Category: Stage 1 rebuild

First stage of the rebuild including the flooring, walls, and ceiling

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Stage 1 rebuild

June 2022 Update

Electrical trouble shooting

Unfortunately, we don’t have much to report since we are still trouble shooting. We did figure out that while we see many advantages of having a pusher bus, one major disadvantage is that a pusher has extremely difficult engine access. Still, even though we didn’t expect the starter to be the issue, we decided to take it off just to rule it out.

In order to fit between the cooling fan and the engine, we first had to remove one of the fan supports. The only way to do that was by cutting part of the support spindle and push the rod out. We unbolted the bump plate from underneath the engine once the rod was removed. This is a thick steel plate that prevents the engine from getting hit when the bus drives over a big rock, or highway hazard. Clearly that had happened before because three of the bolts that hold the bump plate in place were completely flattened.

Dismantling problems

With those two items removed (this was a two-day process) we gained enough space to be able to disconnect the hot and neutral wires from the starter. That said, since I am right-handed and can I only can fit my left hand in the area we need to reach, so it took several hours to get it done. Then it was time to get underneath and remove the two bolts that hold the starter onto the engine.

Having the bus in a storage space with a gravel and dirt lot slows down the process. Between the wind and other vehicles driving through the lot, dust in the eyes in an issue. Safety glasses do not help and goggles won’t work with the limited space we are working in plus we are dealing with the excessive outside temperature. So in short; are we having fun? No, most certainly we are not. That said, if we get the bus running before we hit the 20 year mark the satisfaction would be tremendous!!

Never give up

Laying on the gravel and dust to remove the bottom bolt from the starter was easy. Fairly decent access and space to move the ratchet. Getting to the top bolt, which is hidden into an inaccessible space above the starter, was a whole different challenge. Eventually we managed to get it off. We used a ratchet with a 3ft extension and loosened the bolt while standing behind the bus and ratcheting inside the engine compartment. It is amazing that getting a bolt loose of a bus part that has no issue, still feels like a victory. How deep we have sunk…

Once the starter bolts were loose, we had to get back under the bus and slide the starter over hydraulic and fuel lines all the way aft. From there we could maneuver it between engine and aft hatch to pull it out. On the bright side: the teeth on the flywheel look excellent end we didn’t see any rust.

The only thing we did notice to be wrong is that the little starter wire clearly had a break in the connection because it did not have to be unscrewed but pulled right off. Could this really be the cause of the problems? We doubt it, but it would be great if it was. And as mentioned earlier, it would not be the first time that a simple connection break is the reason of a skoolie no-start.

Now that the starter is off…

We took the starter home and put it on the work bench for a test start. It runs with light noise, but not sufficient to be an issue. Some of the teeth are slightly warn and so is the core. But all in all it is not a bad starter for the amount of mileage that is on this bus. So we will clean it up some more and then put it back.

We also still have to replace the boost pressure sensor. Problem is that we simply cannot reach it. I am afraid we actually have to cut the bench inside the bus to get access to the top of the engine where this sensor is located. That is a problem for later this week after we put back the starter…

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Stage 1 rebuild

Week 16 – May Update

No start frustrations (Still or again?)

The new batteries did not solve the issue. We have been trouble shooting ever since. Which is very unfortunate since it pushes us way back on our timeline. We have run by every fuse and wire and still did not come up with a sensible explanation on why the bus will not start.

We had great assistance from our electronics guru out of Colorado Springs. He deepened our knowledge and understanding of bus system electronics drawings. It also resulted in elimination of many potential issues that were proven in good order. But it did not get us closer to a start.

What was checked

We checked for loose wires, tested every fuse, checked the ECM, ECU, VIM, VEC, TCC, (yeah learned a LOT about this bus!) fan module, starter, and transmission. We did electrical component checks, tried to jump solenoids the right way as well as the wrong way (getting close to setting a bus on fire, which was no fun but a great heartbeat check) We had a nice battery weld arc because we accidentally connected the positive of one to the negative of the other battery at the end of a very long and tiring day of trouble shooting, destroying the thread of one of the terminals which we then had to fix, and still… nothing.

What we eventually did get is engine faults appearing on the display. The one we are working on now is the boost pressure sensor fault (code 25) and low fuel pressure fault (code 63). Neither should affect the starting of the bus, but we might as well fix them now. Of course, the 63 fault makes sense since the engine is not running.

All this trouble shooting is very educational, but not fun. Especially crawling under the bus in a very dusty and sometimes windy gravel lot does not make for very good moods and positive attitudes.

Why don’t you get a mechanic you ask? Two reasons:

One: skoolie.com is FULL of no start issues. About 95% of them are due to a simple wire disconnects or rusty connections. It is merely about finding out which wire that could be.

Two: skoolie.com is also FULL of regrets. Spending thousands on mechanics who made people replace very expensive components (like the $1000 ECM an $800 HUE or a $500 starter) with no avail, only to discover that $4000 later the problem was a simple corroded wire on a starter solenoid or a starter screw that had vibrated loose.

Another factor is we have no idea where to find someone locally who knows how to work on Thomas pusher busses with a Cat C7. You may understand our trepidation here…

Positive Note:

On a good note, all the inserts for the roof raise are ready to go and they look awesome! We ordered them from Vico Manufacturing here in Houston. They took the sample beam and matched it perfectly! You can check them out here Vico (vicomfg.com)

We have ordered a boost pressure sensor and hope to have better news at our next update…

Categories
Stage 1 rebuild

Week #15

Batteries…again?

From the no start a couple of weeks ago, there had not been an opportunity to investigate the new electrical issue. Which is a shame since we really were hoping to get a good start on the roof raise with some help from Holland. But that did not happen.

Older brother disconnecting batteries

After a lot of investigation, jump starting battery, recharging battery and having batteries tested, it appeared we needed to replace the batteries that we bought only a few months ago. So, we went to back to the store where we bought them.

Fortunately, they were still under warranty.

It wasn’t just the ones we have

Unfortunately, when they tested the batteries available in store, they showed to have faulty cells as well. They advised us to go to a different store location, which we did, the next day. One more day added to our timeline.

Batteries at Store #2

At that location they tested their batteries… and they showed bad as well! Mind you, these all seemed to be from the same batch and with the same manufacturing date. In any case, I was referred to yet another store.

Batteries at Store #3

That store only had two in stock, again from the same batch and manufacturing date. Also showed to have faulty cells. Rather strange… In any case, we were sent back to the first store to get our money back for the batteries we bought just two months ago. One more day added to our time line.

Batteries Back to store #1

When coming back to the first store one day later, the manager claimed to have found two new batteries that were just low, but would be fine once charged and that the problem was that the employees just had no idea how to correctly test them. (in three different stores ?!? sounds like an educational issue to me) In any case he would charge them but that would take one day… One more day added to our time line.

Trip 3 to store #1 – same batteries

Next day we went back and low and behold they had two charged batteries. However, there was no manager in the store. Being rather weary at this point, we asked them to re-test the batteries in front of us. First battery passed, no issues! We are getting somewhere! Second one.. failed again. So being done with it we asked for our money back again.

Connecting batteries once more

They stated that they had one good battery and they would give money back for one battery and give us the only working one as a replacement for the second battery. Yeah no. Then they claimed we had already turned in one battery so they would only refund one. Right. With the back of our car open showing two batteries sitting there?!?!

Little more hassle but ended up with a full refund. Then went to the competitor down the street who had two batteries in stock, tested in front of us and found in good order. Finally!

Now to install them and hope she starts…

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Stage 1 rebuild

Week #14

Raising the roof

The decision is made – we will raise the roof of the bus by 18”. We were hesitating between just raising the shower area, doing a 12” raise or an 18” raise. But with the AC Evaporator in the back of the bus, we decided an 18” raise would be best. Might as well do it right from the start. An 18” raise will bring the total height of the bus up to 13’. Which is still within State allowance. It will create much more space for our bunk beds and will give proper height in our bathroom.

Step #1 – Supplies needed

That said, we needed to invest in some supplies first. The list started with a welding machine. Once that came in, we ran some practice welds to make sure we are up to the task. No issue there, we both have welded in the past, it’s just like riding a bike. We will need this to weld the inserts as well as the underbelly storage and tank frames that we will need to add under the bus later.

Step #2 – Enclosed storage

We expect the entire raise and re-skinning to take several weeks, meaning we need a closed in storage unit protected from wind and weather and with a level floor so the roof does not collapse on us during the raise. After some research, we found a location near our current storage facility that can accommodate us. We rented a unit on a budget, but only measured the door opening afterwards… It looked big enough, but after measuring we discovered we need to get one of the larger bays since the unit we picked only allows for a 12’ vehicle and we will turn out with a 13’ bus. Back to the drawing board.

Step #3 – Where on the frame to cut for the raise

We removed the rain guard to reveal all the screws that connect the top plating to the side plating. It seemed fairly easy to raise at that level, but the problem was finding curved inserts to put under the raised roof. Also, if we cut at the top, the windows will be at belly level so we would not be able to look outside. Especially once we start to put kitchen cabinets in. So, it was decided to do an under-the-window cut but leaving the first and last windows in place.

Step #4 – Finding the inserts to be installed for the raise

Next, we had to figure out where to find inserts to make the raise stable and effective. After shopping at quite a few steel vendors and metal fabricator locations we finally found a small workshop in southeast Houston that is willing to produce our design of 24 inserts of 30” length. We chose 30” inserts so we can use 6 inches on top and bottom to mount to the existing framing.

Insert Design

Step #5 – Roof Raising cradles

We built ourselves some roof raising cradles. We are planning to put farm jacks underneath them to execute our raise. Couple of straps on it and we will be good to go. With the basics in place now the real work can start ….

Homemade cradles

Stay tuned…

Categories
Stage 1 rebuild

Week #12/13

Week #12

Have no fear if you think you missed the update from week #12. We sacrificed a weekend of work on the bus for camping with our American Heritage Girls troop. God gave us gorgeous weather and we had lots of laughs. But that’s about it. No progress on the renovation.

Week #13

Rear Bench Work

We brought the bus home Saturday afternoon after soccer. First, we cut off the bolts that used to hold the rear seat and seat belts in place.

Cutting off unnecessary bolts.

After that, we spent a few hours with Goo Gone to clean the never-ending amount of glue residue that remained on the rear bench. The bench was then covered with the same sound barrier that had been placed on the wheel wells. https://sixwheelsofadventure.com/week-11/

What happens when Ivo goes shopping alone…

Of course, as Darwin dictates, we were just short of plywood and rigid foam board to cover it. So, we went to the store to pick up supplies. Looking at the still exorbitant plywood prices, we only bought the pink rigid board and longer wood-to-sheet-metal-screws. So much fun trying to get that super light 4′ x 8′ sheet of rigid foam from the doors of the Home Depot to the car; just put your feet on the cart and the wind will make you sail though parking lot with a speed that could rival with most sailing regattas. Trying to stop before hitting anything or breaking the rigid foam sheet was a whole new challenge.  

Unfortunately, once we dropped anchor near the car, we had to cut the board in half. Otherwise it would not fit in Cindy’s vehicle with the seats up. Might have been smarter and a whole less windy hassle to cut it inside the store BEFORE trying to maneuver it through the windy parking lot…

Plywood solution

As mentioned, plywood is just too expensive right now. In view of this, we sacrificed one sheet of plywood from our hurricane window cover stash. Let’s hope we won’t have to replace it later this year… We put the rigid foam over the sound barrier for added insulation. Otherwise, we anticipate that our future bedroom would be very noisy and hot without it. Downside of putting ½” plywood over the sound barrier and rigid foam is that the wood now looks a little bit like a washboard. We just hope that won’t affect the final top layer too much. Time will tell.

All in all, the finished product looks nice. Next up we still need to fix the lights (see last week’s blog) and add a lot of caulk.

Final cover for engine compartment

Next step…

We are now in discussion whether to raise our skoolie roof completely, partially, or raise the roof just in our shower area. Currently, it will not be possible to stand underneath a shower head in our shower room due to the small overall interior height. Something needs to be done. The advantage of raising the entire roof is that we then also have more space above the beds in our bedroom.

Major downside it that we envision it will add at least two months to our conversion, with the bus being open to the elements in the Texas humidity for that entire period. In addition, there are a lot of pictures of roof raises gone wrong. We don’t have a warehouse so we could do it over several days in perfect conditions. Raising a small section of roof in our shower could be completed in one day in our driveway.

Something to ponder in the coming week.

Categories
Stage 1 rebuild

Week #11

The last of the windows

The week started with the bus in storage and three more windows to clean. We washed one a day during the week to finish them up. However, Ivo noted that the wording on one of the already re-installed emergency windows was facing the wrong way. The words “DO NOT BLOCK” should be read from the inside, not the outside. We want to keep this little bit of the original bus feel to our RV, so we took that one window out again. Ivo disassembled the frame, turned the pane around, and reassembled it. That was about a 10-minute job. We did shift the emergency window over one pane from the original position so there would still be access once the beds are installed.

With the last three windows also re-installed we finally can drive around without plywood in the windows. It looks a lot less trashy. 

The warning was facing the wrong way

Flooring

We brought the bus home Saturday afternoon after soccer. The first project consisted of screwing down the plywood subfloor with the 2″ screws that finally had arrived. This made about 150 new holes in our pretty clean and filled floor. Ivo checked the bottom of the bus to make sure we would not hit anything delicate, but the length of the screws was just perfect. We used coated screws so they won’t rust away in the future.

The next step was taping the approximate layout of our bathroom walls to make sure we knew the location of our future shower pan and toilet.

Painter’s tape marks the bathroom “walls”

In the section where the shower will go, we have the option of removing the plywood and rigid foam to create a little more overhead space when showering. We did not want to put screws in that section only to have to remove them later. While discussing this matter that evening, we once again tossed with the idea of just raising the roof where the shower will go. Which got us searching for a good and affordable MIG or TIG welding machine. But that is for later date.

More cleaning

Last but not least, the wheel wells needed a thorough cleaning. You may wonder if it would not have been smarter to do that before putting the plywood floor in? We wondered the same thing ourselves. And absolutely it would have been easier. But at some point, we just wanted to see some progress over the spring break and thus focused on the floor first. Cleaning the wheel wells went surprisingly fast, and in the end, it only cost a full day. Most of it was waiting for the Goo Gone to do it’s job.

Once the wheel wells were clean, Ivo put a bead of caulk around them and then installed the sound and heat barrier material that we purchased. It is basically a foamy cushion with super sticky glue backing.

You can also find the same stuff inside the hood of a vehicle engine compartment. With that installed, the bus is starting to look pretty spiffy! The bottom section of the rear bench (which is basically the engine compartment cover) is the only section left to be cleaned before covering it with the same padding.

And just when you think all is well….

By the time all of this was done, it had gotten dark. The bus had to be returned to storage, so we started the engine (yes, we, too, now cringe when we have to write that, because you just know something is going to happen) and heated it up, then switched on the lights and….. saw flashing lights!?! Why were the top lights that we had re-wired flashing?? Not supposed to do that! Seems like we did something wrong in the connections; we forgot that at night those lights are also used as running lights and thus need to be wired accordingly. So as a quick fix, we just disconnected them and drove to storage. That is a problem for another day…

This coming week will be occupied with traveling and AHG camping so we will have to skip a week of the renovation work.