Day 7 Destruction in action

Author: Justin Dunn

Removing Seats and Dreaming Big

We jumped right into day seven, ready to tackle the remaining seats in the bus. After yesterday’s trial and error, we had a rough idea of how to proceed. But we also wanted to experiment with a faster approach: using an angle grinder to cut through the bolts.

The Angle Grinder Experiment

I picked up a new angle grinder from Harbor Freight since my old one had a frustrating issue—it would only work in one position. If you tilted it, it would shut off. Rotating it back would turn it on again, making it sound like a revving engine. Not ideal for precision work.

We gave the grinder a shot, starting with the seat behind the driver’s seat. As the blade cut into the bolt, it became clear this wasn’t going to work. Not only did it take a long time, but the grinder also started cutting into the foot of the seat. At that point, we abandoned the idea and returned to good old-fashioned hand tools—and a trusty impact gun.

Getting Back to Basics

The process was straightforward but tedious. I climbed under the bus to hold the nuts while my dad worked the bolts from above. Just as we were getting into a rhythm, the rain started. We shouted back and forth about which bolts and nuts to work on next. At one point, I managed to get a direct shot at a bolt and used the impact gun while my dad steadied it from the top.

Crawling under the bus was a challenge. I had to navigate over the axle and straddle the driveshaft, constantly bumping into the cold exhaust pipe. Thankfully, the bus had been parked long enough for everything to cool down. However, I hit a snag when I got to the bolts above the fuel tank. Some were visible, but others were completely out of reach. I decided to skip those for now and focus on what I could access.

Clearing Out the Seats

Inside the bus, things moved faster. We zipped out the bolts with the impact gun, uncov-ering remnants of the bus’s past along the way—flashcards, loose change, candy, and gum. Thankfully, the seats themselves weren’t too messy.

Once the bolts were removed, we stacked the seats at the back of the bus and carried them out through the rear door. I’m hoping to repurpose them creatively, so I stacked them three or four high, alternating directions for stability, and threw a tarp over them for protection.

Layout Planning and Big Ideas

With the seats out, my dad and I started brainstorming the interior layout. I want the bus to feel open and spacious while keeping all the plumbing and wiring compact and efficient.

Under the Bus:

• The passenger side has a large open area under the floor, currently housing a factory-installed storage compartment. If I remove it, I can install a storage box for the electrical components.
• On the driver’s side, space is limited by the engine battery box. Moving it forward would free up room for black and gray water tanks, which I’d like to keep on the driver’s side for easier waste management.

Inside the Bus:

• I want a bathroom just behind the driver’s seat, with a toilet directly above the black wa-ter tank and a shower positioned next to it. Since the roof slopes down at the edges, the shower head will need to be closer to the center for maximum headroom.
• The kitchen will go next to the bathroom to keep the plumbing runs short. I’ll mount the water heater near the gray water tank for efficiency.
• With all the kitchen components on the driver’s side, I’m concerned about weight distri-bution. I might place the fresh water tank or generator on the passenger side to balance things out.

Wrapping Up the Day

We ended the night by removing the book bag racks. These racks are simple and well-built, so I’d love to reuse them if they fit with the new ceiling panels. For now, everything has to come out for cleaning, insulation, and prep work.

I worked late into the evening, but I had to stop using noisy tools after 8 PM to avoid dis-turbing the neighbors. The bus already attracts enough attention with three cars, a truck, and a car trailer parked alongside it. My dad is hard at work planning an eight-foot priva-cy fence to keep prying eyes out. Until then, we’ll make do with temporary repairs to the existing fence.

What’s Next?

Every step brings us closer to turning this bus into the home on wheels I’ve been dreaming of. The hard work is paying off, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!