My Shuttle Bus Conversion

[bigskypc50]

Thought I would start and official tread on my shuttle bus project. I tell you, this is an addiction, had a lot of fun with my 40ft "Tiny House Bus", I wanted something smaller to use for day trips etc.

It's a 1994 Ford E350 gas 5.8L 20ft Star-Trans shuttle bus. Still shorting out some problems with the drivetrain before I really start doing any conversion work.

 

[JAAB]

Awesome! I am just going through ideas for my own conversion.... Look forward to following this!

 

[Johnny Mullet]

I love shuttle bus projects!

 

[roach711]

Looks like it's in good shape!

 

[Mark_In_MA]

I like how the door frame for the rear doors doesn't stick out from the sides of the bus too much - many of the back doors tend to look like they just slapped on a square door frame and totally ignored the contours of the sides of the bus.

 

[bigskypc50]

Thanks guys, Mark thats one of the reason I really decided to buy it, it did not have that "messed up" roof line you are talking about.

Think I got most of the engine/drivetrain problem sorted out, so I turned my attention to the body. Sealed up the window stopped all the leaks, removed the seats and some of the rubber flooring. A mess, but not what above what I was expecting. I knew I had some soft spots

What is your guy's vote?
1. Cut out just the rotten parts patch with 5/8" ply, and then frame new floor on top.
2. Remove entire floor down to metal frame with new 5/8" Ply.
3. Just "cover over" the rotten floor with new framing and Ply.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

I cut and patched mine as I only had a few small areas that needed attention. Then I subfloored it with 1" insulation blue board. Worked great for our needs.

 

[rogerssj23]

Soft Spots and Mold

I have water damage and mold in the ceiling of my shuttle bus, but it’s all behind the fiberglass frame and I’d have to saw off a big chunk to get to it. Any suggestions???

 

[bigskypc50]

Do you mean you have mold between the roof and ceiling? Photos are worth a thousand words.

Well without seeing a photo, likely the only way to fix something like that correctly is to rip out the inside ceiling panels, find the source and fix the roof. If you can see water damage on your celling panels it's likely not fiberglass and you should be able to replace it with a nice wooded celling.

I have water damage and mold in the ceiling of my shuttle bus, but it’s all behind the fiberglass frame and I’d have to saw off a big chunk to get to it. Any suggestions???

 

[leadsled01-SKO]

Are you sure its mold? A lot of times the fiberglass insulation acts like an air filter and it really just dirt.

 

[rogerssj23]

Photos

Here are some photos of the interior.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure it’s mold and/or rot because the smell is horrendous.

In the photos you can see the kind of fiberglass/plywood/insulation/plexiglass layering I’m dealing with. This stuff is solidly glued together and I’m not sure how to go about getting it out without damaging the exterior plexiglass body.

There’s another thread where other skoolie members are doing their best to help me solve this (and many other) puzzles with my shuttle bus here:

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f9/discouraged-please-help-26796-3.html#post323875

Thank you so much for any and all feedback!

 

[leadsled01-SKO]

Oh man, you got one of those cardboard buses. IDK what to do with that.

 

[o1marc]

Where's the Plexi?

 

[rogerssj23]

Where's the Plexi?

It’s the exterior...I think...

 

[o1marc]

It’s the exterior...I think...

There is no plexi anywhere on your bus.

 

[rogerssj23]

There is no plexi anywhere on your bus.

Ok what am I looking at here, then? What’s the body of this bus made of, because it certainly isn’t metal.

 

[o1marc]

Ok what am I looking at here, then? What’s the body of this bus made of, because it certainly isn’t metal.

Fiberglass/composite paneling.

 

[bigskypc50]

With the other photos, on the other thread all that rust etc, and it being a cardboard bus. I hate to say but I would run not walk away from that one. Sell it for what you can get and buy a diff bus. I shutter to think what the frame fuel lines mounts and stuff look under there if the door and rockers are that far gone.