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I purchased a used schoolbus in december 2002. It's a 1991 Ford/Ward diesel with an auto trans. the conversion is nearly complete. Improvements include, insulating the walls, floor. Carpet, tile, finished walls. I mirror tinted the windows, and covered most of them for insulation purposes. The crown jewel is a cal spa jacuzzi that measures 93 inches square. It holds approximately 400 gallons of water. there's tv, vcr, stereo stove, frige ect. I have a 2000 watt inverter connected to a bank of golf cart batteries. I also have a generator used to power the jacuzzi.
The engine is a Ford inline 6.6L turbo diesel 6 cylinder, allison auto trans. The rear end is not optomized for highway travel, but the low gear ratio is good for climbing hills with 400 gallons of water on board!. Cruising speed is 55-60 mph on flat ground.
If anyone has questions about electrical, water, or whatever, i'l lbe more than happy to try and help.
the bus has a website too if you want to see some photo's http://www.geocities.com/blackplaguetour/
I heat my water with the original rear bus heater. I just removed the electrical patrs, cleaned up the heater core, and place it in the water while i'm driving. It'll heat about 400 gallons in 1 hour of driving from 55 degrees to 105 degrees.
I change my water just about every week, but i live in michigan and water is very easy to aquire.
Man i took another look at your site and i the more and more i think about it, i wonder how you used the heater in the bus to heat the hottub and surprisingly quickly might i add!
To heat the water: the original method i had worked well, but the new method works better.
the best part about the new method i have for heating the water is that it is incredibly simple ! I separated all the electrical stuff including the fans from the rear bus heater, stripping it down to just the core. Then i simply place the heater core into the hot tub and drive. That's all it takes.
The old method was very related: I put the heater core into a large container full of water. Then i used bilge pumps to circulate water from the hot tub, through the container and back to the hot tub. I kept burning up the bilge pumps, so i went with the new method.
I've got an '87 school but that I've converted for travel in snowmobile racing/hauling. We use the back half for shop (and small lavoratory) with a winched-ramp on back. We use the front half for "living", but right now it's limited to just a bed and shelves.
I've long wanted to put in a hot tub and thought that the way to heat the water would be to somehow run the bus heater fluid through some sort of manifold under the base of the tub.
1. How do you heat your water (now)?
2. How often do you change the water?
I've been thinking of an exterior drain that I could hook up to a pressure washer for double duty on the water.
John I have a 79 ford school bus and i am also trying to convert to a snowmobile and toy hauler do you have any pictures of you ramp I am having a hard time with this. Thanks for any info or pictures. PS my family and most of my friends think that i am off my rocker for geting a school bus, i cain't wait to prove them wrong.
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