Conversion question!

[Tom Y]

Steve, You were asking about wheel wells?  On my 5C I plan on a closet over one in th rear and drawers or the vanity over the other. In the front it will be a couch and a dinnet.  I put some double bubble and 1/2 inch pywood over mine also.  Tom Y

[Jerry Liebler]

Brojcol,
     I made  template out of the foam insulation board that I used.  I made the template when I had the bus stripped to the ribs and outside skin. The template was made by several rough cuts then tracing along a rib and rasping to fit. After I had my furring strips and interior panels in I marked the template with their thickness (using a block cut to the total of furring and paneling) then re cut the template along that line with a saber saw.  I then used this one template to mark the stock (plywood) for all walls cabinet ends etc.  When i cut the stock I'd leave about 1/4" beyond the template.  Then I'd scribe and rasp till I was happy with the fit.  I used aluminum channels to mount my walls to the sides and ceiling  So for the walls I'd scribe 1/16 way from the side and ceiling then form the aluminum channel to fit the panel (lots of hammering).  The aluminum Chanel is screwed onto the furring strips and nicely holds the wall.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120

[Busted Knuckle]

I put some double bubble and 1/2 inch pywood over mine also.  Tom Y

Was it already chewed or still in the wrapper?
Sorry I couldn't resist as we've been buying huge bags of "Double Bubble" gum lately and the land lord takes them and pokes a hole in the mole hills in the yard with his walking stick then drops a few peices in each hole! He swears it'll get rid of them suckers! But so far I ain't convinced! It seems too me they just go spastic and dig straight up instead of tunneling across the yard! LOL!
 BK  

[TomC]

As far as radius template, I first used cardboard to make a template for the template.  Then transfered it ont 1/4" plywood.  Even at that, you have to fit, fit, fit, to make it fit.  My ceiling is painted semi gloss white over plywood, so any gaps, I used white silicone smoothed with the finger.  When using silicone always use about a half of what you think you need, then smooth with your finger.

As to the wheel wells, in the back, since my 130gal water tank is under my bed, that caused the bed to be rather high.  So I made a step up platform on either side of the bed on top of the wheel wells. Now the platform height is correct to the raised bed for getting in and out of bed.  Just have to step down from the platform. It is just the right height where my 5'5" wife can stand straight up next to the bed-I have to stoop a bit, but it isn't really much of a problem.  Between the rear of the wheel wells and what used to be the back bench is storage under a trap door on each side. 
In the front-on the right side, the passenger captains chair is directly above the wheel well with the sofa/bed also at the same height as the wheel well.  On the left side I made a wood cabinet (not real attractive, but works) that has my complete electrical system in it.  It is a 100amp system with one breaker box for the gen/land line switch over; another breaker box for the direct powered 120vac; another breaker box for the inverter powered items; 12v circuit breakers; 2500 watt Trace inverter; and strangely my generator radiator expansion tank that is enclosed in a wood box with drain in case it leaks.  My 10kw Powertech generator is next to the drivers seat like a front engine.  But on your 5B can mount the gen in the under storage. On my bus, I have 22" of under floor space.  Yours is more like 36"?  Good Luck, TomC

[Lee Bradley]

Steve,
How do you plan on using your bus?  Just one or two on board traveling from RV park to RV park or occasional friend or two dry camping or a lot of entertaining with two or three couples? Try to think of how you are going to use the bus and plan your layout to support that. We plan on just the two of us most of the time so the living room will suffer to support bigger bed and bath; wife said we will have a full bath tub. 

[Don4107]

Steve5B,

Ah, a fellow 35'er.

Hope you insulated every thing you can.  Pay extra attention to the over the engine area.  Both for noise control and keeping the bedroom cool.  Nothing like a ton or so of hot cast iron to keep you 'warm' on that hot summer eve.  We bought our first conversion already converted and learned many things we plan to do differently with the 4107, also a 35 footer.

Some of the things we learned and plan for the 'new' bus.

1. Insulation is more important than you can believe. 

2. White is where its at for heat control, roof and sides with tasteful, minimum accents, see number 1.

3. Old bus has queen bed.  Hard to make, tight in a 96" coach.  We are use to king.  New bus will have twin beds.  Two twins equal a king.  Takes less length for the bedroom.  In your case also solves the rear wheel well problem.  Makes storage easier too, overhead cabinets for the entire length of the beds.

4. We want to avoid the long tunnel look.  That is some type of L shaped kitchen/bath so you don't see the bedroom from the front of the coach.

5. Don't ever want to listen to a roof air again.  Will use basement air based on minisplits.  Also want to keep the roof line clean since the 4107 is already 11' plus.  Looks better, less drag.

6. No dinette.  Keep the front area as open as possible with table, chairs, desk, recliners.  Easier to rearrange if needs or wants change.

7. Screened windows a must have.

8. Build in accessible wire runs to make changes/additions/repair easier.

9. Hold off on major items as long as possible to get best/latest/freshest technology when most of conversion is finished.  Also to keep warranties from expiring before use.  Stuff like tires, airbags, electronics, inverter, genset, ect.

Good luck and enjoy!

[prevost82]

For me the layout all centered around the toilet. Figure out which bay your poo tank goes in (usually the rear bay) then place your toilet over the tank so you have a straight shoot into it, then design each way from the toilet.
Ron

[Jerry Liebler]

Don,
    Glad to hear someone else opting for twin beds for more sleeping area.  I made mine 82" long 36" wide, a slightly narrowed twin XL.  Also put fresh water tanks under the beds for a total of 180 gallons.  I however only have overhead cabinets on the left side because on the right side the closet over my jetted bathtub rolls back over the bed when the tub is use.  I also have no roof air.  I have a 10,000 BTU/h window unit through the center of the rear cap, nice and quiet and really cools the rear of the bus.  The front has an 18,000BTU/h ductless split heat pump which by itself cools the whole bus up to 95 outside and I can run it off of the inverter while driving.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120

[Danny]

Listen to these guys....

Danny

[NewbeeMC9]

LAy out the bays first

Make everything easily removable,

go ahead and run wires,  then run a bunch extra, make accessable, run some more wires

run plumbing, use pex and make drainable

-use velcro to hold on panels cause youll be using them a lot with your method (reduces rattles too)

make walls from panelling glued to insulation board,  light and easy to work with

put hatches in floor and use that space too

-haven't converted one but bought a converted one and trying to change it

Most importantly!!!  get a camera and keep us posted

[TomC]

As far as having the toilet directly over the black tank, it isn't a requirement.  Because of my limited under floor space, I mounted the 45 gal black water tank in the middle running fore and aft.  This made the necessity of running about a 3 ft 3" pipe from the toilet to the tank.  Except for one time my wife did not use enough water (nothing a bucket of water didn't take care of) it has never been a problem.  Especially with buses with under storage that have the possibility of extra drop, I would personally mount my tanks in the middle of the bus with the black tank on the bottom and the gray tank above it.  Then you would have both a good drop for the black tank, and when dumping, could first dump the black tank then use the gray water from the tank above it to rinse out the black tank.  With the tanks in the middle of the bus you could have the  rest of the area to the baggage doors as storage.  Good Luck, TomC

[DaveD]

I did some drawings and we did the layout of our MC-8 on the floor of the coach with masking tape, but then placed the major components in the planned locations.  Some of what seem good on paper did not feel right when we did the mock up so we moved a few things around until they felt right. 

DaveD

[TomC]

Also make sure you aren't loading up one side of the bus more than the other.  Nothing worse than a lop sided weight distribution.  If anything, the left should be just a bit heavier than the right to combat the usual crown in the roadways.  Also try to put heavy stuff forward since the engine is in the rear.  This is why my gen is in the very front of the bus. Good Luck, TomC

[Boise Belle]

A few more thoughts, when thinking about cabinets, think Quality and Quantity.  An old retired cabinet maker, in 1979 on the Oregon Coast, who specialized in boats, built our cabinets.  He used Ash (small grain) and stained them Maple.  Built to take on the Ocean, and are as solid today as the day they were installed.  Twenty five years later, a simple update of carpets and upholstery (done twice and last time added corian), gives the old girl a new look.  It is easy to update a well built home.  MCI and Solid cabinets will last forever.  We have replaced old original items: now a Wrico Diesel 8KW, Freedom 2000, 6 Golf Trojans.  We love to Boon Dock,  so first class electricity is mandatory for us.  It allows for Sony Surround Sound, 120v lighting, elect refer, and to run the elect/gas furnace all night, when needed. 
Just changed out the 3 way refrig, always ran on gas, with an elect Summit CP97.  No defrost.  It draws .9 amps.  Which uses less juice that the 5 halogen indirect lights in the parlor.
120 gallon fresh water under the sideways bed.  120 gal grey, 60 black in the bay.  While Boon Docking, I can refill fresh from the creek or river, easily dump grey, and wait a long time to dump the black. 
Pulling out the "Over the Road A/C",  good idea.  I put the Wrico Diesel 8KW in the condenser compartment with its remote radiator in the spare tire compartment.  Quiet!!   With thru the roof exhaust.
I just converted the original indoor Bus Heater Core, into a third radiator for the main engine.  I used the original a/c blower motor, to circulate air thru it, and out the bottom.  I can now climb the 7% grade north of town on a 100^ day with no having to shift down for cooling.  No misters!
Consider an 18"wide Sears dishwasher, it is a good place to hide the dirty dishes, until you get enough to actually wash, and a place to store a dish rack.  And it even washes dishs.
Enjoy your endeavor.  If done right, it will last you for the rest of your life, and then you can give it to your kids.  I know, cause I inherited this one.