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Old 09-30-2020, 06:49 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Southern Michigan
Posts: 10
Year: 2007
Coachwork: El Dorado National
Engine: 6.6 turbo diesel
Rated Cap: 25 passenger
hello. Have lots of questions...

New to this. We have a 2005 C5500 25 passenger (handicap access) shuttle, we refer to right now as big red tomato; mostly because she is currently a bad shade of red. ��
Spouse and I build concealed furniture ( yes we have fb page.) so we are excited to tackle this and being able to travel with our service dog and 2 older pups.

Would love some input on:
Where to get decent lift. Ours was taken out by previous owner, said didn't work.
12v systems
what is the best solar to go with
Where to get 12v supplies
where is best place to get water tanks
Best heat source
Best way to insulate/not lose clearance (tall spouse)
Must haves that might be overlooked

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Old 09-30-2020, 11:13 AM   #2
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Carrollton TX
Posts: 3
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Champion
Chassis: F450 Super Duty Cutaway
Engine: Ford 6.0L V8 Diesel
Rated Cap: 18
Lift

I just purchased an 18 passenger shuttle and have a lift that will be removing. If you are interested it will be free to you. The only problem I see is that I'm located in Northern Texas (Dallas area). Please feel free to email me: abaunza.miguel@gmail.com
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Old 09-30-2020, 02:24 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
The best place to find a used/economical wheelchair lift is craigslist or facebook mkt. place.
Most, if not all factory lift installers won't sell or install used lifts. Liability issues being their reasoning.

I needed to replace my 30 year old obsolete Braun that was leaking fluid from every seal, and was no longer supported by Braun on replacement parts. I found a 20 year old lift that fit the door opening on c'list for $300.00.
It came out of a privately owned van with much less wear and tear than one from a commercially/municipally used vehicle.

Many 12v. appliances can be found on amazon or occasionally/by chance on craigslist.

Good luck on your project, and post pics if you can.
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Old 09-30-2020, 02:45 PM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,259
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American
Engine: 8.3 Cummins ISC
Rated Cap: 75
Most people toss out their wheelchair lifts so I would see if you can score one for free.
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Old 09-30-2020, 05:31 PM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Athens, TN
Posts: 1,574
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International RE
Engine: International T444e
Rated Cap: 76
Quote:
Originally Posted by brinleyinthewoods View Post
Would love some input on:
12v systems
Really depends on what kind of input you want, or what you even mean by "12 systems". You may have something in mind, this however is a very general term that can mean lots of things.

what is the best solar to go with
"Best" is what meets your needs. There is no single package that is "the best" on the market and that's a good thing- lots of competition in this space, folks really have to earn your dollar. Good solar is built by identifying your wants and needs, estimating how big of a system you will want and trying to fit that into your budget.

The more you learn and are willing to learn, the further your money will go.

Where to get 12v supplies
Lots of us use Amazon, however many things are available at local automotive outlets. Many automotive electrical parts are usable for other applications.

where is best place to get water tanks
Amazon and RV related stores have them. If you search craigslist you may also find entries. "Food grade barrels" are a very inexpensive option for fresh/grey/black tanks.

Best heat source
There is no best heat source, only various options each with their own advantages and drawbacks. Like solar, "best" is what fits your needs. Where are you situated / intend to park, will you have access to shore resources (power, water, etc) or not, those things matter.

Best way to insulate/not lose clearance (tall spouse)
Can you not lose _any_ clearance? We insulated our floor with 1.5" foam board with another .5" on top of that between the vapor barrier, plywood and flooring, I still clear the ceiling leaned up against the wall. Sure, there are taller folks than me out there.

A potential solution is to spray foam underneath the cabin, that way you only have to lay down plywood/flooring.

Must haves that might be overlooked
Hah. I think one thing people commonly overlook is sound. I installed speakers at each end of my rig, with the amplifier in the electrical cabinet. They fill it when playing music or during movie night, I think its a nice luxury item.
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