Bus Conversion: Gutting the Interior
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2018
- In this video you will learn the steps of removing the interior of your bus conversion, why it is important to strip it down and some best practices. Michael from Navigation Nowhere lays out the best advice to jump-start your bus conversion.
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You may have recently bought a school bus, and you are super excited about living the buslife, the only problem is that if you want to take your traditional yellow school bus from a boring tin can to your dream home you need to first gut the bus. If you are planning on your bus lasting the test of time and not rotting away from the inside over time; then you are going to want to start with a water tight and clean interior.
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This video will give you the groundwork to gutting your school bus and starting your school bus conversion!
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FINALLY. A straight forward channel explaining how to do the project. Much help Michael
Your channel has the best school bus conversion information. No one else ever comes close. Thank you.
Great video! I didn't realize the gutting process was that extensive. That was very informative, as well as interesting. Thanks!
Yeah, if your going to do a full gut. It is going to be a bit more work. But, totally worth it.
Thanks so much for these videos Michael! Almost finished gutting out my bus and these videos have shared alot of insight and has helped me plan out my build in a more strategic way. Again, thank you so much. You are really helping me turn my dream into a reality! Hope to see you on the road in the future, I'll have you autograph my conversion!
Hope to see you on the road too!! Hope that the videos continue to help you out!
We used to live aboard a boat and now we bought a bus to convert! Seats are out, then floor and ceiling are next. Glad you encouraged a full gut. I wasn't thinking that was necessary but I really don't want leaks and I see now, there aren't that many layers to this onion 😎
I had no idea that there was an option of screws or rivets and good lord I am so relieved!! 😭 I will definitely make sure to buy a screw bus and not a rivet bus. Also so fortunate that I found your channel you are an awesome resource to any beginner deciding to embark upon this insane adventure. Thanks for the awesome content!
Who knew it was a good thing to be screwed?! LOL.
@@DrummerGrrrl hahahaha! that was funny lol
Nice video man. You're going to have a great series here.
Thanks, yeah we will see a few months down the road.
I have to say, that bus looks pretty rust free. From what I can see from the video alone there doesn't look to be much body work that needs to do on it. Great way to start a bus build. I've seen your finished product and it turned out to be quite an amazing living space. I have also watched hours of Jax's channel as well and he always has great content. I am seriously excited to watch this project unfold. I can honestly say I'm looking forward to this build almost as much as I'm looking forward to the final season of Game of Thrones LOL and I am seriously looking forward to that. Be safe in your build also in your travels and thanks so much for sharing.
Yeah, the bus was almost completely rust free. Besides some body modifications 😉 there is no body work. We are excited to share the build with you as well. But, I don’t know if we could come close to Game of Thrones. Haha
just found Michael I'm in the very beginning of starting this life looking for a bus now
First video I watched of yours and I instantly subscribed. Thanks for all the information!
Thanks Mike! Always enjoy what you and Jax put out!
This is very good to know
Thank you for your great video and sharing your experiences!
Got some good info here. I agree that a full gutting is the only way to go to find as many leak and rust issues as possible. Looking forward to seeing more tips about the conversion process as I'm currently working on customizing and sealing the exterior on mine.
Awesome! Yeah exterior work is super important. I feel like sometimes the outside takes more work than the inside haha.
This popped up because I've watched a few of your more recent vids, you've come a long way, well done!
Thank you for sharing all these videos you are my favorite skoolie tutorial/build out reference! Getting my started next month 🤪
Thank you. 😎👍
Great video. You keep things moving without repetition and unless in between drivel. If I need to see something again, TH-cam offers pause and rewind. You give great info. Thanks.
Excellent video about something I really needed to see. I'm not quite ready to buy yet, but I like that size of bus you found and the fact that it has a wheelchair lift. Thank you!
Ur a legend these videos are exactly what we need to see
Excellent, informative and easy to understand videos. Thank you.
Thanks for such an informative video, I appreciate the effort that went into it.
Thanks for the info.
Just found your channel and I'm really excited to see you and Jax working together! I will eventually be doing this and the more info I have the better!
That’s awesome! Good luck to you. See you on the road some time. ✌️
I love your channel I wish I could like 100 more times
thank you so much for posting these. i am working on buying my first bus to travel the states.
That’s sounds awesome!
I think the old Carpenter buses of the 1960s and buses built in the 1950s were rivet buses. I am glad that you brought up the part about much newer buses the way they are built compared to the ones I rode to school. The buses I rode were not built with screws and things like that. The seats on the buses I rode didn't even have fully padded backs. All the switches for stuff like the dome lights, heater, and windshield wipers were all on one panel that sat on the left side. Now also when it comes to the door, if you buy a bus with an inward/outward door rather than the outward panic-free like this bus has, then you may want to have some sort of a broom at the bottom of the door to keep wind from entering the bus. Same if you have a jacknife door.
Great tips
Great Info! Subscribed.
Great video!!!
Thanks for this video!
This is the best page!!
Awesome video! We didn't gut ours completely and wish we would have every once and a while. When we set ours up as a cabin we will pull everything!
Nice job Michael hope to see you in D.C.
Yes ! I’ll be in DC. See you Dale
Pretty amazing! So straightforward.
Thanks
Very informative!
Thanks Michael, you explained it all in great detail, and I thanks Jax (Jax Austin, not Jax the cat that owns Erick) for telling us about you. I'll be watchin your videos, take care and YHVH bless brother.
Thanks, I never know if I give to much or too little information. Just me talking to a camera. haha See you around on the next video!
Gracias
A full gut job is the only way to go. You can make the floor tear out easier by setting a circular saw at just short of the floor thickness and cutting it into smaller pieces. No need to rip up the rubber first.
That is what I typically do as well! But, I wanted to give the full way so that people could see how the bus was held together and what they would be up against. Great tip!
That's some good information Steve. That combined with a roofing spade would be the way to go.
I used a six ft digging bar with a flat end. The weight helped power under the wood and the length gave me leverage
Leverage is key! Saves you time, effort and your back. Haha
@@navigationnowhere
Think like a pyramid Egyptian
useful tips
So glad you are doing regular videos now! Will you be doing detailed videos on Jax’s bus? I am about to start my own conversion and would love to hear detailed tips from you on how to make things easier/faster, which products are the best, and just general ideas.
Yes, I am going to be putting out weekly videos, while the build is going on. Not, super sure what they will look like or topics but hopefully they help! Haha
Just great info! No wonder Jax asked you to collaborate on his bus conversion. You are a gem. Jax sent me.
Thanks for coming over!
Good videos😊! Very professional....
Thanks!! Really appreciate the feedback
Ty
This is the dreaam 😍Love how your bus turned out 🙌🏾 gotta invest in this or something similar and move through Africa ✨🦋✨
Thanks, I really enjoy my home and sharing it with others. That would be awesome to take an adventure rig through Africa.
THANK YOU I’ve been trying to explain to my brother who INSISTS I should keep the old walls and floors. I keep telling him that it’s not how Skoolie people do it and he keeps insisting I should keep the walls 😩
I have been gutting my bus and used a different order. Started with the seats, then rubber and then plywood. Mine were nailed down and I used a compact circular saw to cut into smaller sections. I had wheelchair rails, six of them at the back and getting the nuts off from under the bus was a very dirty job. Then I took out the three heaters that my bus had. Just finished taking out the side panel skins. I had been stripping about thirty percent of the screws and having to grind them down until I found out the screws were not #2 Phillips head but were square bits. Much easier. Next is taking down the ceiling.
Yeah, I used a circular saw on my first bus (which is really easy). Great suggestion. Good luck with your demo!
so much different than the 1958 Blue Bird I did in 1972-73.
Haha Yeah, this video is definitely directed at the general 90-2000’s buses 👍
I’m so glad you are building another bus. Your bus was a huge inspiration to our conversion. Keep up the awesome work! Everything is looking great!
Thanks, I can't stay away from a build! Keep up and good luck with your adventures.
Is the metal from the ceiling thick enough to use on the outside to cover a few window areas etc
Gotta love all those rivets, we were over rivets by the time we stripped ours 👍
Best advice O can hive ( wish I'd had it) is to use a robertson ( square) bit if it fits rather than a phillips ( star ). Both should fit, but phillips will strip 90% more often. ( also push hard ;)
Great video, thanks for these basics. 2 questions: How long do you estimate for full-time renovating? And, where do full-timers get their mail, drivers license, etc. Mail can be anywhere but Drivers license & voter registration is another animal.
I like what you did with this bus. Are you still helping out people with their builds?
Bro. Rivets are so much stronger, It's worth the time.
Hello, enjoyed the video. Is there a way to know if it's screws or rivets before you buy? Thanks
I wish we would’ve seen this video before buying our bus hahaha were one of those rivet people! 😂
Please add a segment regarding "raising the roof" I am 6'5", I would like to raise the roof 20" Thanks, joe from Miami
Buy city bus already adult height ;)
@@toddmolloy311 ooo, that's a great suggestion
Michael, on the subject of screws vs. rivets, did you find any particular manufacturer consistently using screws to hold the fixtures together?
Trying to decide on insulation. I always go with the most Eco friendly but told to really study first if I'm not using styrofoam or spray. I can't find much on why though.
Kudos! Another excellent tutorial Michael.
I find myself wondering why the bare metal of the school bus interior was not coated with an anti-corrosion primer during assembly at the plant.
Logically the foremost reason I could think of is likely the cost of product and labor in manufacturing. In today's school systems, administrators, for a number of economic and liability reasons have adopted the rule; the usable life-span of a bus is ten years or 100,000 miles, so we don't want to pay for long term preventative maintenance.
In my time in USN Aviation (early 70s), all of an aircraft's air-frame metal/aluminum was painted/treated with an anti-corrosion and anti-microbial primer called Zinc Chromate, which has a distinctive translucent color of lime/yellow. Zinc Chromate protected millions of dollars worth of aircraft from corrosion, mold and mildew in very harsh environments.
I note that in many bus conversions I've seen on YT, the bare metal floors, after proper sealing of holes, rust removal and prep, have been treated in such fashion with an opaque anti-corrosive primer (Rust-Oleum is a popular trademarked name). Good job I say.
I would further recommend that after the removal of the interior fixtures, flooring, panels and insulation, the entire interior area should be spray primed with a similar translucent anti-corrosion & anti-microbial product.
Another thought on cleaning a rusty school bus floor. Remember the big floor polishers that school janitors used to remove wax build-up and then re-polish the hallway floors? I say rent one and try the same in the bus. Large circular Brillo type pads can be placed below the buffer's brush and then "Katy bar the door!", short work to scrubbing the majority of the bus floor. No water to lubricate, instead get some janitor's treated sawdust to keep down the rust dust, easy to sweep up for removal. If it's wacky but it works, it ain't wacky!
Good thoughts for anyone looking to build. Never thought of using a floor polisher. But , I totally wish they would build buses with the intent of them lasting longer. haha
Hey. This is great. I was also asking about the thing in bus conversion and that is the motor. Since once they rolled off the factory floor, most of the engines were built for short haul work. I am not sure if you have a blog account with Skoolie.net, but on that blog, I go by 1964 Carpenter because Special School District has bought lots and lots of Carpenter products. IN the early 1950s, many school bus engines were built for anything you could throw at it. Like on a 1952 Chevy Superior, they came with a Chevy 235 engine and the bus could reach up today's highway speeds without breaking down.
www.skoolie.net/forums/f33/upgrading-an-engine-from-short-haul-to-long-haul-24374.html
I’m currently gutting mine and I have a question. I’m currently working on the walls and taking the top half was easy, but how would you recommend taking apart the bottom? In the video it seems you still have them on but I’m guessing you grind them off. They seem to be the bolted with a smooth top so not a rivet and not a screw. Do I just grind the head off and pull?
Is it possible to know if it's a rivet or screw before buying the bus??
Hi, I really appreciate this video, I was wondering if you have any insight on the seat rail? You didn't mention leaving it in but it looks like you did. I have seen conflicting information regarding how important /structurally necessary it is.
That bottom beam is structural. Don’t remove it.
@@navigationnowhere thanks bunches for your quick reply!
When you talked about the wiring, it sounded like you are recommending that people re-use the old wiring. Is that what you mean? How could you rely on 20-30 year old wiring, or even older??
I don’t necessarily mean you, and I can’t say this to those I mean. It’s interesting that the ceiling they remove looks far better than the one they put in
Is it feasible to rip out the ceiling, fix any leaks, redo wiring as needed, reinsulate and then put it back up? I like the idea of using strong magnet clips/hooks to pend things from the metal ceiling, and also thought the thin metal roof might be lighter than a wooden ceiling. Thoughts? Btw, I’m 5’2” and will likely be doing my conversion largely on my own.
I think gutting the roof and walls is pointless. What are u insulating so much for when you're surrounded by windows? I would just paint the roof with tropicool and build a deck plus the solar panels will keep the actual sun off the roof. 🤷🏾 I like the metal roof.
Whats the best way to remove those rivets? ?
Hi where would I get rv windows?
Would it be unadvisable to reuse the old bus insulation?
My bus is 42 years old and doesn't have an emergency exit on the roof but it does have a side exit. Also at one point someone was using it as a safe place for their power tools so we have metal caging to rip out to. Any tips for this?
I want to buy converted school bus do you have it
I realize this is an old video, but maybe someone can answer my question: Is the interior ceiling sheet metal that is removed good for covering the windows? In other words can it be repurposed to patch over windows that I want to remove?
Didn't realize I'd have to take out the windows and recalk. So, just cut them out by slicing through the calk and then replace them by fitting them back in and recalking? Is that truly it? -Am I framing over the inside metal frame of the windows or does that come out and get replaced with whatever framing I'm using? Ooof... Getting into the details now... Trying to be brave here and not get anxious. 😱
So I’ve been wanting to do this. Idk if you still read the comments. But I know absolutely nothing about construction, electrical etc. Like everything you did I know nothing about LOL so where could I go for help? Or what should I do to learn
Hey, I have a few resources shared in the video description on my short bus build series. I have been building out a detailed short bus this past year and sharing it on YT. That might help you out on the process and how you would be able to do it yourself.
Do you have a video on rebuilding it?
Some videos are on my channel but this bus is Jax Austin’s so you can check his channel for more videos and updates on this bus
No plywood under the rubbery flooring of my bus . . . straight metal. Screw rivets!
Lucky haha. I hate trying to pop the plywood up.
Where Can I Find Those Brown Boots?
Do your windows sweat and freeze in the winter.
I took out the heating unit and looped the system back to the engine. Then I took the STOP sign mechnizism of the side and now my bus won't start. 2002 8.3 Cummins pushers. 3060 Allison tranny. Should I keep going or figure out why it won't start. It might have something to do with the safety on the doors and windows and possibly the STOP sign. Anybody figured this out yet? Thanks!!
Where can you get insurance for it
Insurance is a fun issue. You will want to find an agent who you can talk to and get a proper policy.
I want to hire someone to do this . What would their title be? What’s the name of the profession
Picked up a 2011 with less than 15k miles. Do you still recommend a full gut to begin??
Depends on what your doing with it. But, I personally always do a full build out.
Am I the only one who’s just curious on what make/model this bus is? This maybe an option for my own build. If anyone knows I would appreciate it a lot! Thank you!
th-cam.com/video/cMEQH4jhGgQ/w-d-xo.html
did you sell the green bus?
Never! Haha. I still live in it
Great video, but maybe you could try replacing "Rip it out" with "Safely remove"
Boy hush
All together, how much am I looking at spending. Obviously the first step is getting the bus, and what type I want,but after all is said and done, how much am I looking at to spend. I do not have a whole lot of money.
Dude, protect those hands! That stuff looks rough!!!
Could always use an epoxy instead of caulk
I have used rivits for years and never had to use anything more then a drill.
I'm not a gambling man but I'd gamble $$$ that I could drill out robots far faster then you can remove 15-20 year old screws.
Yes, drilling out "robots" is no fun....
Yay I have screws
anyone is San Antonio area that could help a grandma doing a rebuild would be gladly appreciated, please and thanked
My bus has screws AND rivets.
If I may say so, you have lovely eyes! lol
Ok u say to do certain things like grind the window sill, but forgot to explain "Why". Trust me, i want to start barebones too, but i have to know the reasoning behind some of the recommendations to see whether its even worth it for me to take the time to replace if the thing itself is perfectly fine. Cuz time is money and if theres no reason to touch something then why should invest that much time and energy unless its a more aesthetic reason. In a perfect world with all resource and time, it would be nice to start from scratch but like the ol saying goes, "if it aint Broken, dont fix it". Besides if its good, shouldnt it have a second chance to be reused?
Has rivets 🤦
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Too sexy! Cut it out. 😝 I am trying to pay attention.
Nothing looked wrong with the existing insulation. Big waste of time