Visitor number
This is the inside of the bus after being stripped out. The first two layers of insulation board were installed on the ceiling. We used R-Mat Plus 1/2" 4X8' sheets from Lowe's building supply store. It has one side covered with aluminum foil. The outer piece was put in with the foil side facing outward. The second layer was put in with the foil side facing inward. If you look closely, you can see in the curved area of the roof the creases where the outer side of the insulation boards were scored so they could be bent.
Once the two half-inch insulation layers were installed against the outer skin, the furring strips were put up. They were ripped out of 3/4" 4X8' plywood sheets on the table saw. That was cheaper than buying them pre-cut. They are about 2" wide. They are installed 8" on center starting at the center of the roof working outward on both sides. Each place they intersect a frame member there are 4 drywall screws holding them! Then another layer of insulation board was cut to fit snuggly between each and every furring strip. (Total now of 1 1/2" insulation thickness.) Also you can see the opening that was framed in for the roof a/c-heat pump unit from Camping World. You can also see the wiring harnesses running along just above the windows. We did not install any of them inside the walls.
Here the ceiling is plywooded. The center pieces are 4X8'x1/2'. On the curves, we could not readily bend 1/2" thickness plywood. So we used two layers of 1/4" plywood. We used boiling hot water poured over the pre-cut pieces. Let it soak in some, then get some help and press the piece into place and start screwing it up across the top edge. It was quite a challenge to get it pulled up tight against the furring strips. But finally we did. Here you can see I just got the first outer skin piece (steel) taped up into place. (3-M 7/8" body side molding type tape, Napa p/n 06383.) I had to keep moving on the outside because my wife had caught up with me--she was doing the inside work and I was beginning to hold up progress. Also can see the a/c unit up, and it was in use while working on some of the hot days.
Here is the same view after the plywood work is done, and the interior panelling is all up. We used a gold flecked white panel for the ceiling, and a blue-grey marble pattern on the side walls. You can also see the grey sculpted carpet on the floor, and the white tile with a blue rose in the center on the aisleway. At the top of the window level, is our solution to the wiring harness routing problem. They were routed into 2" PVC drain pipe, held up with modified 3-1/2" L-brackets. Since the wires could not be unhooked to be fed through the pipes, we ripped the pipe open on the table saw, making about a 1" opening the full length so the wires could be slipped right in. Once the interior is all done, very little of these will be visible. They will be above the fridge, behind the cabinets, etc.
Here is the view
toward the back. One side window is left in where each bunk will
be. Two sets of bunk beds on the passenger side, one set on
driver's side. The closet will be across the back. At the sides
of the closet will be cubbyhole shelves for the four rear bunks,
two per bunk, accessible from inside the bunk. The recirculating
toilet sits just aft of the bathroom vanity. The emergency escape
door was left fully functional. (The toilet sits right in front
of it.)
Here is a view of the two sets of bunks on the passenger's side. Closet in back. Safety rails were also built for the upper bunks (after this picture was taken.) The opening in the rail is toward the back so that emergency stopping is not likely to eject anyone from their upper bunk.
This is our version of doors. We don't like them. We use curtains for bunk privacy, to close the closet, for privacy for the sleeping area, etc. We switched from a larger size rv gas/110v. fridge to this 10 cu.ft. house fridge from Lowe's. It is not the frost free type, so uses less electricity. It runs off a 1000w. Whistler invertor from Northern Hydraulics. Power comes from two Interstate series 31 truck batteries. We used the previous gas/110v. fridge on its 110v most of the time anyway. It was a lot less trouble than the gas. We also didn't wany any holes in the bus that the rv type fridge requires for its venting. (Still no upper cabinets!) Oh yes, before you get underway, figure out how to secure the fridge door shut mechanically!!! We got into Indianalpolis, and had pickles, catsup, and you name it all over the floor!! Our temporary solution was to use a bungy cord hooked to the back of the couch!
Here you can see the first piece of skin covering a window opening from the outside. It is 16g. steel from Fortin Welding supply in Columbus, Oh. That is the thinnest steel they carry. They cut it to size for me. I had to cut only the upper corner notches that custom fit each piece to the individual opening it was going over. The top edge tucks up under the drip rail, except for the outer top corner which meets the end of the drip rail where the drip rail curves down. Our daughter is seen here scraping the gold stripe off between the black and red. It was a tape stripe. What a pain.
Just like magic, wish the project went this fast! Actually only the top half of the bus is painted. The rest will be painted as soon as weather and time permit! Hopefully summer of '98.
Back view. Windows are tinted with 20% limo tint from Napa.
Sign Our Guestbook
View Our Guestbook
