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Old 06-23-2021, 04:09 AM   #1
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Join Date: Jun 2021
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Year: 2009
Coachwork: BlueBird vision 21 passanger with 4 wheelchair and
New member

Hello, just joined , just starting this adventure. Bought a 2009 Bluebird vision 21 passanger with wheelchair lift . Any advice would be welcome!

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Old 06-23-2021, 05:03 PM   #2
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Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 784
Year: 2000
Coachwork: IC / Amtran
Chassis: 3000 / 33' Flat Nose
Engine: IC T444E / Allison MT643
Rated Cap: 72 Kids / 48 Adults
Welcome:

Read this thread:
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/t...nts-35502.html

Do NOT remove wiring willy nilly...otherwise you may disable your bus from cranking.

School buses have safety wiring integrated into the vehicle wiring, removing an innocent looking buzzer may disable your bus.

Did I mention how to avoid disabling your bus??

Google is your friend...so is YouTube. TONs of info on both.
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Old 06-23-2021, 09:09 PM   #3
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Coachwork: BlueBird vision 21 passanger with 4 wheelchair and
Thanks , Steve, just starting this project havent even taken seats out yet. Allready searching you tube. Lol
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Old 06-24-2021, 10:04 AM   #4
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If you are just starting, it is probably a good thing to think about what you want to use the bus for-weekend only, long trips, full time...that will determine what design principles you will need to keep in mind as you plan. For example, our bus is for max 4 days boondocking. This drives solar and battery size, water tank sizing, storage planning.

Along with 'don't start by ripping out wires' already mentioned, I recommend you carefully consider whether you should rip out AC or heaters. These are expensive components to install later on, and you'll freeze or boil without them. Assuming you don't live in a perfect climate.

Make sure you understand your buses mechanical condition. Simple fixes now are much cheaper and less painful as a breakdown on a desert highway.

One of the first things I'd do is make sure the bus is absolutely watertight and leak-free. Roof, windows, seams. You'll need the certainty and comfort of an absolutely dry interior as you start to install expensive components inside.

Also, a major expense in time, labor and expense is insulation. Since it literally Read here by searching the forum for topics such as insulation, condensation, vapor barrier. A bus is a tin can, and although there are many ways to insulate it, and no One Right Way, learn from others what your options are. I'll also add that the more you clarify for yourself what your usage will be, the more prepared you will be to make those early decisions about insulation. Expensive now, but pay later in the heat and cold?
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Old 06-24-2021, 01:15 PM   #5
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Coachwork: BlueBird vision 21 passanger with 4 wheelchair and
Tks Rucker, and life circumstances have determined the usage aspect. Ill be a full timer for the moment. Possibly in the future a weekend or week getaway. But for now the plan is parked a lot but in it full time. And i have spent 2 years thinking about doing this. I have a donor rv for all the systems ill need. Going to pickup bus in a couple of days. Im sure ill be on here asking questions in the future. Thanks to all for your input !! Dry
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Old 06-24-2021, 01:22 PM   #6
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Coachwork: BlueBird vision 21 passanger with 4 wheelchair and
Have already decided to leave AC and Heat ! Try to leave the Bus systems intact as much as possable and just add the Other systems. That seems the most logical thing to do to me for the moment.
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Old 06-24-2021, 05:03 PM   #7
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Location: Philadelphia
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Have already decided to leave AC and Heat ! Try to leave the Bus systems intact as much as possable and just add the Other systems. That seems the most logical thing to do to me for the moment.
It's worth considering that the AC and heat that come with a bus only work when the engine is running (with some expense and effort the existing heat can be made to work with a Webasto coolant heater), so they'll do you no good if you're parked most of the time.
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Old 06-24-2021, 05:15 PM   #8
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Yes, i have a donor rv with all the systems intact including heat and air.use those when parked. And the bus systems when driving.
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Old 06-25-2021, 06:17 AM   #9
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Coachwork: BlueBird vision 21 passanger with 4 wheelchair and
Picking up bus today. Guess what im looking for is a logical step by step to get me started from someone whose done it what are some mistakes did you make and how would you have done it different. Know i will make mistakes we are human after all but if anyone hase advice on geting this thing started would love to hear! Tks Ken!
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Old 06-25-2021, 11:42 AM   #10
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Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 784
Year: 2000
Coachwork: IC / Amtran
Chassis: 3000 / 33' Flat Nose
Engine: IC T444E / Allison MT643
Rated Cap: 72 Kids / 48 Adults
If I were to convert again, I would do this.

1) Address all mechanical issues so the bus is running properly. This includes doing all fluid and filter changes. This way, even as you're doing the conversion, you can drive and enjoy the bus a bit.

2) Waterproof the roof and seal it, if you choose, add a coating to aide in insulation.

3) Strip the interior, clean it up, deal with any issues, seal it, prime it and paint it.

Now you have a good platform to work in and on.

4) I would detail what is underneath the bus, where the open spaces are to run lines, put things like tanks, generators, propane bottles, and very importantly, where you can drill holes to secure things and where you can't drill to avoid wrecking things.

5) Add the floor insulation, framing, panels and then transfer all the measurements from #4 to the floor so you know what you have to work with.

6) Design your layout.

7) Build. I would probably build more traditional stud walls, but use the narrow edge of the 2x4 board for the width of the wall. This should allow you to run wires and install insulation more easily.

I would probably not order appliances and such until I needed them, this way if it takes several months, years in my case, then you don't waste the warranty.

Hope this helps.
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Old 06-25-2021, 12:36 PM   #11
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Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 1,075
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000, 40' MPV
Engine: 5.9 Cummins/B300 trans
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Originally Posted by Simplicity View Post
If I were to convert again, I would do this.

1) Address all mechanical issues so the bus is running properly. This includes doing all fluid and filter changes. This way, even as you're doing the conversion, you can drive and enjoy the bus a bit.

Hope this helps.
If more people just did this we'd get a lot less mayday calls from the middle of nowhere.
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