
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Old 08-08-2014, 02:53 PM   #24
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

I was actually looking at doing that for my previous bus and went w/ a spare tire bumper bracket, and just drilled into the back of the bus above the bumper...it was a 4/5 lug and I added a extra plate to hold a 8 lug tire...but since you are planning a patio out back, this works great. Awesome job, keep up up!
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Old 08-08-2014, 03:06 PM   #25
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Roger the angle issue with these heavyweights. I plan on using the winch to haul the wheel into position then hoist the tray which will bolt in the up position. In reality...I hope I never need to access it, but...
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Old 08-11-2014, 08:47 PM   #26
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdwarf36
I had all my build photos hosted on another photo site that went from free to charge (dropshots)-just never redid them. I should change that.....
Hey! Its fixxed!
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Old 08-15-2014, 11:37 PM   #27
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Sweet, great job on your conversion SD! I am going to have to borrow your idea of flipping the window upside down, I just swapped out the 3rd window back on the drivers side, the one with the emergency exit, up to the front where my "dining nook" will be and totally didn't think to do that. I wanted to do the same with the passenger side (moving that e-window to the back bedroom) but sadly due to the layout (probably cuz of the wheelchair access) they are different sizes. But at least I can flip the existing one .

Got most of the interior stripped, just the ceiling left to do tomorrow. Got some more $$$ coming in next week so I can start buying material to begin the interior, just need to do some more heavy thinking JUST to make sure this is the layout I want to go with. I'd really hate to get half-way through and realize there's a better way, or that I missed something important. A part of me really wants to do something crazy, like bond half a van on top like I've seen a few people do, lol, or maybe an observation dome with a swiveling chair (like an old WWII gunner's turret on a bomber, heh), but the rational side of my brain keeps resisting. Hmmm, wonder which side will win
;?D

Also once I get all the demo done I'll post a few pics of the chaos and destruction, always nice to have something to look back on, like baby pictures, lol.
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Old 08-15-2014, 11:56 PM   #28
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

I even came up with a solution I think will work for the observation turret. Of course the dome is straight forward enough, but I'd like to get one that sticks up quite a bit, enough so that at least my shoulders would be above the roof. Then in the ceiling under the dome, install a circular track which holds a stainless steel ring (on bearings somehow) with four s.s. hooks attached at equal distances around that ring. Then when you want to use it, just hang a hammock chair and climb in, err somehow, lol. Something like a modified version of this hammock chair, without the crossbar.

When not in use I'd hang a shade or maybe even a planter designed to hook to the same system
Think it might work? ;?D

Ahah, found the dome too!

Now if I can just find that boat...
;?D
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Old 08-16-2014, 09:01 AM   #29
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Would also look good with a pair of twin-50's mounted in that turret!
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Old 08-16-2014, 09:10 AM   #30
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Re: The Russbuss, another transit bus conversion ;?D

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightfoot
Sweet, great job on your conversion SD! I am going to have to borrow your idea of flipping the window upside down, I just swapped out the 3rd window back on the drivers side, the one with the emergency exit, up to the front where my "dining nook" will be and totally didn't think to do that. I wanted to do the same with the passenger side (moving that e-window to the back bedroom) but sadly due to the layout (probably cuz of the wheelchair access) they are different sizes. But at least I can flip the existing one .

Got most of the interior stripped, just the ceiling left to do tomorrow. Got some more $$$ coming in next week so I can start buying material to begin the interior, just need to do some more heavy thinking JUST to make sure this is the layout I want to go with. I'd really hate to get half-way through and realize there's a better way, or that I missed something important. A part of me really wants to do something crazy, like bond half a van on top like I've seen a few people do, lol, or maybe an observation dome with a swiveling chair (like an old WWII gunner's turret on a bomber, heh), but the rational side of my brain keeps resisting. Hmmm, wonder which side will win
;?D

Also once I get all the demo done I'll post a few pics of the chaos and destruction, always nice to have something to look back on, like baby pictures, lol.
The window flip actually went real easy. It was going to be dark in a 1/2 hour-I just planned on undoing the screws to check out how to do it-next thing I know-its out-test fitted (yup-it fits!) next --well i might as well just silicone it up-then screw it back together. WARNING! Make sure you also turn over the inside window trim. The holes are random drilled by hand and won't line back up otherwise. (Which i realized by the time I had about 1/2 of them in. ) Oh well-they were just self tapped to begin with-so i just carried on and did the same as they did. Plug the drain holes now on top + redrill new ones.
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Old 03-30-2020, 10:21 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightfoot View Post
Everything is still in the planning stages so the more input and critiques of my ideas the better it will turn out in the end.
;?D
Started off strong. What happened?!
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Old 03-30-2020, 11:20 AM   #32
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There are a lot of abandoned threads on this site that I wish I knew what happened to. This one in particular: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/b...t-15836-5.html
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