Once again proving that it all starts with having the right tools. Not every tool is a hammer, and if you're going to start a project like this, make sure you have the tools you'll need. You did an excellent 2-part video on that. Just can't stress how important it is. Thanks for another great instruction video!
I love your methods you’re an excellent teacher! I’m considering a house boat build! I’m considering many of your ideas.which i am sure will work thanks. I would love to see you do a house boat build using a pontoon platform with a small camper on top. Great Ideas great craftsmanship!!
Thank you for these videos. They make me feel much more comfortable and confident in doing my own build soon. What you are doing is so important and much needed in this community, so thank you so much for that.
Maybe this is a dumb question but I thought that the wood wasn’t supposed to touch the metal. It is okay here because of the holes in the window that’s for the condensation?
Question. That works for new walls that you made. Is there any way to simply remove the existing windows from a bus. And install a panel, much like your window panel to hold the window. And simply put RV windows in the old window slots. Sorry if that question is worded stupidly, but basically not redoing the whole side of the bus just replacing the windows. Thanks.
Chuck I’m curious: when making your frames for these do you take into consideration the thickness of the sheet metal and the butyl? About to start making my frames like this
Hey Chuck! Would absolutely love if you made a list of Amazon links (or whatever website) in your description of the tools you use. Like the jigsaw and the welding clamp and whatnot. Would be great and convenient for us viewers and could be a nice passive source of income for you with affiliate links. Win win!
I’m binge watching as many of your videos as I can. After watching some other RU-vidrs - I like the way you explain things and give sound reasons how you got to a certain product or system. I’m a 70 yo female and in 12 months going to be moving to very rural Virginia. I want a skoolie and want to build it myself, with help where needed. I feel confident that after watching your videos I can avoid the most critical errors. Thanks for your help.
Motion Windows has dual pane rv windows and they sell to the public. They have mitered corner option in chrome if you want them to look like true school bus windows.
Having ridden in a school bus as a kid for all those years during the winter with days of -40, I can attest to the USELESS insulating value of a single pane school bus window as well as the aluminum window frames they used and that framing and the windows would be covered in a thick layer of ice on the INSIDE of the bus. Those are the days one wants to be sitting over top of the rear bus heater by one of the wheel wells !, just one of the many reasons I hated school 🤣
I have worked on rvs and know of the squeeze out of butyl tape.I found a plastic pizza cutter wheel and a little bit of mineral spirits works very well trimming the squeeze out.The plastic wheel wont scratch or cut the paint/coating.
When putting windows in the walls of my van (OMG! I said it. Sorry) I drilled the holes like you did but connected them on the outside with a marker and used my jig saw on the outside. That way there were no ribs to worry about. I put painter's tape on the outside of the marker line so as not to scratch the sheet metal with the saw.
Do shuttle bus windows have the same issues ? even when seal well and walls rebuilt? The have drains and are single pained 😢but i really would love to know?
Man, you really can teach people things, you have the charisma, patience and clear voice. I hope someday I can put together a bus as close as your professional abilities. I am watching all your videos. Good luck and hope to someday meet you and shake your hand.
Would you recommend doing this for activity busses as well that don't have the standard square windows? I would love to keep the big, beautiful windows on my activity bus!
QUESTION: How about instead of tracing, marking the center of the hole-saw on the panel, then you can use it by placing its bit on that mark and cut out a quick, perfect curve? The straight lines can then be cut out using a jig saw or electric sheers.
Hey Chuck, been watching all your videos in preparation for building out the skoolie I just picked up. Coming from the aviation world I had some ideas on this process that might make this process a little easier on the cutting and fitting. If you make 4 identical corner plates from steel and attach them in the corners of your frames. Drill a pilot hole through the skin from a hole in the corner plates from the inside after your frame is positioned on the inside. You could then transfer your frame to the outside and use clecos to hold the frame to your pilot holes on the outside and mark and cut from the outside skin where the hat channels would interfere with your tools. Also I would use a double cut shear on the sheet metal over a jigsaw. Leaves a cleaner cut edge, is relatively easy to control and leaves those satisfying twirls of scrap instead of chips everywhere.
I watch your video, install a window. I am new here, I planning to buy old Rv but the windows are old and I planning to put insulation windows. I dont know that's how is call 😊 any way, i need to watch your videos to see how you do this project. I have a question, if I want to have more light coming inside which that's what I want; can I cut the rv walls bigger?
Chuck, I just got RV windows for a bus that already had a roof raise. Im having trouble finding whether I should paint the exterior before installing the windows. The sheet metal has some slight rust. Should i clean up the rust and paint a primer before installing the windows, or just clean up the rust only before installing them? Thanks for any help!
Missed you, putting up a deck. 4:00 am just finished watching. Another peanut butter cookie show. Love peanut butter cookies and that cookie monster that I become. Gave you a 👍 up and hopefully make the next show.
Would it be possible to replace the screws that come with the windows and use something longer to "sandwich" to our new depth whatever that may be for each build?
Where can a guy buy old school bus windows like the ones your getting rid of? Would like to get a bunch cheep to use in green house builds. Whos scrapping out the parts?
Hey what if you want to install the larger window that doesn’t fit between the metal frame, how would I go about taking that out, is welding the only option?
Do you have any experience with acrylic RV windows in a bus conversion? The folks over at Ambition Strikes used a number of them in their camper build and they seemed to like them. Do you think that they're worth it over an ordinary RV window?
As always you explain and then show. It makes the information clear for all to see and hear.
5 месяцев назад
Chuck, I followed your example to the letter (really impressing my wife in the process), but I have 2 questions: 1. My windows came with a thin rubber basket where the butyl tape would go. I'm not sure how well it would stand up to bus life. Scrape & replace or leave as is? 2. Is there any additional adhesive you use to hold the frame against the skin other than the window mounting screws? It seems like a lot of weight for those little puppies.
I found cutting out the panel before attaching it to the bus then I use 3M urethane window sealant to attach the window to a painted metal sheet. After it drys I then install the sheet onto the bus. Instead of building an interior wood frame I use flashing and form it to the shape of the window, rivet the ends. Then I foam around it and attach the inner ring. The hardened urethane is strong enough just like the windows on your car to hold the window. Have you used 3M urethane and why do you prefer tape over it, chuck?
I've used urethane to attach van windows, it's great. What I like about the trim rings is that all you need to do if you have to service the window is unscrew it. Your method sounds good, we never seem to have the Floorplan finalized enough to precut the windows!
“I love mushrooms, but not in my walls please” Chuck Cassidy Thanks again for sharing your tips and tricks on doing a solid job! Production quality has stepped up too. Looking forward to your next uploads!
I may have missed it but why use RV windows instead of doing residential windows with tempered glass? I have those in my tiny house on wheels and it seems to really keep the house much warmer/cooler than RV windows and I can open them all the way.
Just a hint on a MUCH easier way to cut the corners… you used the whole saw to draw it… instead use the hole saw to cut it using the frame to guide it perfectly (2points of contact between the hole saw and frame)
It would be nice for you to do a video of what you would do, if for some reason you had to build a bus without being able to replace the original windows. Thanks your work and videos are both top notch.
@@ChuckCassadyYT I live in Minnesota and plan on building a bus for traveling south for a few weeks each year during our terrible winters. Then maybe after a while doing a raise and installing RV windows. But I totally understand and will figure out the best way. It's just your advice always seems solid.. Thanks for what you do.
@@tcmhammer definitely and happy to help! Id suggest just selling that rig and doing another when the time comes. Its so difficult to do a roof raise after the fact!
Maybe use the magnetic welding clamp on the outside of the bus. With one magnet on each side of the window. And a cushion of some kind between the window and the clamp. This keeps the window pressed in place while still allowing the window to be re-positioned. Then the trim ring can be bolted on the inside without having to hold the window nor put any clamps directly on the window.
I haven't seen windows mounted in such a manner. With the internal frame being wood. What about the condensation transfer from the sheet metal to the wood. Do you treat your wood window frames with some type of sealant? I would think the frames would rot out eventually. I love the idea of framing in internally as part of the interior structure. Just wondering about the rot. Condensation is a beast in tiny spaces.
The biggest issue I've had in the past year + searching is finding the right size windows. With Covid, it seemed like everyone and their cousin bought all the new and used replacement windows available out there. Right now they are coming back into stock and I'm looking at taking an 8+ hour drive up to Michigan to get windows. So help the community out and let us know where we can source them (part numbers?) Have you tried one of those sheet metal "nibbler" to make your window cuts?
Hi Chuck. I’m looking at purchasing a shuttle bus. What are your recommendations with changing out the windows? I noticed that you build Skokie’s. Are there any videos that you can suggest where people have changed out their windows on a shuttle before bus. My goal is to keep the windows because of the light and ventilation. I’m looking to build a combination home/store/lab. Any suggestions would be awesome.
Great way of doing the RV windows. Do you use insulation between your wood frame and RV window on the inside to fill that small void? Also would there be a benefit to apply adhesive between bus skin and wood frame? Thanks for those great videos.
Another excellent video. Although, I wonder if there's too much thermal bridging around the window? I would probably get IR measurements in cold weather, see if there's enough heat loss to justify further testing, then experiment with various styles of framing, maybe larger air gap between hat channels and window frame, or using a composite frame, with inner, outer, and maybe a sandwiched material (like XPS?). Or maybe even just drill a bunch of holes in the wood to be filled with spray foam later. Also, I'd look for RV windows with thermal panes, or an inner and outer pane separated by an air gap. Anything to minimize thermal bridging across the window or frame. Windows will probably always be the weak spot of any thermal insulation system. But it's an interesting opportunity to improve upon.
Hello chuck: A bit off topic, but I thought you might be able to provide some tips or resources to installing a window to a curved surface? I have a fiberglass shell on my cargo van, and the outside wall is curved. The distance if I put a straight edge on it is maybe a quarter of an inch from flat. Naturally smaller windows would work better than larger ones in this case, but I think any kind of glass sliding window would bind (If not break) If I try to tweak the aluminum frame to the contours of the curve. An acrylic window might be a better option, but I think they still have aluminum frames. It's possible with some butyl tape I could go extra thick on the ends, and very thin in the center. I don't think it would be quite so attractive on the outside of the van though. I'd prefer to be able to bend something to the contour. Any ideas? I'm sure I'm not the first person to put a window into a curved surface.
Hi Chuck! I thinking of getting a pusher bus but I don't want a tow car. I want to set up about 12ft. of the bus to carry a car. Can I do this with a pusher bus? Also, How do it link up to the show Gut it? I want to watch you guys rock it!😁😁
RV windows are not optimal in my experience. The weep holes become overwhelmed when it rains hard so the window track frame fills with water which then spills over and runs into your bus. This is especially true when the bus is not parked in a perfectly level spot. Manufacturers have opted not to change their RV windows and frames so the problem has persisted for decades.
I have 18 foot 1974 Dodge rv in good shape but the inside needs all redone that my project do you thank that a good project I knew it's not a skooly but I bought it really cheep
I've binged several videos on your channel to help me with my chassis selection and preparation for the whole undertaking. Though it may be a year or so before I'm ready, but I will definitely be reaching out for a consultation when it's time to plan the installation of critical system components (solar, batteries, hot water, etc.). Thanks for providing such invaluable content to the DIY RV/Skoolie community Chuck!
I have some RV style windows in my Thomas from the factory. Do you think I should keep the ones I have? Have you heard of issues with that style? Maybe I should spray the bus down with a hose now that I have the interior panels out - then I can see if there are leaks.
Hi Chuck! Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge in such great detail. It’s an incredible resource. Question: for your window install, I can see that the trim ring clamps over the wood window trim. In a lot of van conversions, I notice that people just install the window first, without a frame, so all that is between the window and the window trim is the metal from the van. Are both ways fine when it comes to the integrity of the window and things operating as they should? Your way seems more professional but are there important reasons for doing things your way beyond aesthetics? Thank you for all that you do! Katie
Finished watching the video, and saw another idea I didn't think of. I welded in a frame on my bus where there were double windows that would span over the hat channel. Great idea putting a header above. Much simpler and less time consuming, but still gets the same results.
Hi Chuck! Quick question, I bought my windows from a surplus RV warehouse and they did not come with the mounting screws. How long were the screw’s you used? It looks like the have to be petty short.
I love the idea of framing in wood first. I did our large back window with 1.5" steel tubing as I needed to reinforce since the entire back was cut out. What would you do say on the sides if you needed to cut a hat channel? We have some larger 2'x4' windows going horizontal up near couch and dinette. I will cut hat channels and then use some 1.25" tubing to frame them out. How would you do it? Thanks!
We also do our windows before sheet metal. I like how with the smaller windows you can do it after and get the frame flush. Like you said many ways to skin...
