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Old 09-06-2019, 08:58 PM   #1
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Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: North MS
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Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC1000 FE
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Critique My Build Please

Hey everyone, been doing a lot of research and I've planned out a preliminary build using an online interior design program.

Here's the build (look on the right when you open the page and click 3D):
https://planner5d.com/tool/?key=2eec...3966147f1bcb80

I'm looking for some experience builders to tell me what I could do better and what's not a great idea. The two main features are the rear bathroom and the pulley system bed. Under the bed will be my music area. Think synthesizers, rackmount equipment, and possibly a Yamaha CP-60M (that piano is to scale).
Between the bed and kitchen is the most ambiguous space. Right now I have a wardrobe and a couch, but I'm not completely sold on the necessity of a couch at all.

My cat and I will be the only passengers. I'm planning on a 8-10 window flat-nose FE or RE. This design assumes a 26ft FE with rear handicap door (what I'm currently looking at), so anything bigger would obviously give me more room but I don't want to go over 30ft.

The boxes you see underneath the bus are tool boxes(towards front) and 100 gallon fresh and gray tanks (towards back). I think on a 26-30ft bus I'd have enough room between the wheel base for both regardless of FE or RE but please let me know if I'm wrong. One of the toolboxes would hold my batteries, the other would hold outdoors stuff, maybe propane (not sure where I want to mount my propane tank).

If I end up with a FE then the very back will have a 12-18" storage area for the water heater, etc.

All criticism welcome! Thanks.

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Old 09-16-2019, 01:03 PM   #2
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Let me be the first. When I click the link, it does not go to your bus. Other than that, it's all good.
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Old 09-16-2019, 02:02 PM   #3
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Keep in mind the space between the frame rails and the rear wheels forward are filled with driveshaft, making that space unusable for anything else. This is free space in an RE.
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Old 09-16-2019, 02:10 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Keep in mind the space between the frame rails and the rear wheels forward are filled with driveshaft, making that space unusable for anything else. This is free space in an RE.

Is there not at least some room to the side of the driveshaft to mount a tank or a box?
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Old 09-16-2019, 02:31 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lebusmagique View Post
Is there not at least some room to the side of the driveshaft to mount a tank or a box?
Anything is doable, space would be severely limited.
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Old 09-16-2019, 02:52 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by o1marc View Post
Anything is doable, space would be severely limited.

Well a 32' pusher that's already been gutted just popped up near me for $4k so I might get that one. I really wanted to stay at about 28' max because I want to do some urban traveling but I think I could make 32' work.
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Old 09-16-2019, 11:29 PM   #7
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Remember your roof line is rounded at the sides, so you’ll loose height....

Your shower height is going to be shorter as it gets to the side wall.

And your bed is probably not going to rise up as high as your layout cos the ceiling at the edge is curved.

Doesn’t seem like the curve is unchanged things that much until your putting a shower in....damn it...
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Old 09-17-2019, 08:11 AM   #8
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Dont see any wheel wells in your drawing?
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Old 09-17-2019, 11:50 AM   #9
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One of the buses I'm looking at is a 26' FE with no wheel wells so I didn't include them. In any case the sketch is just a rough outline so I would work around them.

In other news I just got a roof raise quote of $7500 from a skoolie conversion place in NC. That just seems like taking the piss to me. I mean I run a small business with high margins but damn. I'd think I'd be paying for a week's worth of labor at that cost, and I can't imagine it taking that long for a competent team of techs who do skoolie conversions for a living. From what I've read here on the forum materials would only run $1-2k. I'll definitely be doing one myself if I end up doing one at all.
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Old 09-17-2019, 12:12 PM   #10
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Unhappy

Quote:
Originally Posted by lebusmagique View Post
One of the buses I'm looking at is a 26' FE with no wheel wells so I didn't include them. In any case the sketch is just a rough outline so I would work around them.

In other news I just got a roof raise quote of $7500 from a skoolie conversion place in NC. That just seems like taking the piss to me. I mean I run a small business with high margins but damn. I'd think I'd be paying for a week's worth of labor at that cost, and I can't imagine it taking that long for a competent team of techs who do skoolie conversions for a living. From what I've read here on the forum materials would only run $1-2k. I'll definitely be doing one myself if I end up doing one at all.
The place in Colo. gets $10K for a roof raise i'm told. I'm with you on the cost. What is needed in material besides hat channels, square tubing and sheet metal. I don't see those materials getting anywhere near $2K. A 40' bus would use 5 sheets of metal for a 2' raise, that's $375. How much is a hat channel kit? I think a competant crew could do one for $3k and makr good profit.
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