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Old 02-09-2016, 09:46 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 153
Anyone care to mentor?

Hehe so I bought the 97 bluebird 8.3 Cummins md3060 from Seattle area and its very rust free. I live in Kalamazoo Michigan and plan on living in the bus full time starting this fall with my lady friend and 9 mo old Australian Shepherd. We want to have a wood burning stove, probably propane for backup heat\electric. Solar paneling on roof preferably removable for traveling and parking. We want to spend a few months traveling the west side of the US backpacking national parks and adventuring about. We also plan on a sink, composting toilet and shower but am unsure about hot water. We will live out of the bus and work temp jobs to save for what we need once we run out of money (less emergency fund).

So that's what the plan is... So far I have enjoyed what we have done. Unbolted the seats I could access under the bus and angle grinder to the rest. Have all the floor up except where the driver seat was. Pulled the 2 rear heaters. I gave all the seats away to someone on CL. Now I'm running into questions and am pretty sure I've read most if not all threads pertaining to flooring. Now I have no experience with anything construction related so the way I'm doing this is by trying to find someone who has done something similar and just copying that project. I'm just not quite grasping how the floor\wall framing\ceiling all go together or is the floor a separate entity? Do I plan. All 3 out at once? If I use self tapping screws to screw anything to the floor doesn't that create a thermal\moisture bridge that seems to be very desirable? It seems I need to keep that bottom part of the wall intact? Does people seal walls with any rustoleum? Can I run the bus with my air ride seat detached? The air line that pumps air to the seat is disconnected and might just start pumping a lot of air? Is anything done to attach floors to walls? I was thinking floating floor to avoid screws. I figure if I do a good job with the rustoleum for sealing off the already pretty rust free floor I could just use adhesive to attach everything together and still have some floor to maybe toenail a little bit down.

I am trying to take this one thing at a time and currently working on getting rivets out of walls and ceiling but the floor is coming up and although I've spent several hours trying to figure out what and how to do it all I still feel a little unsure. I know everyone does things a little differently but I would really like to have an instruction manual on how to get the floor and framing done. The tentative plan is to frame with 2x4s or 2x3s. Do those just get bolted to those ribs of the bus. I think I've been over thinking but was wondering if anyone had a lot of free time and wanted to help me without advising me to read more build threads. I have gone through quite a few but I think I over think things and confuse myself.

How the floor gets attached and how it corresponds or attached to the walls and if I can run my bus with the air ride seat detached are my big ones right now. Pm me if you want to help and I can give out my phone number too

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Old 02-09-2016, 10:05 PM   #2
Skoolie
 
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This was on my way back to Michigan. Montana I think.
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Old 02-09-2016, 10:11 PM   #3
Skoolie
 
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Started pulling rubber floor up but found it easier to slice the rubber where the plywood seams were with a blade and pull up wood with the rubber as a whole.

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Old 02-09-2016, 10:20 PM   #4
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Year: 1995
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Chassis: 3800
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I can't believe how clean your floor is.
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Old 02-10-2016, 07:26 AM   #5
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Yeah I was very excited to get such a rust free bus. Under the walls seems immaculate as well. I'll snap a few more Friday when I'm back at it (it's 10 minutes away at my parents house)
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Old 02-11-2016, 06:45 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EricW View Post
Hehe so I bought the 97 bluebird 8.3 Cummins md3060 from Seattle area and its very rust free. I live in Kalamazoo Michigan and plan on living in the bus full time starting this fall with my lady friend and 9 mo old Australian Shepherd. We want to have a wood burning stove, probably propane for backup heat\electric. Solar paneling on roof preferably removable for traveling and parking. We want to spend a few months traveling the west side of the US backpacking national parks and adventuring about. We also plan on a sink, composting toilet and shower but am unsure about hot water. We will live out of the bus and work temp jobs to save for what we need once we run out of money (less emergency fund).

So that's what the plan is... So far I have enjoyed what we have done. Unbolted the seats I could access under the bus and angle grinder to the rest. Have all the floor up except where the driver seat was. Pulled the 2 rear heaters. I gave all the seats away to someone on CL. Now I'm running into questions and am pretty sure I've read most if not all threads pertaining to flooring. Now I have no experience with anything construction related so the way I'm doing this is by trying to find someone who has done something similar and just copying that project. I'm just not quite grasping how the floor\wall framing\ceiling all go together or is the floor a separate entity? Do I plan. All 3 out at once? If I use self tapping screws to screw anything to the floor doesn't that create a thermal\moisture bridge that seems to be very desirable? It seems I need to keep that bottom part of the wall intact? Does people seal walls with any rustoleum? Can I run the bus with my air ride seat detached? The air line that pumps air to the seat is disconnected and might just start pumping a lot of air? Is anything done to attach floors to walls? I was thinking floating floor to avoid screws. I figure if I do a good job with the rustoleum for sealing off the already pretty rust free floor I could just use adhesive to attach everything together and still have some floor to maybe toenail a little bit down.

I am trying to take this one thing at a time and currently working on getting rivets out of walls and ceiling but the floor is coming up and although I've spent several hours trying to figure out what and how to do it all I still feel a little unsure. I know everyone does things a little differently but I would really like to have an instruction manual on how to get the floor and framing done. The tentative plan is to frame with 2x4s or 2x3s. Do those just get bolted to those ribs of the bus. I think I've been over thinking but was wondering if anyone had a lot of free time and wanted to help me without advising me to read more build threads. I have gone through quite a few but I think I over think things and confuse myself.

How the floor gets attached and how it corresponds or attached to the walls and if I can run my bus with the air ride seat detached are my big ones right now. Pm me if you want to help and I can give out my phone number too
Hi. You read my mind with your questions. I just finished pulling up my floor and have been trying to figure out how to get the ceiling down and do I want to take the walls off and etc...I think about it so much and try to read everything I can that I just end up overwhelming myself. So I just keep telling myself one step at a time.[emoji1]
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Old 02-11-2016, 10:12 PM   #7
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Snowflake, Arizona
Posts: 343
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American Rear Engine
Engine: C-8.3-300 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 40 Prisoners
We have a 1996 Bluebird AARE 8.3 with MD 3060 and what we did for the
floors was lay out a grid of 5/4 boards which measure to a true 1.0 inches
and put down a grid which we attached to the steel floors with TEK screws
which we counter sunk to defeat the thermal bridge then we filled the grid
with 1" foam sheeting and put a sub-floor over that we then used composite
flooring over the top of that. We left the flooring free floating. The walls we
did the same thing with since the chair rail also sticks out and inch we did
the same thing on the walls. For lumber for the grid we use 5/4 x 4" and
then ripped it in two to 1 3/4 for the grid.
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Old 02-16-2016, 07:41 AM   #8
Skoolie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragonpop View Post
We have a 1996 Bluebird AARE 8.3 with MD 3060 and what we did for the
floors was lay out a grid of 5/4 boards which measure to a true 1.0 inches
and put down a grid which we attached to the steel floors with TEK screws
which we counter sunk to defeat the thermal bridge then we filled the grid
with 1" foam sheeting and put a sub-floor over that we then used composite
flooring over the top of that. We left the flooring free floating. The walls we
did the same thing with since the chair rail also sticks out and inch we did
the same thing on the walls. For lumber for the grid we use 5/4 x 4" and
then ripped it in two to 1 3/4 for the grid.

Thanks! I realized being below freezing I have to wait to do the floors anyway first ceiling panel off though! All wall panels except the front are off but I was thinking of walling off the cockpit and not worrying about that area as much. Still undecided

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Old 02-16-2016, 07:42 AM   #9
Skoolie
 
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Old 02-16-2016, 08:08 AM   #10
Skoolie
 
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Location: Long Island NY
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subscribed! Have fun with your build!
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Old 02-18-2016, 07:22 AM   #11
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 153
Too cold today to clean the floor and use the oshpo but I have 2 days off so I'm going to see if my air chisel will work better today and try to get the ceiling down today. I also have a little heater that is on the left side of where the drive seat was. I think it's going to be a pita to remove cuz the coolant lines connect under the bus. But that's the only floor left to pull up. Anyone know if I can have the hose that went to my air ride seat disconnected and still run the bus or will it just keep pumping air and burn out a pump
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Old 02-18-2016, 07:23 AM   #12
Skoolie
 
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Old 02-18-2016, 11:19 AM   #13
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Chassis: 3800
Engine: DT408, AT545
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragonpop View Post
We have a 1996 Bluebird AARE 8.3 with MD 3060 and what we did for the
floors was lay out a grid of 5/4 boards which measure to a true 1.0 inches
and put down a grid which we attached to the steel floors with TEK screws
which we counter sunk to defeat the thermal bridge then we filled the grid
with 1" foam sheeting and put a sub-floor over that we then used composite
flooring over the top of that. We left the flooring free floating. The walls we
did the same thing with since the chair rail also sticks out and inch we did
the same thing on the walls. For lumber for the grid we use 5/4 x 4" and
then ripped it in two to 1 3/4 for the grid.
5/4 should be at least 1-1/8" thick. With all those layers you will be warm but how much headroom are you losing?
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Old 02-18-2016, 11:44 AM   #14
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Snowflake, Arizona
Posts: 343
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American Rear Engine
Engine: C-8.3-300 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 40 Prisoners
I went with 5/4 lumber because 1" lumber is only 3/4" nominal thickness where
5/4 lumber is 1" nominal the same as the 1" foam insulation. Both me and my wife
are vertically challenged, under 5'8" so ceiling height is not a problem for us but
Aaron from Broccoli bus fame has been inside with no problems and he stands 6'2".
This after we had applied the 1" insulation covered with 3/4" plywood as
underlayment and 12mm composite flooring on top of that.
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Old 02-19-2016, 08:27 AM   #15
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 153


I really don't want to drain the coolant but it appears to be the only way to get this little heater off to access the floor as it is attached under the bus. I'm really thinking about just cutting around it and cutting plywood to fit around it. My gut tells me I should probably just drain the coolant and do it but it's so small and the cockpit area isn't as important to me. Anyone else run into this personal dilema?
On a better note I did get the ceiling down yesterday night. Used air chisel to punch out the middles of the rivets then a normal her and cold chisel to smack the heads off
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Old 02-19-2016, 08:54 AM   #16
Skoolie
 
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Posts: 153


Also the back walls seem somewhat integrated to window functionality. How much or little of this should I remove? The area where there's a vent up top... does that vent motor heat and is in necessary? I noticed there was no insulation in that wall.

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Old 02-19-2016, 08:59 AM   #17
Skoolie
 
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Posts: 153
Oo one more thing... anyone know how much tsp, ospho, and por15 I should pick up?
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Old 02-19-2016, 11:06 AM   #18
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 153
When taking off the final ceiling panels upfront I realized the seatbelt system has a portion that appears to be riveted to the bus where the first back window starts. I'm not sure if I should cut and grind the extra metal off? I just took some snips and cut the ceiling sheet metal off but there's a bit I didn't cut. Should I pop the rivets and remove and reattach the seatbelt? It has like 4-6 rivets and the heads are outside the bus. I was thinking of just trying to grind the extra metal down and leave it. I'll take a picture after I get done drinking and smoking.... may not be the most productive day or the best picture.... but getting that ceiling down. Last night made me a bit sore today. Nonetheless super excited to continue the progress! Goal of full time by fall!
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Old 02-19-2016, 01:11 PM   #19
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Snowflake, Arizona
Posts: 343
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American Rear Engine
Engine: C-8.3-300 Cummins MD3060
Rated Cap: 40 Prisoners
That vent in the back up high is the air intake for the motor. Just below it is
a rectangular tube going down in the wall that feeds to the angled piece on the
deck below it which then goes into the intake tube to the air cleaner and yes
it is not insulated. Looks like you found the release for the electrical panel door
by the drivers heater. There is similar releases under center dash for wiper
motor access and under instrument cluster access as well. I just took off the
the convex mirrors because the drivers side mirror reflected the left turn signal
and parking light back in your face at night and an occasional head thump when
walking around the bus.
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Old 02-19-2016, 01:44 PM   #20
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
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Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 RE
Engine: 8.3l Cummins
Rated Cap: 78
Eventually I think the height would get to me (which is why I went to the non-trivial exercise of lifting the entire roof on my bus) but I think I can actually walk down the middle without ducking at all. It'd be fine.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragonpop View Post
I went with 5/4 lumber because 1" lumber is only 3/4" nominal thickness where
5/4 lumber is 1" nominal the same as the 1" foam insulation. Both me and my wife
are vertically challenged, under 5'8" so ceiling height is not a problem for us but
Aaron from Broccoli bus fame has been inside with no problems and he stands 6'2".
This after we had applied the 1" insulation covered with 3/4" plywood as
underlayment and 12mm composite flooring on top of that.
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