Best RE body for raising roof

[MacC]

Anyone want to chime in what bus body is the least hassle free with interior gutting and raising roof?

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by MacC

Anyone want to chime in what bus body is the least hassle free with interior gutting and raising roof?

They are all hassle free...yeah right...just a lot of work!!!

I'm doing an Amtran RE right now, the back of the bus, the back wall panel and side air ducts were quite a task.!
All that has to be removed in order to have access to the hat channels.

Ceiling panels with screws were easy just use an S2 "Square " bit, from harbor freight, instead of a standard phiilps head bit.

If the screws don't budge just give them a qhad whack with a hammer and toggle the drill forward and backward, they will come loose!

[o1marc]

Thomas built buses taper at the base of the windows, making roof raise interesting. Internationals are easy to disconnect the roof.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by MacC

Anyone want to chime in what bus body is the least hassle free with interior gutting and raising roof?

IC/AmTrans.

[Sehnsucht]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Thomas built buses taper at the base of the windows, making roof raise interesting. Internationals are easy to disconnect the roof.

Seconded regarding Thomases but if you're good with angles it could prove a benefit. Admittedly I haven't tried this yet but my thinking is if you could extend that slight window pitch as you extend downwards you could essentially reclaim 6 inches of body width! In other words, school buses being 96 inches wide but standards allow 102 inches. How you utilize the space seems like it could be problematic but it's an idea.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sehnsucht

Seconded regarding Thomases but if you're good with angles it could prove a benefit. Admittedly I haven't tried this yet but my thinking is if you could extend that slight window pitch as you extend downwards you could essentially reclaim 6 inches of body width! In other words, school buses being 96 inches wide but standards allow 102 inches. How you utilize the space seems like it could be problematic but it's an idea.

The Thomas angle starts at the windows. No space to be gained.

[MacC]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

The Thomas angle starts at the windows. No space to be gained.

Checking out your roof raising as I type.

[MacC]

Well I bought an Int AmTran\. ewo1 I will be asking questions, let me know if that is a problem.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

The Thomas angle starts at the windows. No space to be gained.

I was stopped behind a C2 yesterday, and I noticed that the angle is non-90-degrees all the way to the floor. It's a very slight curve, steeper at the top than the bottom, but it appears that no part of it is a 90° angle.

[EastCoastCB]

Yeah they're a much more complex shape.

[ewo1]

Originally Posted by MacC

Well I bought an Int AmTran\. ewo1 I will be asking questions, let me know if that is a problem.

Ask away, besides me, there are alot of good people here than can help!

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by ewo1

Ask away, besides me, there are alot of good people here than can help!

And even the bad people here can help!

[Sehnsucht]

I've always thought if I was going to attempt a roof raise I don't want to start at the front header but rather to begin about at or just aft of the front axle on an RE... kind of reminiscent of a SceniCruiser. Also perhaps some amount of slope in the back window or a rounded end cap for the tail. My imagination however exceeds my skillset!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Sehnsucht

I've always thought if I was going to attempt a roof raise I don't want to start at the front header but rather to begin about at or just aft of the front axle on an RE... kind of reminiscent of a SceniCruiser. Also perhaps some amount of slope in the back window or a rounded end cap for the tail. My imagination however exceeds my skillset!

Roof raising isn't too bad. To make it look GOOD you just have to take your time.