build

Hello, Happy to be here. After years of dreaming of an RV build, and loitering on government surplus sites, I finally picked up my BUS. It's a 2009 Blue Bird Vision (mid sized) Handy Bus. Runs a 6.7L Cummins with 232k miles. Western Oregon routes, no salt. Purchased for $2,300 I had no idea...

Hi all! I bought my bus 11 days ago and have stripped out seats and flooring so far. Looking to make it a permanent home for me and my 3 cats. Currently based in Tacoma, WA. My bus is a 2000 Blue Bird. She's 28' long and has the 24v Cummins and Alison transmission. I lucked out and she only...

Has anyone else tried to get information about this new fifth wheel? Bought it in Elkhart from C. W. Direct early in October and I have to say, we really like the layout, and it hauls very well. That being said, I’m a little OCD, and am willing to take whatever steps are necessary to head off...

My Spartan chassis air system is taking progressively longer to build air pressure after startup. Each time I start the engine, it seems to take longer than it used to. Could this be a sign that the air compressor is starting to fail, or should I be looking at other possible causes? I did a...

As of the time of this post, my trailer is not for sale.. but that doesn't stop people from asking.. For those that don't already know, I am building a Cargo Conversion from a 7 x 16 x 7 Pace American Outback DLX. I have a friend that owns a boat repair business, and I rented some space in his...

How do I find out what year my Thor camper was built on the Ram chassis? I bought a 2025 Tellaro 20 J in October 2025 at a rv dealership and I was looking at other Tellaro online and saw that they had a few extras like a ladder( mine didn’t have) I also remembered that my Ram Promaster came with...

hello, Greetings from Colorado. I recently purchased a 1974 GILLIG Transit Coach that I am planning on converting. Unfortunately, it will probably be a while as she is sitting in the shop. On my second trip with her (flat ground) some how the breaks caught fire. Par for the course and just my...

We ordered our E19 yesterday, so are looking forward to delivery in the spring. Now to sell our current travel trailer, after one last trip in a couple of weeks. My husband and I have camped for 35+ years, tents, 2 popups, and for the last 11 years, in a Riverside Retro 177. Loved the Retro but...

So the plan is to install solar panels on my 2020 Thor Magnitude using 2 aluminum unistruts per side, attached to the roof using some custom mounts. Design requirements: I don't want to design around a specific set of panels that I might not be able to source in the future. So no Z brackets or...

Hi Tony, I have a question regarding your book. In the book it says to cut off 2 1/8 from the ceiling from bulkhead forward. My finished inside wall (I haven't attached the outside wall yet) measures 118" which includes the 3/8 gap before the hatch. Or....117 5/8 that sits on the floor. This...

Hey y’all! So I’m currently in the process of designing my interior build for my 4 windowed Collins shortie and seeking out ideas / advice / opinions for how others have designed their interior. I came across this bus for sale in my area and was scoping out the design and like the idea this one...

Bringing toys on vacation has always been part of the fun. So I designed and had my welder fabricate these custom aluminum roof racks. I now have over 10,000 miles on them and I can attest that they are very durable and will not adversely affect your trailer in the least (as long as you make...

I figured I'd put together a little build thread on our ATC Panther shell, both to spark discussion (and bring up things I haven't considered), to document for myself in the future, and to help others that may be considering a similar build out. Apologies this is so long-winded. Hope you all...

I have a dilemma. The previous owners registered my 6800 Chevy Superior bus as a 57 Chevy. On the door tag, the Superior date of production says 10-55. Speaking to some others, I was told many times, the commercial busses during that time were titled as the year they were sold, not the year...

I have been having A/C airflow issues in my 2018 Grayhawk for some time. I reworked the plenum in the front A/C and even added the airflow mod to improve the flow, It worked to some degree so I kind of accepted the results. Today i was trying to put a new vent in one of the outlets and reached...

Just saying hi. love the teardrop style and with Outback the tow weight makes sense. Looking to get some info to make a smart purchase or convince my wife I can pull off a build ;)

I tried this once before and it seems to have been sequestered by the system. Apologies if they both pop up at some point. Hello everyone, My name is Eric and I hail from North Pole, Alaska. My wife and I just bought our first school bus in hopes of having a better experience that our travel...

Hello Gurus! My name is Eric and I hail from North Pole, Alaska. Just like the real Christmas it was a total marketing scheme. Unlike the real thing ours didn't pan out. My wife, Rose, and I just took the plunge and bought ourselves a Skoolie last weekend. I have spent most of my life...

Hey guys I just joined the forums and wanted to share my van project. 2007 E150 with a 4.6 and 251,000 miles. It used to carry pool chemicals and had some rust on the floor and on the back rocker panels. I have no before pics, mostly because I'm trying to erase those memories from my brain. I...

I recently inquired about how folks were drying their clothes while on vacation. (towels, swimming trunks, and various items) I have seen some in campgrounds that I have visited, and the cost of these was, in my opinion, outrageous. So, I came up with a solution that was cost-effective and...

Years ago, I had a rental account, and the president was an avid RV'er, they took rigs out all the time. B vans, C's, Truck campers. That is where I started taking units out to explore Western Canada. The feedback you get and give is priceless. He had said back then, we are not an RV rental...

I've done a few camper builds and remodels now, but never posted the details or progress on one. I figured this would be fun, even though the remodel is almost complete. I did a Promaster van build in 2014, remodeled a Total Composites hardsided camper, and now I'm finishing a full gut and...

Hey Everyone! I need some help as the 2000 Eagle model I bought was gutted before I got my hands on it. I am looking for inspo pics or dimensions from other peoples Eagle models for the couch framing. As you can see in the first image it was totally empty but the guy did have the couches that...

Need a place to work on your Skoolie and/or live while you build? I personally had a very hard time finding a place to work on my bus. Now I have a place with 2 acres in Mojave, California. There’s plenty of space and electricity and water. We also have two empty bedrooms in the house that we...

Good Afternoon everyone, About a year ago, my fiancee and I we finally decided to pull the trigger and after a lot of research, we ended up finding our perfect fit - 2000 Blue Bird. This was something we had thought about for a very long time and were excited that the time had finally come. A...