So, me and a couple of my buddies recently purchased a 1985 Chevy G30 Van/Short Bus. When we get together to work on it we always end up on this site since this is our "first time". Looking forward to sharing pics of the build and listening to other's input when we do something wrong haha.
That's the joy of NC, we have beautiful beaches and mountains. You can drive 6 hours or so and be at both in the same day. So I thought I added a pic, apparently my browser on my cell phone didn't agree with this site to well, so I will try it from my desktop. So, disregard the junky shed, here are a few pics. Having 4 people working on this we have several projects in process. It also helps that one of us is a licensed mechanic. With that said all the mechanical work is done to the 5.7L 350 cu in engine including new wiring and brake system. Now we focus on the inside. The inside is being prepped for primer and we are retrofitting a custom bench seat on one side of the bus so far. Flooring is on the agenda as we are debating laminate or a waterproof vinyl, my question to the forum is what would be the best flooring material to use, that can withstand NC weather (hot summers, cold winters)
Welcome Guys! --- Beautiful part of the country there (my daughter & grandkids are in W-S). Personally, I think any flooring that is NOT completely waterproof is a problem waiting to happen so my vote goes to rubber or vinyl. Keep the pix coming.
I was thinking the same thing, better to just go ahead and pay the extra $$ up front rather than go the cheap route and have to replace it. Thanks for the input.
Me too. I've seen some really beautiful wood floors (I love'em, but...) curl up and buckle just from high humidity. NOT fun to tear out after everything else is built on top of them.
I feel like I got thousands of questions, what type of paint do ya'll recommend? We like the chalkboard paint idea on the inside as we will probably take "her" tailgating and we think it would be neat to keep score in different activities like cornhole and other games.
We're in NC in between Winston and Statesville. We have partly vinyl stick on tile and partly laminate wood flooring. It's been all sorts of temps and humidity all summer and we've had no problems with condensation or buckling. To be fair, our floor sections are broken up in small areas of about 7'x5', but you also have a small bus so it shouldn't be an issue. I'm not sure I'd trust people on that floor at sports events though with the potential for lots of mud and spilled drinks.
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
thanks, I did the calculations last night and I'm only looking at 50.5 sq. ft of flooring so something that cost a little more per sq. ft wont be a deal breaker. the vinly stick on- is that the peel and stick that you can buy from big box stores? if so, did you use any kind of underlayment material? is your base floor of your bus wood/metal?
Lots of paint options, automotive paint probably being the best overall. It is formulated to handle what the road and weather throws at it. Really should be sprayed but holds up great and most colors can be easily touched up with rattle cans or touch-up pens from auto parts joints anywhere. Of course, it can be brushed or rolled on, but you'll never get as smooth a finish as spraying. HVLP (hi volume, low pressure) guns are cheap and easy to use with 5 minutes practice. More prep time taping and such, but the actual painting goes quickly.
Lots of folks here have rolled on various paints. Everything from enamels & acrylic enamels to latex house paint. Just be advised that any water-based paint is going to oxidize (rust) any metal it comes in direct contact with. Detroit has had major nightmares with the new EPA water based paints even when used in their hi tech application systems. Note... you can apply latex over enamel...but you cannot put enamel over latex. So if you go the latex route then change your mind down the road...figure on sandblasting or otherwise stripping the whole rig.
Skoolies come mostly with acrylic enamel and are typically well covered so, washing, light sanding or the use of "scuffing pads" and a de-greaser is about all the prep usually needed unless you have a lot of rust or bodywork issues.
Read through the build threads and maybe ask a couple of folks who tried different routes within the past year or two how their choice turned out and might be holding up.
That's why I love this site, informative answers like that. Luckily, we have a local artists that we all grew up with is going to do a custom mural style paint job for us. Yeah I wasn't even considering using a roller, I should've worded my question, what base paint, latex, acrylic, oil but thanks for the words of wisdom and steering me in the right direction before I made a costly $$$ mistake
Also, to the people in the Winston area, is the lake Myers campground still open?, I used to go as a kid and thought that would be a good place to dona test run of "The Big Cat"
Also, to the people in the Winston area, is the lake Myers campground still open?, I used to go as a kid and thought that would be a good place to dona test run of "The Big Cat"
Actually we're located about five miles down the road from them, and yes! They're open! Depending on how soon you're planning a trip, maybe you could swing by here. We're hoping to leave in the next three weeks, though. Waiting on the title to come back after changing it to RV.
Laid down sheets of luan plywood to stick it to, with foam underlayment underneath for condensation protection and a bit of cushion to even out the original floor. The aisle tread is still on there and the original vinyl. Just took out the seats, filled the bolt holes with elevator bolts (pain in the A**), removed the metal strip on either side of the aisle. Didn't secure it to the floor or walls, just put furniture and stuff right on top. The furniture is screwed to the walls.
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
I like poly-vinyl one piece rubber flooring. No seems to catch dirt and water. I have it in my bus, we ATV ride a lot and that floor gets filthy but its easy to clean and is good when its or cold or hot..
Thanks guys/gals...we are filing all the paperwork next week and want to get at least a coat of primer on the outside before we set out on our maiden voyage. We were thinking maybe the 2nd weekend of September
Flooring is well underway, still have one lay a couple pieces of trim but very satisfied with our progress. We chose the trafficmaster vinyl self sticking flooring tiles. Seems to be a very durable and easy to repair/replace product.
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