Doing the impossiblre

[Jerry Liebler]

Since the 4501 fan club managed to hijack the thread about the slide out in a GM & it didn't quite go the way I wanted I'll try again.  What have you done on your bus that someone told you was impossible?  I'll start with I have windows blanked out with fiberglass cloth and resin. Though a poster said they'd fall out in 500 miles they have gone over 3000 without a crack or wrinkle.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120

[Songman]

I'm sorry, Jerry. I guess that is my fault for mentioning something that people say can't be done in a GM bus... Like raising a Scenicruiser.

The only things I have ever done on a bus that people said were impossible were all after shows back in the 80s. But again, I think that would just lead your thread off in a different direction and I should probably let those stories die anyway.

But seriously, I think this is a great idea for a thread and can't wait to see the comments people make. From reading the start of the other thread, I didn't get that this was what you wanted. It just seemed more like a statement that led people to start conversing.

[TomC]

I personally have not done anything, but raising the roof or installing a slide out isn't impossible-just have to fully support the vehicle while the work is done since the support system will be off line while doing the job.  I have seen Eagles stripped down to the frame and widened 6" and lengthened 5ft.  I have a AMGeneral transit, and another fellow put a 4ft (the amount it slides) on the left wall that required alot of reinforcing (he also has a R&M front end on the bus-using a MC9 windshield-which I think looks weird since the MC9 windshield is for a 96" and his bus is 102" wide.  Makes for big intrusion on the corners and he has about a 5" wide center pillar-too much interference with vision-in my opinion).  I also saw one gentlemen take a Flxible transit and put a cargo box on the rear section where he loaded his dirt track racer over the rear engine!  Good Luck, TomC

[prevost82]

I put in an electonic dash in the bus out of a 96 Navstar and married it up to a mechanical engine. People at Navstar thought I was NUTS
Ron

[H3Jim]

I fit 330 gals of tanks for water and waste, along with a 13kw sound boxed generator and the hot water heater all in one bay.  Leaving two full bays open for toys. Fit batteries and wabasto type heater and inverter in other nooks.

[DrivingMissLazy]

I had six 70 gallon tanks (420 gallon) for fresh, gray and black water, dump valve, 20 gallon water heater, two water pumps and two stage water filter in one bay.
Richard.

I fit 330 gals of tanks for water and waste, along with a 13kw sound boxed generator and the hot water heater all in one bay.  Leaving two full bays open for toys. Fit batteries and wabasto type heater and inverter in other nooks.

[gus]

My 4104 has a white vinyl roof  "that will come off for sure"!

The toilet drains through two elbows with very little slope across the bus to the waste tank on the other side "won't work" with never one problem.

I heat the whole bus with two portable LP heaters "that will not work and will cause too much condensation" . Have used them two years with absolutely no problems. I hook them to 20lb LP tanks with a hose, the small 1 lb tanks don't last very long.

When I'm in an RV park I use two portable electric heaters from WM, work fine.

I charge both house and start batteries with the engine alternator. Sometimes at the same time and sometimes separately, depends on how I use them. Never a problem. No inverters, isolators or complicated remote switches. There is a separate cutoff switch on each of four GP 31 batteries.

This bus is fun!

[grantgoold]

I convinced my wife that buying a 22 year old, forty foot, 30 ton piece of stainless steel was a perfectly sain thing to do! And to spend several years, and several thousands of dollars to make it the perfectly good RV.!!!!!


O.K, I decided to polish the entire bus on my own (5 month project) and place a 24kw air cooled diesel generator in a bay. Also took an industrial hannay reel and placed 50 feet of 50 amp wire on the reel for easy rewind. 

Sold my old 4517 fishbowl, after 5 years of practice at fabrication, to 10 california engineers for burning man!

Grant
Sacramento

[Sean]

Great thread, Jerry.

Let's see... we routinely run one air conditioner all night on our batteries (gasp -- can't be done, ya know).

We level our coach by adjusting the length of the ride-height "control rods" with linear actuators ("that will never work").

Oh, and we've taken our 24-ton bus down dirt roads (and through mud puddles) without getting stuck or needing to be towed out.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[captain ron]

I keep and operate a bus on my income. (totaly imposible) Even I didn't think it could be done.

[Jerry Liebler]

I'll add that I've pulled a 10,000 pound trailer with 1100 pounds of tongue weight behind my bus with out any damage (I even did dye penetrant inspection for cracks in the cradle supports).  Done that for a bit over 5,000 miles.  Everyone says tongue weight over 500 pounds will destroy a GM bus.  Of course I also can't run a 240 volt ductless split heat pump off of a 120 volt inverter while driving (transformers must not work).
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120

[Tom Y]

Well no one said it was impossible, but most may think I am stupid. I claim border line genius. I cut 37 inches out of my 5c. wanted to cut 5 feet but the 37 worked well. I then added 15 to the back to fit in a Cummins L10.  Tom Y

[tekebird]

Nothing is impossible if you throw enough time and money at it.

I can send my coffee table to the moon with the above strategy.

Yes people have raised GM's, Lengthened GM's, put slide out in GM's Etc Etc.

the questions are:

Does one have the where-with-all to really do it?  There are alot of people whose brain far outpaces their capabilities.

Will it last?  I say this with high mileage in mind.  Just because you glassed your windows over and they did not fall out in 3k miles or you towed 11k with 1100# mof TW does not mean it will not fail later.  I have seen buses with failure from this and it does and will happen at some point.  AND THE DAMAGE IS NOT IN THE CRADLE but in the structure from the beltline UP!  On A GM ALL your engine weight is supported up through the firewall and by the upper structure above the Engine and behind the firewall ( some forces travel further forward but most are where I said).

Another thing....although one can think it and do it.....doesn't mean it will turn out nice......there is alot of crappy looking stuff out there ( poor workmanship)  ....but that boils down to if the owner is happy with it themselves.

Heck there are guys who take a Rusted Out Eagle and will stip it to the frame and rebuild it from ground up basically.  Yep, it can be done at the expense of alot of $$ and or Time.......all of which is lost time enjoying the use.   Now if your hobby is fabricating a bus and not using a bus........More power to you.

I enjoy using my toys when I have time.......not working on them (although I enjoy that too....but that is why I own a boat LOL)

[brojcol]

Well said, tekebird.

[Jerry Liebler]

I really don't know how to respond to Doug.  Fiberglass composite construction is well proven, there are literally thousands of Rutan designed aircraft flying that are almost entirely built with glass over foam construction just like my window replacements.  Yes a bit of craftsmanship is needed to do it right but it's been proven in a far more difficult environment than bus windows with very substantial steel frames around them..  I'd also like to see him drive a GM bus without the 2 vertical members that hold up the rear of the cradle, sure they transfer the pull on them to the roof and ultimately to the sides but hardly any to the bulkhead, which does support the front of the cradle. but they are vital to holding up the engine.  Without seeing the buses he alleges were destroyed by towing I frankly doubt that towing was the cause rather than collision damage or corrosion.  I may invest time and thought, including stress analysis, but relatively little money in doing what others insist is impossible.  Doug has never seen my bus so his intimation that my work looks like 'crap' is both insulting and not shared by anyone who has seen my bus.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120