expensive interior in shuttle bus

[Jedi Clampette]

with my first shuttle bus, I bought from a church for $300, it had been vandalized. All the windows and windshield had been busted out by vandals, but it ran good. I got an estimate for the window replacement from a Christian RV glass company and they gave me an estimate of $1500 to do the job. So instead I went to the plastics supplier locally and they rough cut the lexan to size and sold me the jig saw blade to cut the plastic for under $100. The whole job of removing the window remains, rounding the corners with the jig saw and installing the windows which just popped in took 30 min for the whole bus and cost about $70. The windshield installed was about $150 and so for aprox $500 had a good looking and running short bus (shuttle bus style).

Then I spent over $2k on the interior getting fancy wood paneling, so used that for about ten yrs. fancy paneling, fancy trim, vinyl over foam, I ended up covering up some of the windows eventually with thin alum panels I got cheap from Boeing surplus store (miss that place) and it became a bit famous on the web since there were more than one photographers that would take pics of the van where ever I went to. When I sold the van for scrap, I got my $300 back, but the interior was a total loss financially, but was ten yrs old at that point.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

So, I got to the point that mice had eaten wiring, the front breaks needing replacement and the engine worked, but not that great, I decided to scrap it out than fix it, which would have cost me several thousand dollars at that point. The point is, if you put an expensive interior in your bus, it is temporary, now in this case it was ten yrs temporary, but likely when you scrap it out, the money you put into it is loss, but then you had the use of it for how many years you used it?
Now, I know what I want in a shuttle bus, but I no longer put thousands into an interior, instead of fancy expensive paneling, I use 6' cedar fence boards. No sanding just a poly/stain on it. It is good to install cabinets etc with the idea of removal eventually. That way when it is time to scrap the bus, you can save much of the interior. I replaced the shuttle bus with another just out of service from King County Metro Transit (seattle area) the bus with its diesel engine cost me $700 I sold the wheel chair lift out of it for $300. the final cost $400. NW Bus sales bought at the same auction and jacked up the sales price for $13k a piece.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

I like shuttle busses alot, but if and when I need another, I will get a utility trailer. This way if I choose to put money in the interior and the tow vehicle goes bad, then just get another tow vehicle. Alot depends on your resources, if you have a mechanic as a friend or family, then the bus makes sense, but if you don't and if you don't have major skills, then the utility trailer makes more sense, even putting solar panels on the roof are accessible from a ladder. A fiberglass shuttle bus body doesn't rust. Another issue is that I tend to park my vehicle alot and a vehicle needs to be run and get that oil moving thru the engine and to discourage critters, from making a home and eating electrical wire. Now there is great advice to budget for repairs, but many people ignore that advice and do not save $3k for repairs for example and can lose everything as a result or have room on a credit card. With a utility trailer you can park it and use the tow vehicle for running around.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

I still have alot of cool stuff in my interior, but I do not spend alot of money on my interior that at any time can be ripped out if I have to salvage the vehicle. As an example my pu truck needed a new engine, it is an old but good looking truck and altho it is twenty yrs old has been maintained. It cost me $6k for the newly rebuilt engine and removal and install and that included new radiator, water pump etc.
The engine ran fine for the 10k mile warranty and just after the warranty ran out, it dropped a cylinder. I still use it as a V7 truck, but I would have been money ahead to buy a $2k used truck in good running condition.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

My advice is this:
If getting a box van or shuttle bus, line up your mechanic first before buying, figure out where you can insure it.
Be creative with interior, but do not spend alot of money on it, I do have a gas fireplace built into a bulkhead, but that can be recycled to the next vehicle or trailer.
Consider how much you will drive it, if it will sit for months on end, get a utility trailer.
You can't have a mechanic check it out before auction, but get it for a low price and plan on spending $2k on repairs, tires etc immediately.
In general all tho there is a need to secure an interior if for no other reason is safety, I like to move furniture around and change things up.
With interior planning, throw in a bed, some used cabinets and live in it for awhile to learn how you live in your shelter.
I would put a different interior design for traveling than for sitting.
Consider a utility trailer instead of an rv or bus so you can live in it if the vehicle needs repair or bus a pos tow vehicle if needed.

 

[Zephyr]

Great advice for newbies who are trying to find the best CRVL solution. Thanks!

A cargo trailer seems to be an excellent choice for the reasons you gave. What's the best way to secure an unattached cargo trailer? That's the big worry of a friend.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

just off the top of my hat, a hitch lock, remove the wheels or remove the tires and block it up (if sitting for awhile) Les schwab will do this for free, then put nut locks on the wheel studs. When you think about it, you only need to do one wheel if single axle.

 

[Zephyr]

Jedi, those ideas should discourage a thief enough that they would look for easier prey and wouldn't be that hard to do. I didn't know nut locks existed. But then, I'm a newbie.

 

[highdesertranger]

nut locks, locking lug nuts, and any type of locking anything is easily defeated. I can defeat them in seconds and I am not a thief. highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . What's the best way to secure an unattached cargo trailer?  . . .

That depends on who you are protecting the trailer from.  If from the local meth-heads anything that makes it difficult to steal will deter them.  If it is professional thieves intent on stealing your trailer, 24 hour armed guard is about all that will work.

IMO hitch locks are worthless.  All a thief has to do is hook up the safety chains and take off, stop at a secluded space to cut the lock or break into the trailer.
Same for wheel locks (as HDR said).  Exception: if the wheel lock nut is in a well or sleeve so a thief cannot get purchase.

Anything that keeps the wheels from rotating can deter, depending on how long the thief has and how far he thinks he can drag the trailer without notice.

If you are leaving the trailer for an extended period of time, taking wheels off will protect the trailer not the contents. 

Making the trailer difficult to get into will protect the contents from all but determined, equipped thieves.

GPS tracking will find your trailer but the contents will likely be gone.

Your best protection is to have everything insured for theft.

 

[Jedi Clampette]

well if concerned about theft, get a battery powered impact wrench with a socket, remove a wheel, after blocking up that wheel. but if you are living in it, then unlikely to be stolen, but hey, i don't know your situation, but anything can be defeated given the intent. Even houses are broken into all the time with burgler alarms, in and out in a minute alarm blasting away.
Look at your lifestyle and your surroundings use appropriate measures and never have anything people will want to steal.

 

[JayC]

Jedi Clampette

Hello Jedi, I am new to the forum and saw in your description you mentioned a "shuttle bus" so I checked it out because, yep you guessed it, I recently purchased a 08 Ford shuttle bus. You provided some really good information about the interior and concerns for mechanical issues. Hopefully, I won't have too many M issues, as I'm not a mechanic.
     Right now I have only removed the seats and the wheelchair lift, hoping to find a buyer for them. But I am doing a very inexpensive interior, just the basics and everything can be removed easily.

     If you don't mind I do have some questions about mounting solar to its roof. I did not want to remove the ceiling so I am unsure of what kind of support structure is above it. It does have the escape hatch and some handrails screwed into the ceiling so I'm sure it has something. Since you had mentioned having solar on your roof I wanted to ask you how you mounted it. I have seen a little on how some people use VHB to mount the brackets but IDK if that is good enough. Did you screw yours down? Did you have to add any other support? I may even 1st mount a rack then mount the panels on top of it. IDK what is best so if you have any ideas, please let me know.

     I thank you for your time, your knowledge and advise on the solar panel mount you might share. Have a great day. 

 

[JayC]

View attachment 22179

22179[/ATTACH] JayC pid='427024' dateline='1544583199']View attachment 22179Jedi Clampette

Hello Jedi, I am new to the forum and saw in your description you mentioned a "shuttle bus" so I checked it out because, yep you guessed it, I recently purchased a 08 Ford shuttle bus. You provided some really good information about the interior and concerns for mechanical issues. Hopefully, I won't have too many M issues, as I'm not a mechanic.
     Right now I have only removed the seats and the wheelchair lift, hoping to find a buyer for them. But I am doing a very inexpensive interior, just the basics and everything can be removed easily.

     If you don't mind I do have some questions about mounting solar to its roof. I did not want to remove the ceiling so I am unsure of what kind of support structure is above it. It does have the escape hatch and some handrails screwed into the ceiling so I'm sure it has something. Since you had mentioned having solar on your roof I wanted to ask you how you mounted it. I have seen a little on how some people use VHB to mount the brackets but IDK if that is good enough. Did you screw yours down? Did you have to add any other support? I may even 1st mount a rack then mount the panels on top of it. IDK what is best so if you have any ideas, please let me know.

     I thank you for your time, your knowledge and advise on the solar panel mount you might share. Have a great day. 

 

[Headache]

I'd love to know more about buying a shuttle bus. I live in the area but spend winters down in the SW. I have a mechanic and places to work on it. I need standing space.

 

[Firebuild]

With all this talk of easily removable interiors, I just want to mention that everything inside your bus needs to be securely attached. Though all the furniture in my bus can ultimately be removed and reinstalled in another vehicle, in this one it is bolted through the floor and to the wall. In addition, I have an E track system and use ratchet straps on everything while in motion. I have had people tell me all this is overkill, but I’ve seen the “conversions“ that have an IKEA sofa bed placed in there unsecured along with a little mini fridge, and I’d hate to see those vehicles get in even a minor accident. Anything not secured becomes a projectile in a situation like that. All the great looking conversions on YouTube rarely show you how well they tie everything down when they’re traveling or how their non-built in items are secured, so it’s easy to overlook this.