I had no idea that there was an option of screws or rivets and good lord I am so relieved!! 😭 I will definitely make sure to buy a screw bus and not a rivet bus. Also so fortunate that I found your channel you are an awesome resource to any beginner deciding to embark upon this insane adventure. Thanks for the awesome content!
Thanks so much for these videos Michael! Almost finished gutting out my bus and these videos have shared alot of insight and has helped me plan out my build in a more strategic way. Again, thank you so much. You are really helping me turn my dream into a reality! Hope to see you on the road in the future, I'll have you autograph my conversion!
I have to say, that bus looks pretty rust free. From what I can see from the video alone there doesn't look to be much body work that needs to do on it. Great way to start a bus build. I've seen your finished product and it turned out to be quite an amazing living space. I have also watched hours of Jax's channel as well and he always has great content. I am seriously excited to watch this project unfold. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to this build almost as much as I'm looking forward to the final season of Game of Thrones LOL and I am seriously looking forward to that. Be safe in your build also in your travels and thanks so much for sharing.
Yeah, the bus was almost completely rust free. Besides some body modifications 😉 there is no body work. We are excited to share the build with you as well. But, I don’t know if we could come close to Game of Thrones. Haha
We used to live aboard a boat and now we bought a bus to convert! Seats are out, then floor and ceiling are next. Glad you encouraged a full gut. I wasn't thinking that was necessary but I really don't want leaks and I see now, there aren't that many layers to this onion 😎
Got some good info here. I agree that a full gutting is the only way to go to find as many leak and rust issues as possible. Looking forward to seeing more tips about the conversion process as I'm currently working on customizing and sealing the exterior on mine.
A full gut job is the only way to go. You can make the floor tear out easier by setting a circular saw at just short of the floor thickness and cutting it into smaller pieces. No need to rip up the rubber first.
That is what I typically do as well! But, I wanted to give the full way so that people could see how the bus was held together and what they would be up against. Great tip!
Great video. You keep things moving without repetition and unless in between drivel. If I need to see something again, RU-vid offers pause and rewind. You give great info. Thanks.
Excellent video about something I really needed to see. I'm not quite ready to buy yet, but I like that size of bus you found and the fact that it has a wheelchair lift. Thank you!
Thanks Michael, you explained it all in great detail, and I thanks Jax (Jax Austin, not Jax the cat that owns Erick) for telling us about you. I'll be watchin your videos, take care and YHVH bless brother.
I have been gutting my bus and used a different order. Started with the seats, then rubber and then plywood. Mine were nailed down and I used a compact circular saw to cut into smaller sections. I had wheelchair rails, six of them at the back and getting the nuts off from under the bus was a very dirty job. Then I took out the three heaters that my bus had. Just finished taking out the side panel skins. I had been stripping about thirty percent of the screws and having to grind them down until I found out the screws were not #2 Phillips head but were square bits. Much easier. Next is taking down the ceiling.
Great video, thanks for these basics. 2 questions: How long do you estimate for full-time renovating? And, where do full-timers get their mail, drivers license, etc. Mail can be anywhere but Drivers license & voter registration is another animal.
Best advice O can hive ( wish I'd had it) is to use a robertson ( square) bit if it fits rather than a phillips ( star ). Both should fit, but phillips will strip 90% more often. ( also push hard ;)
THANK YOU I’ve been trying to explain to my brother who INSISTS I should keep the old walls and floors. I keep telling him that it’s not how Skoolie people do it and he keeps insisting I should keep the walls 😩
Kudos! Another excellent tutorial Michael. I find myself wondering why the bare metal of the school bus interior was not coated with an anti-corrosion primer during assembly at the plant. Logically the foremost reason I could think of is likely the cost of product and labor in manufacturing. In today's school systems, administrators, for a number of economic and liability reasons have adopted the rule; the usable life-span of a bus is ten years or 100,000 miles, so we don't want to pay for long term preventative maintenance. In my time in USN Aviation (early 70s), all of an aircraft's air-frame metal/aluminum was painted/treated with an anti-corrosion and anti-microbial primer called Zinc Chromate, which has a distinctive translucent color of lime/yellow. Zinc Chromate protected millions of dollars worth of aircraft from corrosion, mold and mildew in very harsh environments. I note that in many bus conversions I've seen on YT, the bare metal floors, after proper sealing of holes, rust removal and prep, have been treated in such fashion with an opaque anti-corrosive primer (Rust-Oleum is a popular trademarked name). Good job I say. I would further recommend that after the removal of the interior fixtures, flooring, panels and insulation, the entire interior area should be spray primed with a similar translucent anti-corrosion & anti-microbial product. Another thought on cleaning a rusty school bus floor. Remember the big floor polishers that school janitors used to remove wax build-up and then re-polish the hallway floors? I say rent one and try the same in the bus. Large circular Brillo type pads can be placed below the buffer's brush and then "Katy bar the door!", short work to scrubbing the majority of the bus floor. No water to lubricate, instead get some janitor's treated sawdust to keep down the rust dust, easy to sweep up for removal. If it's wacky but it works, it ain't wacky!
Good thoughts for anyone looking to build. Never thought of using a floor polisher. But , I totally wish they would build buses with the intent of them lasting longer. haha
Didn't realize I'd have to take out the windows and recalk. So, just cut them out by slicing through the calk and then replace them by fitting them back in and recalking? Is that truly it? -Am I framing over the inside metal frame of the windows or does that come out and get replaced with whatever framing I'm using? Ooof... Getting into the details now... Trying to be brave here and not get anxious. 😱
I’m currently gutting mine and I have a question. I’m currently working on the walls and taking the top half was easy, but how would you recommend taking apart the bottom? In the video it seems you still have them on but I’m guessing you grind them off. They seem to be the bolted with a smooth top so not a rivet and not a screw. Do I just grind the head off and pull?
So I’ve been wanting to do this. Idk if you still read the comments. But I know absolutely nothing about construction, electrical etc. Like everything you did I know nothing about LOL so where could I go for help? Or what should I do to learn
Hey, I have a few resources shared in the video description on my short bus build series. I have been building out a detailed short bus this past year and sharing it on YT. That might help you out on the process and how you would be able to do it yourself.
Is it feasible to rip out the ceiling, fix any leaks, redo wiring as needed, reinsulate and then put it back up? I like the idea of using strong magnet clips/hooks to pend things from the metal ceiling, and also thought the thin metal roof might be lighter than a wooden ceiling. Thoughts? Btw, I’m 5’2” and will likely be doing my conversion largely on my own.
I think gutting the roof and walls is pointless. What are u insulating so much for when you're surrounded by windows? I would just paint the roof with tropicool and build a deck plus the solar panels will keep the actual sun off the roof. 🤷🏾 I like the metal roof.
Hi, I really appreciate this video, I was wondering if you have any insight on the seat rail? You didn't mention leaving it in but it looks like you did. I have seen conflicting information regarding how important /structurally necessary it is.
I took out the heating unit and looped the system back to the engine. Then I took the STOP sign mechnizism of the side and now my bus won't start. 2002 8.3 Cummins pushers. 3060 Allison tranny. Should I keep going or figure out why it won't start. It might have something to do with the safety on the doors and windows and possibly the STOP sign. Anybody figured this out yet? Thanks!!
I don’t necessarily mean you, and I can’t say this to those I mean. It’s interesting that the ceiling they remove looks far better than the one they put in
Ok u say to do certain things like grind the window sill, but forgot to explain "Why". Trust me, i want to start barebones too, but i have to know the reasoning behind some of the recommendations to see whether its even worth it for me to take the time to replace if the thing itself is perfectly fine. Cuz time is money and if theres no reason to touch something then why should invest that much time and energy unless its a more aesthetic reason. In a perfect world with all resource and time, it would be nice to start from scratch but like the ol saying goes, "if it aint Broken, dont fix it". Besides if its good, shouldnt it have a second chance to be reused?
I have used rivits for years and never had to use anything more then a drill. I'm not a gambling man but I'd gamble $$$ that I could drill out robots far faster then you can remove 15-20 year old screws.
Hey. This is great. I was also asking about the thing in bus conversion and that is the motor. Since once they rolled off the factory floor, most of the engines were built for short haul work. I am not sure if you have a blog account with Skoolie.net, but on that blog, I go by 1964 Carpenter because Special School District has bought lots and lots of Carpenter products. IN the early 1950s, many school bus engines were built for anything you could throw at it. Like on a 1952 Chevy Superior, they came with a Chevy 235 engine and the bus could reach up today's highway speeds without breaking down. www.skoolie.net/forums/f33/upgrading-an-engine-from-short-haul-to-long-haul-24374.html
So glad you are doing regular videos now! Will you be doing detailed videos on Jax’s bus? I am about to start my own conversion and would love to hear detailed tips from you on how to make things easier/faster, which products are the best, and just general ideas.
Yes, I am going to be putting out weekly videos, while the build is going on. Not, super sure what they will look like or topics but hopefully they help! Haha
Trying to decide on insulation. I always go with the most Eco friendly but told to really study first if I'm not using styrofoam or spray. I can't find much on why though.
Just found your channel and I'm really excited to see you and Jax working together! I will eventually be doing this and the more info I have the better!
When you talked about the wiring, it sounded like you are recommending that people re-use the old wiring. Is that what you mean? How could you rely on 20-30 year old wiring, or even older??
I've been a builder, carpenter for the last 35+ years. I've noticed you are doing alot of unnecessary work. The panel below the windows that's riveted in , are for structural support. A bus is built for survivability. Those panels are part of that. And unless there's rust under the floor, why are you taking up the subflooring and rubber mat? To me this is alot of unnecessary time and labor. Just saying. It looks like material and labor could be saved.
I realize this is an old video, but maybe someone can answer my question: Is the interior ceiling sheet metal that is removed good for covering the windows? In other words can it be repurposed to patch over windows that I want to remove?
My bus is 42 years old and doesn't have an emergency exit on the roof but it does have a side exit. Also at one point someone was using it as a safe place for their power tools so we have metal caging to rip out to. Any tips for this?
Am I the only one who’s just curious on what make/model this bus is? This maybe an option for my own build. If anyone knows I would appreciate it a lot! Thank you!
I think the old Carpenter buses of the 1960s and buses built in the 1950s were rivet buses. I am glad that you brought up the part about much newer buses the way they are built compared to the ones I rode to school. The buses I rode were not built with screws and things like that. The seats on the buses I rode didn't even have fully padded backs. All the switches for stuff like the dome lights, heater, and windshield wipers were all on one panel that sat on the left side. Now also when it comes to the door, if you buy a bus with an inward/outward door rather than the outward panic-free like this bus has, then you may want to have some sort of a broom at the bottom of the door to keep wind from entering the bus. Same if you have a jacknife door.
All together, how much am I looking at spending. Obviously the first step is getting the bus, and what type I want,but after all is said and done, how much am I looking at to spend. I do not have a whole lot of money.
