When do you quit??

[rex_1_mn]

I have been changing layouts and considering different things for quite a while.....

I have been planning on taking out all windows, skinning over them, and Installing insulation throughout (hopefully in the ceiling too) and installing RV windows...


So while I am at it should I do the roof raise or not??? I can currently stand in the bus and should have an inch or two to spare when flooring is done.

I am on somewhat of a timeline and a budget..... How much more cost does this involve? How much more labor than I am already considering??

Can this be done with a good 110Volt mig?

Thanks
Tony

 

[Crazy]

Unless you can work really, really fast, I would forget about the roof raise if your deadline is not too far off. Have you done that kind of work before?

 

[rex_1_mn]

I am thinking that I will put it off maybe the second bus.......

As long as I can stand up in it when Im finished I think I will call it good....

Just want others thoughts.

 

[madpsalmer]

I have kicked around the same question Tony and the answer I keep going back to is change is good. Since we have a simple design and I change it up to suit our needs from time to time.

The question on raising the roof and doing windows becomes a huge outlay of time and money. A little welder should handle all the sheet metal work you are thinking of doing. It seems if you are limited by budget keep it simple don't go too big to quick maybe attack it in sections do the re-model then save up and do the roof when your ready and the time is right, or begin to purchase the supplies needed over time and when you have the supplies do it then.

Just my 2 cents

 

[stonestatue-SKO]

I'm like that too. I can be OCD with such projects. I'll have an idea once I start on the bus then I'll want to make changes along the way, and if I allow myself to do that, I could literally never finish my bus. You need to start with practical blueprints and stick with that, only modifying it if you really want to do it.

 

[Redbear]

There are two basic schools - get started and convert as-you-go, or plan everything out, and do it once, getting it right the first time.
Most people are more or less in the first school. Smitty's bus is an example of the latter.

Time, budget, skill sets, helpers,and the availability of found versus purchased materials are individual conditions that create a unique "When do you quit" point for each Skoolie.

 

[lornaschinske]

We are a combination of both. We started with a basic plan in mind. It was a slightly modified floor plan that I had laid out years ago for the Eagle. That floor plan was drawn up and then refined over our first year of fulltiming in the Class C. A few modifications were made to accommodate the structural differences of the Bluebird. Also we added a few "new" items (like the fireplace mantle). We first started with the exterior since we had the bus sitting in my daughter's back yard and could do things like paint, pull the windows out and some minor body work. Next our goal was to get the bus to the "metal tent" stage so that we could live in it while we finished the conversion. This included hanging tanks (but not used) along with a hooked up vintage Mansfield Traveler 910 toilet and a cold water only vanity sink. The toilet still needs a gasket (leaks) and a vacuum breaker installed.

Since being in the campground we have gotten most of the insulation installed, "paneling" on the walls, part of the galley installed, the shower installed, the fresh water tank installed & most of the plumbing hooked up, most of the hydronic heat system installed, and we are still quietly working on completing the bus to what we consider the basic conversion which is pretty much liveable with out the "extras". Complete conversion will include a dishwasher, finished/heated water & storage bays, our air compressor installed under the bus, washer & LP dryer and a generator (size & fuel to be decided on). And we make changes the whole time. Until a thing is installed, it can be changed. That's no guarantee it won't be changed. We did redo the black tank drain & waste valve. It's now all 3" including the ball valve (had to order one)