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Figured I would start a thread of my own since I don't see much in the way of how-to on this board anymore. I am in the middle of converting my 81 Intl with a 345 gas and auto tranny to a combination shop and RV. I have been using it for a shop for a few years already and it works great for that. I decided to keep the shop in the rear and convert the front half. So far I have almost finished the living area and about half of the kitchen area. One different thing I am doing is making the divider walls between the sections 3 to 4 inches thick. You may think this wastes space, but I configure all of them with shelves and access from at least one side. This actually gives me a good bit of storage without using too much space. My frames are of cheap 1 x 4 pine and everything is screwed and glued. Seems to be working out pretty nice so far. Just thought I would throw out the idea for grabs.
Before December the whole thing has to be finished (we are moving from Alaska to Spokane, Washington ), and I will post the travel result of the new conversion.
Happy Busin.
Lee
BE VERY CAREFULL, the wood from Alaska is frozen, and bringing it down to Washington state will make it melt and the walls will fall and you end up with no privacy anymore!!!
wrench.
LOL,LOL,LOL,
For your layout; that sounds like a novel solution. Here's mine;
Instead of raising the entire roof; I'm going to use all those extra windows to raise just the center section; like the old style Pullman cars. More headroom and plenty of light!
2> Instead of the fold out couch that makes a bed; I'm using a Murphy type bed in the bedroom. That will leave space for a computer desk during the day.
3> Not interior but another idea. My '75 International has air brakes. First off to conserve water; I'll use the greywater for the toilet. The grey water tank will be pressurized off the airtanks for the brakes. Also when I drain the blackwater tank; I will use the greywater to flush out the tank.
BTW, I'm on the Olympic Penninsula in Washington. Spopkane will be cold enough in December to keep the wood from melting.
Hey Dave,
That sounds like a great idea to raise just the center section. Thats all I can walk in anyway. I have thought of putting an arch of skylight material down the middle of my living area, but I'm not too good a welder and I thought it might be a bear to make the frame and tie it in to the existing ribs.
And Wrench, -- I am using a special wood imported from the lower 48 to make sure it won't melt when I get the rig back down there. The only problem is that it crystalizes up here in Alaska, and I have to be very careful working with it in order not to shatter it all to pieces. I broke a 1 X 4 into toothpicks yesterday by dropping it off my workbench.
Happy Busin,
Lee
While I can weld; my design uses screws and rivets. I work for Boeing and use the 'flex' idea as welding is too ridgid. I can e-mail you my drawings if you would like.
Hi. I'm new to the club, with a 1990 65 passenger Blue Bird on a Chevy chassis. (8.2 litre turbo diesel, 5 speed tranny, and a 2 speed rear end - I'm so excited!)
Any way, I want to start mounting stuff but don't know exactly what the framwork is like between and above the windows and in the ceiling. What I want to do is just drill holes and put screws in - without weakening the integrity or missing a primary point of strength.
Is there a place or some documentation around that depicts the construction of the body?
Dave, I would like to see your drawings. It does sound like a good alternative to raising the whole roof.
My email address is attached to my name.
Thanks.
I've got an 83 International (68 pass), that we've been using for the past 10 years. It's had the basics done, carpeting, pine kitchen and a few built ins. I've always loved camping in it as I never have to worry about the weather. My question is this - has anyone converted a bus into a horse trailer? I'm thinking there must be enough room for a 3 horse slant in back with lots of room left over for living quarters. Would it work? Where should I start? Anyone allready done it? I would love to see pic's if it's been done, or really appreciate idea's on how to start!
Designing and building the interior of a schoolie can be very challenging and rewarding. There is no one arrangement which will satisfy every one's needs. This is a highly individual matter. I would like to suggest a couple of books which will be of help when designing and building the interior of your bus. These books go into detail on such subjects as how to obtain interior ceiling roof patterns, build dinettes, bath room and wardrobe enclosures, kitchen cabinets, overhead cabinets, bed bases, dinette bases, bathrooms, etc. These books should be very helpful to anyone contemplating converting a schoolie into a motorhome or a specialized unit. They are entitled "Select and Convert Your Bus into a Motorhome,", and "How To Build Low-Cost Motorhomes." These books are available in either CD-ROM formal ($19.95 each) or in book form at $29.95 each, from rv-busconversions.com. Check them out!
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