New to the forum, introduction and some questions! (warning: lots of pictures)

[Tenor]

For messing around while you're working, just go to a junk yard and get a couple of used car batteries and hook'em up.  This will give you a good test of your electrical system - if the batteries hold a charge without being hooked up, and they don't while being hooked and the master switch is off, you know you have some electrical issues to chase.  Glad to see someone else here that's under 40 years old!  The hobby needs more of us!

Glenn

[JohnEd]

DRT,

Firstly, I am awed.  Thank you for your example and sharing yourself and your journey.

There are SOOOOO many things that you should plan for....I'll just throw out a couple that you can add to the list:

Insulation is paramount and merely a choice for you at this point.  The floor construction I have seen that makes sense is multi layered.  First a sheet of plywood, then a sheet of LEAD, then a layer of poliso sheet foam and then a final sheet of plywood.  All these layers should be glued and when you are done it will stop noise, be strong and give you "some" insulation.  Later in the process, you will have foam sprayed on the walls and ceiling and you can also add a layer to the roof of the bays/underside surface of the floor.

Preserve any engine/trans access holes in the rear floor.

Layer the floor over the engine compartment with lead sheeting and insulation....sprayed or fit.

Use tongue and groove plywood.

I think that fiber glass resin is as effective as two part paint and much cheaper.  Look for advice but they make boats out of the stuff.

Get a few gallons of "OSPHO" rust CONVERTER.  The fishing boats use it by the ton.  It is a thin liquid of diluted acids that converts any rust to a really hard stuff that doesn't rust very quickly.  It is intended that you paint over it.  It is thin enuf that you can apply it with a fly sprayer.  I have never seen it mentioned on this board and that makes me wonder.

The most common and serious advice I have seen that is associated with a conversion is PLAN! PLAN! PLAN!  Then mock it up and try it out 3D.  Maybe you could put in the floor before you get into the planning but I suspect that the Heavy Hitters here might disagree or relate proper cautions.  I haven't done it but I have been listening to them for a few years.

You need Harbor Freight. Nuff said!

It was mentioned but I willsay it again.  You must have the coach sitting level and true for the conversion work.  The surface must be level and the bus must be level, both.  This is foundation stuff.

You WILL eventually paint the roof Pure white using high grade auto paint.  You can expect to be working on that bad girl in the summer sun and the interior will be intolerable even with air conditioning if the roof is dark and the spray foam isn't complete.  It seems counter productive but I think you need a SLOW reducer to eliminate overspray consequences.  Get advice from the body shop supply(paint) store.  Air compressor and high volume gun???

Is it true that you just saunter around the block and diesel mechanics and electricians and HVAC etc guys just follow you home to see if they can help?  You sound like you have some super friends and it sis obvious you are making more.

Go and visit Gumpydog site and book mark that sucker.  It is the bus conversion equivalent to the JRT book you admire.  You are so talented a photo Dude andwriter maybe you can record you step by step journey forte board and other venues.  You are a trip all by your self.

God Bless....God Speed

John

[robertglines1]

Anja the bay in front of the master switch has another  switch mounted on the side of the frame high that controls 12 volt circuit and your ddec system.take your present batteries and have them load tested.one bad cell in one bat can mess the hole system up..

[divinerightstrip]

For messing around while you're working, just go to a junk yard and get a couple of used car batteries and hook'em up.  This will give you a good test of your electrical system - if the batteries hold a charge without being hooked up, and they don't while being hooked and the master switch is off, you know you have some electrical issues to chase.  Glad to see someone else here that's under 40 years old!  The hobby needs more of us!

Glenn

Yes indeed, we'll keep it going. I know of a couple others, too... but we're few and far between.

DRT,

Firstly, I am awed.  Thank you for your example and sharing yourself and your journey.

Ah, my pleasure. How else will I learn if I don't put myself out there and ask questions?

There are SOOOOO many things that you should plan for....I'll just throw out a couple that you can add to the list:

Insulation is paramount and merely a choice for you at this point.  The floor construction I have seen that makes sense is multi layered.  First a sheet of plywood, then a sheet of LEAD, then a layer of poliso sheet foam and then a final sheet of plywood.  All these layers should be glued and when you are done it will stop noise, be strong and give you "some" insulation.  Later in the process, you will have foam sprayed on the walls and ceiling and you can also add a layer to the roof of the bays/underside surface of the floor.

Preserve any engine/trans access holes in the rear floor.

Layer the floor over the engine compartment with lead sheeting and insulation....sprayed or fit.

Use tongue and groove plywood.

I think that fiber glass resin is as effective as two part paint and much cheaper.  Look for advice but they make boats out of the stuff.

Get a few gallons of "OSPHO" rust CONVERTER.  The fishing boats use it by the ton.  It is a thin liquid of diluted acids that converts any rust to a really hard stuff that doesn't rust very quickly.  It is intended that you paint over it.  It is thin enuf that you can apply it with a fly sprayer.  I have never seen it mentioned on this board and that makes me wonder.

The most common and serious advice I have seen that is associated with a conversion is PLAN! PLAN! PLAN!  Then mock it up and try it out 3D.  Maybe you could put in the floor before you get into the planning but I suspect that the Heavy Hitters here might disagree or relate proper cautions.  I haven't done it but I have been listening to them for a few years.

I saw your post a little earlier, I will check it out and see how it rates with the other busnuts! I have a friend who is a boat builder, and I had asked him about sourcing some materials through his suppliers. I will ask about this. Great suggestion, thank you.
As for planning, oh yes!
On the forum a few days ago, someone had suggested a website where you can build a 3D model of your interior or something like that? I opened up a new tab with the website, but then never bookmarked it and have since forgotten. *sigh* 

But yes, planning and insulation definitely! I may be contacting you again when I get to the flooring and insulation step to get suggestions for specific products and sourcing.

You need Harbor Freight. Nuff said!

It was mentioned but I willsay it again.  You must have the coach sitting level and true for the conversion work.  The surface must be level and the bus must be level, both.  This is foundation stuff.

You WILL eventually paint the roof Pure white using high grade auto paint.  You can expect to be working on that bad girl in the summer sun and the interior will be intolerable even with air conditioning if the roof is dark and the spray foam isn't complete.  It seems counter productive but I think you need a SLOW reducer to eliminate overspray consequences.  Get advice from the body shop supply(paint) store.  Air compressor and high volume gun???

Is it true that you just saunter around the block and diesel mechanics and electricians and HVAC etc guys just follow you home to see if they can help?  You sound like you have some super friends and it sis obvious you are making more.

Go and visit Gumpydog site and book mark that sucker.  It is the bus conversion equivalent to the JRT book you admire.  You are so talented a photo Dude and writer maybe you can record you step by step journey forte board and other venues.  You are a trip all by your self.

God Bless....God Speed

John

I have visited the grumpydog site - amazing. It is bookmarked on my internet browser, I will be referring to it again, thank you.
I am planning on renting some garage space, or moving the bus to another location when I do some of the later work, yes. I have some ideas in mind. It will all fall into place when I need it to. White paint: again, YES! Summer in New England? Warmth? What? Hmm... I have almost forgotten!

And, I wouldn't necessarily call it "saunter" but as with most people, I tend to find friends who are interested in the same things that I am, and I like to talk about it and ask questions. And, I don't just sit on my butt and feel sorry for myself with all of my projects, no! I get out and explore, and get involved in things. Most of my great contacts and great friends I met while I was rally racing, or watching friends rally race, car shows, or gatherings of some sort. I met my diesel mechanic friend at a Volkswagen club get together when I was showing off my grease conversion that I did myself. He appreciated my "unique" set up (as I am truly no mechanic) and gave me ideas on how to make it better. We have been friends ever since!

Thank you, John.

Anja the bay in front of the master switch has another  switch mounted on the side of the frame high that controls 12 volt circuit and your ddec system.take your present batteries and have them load tested.one bad cell in one bat can mess the hole system up..

I think I know what you are talking about - it is above the battery bay attached to the ceiling. Will do. I'll post of a pic of it when I get a chance to make sure I'm on the same page.


~Just for Clarification~
I feel like its a no-brainer at this point, but there still seems to be some confusion.

There is only one person using this user name, and that is me: Anja. I am not representing some other person who owns this bus, (ie, it is not my father's, it is not my boyfriend's, it is not my husband's, etc.) it is just me, and the bus is mine. I found it, I bought it with my own money, and it was entirely my idea. There were no other outside influences convincing me that it was a good idea, I have truly always wanted to live in a bus, and to build it myself out of an old coach bus. Thus, when I found the Prevost, I had to buy it.

Now, I understand where the confusion is coming from, because from what I have learned recently, it is strange (or not ordinary), for girls to like buses, let alone buy one and take on the project of fixing one up. And certainly not a 23-year-old girl. Okay, this is fine, but... who cares! Hell, we're all strange! We like buses. So what.

Also, in various emails and messages, the overall theme is to warn me of the huge project that I am about to take on, and to worry that I do not have what it takes to stick with it.
So...
I would just like to say that I am sure that you will all watch me (or read about me, here) getting frustrated, becoming disappointed, completely screwing something up and having to start all over again (I'm good at this one), and failing on some parts of this project. Fine, we all do that.
What you won't see, however, is me giving up. I don't do that. Not on something like this.

So, when you give me advice, or you see me making an error of some sort, please don't worry about hurting my feelings, or damaging my delicate little spirit. Hell, no! I'd much rather have you tell me how it is. I know its going to be tough, I know it's going to be expensive, I know that as soon as I fix one thing, another will probably break.

I am not going anywhere, and neither is the bus. "Urge" and I have all of the time in the world. I do appreciate all of your care and concern. It is very sweet and it does fill me with happiness and courage.

Update on the bus: I have finished sanding down all of the major rust spots on the frame. I cut out a few completely rusted beams, and I will be grabbing some new stainless steel beams to weld back in their place. Then, I will be completely ready to paint.
I also am getting a few samples of different 2-part epoxy paints from my boat builder friend to try out and see which ones I like, so I will be sealing up my marine plywood here soon as well. Then I will be figuring out what I want to do with the floor from there.

Unfortunately, I will be swamped with midterms for the next week (yes, I am still in school, but I'm graduating in May, hoorah!) so the progress will be stalled until those are over. I'll update and post pictures again once more progress has been made.

Thank you, everyone.
Peace!

-Anja

[Dreamscape]

Now this is the kind of spirit we all should take in! I'm just catching up on you and your "Dream" bus. I like the attitude, we all have that "Feel Good" feeling when we first start such a huge project. It will try to wear you down, step back and take a deep breath.

I applaude your attitude and age, for me that was 37 years ago!

Paul

[John316]

Anja,

Like I said in the past, I like your spunk. Keep it up (are you sure it is your bus, and not a friends bus? ). Personally I find it kinda funny that people think it is too big a project for you. Sure you will get bogged down sometimes, but oh, well. BTDT. It isn't a big deal. Keep it up. You will get there sooner or later.

Now, about the bus. Great progress. Getting that rust taken care of is huge! You want your frame to be good, because that is the foundation of your bus. Good job for starting at the basics.

God bless,

John

[wal1809]

I swear you remind me of Pink!!  You dern sure have spirit. What vehicle are you running grease in? I do bio diesel 100.   Before I got super busy I was brewing 400 gallons a month.  I run 2 TDIs a tractor an Excursion and a Kabota lawn mower all on BD100.  

[Busted Knuckle]

Anja,
I look forward to seeing your progress, and completely support you in this project! (long distance support of course!)
And as I said in our PM's back and forth, DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS!
The only dumb question is one not asked or asked too late!

I am still in awe of your talent and determination! And I can tell you at times it will be very rough. But you show a very strong and positive attitude and I feel you do great!

Looking forward to your updates!
 BK  

By the way I happen to know of a rebuilt 8V92 mechanical engine still in the bus (MCI 9) and at the place where the work was done and the bill not paid! (as soon as I decide if I will buy it or not I will be happy to disclose the location if I don't buy it for my MCI!)

[bryanhes]

Anja,

On the forum a few days ago, someone had suggested a website where you can build a 3D model of your interior or something like that? I opened up a new tab with the website, but then never bookmarked it and have since forgotten.

It was me   It is sketchup.com When you get it downloaded let me know and I will email you a copy of mine.

BTW You have a great attitude and sounds like you have the skills and ability to do and learn all you will need to get your bus project done the way you want it.

Keep posting your progress, you go girl 

Bryan

[divinerightstrip]

I swear you remind me of Pink!!  You dern sure have spirit. What vehicle are you running grease in? I do bio diesel 100.   Before I got super busy I was brewing 400 gallons a month.  I run 2 TDIs a tractor an Excursion and a Kabota lawn mower all on BD100.  

Thanks for asking! I converted my 1980 VW rabbit to run on WVO

1.5 NA 40 hp goodness! I drove across the country twice in this thing !!

and my other car (the winter beater/ rally car) I run B100 when its not freezing out!

1982 M. Benz 300D

Like I have said before, the bus is my only vehicle that's younger than me! haha

When I lived in portland, OR, I was part of a biodiesel co-op and made all of my own fuel. It was awesome! Since moving back to the NE I haven't had the time or the space to do so.
Good for you for making your own fuel!! Fight the system!! Reduce our dependence on foreign oil!! *cheers*

Thank you all.

sketchup.com - thanks Bryan!

BK - I'll be checking back with you about that engine!! Mechanical, so you mean non-turbo? Mine is turbocharged, supercharged. Aren't the NA's the earlier models (not the silver) ?
Well, you can only tell a silver by the VIN anyways, people are always painting them to increase their value!

Supposedly the DDs are one of the best motors for running bio and WVO - which is great, I've got a spare fuel tank, and I'd love to build a system for the bus.

Also: the bumper on the rabbit was my first 'big' welding project. Unfortunately, while in storage, someone stole it right off, hellas and all. So, I've got to make a new one.
*sigh*
oh well. more practice!

[Chopper Scott]

People are eating french fries and dieing of heart attacks so you can drive around on WVO!!?    But as with my bikes and the bus, the journey working on them is actually better than the journey after they are complete. I just love working on stuff. Have fun!

[HighTechRedneck]

BK - I'll be checking back with you about that engine!! Mechanical, so you mean non-turbo?

No, actually mechanical refers to it not having the DDEC engine computer.

There are lots of pros and cons of DDEC that have been discussed to extremes.  Personally I like MUI (mechanical/non-DDEC).  For all the positives, the big negative in my book on DDEC is that SO many things can make it decide to shut down the engine during operation or refuse to let it start.  Some are legitimate reasons to shut it down, like overheat, low coolant, low oil pressure, etc.  But just a few aggravating causes people have reported are loose wires, bad grounds, internally broken or corroded wires, bad sensors, wind, rain, sun, clouds or dogs barking.  (ok just kidding on the last 5, but sometimes it seems that way)

[divinerightstrip]

Ah, alright.
Yeah, my engine is a DDECII, so that wouldn't work.
Apparently, as I've been told, the Allison trans also is controlled by the computer.

[Busted Knuckle]

Ah, alright.
Yeah, my engine is a DDECII, so that wouldn't work.
Apparently, as I've been told, the Allison trans also is controlled by the computer.

Anja,
That may be true, but the bus is a running driving bus! It has a Allison 740 (can you say bullet proof?) in it!
I know, I know I'm gonna get flamed for even suggesting you go from a DDEC & 748/750 combo to a mechanical & 740 but hey you want to do a WVO on it anyway right? (keep in mind I know NOTHING about WVO converting!) But I understand WVO is much easier to do an a mui than a DDEC!

Of course the engine in the parts bus I told you about is a DDEC II.
  BK 

[Busted Knuckle]

Also: the bumper on the rabbit was my first 'big' welding project. Unfortunately, while in storage, someone stole it right off, hellas and all. So, I've got to make a new one.
*sigh*
oh well. more practice!

Way to go! I love your spirit!
Man I hate a thief!
You go girl! (again I love that attitude!)

 BK