homertojebus
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2015
- Posts
- 2
Hello! Very excited to greet you all! I began researching vehicles to turn into a camper and finally decided a short bus would be the best vehicle to suit my needs. I purchased a 2001 Chevrolet with 105k on a 6.5L diesel and a 5 window Corbeil body. I've had a mechanic check it out and it's in great condition throughout. It was posted for $3500 and I got it for 3k, which at the time I thought was an unbelievable deal, but I've seen others on here that have gotten similar or even better deals. For the DIY-minded, I think skoolies offer a fantastic bang for the buck.
It's definitely one of the smallest buses I've seen on here, which is perfect for me, as I will be travelling mostly alone. I was originally looking at a cargo van, so it's still much roomier than my original vision. I also like that it is only a single tire in the rear, and can park in a single spot at just over 19'. I am currently in community college, and am planning to only enroll in online classes for the fall semester, so I am planning to spend the late summer and fall(atleast) travelling around the country, seeing sights and visiting old friends.
I am so grateful for this resource of friendly people that have walked this same path. I'm sure I will have a million questions, but I'll try to stick with the ones most pressing:
1. I would like to run "1/2 tongue and groove aromatic cedar panelling down the sides and also on the ceiling. How much of the interior should I remove? The ceiling is actually a bit shorter than I am, so I figured if I remove it, it might save me "1/4-1/2 (every bit counts) or should I just put the cedar on top of the existing ceiling? Also, does anyone have any installation tips? I've worked with cedar before just never had to fasten it to thin strips to metal on something that will be moving around.
2. Below the windows on the sides the siding is attached by rivets. Are they worth removing? It looks like I'll really have to rip the whole bus apart to remove the panels, especially the lower one. I was thinking I would just put insulation and a thin sheet of plywood and then the cedar to cover it up.
3. I've taken the seats out and have decided to definitely remove the rubber and hardwood too. I want to replace it with something that is real wood. I'm thinking 1/2" plywood with 1/2" maple on top? Like I said, headroom is at a premium so I'm also not opposed to just getting a nice piece of oak plywood and using that as my floor, anyone done that?
I guess that's it for now, I hope you all like my bus! I really enjoy the positive attitude of skoolie owners and the people in this forum and I think it probably played a role in me deciding to go with a bus. I'll post pics and I'm sure more questions as I go. Thanks for the input!
It's definitely one of the smallest buses I've seen on here, which is perfect for me, as I will be travelling mostly alone. I was originally looking at a cargo van, so it's still much roomier than my original vision. I also like that it is only a single tire in the rear, and can park in a single spot at just over 19'. I am currently in community college, and am planning to only enroll in online classes for the fall semester, so I am planning to spend the late summer and fall(atleast) travelling around the country, seeing sights and visiting old friends.
I am so grateful for this resource of friendly people that have walked this same path. I'm sure I will have a million questions, but I'll try to stick with the ones most pressing:
1. I would like to run "1/2 tongue and groove aromatic cedar panelling down the sides and also on the ceiling. How much of the interior should I remove? The ceiling is actually a bit shorter than I am, so I figured if I remove it, it might save me "1/4-1/2 (every bit counts) or should I just put the cedar on top of the existing ceiling? Also, does anyone have any installation tips? I've worked with cedar before just never had to fasten it to thin strips to metal on something that will be moving around.
2. Below the windows on the sides the siding is attached by rivets. Are they worth removing? It looks like I'll really have to rip the whole bus apart to remove the panels, especially the lower one. I was thinking I would just put insulation and a thin sheet of plywood and then the cedar to cover it up.
3. I've taken the seats out and have decided to definitely remove the rubber and hardwood too. I want to replace it with something that is real wood. I'm thinking 1/2" plywood with 1/2" maple on top? Like I said, headroom is at a premium so I'm also not opposed to just getting a nice piece of oak plywood and using that as my floor, anyone done that?
I guess that's it for now, I hope you all like my bus! I really enjoy the positive attitude of skoolie owners and the people in this forum and I think it probably played a role in me deciding to go with a bus. I'll post pics and I'm sure more questions as I go. Thanks for the input!
