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Bus ta move
Hey Y'all,
Bought my bus about a month ago from an auction and have been steadily working to get it ready for rebuild. First off, huge thanks to everyone on here for the wealth of info.. Truly incredible.
Bus: 2001 Thomas MVP
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Location: Portland, OR
Got wise and built out a faux set up to get it all registered the first week while I was still on a trip permit. Now I'm legal, insured and currently about half way through ripping out all the sub floor.
With it being a Handicap bus, the seats were all on floor tracks which made it nice for a quick turn around. But those tracks proved to be just as much a pain in the rear as rusty old seats. None the less, I feel like I'm almost over the shitty hump and can get down go hanging fun with new materials and designing my new home.
Here's a photo of me and the love of my life on day 1, as well as a rear shot of where I'm currently at. Goal is to be living out of this thang full time by mid Sept, I work on Mt. Hood and have a place to park for the winter up near there.
General plan:
-Remove floor and insulate likely with rigid foam, wood floor on top (open to suggestions otherwise)
-Keep existing interior walls and build out. There is some existing insulation in walls and ceiling that I tore apart and was not in horrible shape. My thought is to use 2x2 framing and then make an air gap and use that bubble aluminum sheeting insulation topped with cedar siding. I'm wondering if anyone has done this and if it seems effective. I know many rant about the uselessness of this stuff, but I'm planning to pump a wood stove and I feel like the air gap between existing metal wall and the bubble insulation will prove successful. (Open to arguments otherwise) my one concern is where condensation will build and if it will be between the air gap, or between the insulation/siding contact? Dont wanna waste resources,time or cash on something that is just built to spoil.
- ceiling is going to stay OG. I know this seems stupid for a guy going to live on a mountain for a winter. But I'm good with the cold climate, and I just dont have the time to do a complete rebuild right now.
I figure I spend the time in the floor, and then if the walls and ceiling dont work as planned, I can always redo those later.
The one issue I am facing is with the coolant lones that lead to the back heaters. The last photo is of one of those lines before I ripped out the heaters and drained that coolant. There is a little valve attachment in the line which I ended up busting in the process. I just replaced it with a straight through attachments, but now I'm thinking that might be a bleeder valve? I haven't been able to find any bleeder that resemble that so I am wondering is anyone has any advice in that piece? I do still have coolant flowing into one of the rear heaters that is located just behind the captains seat. Haven't tried to fire up the engine yet, because the coolant is low and I am going to go ahead and flush the whole system while I'm at it. But I'm wondering if not having that valve in the lines is going to make it difficult to get all the air out of the system? I do have a radiator filler funnel set that allows air to escape the radiator when you drain and refill, but ive only used this on my Subaru and not aure if it would work that same with a bus. Any thoughts would be appreciated, especially if you know where I could find that same piece, or even the name of what it is!
That is all for now, ill try to slow down and take more photos of my process to share. This is super fun but also draining at times. I need to breath deep and take my time so I dont bust any more small pieces on the undercarriage...
Peace,
Tay
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