rts pics

[garhawk]

Greetings everyone:

I have just posted photographs of my 3 1/2 years of rts conversion attempts.  If you would care to have a look, they are at:

All comments appreciated!

http://garhawkrts.shutterfly.com/

[RTS/Daytona]

hmmm - it sends you to sign up - but this very same addy on other site does not -

what's up with that ?

lets see if this does any better -->

http://garhawkrts.shutterfly.com/588

ok folks - Gary re-did the addy and now it works - don't know why

[Busted Knuckle]

Wow Gary look'n good! I got wore out just looking at all the work you did! LOL!
  BK 

[Jeremy]

The engineering in those RTS's is really impressive - puts most other makes in the shade

Jeremy

[AJ]

Fantastic, impressive.
Great job.

AJ

[wildbob24]

Gary,

Wow...that's quite a project. Your fabrications skills are very impressive.

One thing I noticed: it looks like the drain for your grey/black tank is on the curbside of the bus. Do you anticipate any problems since most dumps and hook-ups are on the opposite side?

Bob

[garhawk]

Hi Bob:

Thanks for the compliments on converting the rts.

You are correct in that the waste tank drain is on the passenger side and most parks and dump stations are located to the driver's side.

Located directly behind the waste tank, and on the outermost portion of the driver's side, is the coach battery compartment.  That fact prevented the drain from being located on the 'proper' side. 

The macerator pump, located just aft of the tank drain, will be positioned so as to pump out either side of the coach.  For those universal dump locations, we'll simply drive to the position convientent

[Tom Y]

Gary, Nice job. Good to see a pic of your boy to, more kids need to be useful. ( and learn)  Tom Y

[garhawk]

Thanks Tom:

Just so no one gets confused, the young man in the photo is my son's son.  I guess that makes me double proud!

[Jeremy]

Gary

I had a closer look through your photos last night, and I'm interested in the Lexan windows - not so much the new one you had made for the front, but (if I understand it correctly) the OEM ones further back (ie. photo 093 etc). Are these curved windows moulded like that, or are they made of flat sheet that is bent into place as they are attached to the frame? How thick is the lexan, and how rigid or flexible is it? Lastly, would you say it is heavier or lighter than a piece of glass of the same size?

The reason for all my questions is that my bus has curved glass windows, which are also double-glazed and weigh a ton. I'm fitting slide-outs to my bus which are designed to re-use some of the standard windows. However, because the original windows are so incredibly heavy I'm interested in exploring the possibility of replacing the ones in the slide-outs with lexan instead, although it would mean I lost the benefits of the double-glazing.

I'd be interested in your thoughts - thanks for your time

Jeremy

[HighTechRedneck]

Jeremy,

The OEM RTS windows are spec'd at 3/8" Lexan.  It is flat sheet stock warmed slightly and flexed or gently driven into the contoured frame.  It is quite DIY friendly.  I've heard of various methods to heat it including using an electric blanket, placing it on a dark blanket in direct sunlight on a hot day, etc.

I've never seen specs on how much they weigh, but Lexan is definitely lighter than glass.

Lexan is much more scratch resistant than Plexiglass, but still can be scratched.  It should never be taken through a brush type vehicle wash bay.  The good news is, if it does become scratched there are polishing products by Novus that can be used to polish them out.

One bit of trivia I read once about the design goals of the RTS.  It was designed to be an urban transit bus and the Lexan windows were spec'd to be resistant to low caliber bullets.

[garhawk]

Hi Jeremy:

The OEM lexan windows in my GMC RTS are a full one half inch in thickness and, are not framed.  There is an aluminun channel across the top of the window to accept a rubber hinge which corresponds to the channel in the gutter rail.  Another extruded aluminum rail is attached to the bottom of the window which, in turn, accepts a closing apparatus inside the bus.  That concludes the 'framing' of the windows.
These windows are molded to correspond with the curvature of the bus.

The lexan windows are very rigid.  My attempts at changing the curvature of the windows was not successful, even after heating to over 120 degrees F.  Any changes in the radius of these windows was certainly beyond my capabilities or, that of the equipment available to me.  However, they do move considerably with temperature changes and, do not lend themselves to making good seams.  Where these lexan panels come together on my RTS, it was necessary to sew them together on the inside with stainless steel strips.  Other RTS converters have found the same to be necessary and, used aluminum transition pieces to keep the windows flush with one another.

As Mike mentioned above, the lexan is somewhat easily scratched and, reportedly, can be buffed out to a new like finish.  However, after about a dozen years of ultraviolet exposure, these lexan windows become very susceptable to crazing.  I was fortunate to find a new window, still in factory protective wrapping, to use for the top half of the entrance door.  All the other lexan windows in my RTS were painted and, therefore, the scratching and crazing was not an issue.
The lexan takes paint exceptionally well, with only a light scuffing to remove the slick surface and, the finish holds tight.

After months of searching for a suitable custom-made glass window for the passenger area of my RTS, it became evident that lexan was very nearly the only and, certainly, the best choice.  The lexan sheet used for the passenger window in my RTS is 5/16" in thickness, only lightly tinted, easily scratched and, will eventually craze.  We got two windows from the 4' X 8' sheet so, one is wrapped and stored away for the future.  It was expensive to buy, costly to install and, no doubt, will require a higher than normal level of protection and maintenance but, it was my best considered option under the circumstances.  It seems to me that lexan windows make for better panels than see-through hole fillers.

It would be my 'first blush' opinion that if you already have the properly curved and fitted glass windows, you are considerably ahead of the game.  Although the glass will be somewhat heavier, the double insulation, hard finish, proper fit and, durability of your windows is difficult to surpass. 

[HighTechRedneck]

Gary, I guess the difference between yours and mine are because mine has the slider windows which are fully framed.  Sounds like yours has the solid panel windows.  The sliders are fully framed.

I can well imagine that 1/2" Lexan would have to be either formed or require special equipment to bend.

[RTS/Daytona]

HighTech

I used the RTS Early stylel Lexan Window (the kind with only the upper and lower frame rail) anyplace I wanted to close in - used a 2" strip of 1/8" alum from Lowes to cover the side joints (I routed mine into the Lexan for a smooth surface - but it's not really required)

I was fortunate enough to find ALL TINTED GLASS for my sliders - It needed extra cause the Gangs in San Berdino Calf found out that a hard rock could be used to scratch the gang symbols into the GLASS

here's some pictures

Pete RTS/Daytona

[Garymci5]

I must compliment that your conversion "is the right way to do it!".  Could be the start of a business perhaps!

Interestingly enough the picture of RTS and GMC sitting side by side look identical to the apparent "same" ones up for sale middle of last year, I think in Texas. Must be coincidence.

Anyway, keeping taking those pictures