Before we look at any heater removals I thought I would add in some information about engine coolant just so people know what they are dealing with and what to look for when draining the fluid before removing the heaters.
ChrisFix
I've added two of ChrisFix's videos here, the first is about testing the coolant to see if it needs to be changed while the second one is about flushing the system, safe disposal of the old coolant and refilling the coolant. If you only have the time to watch one I recommend the second one.
Tips from this video
You may be able to drain all the coolant from the radiator before working on the heaters making it easier to remove the heater and pipes.
Interior panels & Insulation Removal | bus conversion vlog
I figured its best to continue on here with Roll With It's conversion. Again the rivets are causing a problem during removal but the wall panels seem to be easier than the roof.
As Navigation Nowhere mentioned at the start of the Demolition chapter, having a bus with screws is a lot easier than a bus with rivets. For this reason, I have added videos of both, along with a video on how you can make it less painless to remove rivets.
Contributing Youtubers
The Free Birds RV
Todd Palmer
Roll With It
Screws
The Free Birds RV
REMOVING BUS CEILING: Skoolie Bus Conversion
Rivets
Todd Palmer
BS Bus Works school bus/skoolie ceiling panel/rivet removal under 5 minutes
We have launched a Go Fund Me page if you find our research helps you can make a small donation by Clicking Here. If we reach our goal of buying a bus with the help of go fund me we are going to pass the bus on at the end of our two years in North America. I'll post more information about this later, but people who donate will likely have the first chance at entering the draw to win our Skoolie.
The first video here by Roll With It has minimal to no rust problems so you get a good look at how removing the floor should go (There is a whole series below on rust problems).
Tips from this video
Use circular saw to rip up floor quicker, also larger crowbar for nails
I've added in a whole series of videos from The Voyager Project on how they dealt with some pretty series rust. If you have already ripped up your floor and have no rust major rust issues than you can skip these for now and watch later on.
After watching a few videos, step one in the demolition phase of most conversions is to remove the seats. I've found three videos that help show different ways this can go down.
This video by Rolling Vistas is probably the best place to start if you don't already have a bus length picked out already. It goes over the pros and cons provided by people who currently live in different length buses.
How To Pick The Right School Bus For Your Skoolie Conversion
Again this video explains on the last video; especially in regards to rust and mechanical issues. They also have a check-list that you can use so you don't miss out on anything important when buying your first bus.
This series of videos are all about ripping out the interior - just to remind us all of what we are getting ourselves into. I've broken this section up into the following categories:
Before you jump ahead I recommend watching this video by Navigation Nowhere. It's a very quick overview for fully gutting a bus. While not everyone will have the time or space to fully rip apart their bus it is worth watching.
Almost immediately after we got approved for our visa I have been trying to search the internet for information on converting a school bus. I've put together this post of resources I've found to help anyone else starting out and so I can go back and rewatch the videos I have found the most informative. I've stuck to youtube videos only for this feed, the majority have been Skoolie conversion videos.
Also, we have been looking for videos on A/C removal and/or alterations but have yet to find anything informative with step by step removal. So if you have any videos or know of any comment below and we can add them into the feed.
There is also a YouTuber section at the bottom if you want to follow anyone's social media channels. Also If anyone wants their videos added or removed feel free to get in touch at cheaptravelproject@gmail.com.
