Thomas C2 toy hauler build with too many batteries

[carleeno]

Yeah I'm full time working and have a young family demanding my attention. I'm about 1.5 years into mine but it was always meant to be a casual build for me.

One thing I've noticed about taking my time though is I think up stuff to do to my bus that I wouldn't have thought to do otherwise. Like polish items that some people do after they are done with the build. Like I don't need a trailer hitch but since I'm waiting on roof raise materials, why not build one in the mean time? Or adding a second fan to get double the windage since no AC. Or under coat my bus with a second coat to further protect the underside from rust. I'm gonna have a better bus for it but the downside is its not gonna be close to finished for another year or two. You'll be using yours very soon. Which is also cool.

Yeah it's nice when something is a part-time hobby and you get to just use it to kill time.

Because of my goal to hit the road with the bus in Feb I started out with a massive requirements list of things I needed/wanted...and aside from a couple of things I initially forgot to consider, I feel like adding onto that list is "feature creep" and should be punted to a later phase (updates or future bus)...but that's just the project manager in me poking through lol


But it's days like yesterday where it takes all day to clean and prime 2 window deletes and install 1 temporarily that I realize my deadline is still very much at risk.

 

[carleeno]

Seeing what you have done so far, I ain't betting against you. How can I get unemployed? I'm getting old & tired.

Give me your employer's number, I can make that happen for you :biggrin:

 

[carleeno]

Window deletes, part 1


The last couple of days I've started on the window deletes, and aside from it going reasonably well, I've learned a lot, and need to figure out how to make this go faster (any tips appreciated). The biggest slowdown seems to be cleaning the oil off and priming, but I'll circle back to this below...


As you already saw in my last update, I picked up 4 sheets of 18 gauge, I was definitely nervous it'd either come uncoated and rusty, or have that nasty thick wax stuff on it. To see them come super clean and coated with a very thin/light oil, I was super happy to say the least.


Cutting them was a breeze with a set of electric shears that I had purchased years ago for a van conversion (funny, I bought them to add a window to a vehicle, now I'm using them to remove windows from a vehicle)

Compared to using an angle grinder, they leave such a clean cut that doesn't need to be cleaned up (I still break the edges with a deburring tool) and isn't burnt. Downside is that it takes a very steady hand to make a straight cut, there's no flat surface on the sheers to use against a fence.


I quickly knocked out all of the cuts, predrilled all the holes (except for the 2 rear panels where holes had to line up with existing screws), and deburred everything. It was going great!


I bought a few rattle cans of self-etching automovie primer (rustoleum) just to spray the edges that would be hidden after install. I formed a plan of masking off the middle, cleaning/sanding/priming the edges, and then doing the rest on the bus later when everything gets painted.


So I made a mark 3.5" from the edges, and started trying to clean the oil off just to that mark with mineral spirits, and not only was I already using a lot of paper towels, I kept recontaminating the clean part with oil bleeding over from the middle. I couldn't put down tape first because it wouldn't stick well to the oil.


So I decided to just do the whole panel, and see how far a rattle can goes.


I wouldn't be lying to say it took 30 pieces of paper towel per panel, because I could only wipe once from one side to the other before tossing it, otherwise I'd just spread the oil around (I used up a lot more paper towel on the first panel figuring this out).


Then I wet sanded with a 400 grit sanding sponge, which was surprisingly quick and easy, wiped down again, and then sprayed with 3 light coats of primer. (note the mineral spirits and 400 grit sanding were both specifically recommended by the primer instructions)


>60 paper towels and 2 rattle cans later:

(that's after wet sanding it again to get rid of the extremely coarse texture, and a bit of touchup around the edges that will be hidden once installed)


So what did I learn from this? I need a spray gun to do the rest of the panels, and I need to hang them to paint. A friend will loan me his electric graco sprayer, and I think I might hang the panels inside the bus from the ceiling to paint, just need to cover up the front cab and rear windows from overspray.


I also learned that I need a better way to clean these. Maybe paper towels just don't hold enough oil (these are bounty though)? So maybe cloth rags or even microfiber (jeez $$$) would work better to reduce time and waste. Or maybe use pressure instead, like those spray cans of degreaser or even a pressure washer?
Or is there a better cleaning agent than mineral spirits for this task? The oil feels and smells like the 3-in-1 oil, it's thin, clear, and spreads really quickly.


Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated for that.




I also decided to tackle a test-fit of one of the rear panels...mostly because it's the largest width between supports (40" instead of 30", I have 60" and 90" as well but those have supports every 30"); and also because it requires to reuse some existing screws along the rear edge that hold on the panel rearward of the last window.


Doing this solo was definitely a bit sketchy...


First I had to get the hinges on my dad's old convertible ladder unstuck so it'd go into scaffolding mode, halfway through I was about to just go buy a new one lol. The hinges are riveted together, with a complex mechanism inside that is binding up...so it took a lot of persuasion with a hammer to break things loose, and it still doesn't work right, but it locked well enough to be safe (as safe as it gets).


Suction cups to lift the panel, held it in place with clamps and scrap wood, and marked out where the existing screws land. They're not spaced evenly nor are they colinear...I feel like Thomas just has a dude free-handing these screws in the factory.


I removed the panel, drilled those holes (oversized), and reinstalled with a couple of screws to check my accuracy, and mark one last hole that I could access from the inside

Only 1 hole was off enough that it needed filing, I marked the 2nd hole, and removed it again to file the bad hole and drill the last one.


Then I hoisted it back up for the 3rd, but not final, time (can I just say how sketchy it is to stand on that scaffolding, with both hands on the suction cups for the panel, which is wobbly, and there's no rails on the scaffolding??) to put a few more screws in and see how solid it feels...

Overall I'm really happy with the fit and how well it takes the curvature of the wall.


From the inside I immediately forgot there was a window there...it was really messing with my head. I can't wait to see what it's like when all 13 holes are closed off

Of course this panel has to come back off to get painted and reinstall with either butyl tape (if it can be squished down enough) or some kind of sealant.




I did consider the way nocoasty and other's made window deletes which slot into the hole the same way a window would, but there ended up being a few reasons that didn't work for me:


1. (the biggest reason) the walls are curved, not just tapered. So the window deletes have to be curved to match and look right. If I fold the vertical edges in to seal against the inside flange of the hat channels, that fold would prevent the panel from taking the curvature. I'd have to make a bunch of cuts in those folds adding time, and possibly ending up with wrinkles.
2. if the panels go in-between the hat channels, there will be a lot more seams that need to be sealed, and the sealant would be directly facing the elements (sun, dust storms, etc) as well as being visible from outside. By using flat panels that go over the existing sheet metal of the bus, the sealant goes in-between the flat panels, isn't visible, and isn't directly exposed to the elements.
3. by using flat panels, I can use larger sheets to cover multiple windows at once, reducing seams.
4. the existing construction of the bus is using multiple flat panels with overlaps, so this matches that, and will look nicer
5. And finally, I didn't want to buy a sheet metal brake just for window deletes, and didn't know anybody with one I could use


Oh and the bus conveniently has a continuous gutter above the window openings that my deletes tuck up into so that the upper seam can't hold water.



The potential downside of the flat panels is that they're "wobbly" (they flip from a horizontal curvature to a vertical curvature). However once screwed to the bus they take up the curvature of the walls, and they resist wobbling unless I press in from the outside. Once the spray foam is behind these panels, they'll be completely solid anyway and will entirely resist wobbling.




Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll have the deletes fully finished and installed by end of this week, along with the roof hatch and 8-way flasher deletes. This means that the bus will be ready to spray foam and paint very soon

 

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Give me your employer's number, I can make that happen for you :biggrin:

BR-549 is the number to call:

 

[desrtdog]

Simple Green is my go to degreaser for bike chains…For the panels, use it full strength with a sponge/ScotchBrite pad, hose it down, dry and then wipe them down with acetone before priming…

 

[carleeno]

Simple Green is my go to degreaser for bike chains…For the panels, use it full strength with a sponge/ScotchBrite pad, hose it down, dry and then wipe them down with acetone before priming…

It's funny, I remembered I had a gallon of simple green and decided to try it for the next panels I do, and then promptly forgot . Scotchbrite is a great idea because it'll mechanically mix the simple green and oil before hosing it off, but it won't saturate with oil over time.

 

[nikitis]

A trick you can do for holding the panels using the suction cups is use the cups at the top of the panel instead of the middle like you did in the pictures you provided, and tie a strap to the handles, throw over the roof, and have a counter weight on the other side of the bus over the roof to make those panels weigh almost zero. Just use a counter weight that is close to the weight of the panel, and something that won't scratch or ding up the other side of the bus. But if you plan on painting it does it really matter?

What I'd do since you bought suction cups.

 

[carleeno]

A trick you can do for holding the panels using the suction cups is use the cups at the top of the panel instead of the middle like you did in the pictures you provided, and tie a strap to the handles, throw over the roof, and have a counter weight on the other side of the bus over the roof to make those panels weigh almost zero. Just use a counter weight that is close to the weight of the panel, and something that won't scratch or ding up the other side of the bus. But if you plan on painting it does it really matter?

What I'd do since you bought suction cups.

Great idea! In fact it made me start thinking about multiple ways to support the panels from above, and the window gutter ended up being perfect to clamp the suction cup to with a trigger clamp:

I've been moving kind of slow the last couple of days thanks to a progressing foot/ankle injury that I'm trying to keep from getting too bad. So I've mostly been load testing my batteries to catalog them by capacity, which is a very slow process...plus a few "fiddly" things like scraping off stickers, so I'll combine a few days (or a week maybe) into the next writeup.

 

[nikitis]

Glad the suggestion worked out for you.

And there's nothing slow about your build, but be careful, the little luls you take here and there is how it starts for all of us.

 

[carleeno]

Window (and other) deletes, part 2


Well, so much for hoping to have this complete by end of this week lol...I'm maybe halfway there, not quite, but hoping it goes faster now that I've done a few and figured some things out.


I also got distracted with hatch deletes and 8-way deletes (thus the "other" above).


We had a few rainy/humid days, so priming was out of the question since I'm effectively doing it outside, and my foot/ankle was getting worse so I knew I needed to take a break from ladders and constantly running up and down the bus steps. So I just worked on a few loose ends.


First loose end...cut away some of the upper support where the shower skylight goes to maximize headroom:

I tell you what, I'm loving these metal nibblers more and more...I try to use them instead of the angle grinder to minimize dust and noise, and man they're honestly faster, and leaves a much cleaner cut. Like using a jigsaw, you gotta get creative cutting out notches like this though.

There's still plenty of meat there for structural support (most of the load bearing is in the curved part and the bottom lip, as those can't buckle as easily).


Just now as I'm looking at it, I feel like I might want to take a round file to the corners to ensure it can't stress crack...probably not needed, but should do it to be safe.




I also decided to start removing some of the reflective stickers...mostly because there's some reflective strips on the window borders that I want to remove before installing the window deletes, as it'll be harder to remove afterwards.


So I started with a tip I read somewhere else (not sure if here, or r/skoolies) to use a torch and heat until it starts to bubble, then scrape off. I sat down and worked on the large lower "School bus" lettering and reflective backer...


It went horribly. There was basically not enough temperature difference between the sticker bubbling and the paint bubbling...so I ended up ruining a fair bit of paint before giving up and trying something different. It also looked like the metal underneath was some sort of galvanization, but smoother than normal galvanized. I did some research and it turns out it's galvannealed. It's more paintable than normal galvanized, however it's still not great for paint adhesion...that might explain why my original bus paint isn't too determined to stay on.


I had a glass scraper (the kind with razor blades) to remove the emergency lettering from the glass, and figured I'd try it next on the body stickers...and oh my god that was a game changer. It was so easy, and did very minimal (if any) damage to the paint.


Bottom left: glass scraper. Bottom right: torch and metal scraper

Just a little sample of how satisfying it was...

Then I decided to fully install the 2 deletes which I had already primed with self-etching primer rattle cans. Thanks to @nikitis to spark some ideas how to make it easier to hold the panel in place...this technique worked out pretty well

I threw one of the old windows in mainly to fill the hole rather than putting the plastic back up, but also to see how it "felt"...and figure out if I still want to use the old windows (with new frames of course)

It helped me to realize that I want to try to reduce the massive "forehead" on the window frame by moving the glass up when I make new frames, so when looking from inside the top of the window is above eye level.




I used my clamps to squeeze down the butyl tape between the screws so the panel lay as flat as possible against the original bus body...later this gap will get a small bead of sealant to act as a first defense, with the butyl tape as a backup.

The next "little" task I thought I'd knock out quickly was to remove the 8-ways and trace them to make the deletes for them, since they're not simple circles as on other buses.


Also I knew I needed to fully remove them and not just paint over them because the front ones were cracked and leaky

I started with a rear one because it was easier to access from the inside, and first tried to cut away the sealant inside...but still not enough room to get a blade all the way around it.


To get an understanding of how these are installed (the bulb type, not the new LED ones which are easy to replace), the housing is installed from the outside, then sealant is applied on the inside to "sandwich" it around the metal body panel. So this is why I was trying to cut around the sealant on the inside...but that wasn't happening on the sides and bottom edges as the framing is in the way.


So then I was trying to cut and pry around the edge from the outside, but the body panel is recessed where the lights go, so it wasn't possible to get a blade around it either.




So I had the bright idea to buy some windshield cut-out wire and use that. It arrived 2 days later and I gave it a try from the outside...it quickly cut through the sealant, but was really struggling to cut through the plastic. I couldn't use it from inside-to-outside as intended because the housing reflector part was in the way...so I eventually gave up on that and decided they're coming out no matter what, so I grabbed the hammer...

It was not brittle at all...it took the hardest whacks I could dish out and it was barely breaking, not enough to help remove it. I tried to hammer the lens itself and it was indestructible, at least without a bigger hammer.


So then I took my multi tool and started cutting out the lens, now I just needed to figure out how it was constructed, and cutting away the lens might help me to use the cut-out wire the proper way.

The wire still wasn't cooperating, but a piece of the bezel finally broke off and I could finally understand the construction, and how to remove it.


So I took my multi tool and cut about 5/8" in from the outside of the bezel, all the way around, this allowed me to fully remove the bezel, and essentially the outside layer of the "sandwich"

Then a strong push from the outside, and pull from the inside, I was able to break past the remaining sealant and free the housing.

After a bit of scraping with the knife to remove the sealant (and some paint), finally have a big hole!

The next one I was able to remove the entire bezel intact, to use to trace the patch panel

The fronts where much easier to remove, because the bottom edge wasn't a sandwich, and being so dry rotted they just busted out with little effort

After cleaning up most of the sealant...

Note that the fronts are a different size/shape than the rears. After tracing and cutting the panels for them...

...I only had the roof hatch deletes left, and that'd be all the metal patch panels ready to prime and install. I figured I'd want to paint them all at once (boy was that funny to think I could do them all at once) so I moved on to the roof next.




The roof hatches were finally something easily removable! They were only held in by the trim ring which I had already removed, and some butyl tape. No screws, rivets, or adhesive

While up there I determined that I'd definitely need to reseal the lap joints and coat the roof with an elastomeric coating, but that's for later. I cut 26" x 26" panels and predrilled holes to screw them down at 8" spacing, and they'll also be installed with butyl tape and edge sealant.


Side note: I'm removing both original hatches because I want to maximize solar panels, so I don't yet know where I will have room to put vents. I am putting skylights in, both are right next to each other (hallway and shower) to minimize solar panel layout disruption. The bathroom is getting a 6" dome fan that'll fit under the solar panels, and the forward area and garage area will get vent fans once I figure out how much room I have left for them so I can choose the largest that will fit (I love the maxxfan deluxe)





With all the panels ready to clean and prime...I decided to convert the bus into a spray booth to spray as many panels at once using an airless sprayer a friend is letting me use.

I set up plastic, sealed around all the sides, a box fan blowing into the space with a filter, and another filter at the top for exhaust where the forward roof hatch was

So I now had a fully filtered cross-flow ventilated paint booth...fancy!

Sadly it could only fit about 1/3 of the deletes down the middle (so I could spray both sides)...but in the end it worked out much nicer than painting outside.




Now for the paint/primer. I went into this knowing basically nothing about paint, other than compatibility is important. So I started doing research to figure out what primer would be "direct to metal", tough, and compatible with whatever paint I might want to use on the bus when the time comes to paint it.

I finally decided on tractor paint, a tough oil based enamel, mostly because it's cheap, tough, and it's literally what Thomas uses at the factory it seems.


So I picked up a gallon of rustoleum grey tractor primer from tractor supply...got the first set of panels cleaned and wet sanded (simple green with scotchbrite pad and hose off worked so much better, thanks for that tip!) and hung them up to paint and wiped them down with mineral spirits.

I unboxed the airless sprayer, started reading the manual, found out quickly that oil-based paints are ok as long as they're only "combustible", but not "flammable". Let me check that primer I just bought....fkkkk it's flammable.

I know enough about pumping liquids from a prior job to know that high pressure pumping and spraying of a flammable liquid is a very bad idea unless EVERYTHING is grounded and all devices are intrinsically safe. Not only is the high pressure pump possibly able to cause it to self-combust, but when spraying a material static charge tends to build up as well.


It was already getting dark, the metal bare and eager to rust, so I went to lowes and bought 6 rattle cans of cheap automotive primer at $6.90 a can (bulk savings, yay...)


I picked up a "comfort grip" for rattle cans as well.


In the end, having a nice controlled environment to spray in, and the comfort grip, I hated rattle cans slightly less, and the panels turned out "certified good enough"


Coverage is a little more than 1 "window" per can, spraying the full panel on the outside, and the edges that will be hidden on the inside (leaving the inside center portion bare metal as the spray foam will coat that).

Anyway, that's it for this week... I'm going to stop trying to predict what I'll have accomplished by end of next week as it's bound to cause delays just by saying it lol.

 

[nikitis]

A few thoughts. I’ve had great luck with the rustoleum self etching primer I’m covering my whole bus with it. I even did some test areas on the body outside and it creates a perfect roughness to hold paint on. I may just end up using the spray can for the whole bus paint job to save me a sanding step.

On the lights good info. No one has documented lights removal on those model buses so it will help out others searching later. Also on that. Thomas themselves did my light covers exactly like you are doing with the flat cutouts but they riveted them in on mine. Not sure in your plan on riveting out if you even can with that style but if you want to keep to Thomas light deletion spec historically, gotta use rivets.

I’m working towards roof hatch panel myself but am currently on my first family trip in my bus as is basically using it as a metal tent with insulated floors. I had to hold off the hatch panel cover because I’ve realized as I camp it can let out heat when too hot so until I’m ready to do the whole max air setup it’ll have to wait to convert that up.

Luckily here at Myrtle beach state park I got to experience two different temperatures with only two nights stay. It was 82 degrees with humidity the first night making the hatch to open necessary. The second night it dropped 30 degrees and was dry not needing to open the hatch.

On that same note I don’t think I can use a max air fan solution because they stick out too far and will get in the way of my solar panels. I have a shorty so every square inch counts up there.

You may not have to worry about these issues though cause you’re not gonna camp in it until it’s finished likely.

 

[carleeno]

A few thoughts. I’ve had great luck with the rustoleum self etching primer I’m covering my whole bus with it. I even did some test areas on the body outside and it creates a perfect roughness to hold paint on. I may just end up using the spray can for the whole bus paint job to save me a sanding step.

That's what I started with but they didn't have much in stock...and I was kind of in an angered hurry to prime these panels once I found out I couldn't use the airless sprayer lol. I'll do a peel test once they're cured with some masking tape to see how good adhesion is.


Which sanding step will you save if you use spray cans?

On the lights good info. No one has documented lights removal on those model buses so it will help out others searching later. Also on that. Thomas themselves did my light covers exactly like you are doing with the flat cutouts but they riveted them in on mine. Not sure in your plan on riveting out if you even can with that style but if you want to keep to Thomas light deletion spec historically, gotta use rivets.

Thanks, yeah it was a **** of a chore trying to rip the first one out until I figured out the trick...I think I spent a full day on it in total (8-10 hours) trying different crap. So that's absolutely why I'm sharing lol.
Your bus looks really smooth, I can't even see rivets or the edge of the panels. I was thinking about spot welding them on, there unfortunately isn't much overlap so not much room for screws or rivets, and I'd rather not see the heads of either on these panels...so I'm half-considering stripping the paint back and using PL premium on the edges to glue it on permanently, or spot welding if my little spot welder can put out enough juice for 18 gauge.

I’m working towards roof hatch panel myself but am currently on my first family trip in my bus as is basically using it as a metal tent with insulated floors. I had to hold off the hatch panel cover because I’ve realized as I camp it can let out heat when too hot so until I’m ready to do the whole max air setup it’ll have to wait to convert that up.

Luckily here at Myrtle beach state park I got to experience two different temperatures with only two nights stay. It was 82 degrees with humidity the first night making the hatch to open necessary. The second night it dropped 30 degrees and was dry not needing to open the hatch.

I was just reading about your trip last night, exciting!
And yeah I definitely won't be camping in it in the next few weeks before spray foam, at which point the hatches have to be patched up. And who knows what might come up, buy my current plan indeed is to just keep the bus as a construction site until it's ready to hit the road to AZ in Feb, with hopefully a minimum completion of utilities and bedroom. With the rear garage/shop I could finish the rest on the road

On that same note I don’t think I can use a max air fan solution because they stick out too far and will get in the way of my solar panels. I have a shorty so every square inch counts up there.

Take a look at MaxxAir's other fans, only the Deluxe sticks out horizontally, I have the same concern...though it's nice to use the Deluxe even in the rain. The Maxxfan Dome is what I'm putting in the bathroom, it works in the rain too, as long as it's not blowing sideways; it can also be wall-mounted. I got mine this week and it seems to move a decent amount of air for a bathroom fan (it's a 6" centrifugal blower), but not nearly as much as the Plus/Deluxe.


Looks like the mini could be mounted under a solar panel, but only has a 6" axial fan in a 14" housing which seems silly. I'd rather use the 6" dome fan if I'm shoving something small under a panel.

You could at least do the Maxxfan Plus with rain sensor, it's the same as the deluxe but doesn't take up all that overhead space.

You can tell I love Maxair lol, I've previously owned both a Maxxfan and a Fantastic fan and the Fantastic was junk compared to the Maxxfan...it was louder, not in a good way, the power lid was janky and felt like the mechanism would break, and the fan bearings started to get noisy in 1 summer of usage. On the other hand the Maxxfan was used daily for a year with no issue at all, always remained quiet as a breeze

 

[nikitis]

I’ll look into the low profile max air stuff then. I want the practicality but need it to fit right. No room to stick up. Even if it costs more.

Here is a closeup of my Thomas made light cover. Rivets make more sense for my body style. I think a spot weld for yours would work better. I wouldn’t rely solely on glue.

 

[carleeno]

Window (and other) deletes, part 3

This week was super productive!



Sunday was an "off" day, so I decided to do something easy and fun and install the new LED projector headlights to replace the extremely hazy and dim factory headlights, that were swirled from a previous attempt to make them clear (it looked like they took 320 grit sandpaper to them then gave up lol). And I figured I'd remove the cross mirrors while I'm at it, I'll fully remove the mounts and patch the holes eventually, but I was tired of having to duck every time I walked in front of the bus.


These are just Freightliner M2 headlights, since the B2 and M2 chassis are basically identical, which the Thomas C2 is built off the B2.



Before and after:

This is low beams, the ground slopes away but you can see the top beam cutoff on the metal buildings in the distance:

Annoyingly there is also a bottom cutoff to the low beam, so the near-range light coverage is a little lacking, it's exaggerated by the ground sloping away in the pic. I may add fog lights just to light up the near-range area which is helpful in slow maneuvering.


But all in all, I'm super happy with these lights, and I compared them side-by-side with a Tesla's LED headlights, and the low beam wasn't quite as bright as the Tesla's low beam (which is good, the Tesla's low beam is honestly too bright and dazzles oncoming cars when cresting over hills), and the high beam is equal brightness to the Tesla's high beams (that's saying a lot). The spread is decent, not as wide or high as the Tesla, but still a **** of an improvement over the halogens.




Anyway, Monday, back to real work, I was able to get the first of the large panels up along with a couple of small ones:

Tuesday, I had help again so cleaned and prep'd the rest of the panels, and hung round 2 to be sprayed

You can see I made some upgrades to the box fan filtration. Originally I just had the filter taped to the back of the fan, but the fan was recirculating air back in from the corners around the blades, and avoiding the filter for the most part. So I taped the fan to the back of this box, covered the corners to prevent blow-by out the back, and now I could finally feel air moving through the filter itself.


After priming those, I muscled the panels down by myself and hung and sprayed round 3, the final round

You can see the massacre of spray cans in the background :biggrin:




Wednesday had a bit of help to get another large panel up and installed. It's definitely tricky muscling it in place with the butyl tape, ensuring it's correctly positioned before letting too much of the tape stick.

One side of the bus is closed in!


Then I started on the light deletes...I used a wire wheel to take off the sealant residue (and paint) to make sure the surface was nice and flat and clean

A touch of primer

I ended up going with rivets here to save space (I had very little overlap, screws would have busted through the inner edge).
And I figured rivets would make nikitis happy that I'm keeping Thomas tradition alive :wink1:


Another touchup of primer, and I'm really happy with how it looks.

I'll have to run a bead of sealant around the edge and over the rivets, because I didn't use butyl tape on these as I thought the rivets wouldn't provide enough clamping force to really squeeze it down.




I also went ahead and installed the forward roof hatch panel, but ran out of time for the forward light deletes and the rear hatch panel:

I'm using butyl tape here as well, but will also seal the edges with either Dicor or Eternabond.



Thursday was heavy rain, so I switched gears to furring strips for the wall that had all the deletes installed.

The reason for different sizes (thicknesses mostly) of the furring strips to keep the wall as vertical as possible until it has to curve inwards, plus down low it gives me plenty of room for wiring and plumbing between the insulation and wall panels.


Notice the middle strip covers the bottom of the window, I put it as high as possible while still able to remove the windows (when lifting up to free the bottom from the sheet metal, it also frees it from the furring strip). The spacers behind that strip prevent it from clamping the window down.


I may make custom frames, but I still figured I'd play it safe and make my build compatible with unmodified factory windows.


I also had to mentally plan out how I'd handle the door frame/trim, and window trim, ensuring I don't annoy future carleeno too much with dumb/rushed decisions by past carleeno installing furring strips in terrible locations.




Then finally Friday was a milestone...the final window delete is installed, and no more plastic sheet covering the bus!

After that I went back to furring strips, I had to make a minor adjustment and remove the spacers on the 2nd row of strips to get the effect I was looking for, after verifying it with a test board, I was able to get the bottom half of the wall within an 1/8" vertical and straight, then it curves inwards in the top half of the wall...here's that test board so you can see the profile:

I then cut some spacer boards which really helped to get all the strips in at the right height without having the measure, and made holding them in place before screwing much easier:

And then knocked out the rest of the strips for that wall...

...and got the top 2 rows installed for the other wall before I ran out of steam

Side note, I was originally using that sill seal insulation between the wood furring strips and metal to try to minimize thermal bridging...however it was significantly slowing me down to cut the pieces and hold them in place while screwing in the strips...and when I realized they were being fully compressed (you could hear the air bubbles popping out) when screwing down the strips, I concluded they weren't providing any kind of thermal barrier, at least not much better than the wood itself...so about halfway through I just stopped using them.


I try not to let it bug me that half of it has the sill seal, and half of it doesn't lol.




Last couple of notable things....I got my solar panels ordered! I snagged a **** of a deal on some 74" by 41" 410w half-cut QCELL panels at $110 each, I had to buy a min qty of 10, but I managed to sell the 2 extra panels I can't fit on the roof before I even placed the order :biggrin:


The size worked out perfectly to get me almost 3300 watts on the roof, considering it's not a full length, and a dog nose, and I still have room for 2 skylights and a MaxxFan Deluxe, I'm super happy with that.
The rearmost panel will hang over the back by 18"...I think I'm ok with that...but I could rig up the rear panels on a slider system to slide forward and cover the skylights while in transit to avoid the overhang (or if I don't want sun in the skylights). But to save time, I'll just fix them with the overhang for now, and change it easily later if needed.


Since I finally nailed down my solar panel arrangement, I went ahead and ordered the Maxxfan deluxe, it's going all the way at the front of the bus, where there's not only enough room for the larger lid of the deluxe, but is the most efficient place for it, as the front of the bus is the least insulated, so the fan will suck the hot air out of the front while pulling in cool air from one the windows further back.


Oh and I finally got the spray foam insulation scheduled, I was hoping to get it scheduled for before Thanksgiving...however due to a recent flooding at the office of the spray foam place the day after they quoted me, they got set back a good bit and couldn't schedule me until Dec 13th...hopefully it'll still be warm enough to get the metal walls up to 70f with just the turbo heaters inside the bus. At least I don't have to keep rushing to get it ready to insulate anymore.






Anyway, man what a week it's been...this evening after finishing up I just sat in my camping chair inside the finally-enclosed bus and soaked it in for about an hour :marshmallow:

 

[nikitis]

I literally \o/ when I saw you use rivets! It looks so good!

I decided to stick with all incandescents on my bus simply because it's an older bus and classic 80-90s look. The warm glow it gives off compared to crisp LEDs is sacred to me. It's like comparing LED Christmas lights on the tree vs older incandescents which gives off a spiritual glow. My bus will achieve the same. When I see my bus at a gas station or on the road and people look at it at night it looks like a ghost out of time. If I replace with LEDs it will look more modern. I'm aiming to keep the original look but with fresh paint.

I do have to take the lights off and give most of them a 3M sanding treatment as the lenses are fogged. My headlights aren't fogged. But aren't aligned either. I had to 3D print replacement light clip holders and I never took the time to adjust them right. I had my high beams going as regular lighting cause they were pointed down so low lol

You've now blown past my build with the firing strips. I'm doing a roof raise so just waiting for funds. In my waiting period and after doing my trip I decided to proceed with the front cab and start doing all the electronic upgrades to that area since I do not have to wait for the roof raise there. I bought some USB C charging ports that also have the Batteries Voltage displayed as well. Comes with two USB C and one USB A port and replaced your cigarette lighter. It's round. But I don't have a cigarette lighter so I will just hardwire it into the Key On solenoid directly and ground it on the body..

I also realized after these last trips I made that I'm holding my phone in hand for GPS. So I'm buying two phone/iPad holders and will screw mount the mounts to the dash so they are free floating off to the sides of my steering wheel.

It's the little things for me right now I'm thinking about. My wife was also asking for a charging port while on the trip to which I could not provide to her so I will order another round port to install in the floor under the couch for her devices

Good progress on the build keep it up. Electrical is next for you. You can start on the 120V setup now while waiting on those panels.

 

[carleeno]

I literally \o/ when I saw you use rivets! It looks so good!
...
Good progress on the build keep it up. Electrical is next for you. You can start on the 120V setup now while waiting on those panels.

Haha thanks, glad you approve

Yeah I had an older truck years ago and hated LED headlights and cab lights for it...so I went back to the nice warm lights for it for the same reason...the bright/cold lighting didn't match the look of the truck. I'm glad you're keeping it classic, but you still might want to consider new lenses and bulbs to get as much brightness and spread as possible. It's a rabbit hole to go down for sure, and been a long time since I looked into upgraded halogen lenses, but might be worth considering. The last thing you want is to ram a ram at night because you saw it too late for stopping a 30,000 lbs bus after all.


I think my next bus might be something classic...but that's likely far far in the future, and for now I'm going for a very modern vibe.


There's definitely plenty I can keep working on while waiting on the spray foam, but I actually don't want to trap any wiring or plumbing in the spray foam if at all possible. Just for the sake of future upgrades and repair-ability.
So until the insulation goes in, I'll be figuring out a lot of small details like how to seal the fuel filler area from the inside, where and how the tanks will mount, cutting holes for vents and plumbing, and "masking" off all the marker lights from the spray foam using fiberglass stuffed in a piece of paper towel roll around the wiring.

And maybe even get to some bodywork and paint if I still have time to kill before the SPF goes in...but I have a feeling I have enough on my plate as it is for the next few weeks


And yea, all of the little things you find when using the bus are key, I have a good mental idea of things I want having lived on the road several times before in different kinds of vehicles. All of my 120v outlets will have USB ports built in, and I'm going to install an Android Auto 4-camera DVR combo unit that will handle blind spot cameras, security, and navigation/music all in one (at least until I get annoyed at it and integrate my own system in the future, maybe...).


Btw, relating to your roof raise...I know a lot of people do transitions and keep the front low, but a couple of people have expressed they wish they just raised the whole roof, transitions are awkward...then I saw a bus with an entire roof raise and I didn't even realize it had a roof raise at first, it looked so clean and factory. So you might want to consider making your forward cut above the window and raise the entire forehead as well, then you'll keep that neat look your bus has of being higher in the front.


Here's that full roof raise:
https://www.reddit.com/r/skoolies/comments/15wv9ad/saving_dorm_cost_for_college/

 

[nikitis]

The last thing you want is to ram a ram at night because you saw it too late for stopping a 30,000 lbs bus after all.

When you are the bus, you are the RAM! haha j/k... sort of.

There's definitely plenty I can keep working on while waiting on the spray foam, but I actually don't want to trap any wiring or plumbing in the spray foam if at all possible. Just for the sake of future upgrades and repair-ability.

I would trap it in the spray foam. not bare wire, but use conduit and add some extra rope in the conduit so you can send fresh wiring through it later if you need to, and spray foam around the conduit.

Btw, relating to your roof raise...I know a lot of people do transitions and keep the front low, but a couple of people have expressed they wish they just raised the whole roof, transitions are awkward...then I saw a bus with an entire roof raise and I didn't even realize it had a roof raise at first, it looked so clean and factory. So you might want to consider making your forward cut above the window and raise the entire forehead as well, then you'll keep that neat look your bus has of being higher in the front.

I actually have a raised cap so I have no choice but to raise the full roof. It was never a question for me to do it the other way. Full Roof end to end lifted plus windows. I'm lifting the windows up too and making my cut under the windows. Not between them. It will look factory when I'm finished to keep the classic look.

 

[carleeno]

I would trap it in the spray foam. not bare wire, but use conduit and add some extra rope in the conduit so you can send fresh wiring through it later if you need to, and spray foam around the conduit.

Not a bad idea...I was just going to run the wiring between the furring strips and along the existing wire chase, conduit would protect from an accidental nail/screw...but then again I hate fishing wire through conduit, so I'm going to try to make most of the wiring run through fully accessible chases, remove a few screws and have full access to all the wires (or to add more wires).

I don't have a ton of bare wall so this is actually kind of easy, there's a lot of cabinets and such that would accommodate false-panels in the back for running wire.

I actually have a raised cap so I have no choice but to raise the full roof. It was never a question for me to do it the other way. Full Roof end to end lifted plus windows. I'm lifting the windows up too and making my cut under the windows. Not between them. It will look factory when I'm finished to keep the classic look.

Nice! Glad to hear that, when you said working on the front part that isn't affected by the raise I thought you meant there would be a transition...I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

 

[nikitis]

Where in NC are you at roughly?

I’m near Charlotte.

 

[carleeno]

Where in NC are you at roughly?

I’m near Charlotte.

Oh! I'm not far from you! I sent you a DM