Southeast Noob saying Hello!

[JumpinSkoolBoy]

I'm a nomadic type, dreamed for years of full-timing a skoolie and I love this place, been reading here forever.

I've been skydiving for 12 years, and spent countless weekends (and a couple of months) in a couple of travel trailers at a couple of dropzones (skydiving businesses).

That's pretty common, people tend haul azz from the job on Friday and spend every possible minute at the DZ, and we buy hand-me-down rigs that have often been at the dropzone longer than we have. Just add another coat of roof sealant, she isn't going anywhere. Quality 5th, safety 3rd.

Rent is cheap if you're jumping, especially since hookups are nothing but a 20-25amp plug if you have enough extension cord. Still better than the tarp I hike with

Now I have a couple of bucks and a fiance who is excited about the endless summer skydiving and boondocking thing. I'm 6'1" and insulation will be crucial so a roof raise is a must, lots of work in our future.

Man you folks have come up with some cool stuff, I can't wait to follow along and contribute a couple of my own tricks. Thanks for this place!

Blue Skies!

[Robin97396]

Welcome to the site.

We like to see people get addicted to buses. You sound perfect.

From what I've heard some buses have as much as 6'4", but if you're insulating the floor I can see where you'd still want a roof raise.

[plfking]

Another welcome.

Originally Posted by JumpinSkoolBoy

.....and we buy hand-me-down rigs that have often been at the dropzone longer than we have. Just add another coat of roof sealant, she isn't going anywhere. Quality 5th, safety 3rd.

Been there, done that......my first rig cost me a grand total of $700, so you can imagine the shape it was in.

The good news is......it got me down in one piece every time.

The bad news is......it was the single biggest contributor to my nickname.


Don

[JumpinSkoolBoy]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Welcome to the site.
We like to see people get addicted to buses.

Thanks for the welcome, and yeah I'll definitely be addicted. Only have two speeds, all or none.

Originally Posted by Robin97396

From what I've heard some buses have as much as 6'4", but if you're insulating the floor I can see where you'd still want a roof raise.

Yeah I would REALLY love to avoid the hassle but I need a lot of insulation and even a normal travel trailer crowds my big melon head. I'll need as close to 7 feet net interior height as I can get, without many eye level cabinets.

At least that should give me a better selection when looking for a bus, I hope.
It would be great if I could buy any bus, even the sub 6 foot ones, since I have to raise it anyway.
Even better if the low roof ones are cheaper.

[Robin97396]

Yeah, nobody likes cold feet.

You certainly don't have to worry about the height of any bus if you're set on doing a roof raise.

How big of a bus are you thinking of? Going full boat with a 40'er?

[JumpinSkoolBoy]

Originally Posted by plfking

Another welcome.
Been there, done that......my first rig cost me a grand total of $700, so you can imagine the shape it was in.

LOL, right there with ya bruv. Finally let go of my first rig for $1,100 as part of this "going skoolie" deal.
No good reason for keeping her this long, except she saved me every time I decided to fall out of an airplane.

The bad news is......it was the single biggest contributor to my nickname.
Don

With ya again! The old canopy I just sold was an ancient student job. 259 sq feet, faded yellow and white, looked and flared like a school bus I got real good at PLFs myself.

Finally started flaring at 50 feet, then when I came in with that extra speed she could flare enough for me to slide it out. Looked cool once I could slide without falling, and silly, strangers thinking I'm a wanne-be swooper on an oversized canopy. Still plenty of PLFs and face-plants.

Never met a jumper with a skoolie but it seems like a natural fit.

[JumpinSkoolBoy]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Yeah, nobody likes cold feet.

My problem will be the heat. No shade at the airport, and jumping in the cold grinds you down. A/C is high priority for the fiance, so it will be cool
Will almost certainly do a wood stove, I love those things.

By the time I get her built I'll be a redneckspert in mobile insulation. Already started test building a goofy window scheme that might help, like the sliding window covers in an airplane. Except two sliding "covers" behind a cheap RV window. Two pieces of lexan to make a poor-mans triple glazed window that won't fail and fog up. Plus I can open everything for fresh air in nice weather. Have a ton of scraps from a window tinting place to see how best to block heat and keep from scratching the plastic.

In my first RV I covered the windows with mirror tinted plexi (mounted inside) and made an "air-lock/ vestibule" inside the door with some heavy blankets riding a track in the ceiling. Made a huge difference, it was the only way the little old roof mount A/C would cool the piece if junk 24' trailer. Dark was fine anyway, the trailer was only to escape the Florida heat for a siesta, then to sleep at night. Otherwise we're in the hanger or in the sky.

I plan for the bus to be nearly air-tight (on purpose and as a side-effect of my interior plans) knowing I'll need continuous fresh air, will probably pull cooler air from under the bus and blow out the top. In a perfect world I could build a cheap/simple heat exchanger to lose less cold air that way, doesn't seem likely so I haven't thought about it much.

You certainly don't have to worry about the height of any bus if you're set on doing a roof raise.

That is good news. I don't want it to be scary in crosswinds or fall over in a turn but I need plenty of headroom.

How big of a bus are you thinking of? Going full boat with a 40'er?

Yeah, thinking towards the full boat or close. I'm big and we have two size-medium mutts, plus I need a decent garage from the rear exit door.

The idea is to spend Fri-Sun night at a dropzone with an extension cord (we already do!), go dump, refill, and spend Mon-Thur night on a friends land or somewhere else quiet and cheap where the dogs can run, full boondock if we don't need A/C. Then occasionally drive to a new dropzone, rinse and repeat. Not a ton of driving, could stay full-time at most dropzones, with a view of the hanger wall, sketchy trailers, and the giant tank of Jet-A.