Just Bought A Bus.

[01ThomasMVP]

How's it going out there I just joined this forum because we just bought a 32.5' 2001 Thomas MVP and I am converting it into a fully functional RV. Plans of off-grid 3 weeks at a time and traveling the country. Right now I can just use any advice on getting my heaters and air conditioners taken out. I will be posting pictures on progress soon. Thanks for all the help I've gotten off the site already!

[Robin97396]

Welcome

You don't think you're going to want that heater and air conditioner at times. Most of us loose the rear heater and some people do pull out the old inefficient air conditioners. At this time of year some of us are wondering why we gave up any heaters.
Factory air is kind of coveted in buses.

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Welcome

You don't think you're going to want that heater and air conditioner at times. Most of us loose the rear heater and some people do pull out the old inefficient air conditioners. At this time of year some of us are wondering why we gave up any heaters.
Factory air is kind of coveted in buses.

I am of the mind that everything I can keep/use saves me money...

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[cadillackid]

if you plan to do much driving in the hot summer in your bus you will come to appreciate that engine driven A/C.. unless you like to sweat in the seat or plan to always be up high in the mountains in summer..
-Christopher

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

if you plan to do much driving in the hot summer in your bus you will come to appreciate that engine driven A/C.. unless you like to sweat in the seat or plan to always be up high in the mountains in summer..
-Christopher

Yep

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[01ThomasMVP]

We have been considering for awhile whether we should keep our a/c and heaters that came with the bus. We decided that it's best to get rid of them to have more space. We really want to have a wood burning stove, and for cooling we should be good with natural air flow and fans (possibly a small updated a/c unit in the future). We do plan on spending most of our time in higher elevation up in the mountains.

So now we are trying to figure out which hoses to cut for the heaters! We've been trying to find someone who's done this before that we can watch but have been unsuccessful. We have a rear engine Thomas MVP. Attached are some pictures of the hoses for out coolant system. I know that we need to cut both the tubes and then connect them so the coolant can continue circulating. My main question is this:

Where do I cut and connect the tubes for a RE bus so that i can keep our windshield defrosters in the front? Thanks again to anyone willing to help!

(I will attach photos momentarily.. having issues for some reason)

[01ThomasMVP]

Okay I got the pics up. The first pic is of the coolant lines going into the engine compartment at the rear of the bus. There is also a wire following these lines going into the engine as well. I am guessing this wire is for the electric coolant pump? I have a electric panel switch at the driver seat for the coolant pump. The second picture is showing more electrical wires that come from the front of the bus, then loop around at the back near the engine and then go back up the the front again. I am guessing these wires are for the heaters that I can gut out as well? The third pic is just showing you the type of heaters that are in this particular bus. The fourth pic is showing the coolant lines going into the front of the bus for the driver heater and the defrosters.

So how do I do this properly to where I can keep coolant going where it needs to go for the engine and radiator in the rear, but also keep the defrosters and driver heater in the very front?

[Twigg]

You have the same bus as me, and are at the same stage.

I have 4 passenger heaters and the front heater/defroster. All four rear heaters are coming out. The flat, Romex type cable runs from the switches to the fans. The four serving the rear heaters can all come out.

The cable going back into the engine compartment has to stay, you will want it for the pump. The pump will aid defrosting when the bus is idling.

The piping ... Oh, the piping.

It has to stay ... Well, the loop from the engine to the front and back again has to stay. However, it doesn't have to stay inside the bus.

I will be removing all the pipe from the bus and re-routing it underneath, between the frame rails. I will cover it with pipe insulation to prevent coolant heat loss on its way forward.

So the heating loop will than go from the engine outlet, through the pump and on to the front heater, and back again.

I haven't actually done it yet so I don't know what obstacles I'll encounter. I was going to tackle it today, but it's raining.

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by 01ThomasMVP

Okay I got the pics up. The first pic is of the coolant lines going into the engine compartment at the rear of the bus. There is also a wire following these lines going into the engine as well. I am guessing this wire is for the electric coolant pump? I have a electric panel switch at the driver seat for the coolant pump. The second picture is showing more electrical wires that come from the front of the bus, then loop around at the back near the engine and then go back up the the front again. I am guessing these wires are for the heaters that I can gut out as well? The third pic is just showing you the type of heaters that are in this particular bus. The fourth pic is showing the coolant lines going into the front of the bus for the driver heater and the defrosters.

So how do I do this properly to where I can keep coolant going where it needs to go for the engine and radiator in the rear, but also keep the defrosters and driver heater in the very front?

Trace the hoses from the unit you wanna keep...you will find tees in the circuit...replace them with couplers...that takes the additional units out...or if you're lucky they go back to the engine...

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