Dusty's Bus

[Dusty]

Another cool trip was up the side of Lake Tekapo , stumble up Godley River , to eventually find the Godley glacier.

The Terminal Moraine is really impressive , the size of the rocks that have been pushed up by the ice is surprising to see.

Spot the landrover amongst the boulders.



team resting , after WALKING !!! LOL.



Lake at the end of the (receding) glacier. You can see the scar line , about 1/3 up the mountain , where the ice has ground against the rock.



And back out at the river again. Oh , right , it snowed that weekend , Ha.

[Dusty]

I've had some interest in what I'm doing to the Bedford VAS , so here are some pics of the very beginning ...

You will remember this , as purchased ,



Just off school bus service , tiny hard seats , LOL .



I gutted the interior to expose the framing and enable me to add insulation, wires etc.





Then I got started on the shower .
The first bus never got a shower for 15 yrs , so it's happening right at the beginning this time.

Pine framing and baby iron lining , Stainless floor/tub. Where the original lining is reinstalled , there is 25mm polystyrene sheet for insulation. You can see a bit in the wall cavity.









Hooked up to temp gas and water for the test shower

[Jones'n4chrome]

I really like the looks of this bus. I even like the color.

I think starting on the shower is a good idea also...well as long as you can finish it before you need to use the toilet.
Nice work on the shower.

One question, is this the bus that will be getting the updated engine?

[rlaggren]

Ditto > like that bus.

Looks like a really good size and color is sympatico.


Rufus

[Rudy]

The corrugated metal for the shower walls is genius.

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Those little water heaters are great units. I have one here in my solar trailer and I just picked up the bigger unit for the 6 x 12 trailer im doin. Cheap to.

[Dusty]

Thanks guys for the nice comments , I am not sure if I will keep the outside color , its a bit pastel for me

The corrugated metal is called 'zincalume' it has a bonded coat of something that is really corrosion resistant and should work long term in this situation.

The gas califont is vented thru the roof , also lets some of the shower steam out there. Dunno about cheap though Dennis , nothings cheap here , $NZ235 for the califont. Oh, yeah , and don't let it get frosted !)

So it was -2 this morning , going to a high of 9.

Edit ; I see some of the images are not showing . If anyone knows about that , I would appreciate some help getting them fixed.

Regards.

[Stealth Camper]

Brrrrr....cold!

I vote for that color. Very cool.

I have been planning psychadelic all along for mine, but have seen some cars recently painted a light green - kind of a 1950's "Sea Mist" green that I am really starting to like.

Too many decisions for this old brain!

[graydawg]

hey Dusty that is a sharp little bus you got there, you could even use it to deliver mail in the US being right hand drive, what year is it and what type drivetrain does it use, never seen one like that. I have a 64 pd4106 35 footer myself, going mobile real soon. I was curious if any one has ever tow bared a 8000 pound vehicle behind a GM pd4106 bus before?
graydawg

[Dusty]

GD, it's a 1972 Bedford VAS.
Ordered especially for the education dept. as a school bus.

Engine is 214 cu in Bedford unit . Typical English "lorry" , dead slow and underpowered . 4 spd box and slow diff. Minimal everything , eg, no internal lights 'cause the school bus is only driven in the day? budget job, LOL.

The "PLAN" is , naturally , a repower.

I have a 1989 Nissan Condor truck ......... STOP LAUGHING !! ....

OK , So I'm thinking that the 6.9 L Diesel from the Nissan will make a pretty cool hotrod of the wee bus , double the horse power and double the mpg.

Well , maybe keep the same mpg. But you know what I'm saying , eh.

The Nissan has a 6 spd and power steer box and exhaust brake , all goodies the wee beddy never had and I just made and erected a gantry over the truck ready to pull the cab off , then the engine out , just as soon as this crappy weather clears.

Then it's decision time , repower the VAS or the big bus................

[graydawg]

DUSTY do yaw have access to cummings 5.9 liter diesels over thier it would deffinately deliver the mail. Have one in my 04 dodge dually and I personally pulled a 14 wide 13'4" load across 5 states had to permit everyone of them and blew 5 tires on my trailer, the truck, trailer, and load grossed out at 39,800 lbs and that little cummins just kept on rocking, some of the other guys I worked with had fords and chevys and they could not pull the hills like that little six cylinder will and I always averaged better milage with it also. mine is the 305 horse high output still untouched ie chips only thing not stock is a K&N air filter graydawg

[Dusty]

GD, I've not seen any C 5.9 here .

I've kinda forgotten what I've posted here , it's been so long.

So I was flicking thru the photo album and found some pics I thought I would share,

Here is an ancient pic of my bus before I painted it , taken at one of the last Whitecliffs Music Festivals, its the green one



I have recently added a door to the shower, its had a curtain for ever and it's always irritated me .
I replicated a common historic Kauri 4 panel door style that we have here in the colonies , but its WAY lighter , 'cause its SO thin.



I freely confess to being untrained in wood work , So I'm really pleased with the way I got it finished. (recycled kauri floor boards)

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Well Dusty, I've made a few door in my day and that is a great one

[rlaggren]

2nd that. Looks fine and best yet it's done and in service!

Rufus

[Dusty]

So the paint job has only lasted about 17yrs and the one steel panel on the side of the bus has succumbed to the elements



Yesterday, I took the panel off as it was going to be too hard to make the steel right and cleaned the frame up ;



Then I used a new panel a friend had made , but never used on his bus, and installed it.

Oh the beauty of alloy



Gotta get the art work back on sometime , but later in the summer , when the alloy has weathered off a bit.