Скачать или смотреть Uproot & Roam Bus Conversion ROOF RACK

Hi we're Natasha and Nick. Thanks for taking a look at our roof rack build on our 40 foot - 2005 Bluebird All American School bus. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest as we convert our bus into our home:

Instagram:   / uprootandroam  
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TIPS

As far as materials, we chose steel for its strength and durability. The density of steel is about 12 times higher than Pine which would also make you think steel construction would be significantly heavier which it is, given two chunks of the same size. But because we’ve chosen hollowed out steel tubing for the framing elements and a mesh as opposed to a solid covering we’ve minimized the weight. Our construction would come out at a fraction of the weight of wood with a similar strength.

When going with steel construction it’s critical to be prepared to properly prep and paint any raw exposed metal right away because it will begin to rust as soon as moisture hits the surface - either rain or high humidity. We struggled with this aspect because we didn’t have an indoor shop to work in - we traveled back and forth a few hours between Iowa and Wisconsin and ended up cleaning, sanding and converting the rust on the frame several times. If you can find a shop, do it or even just a covered area will be helpful.


MATERIALS

For materials we spent about $1500 which included about $950 worth of steel and a few miscellaneous expenses such as welding wire. I recommend a slightly thicker metal mesh covering than we used to prevent sagging though ours isn't that noticeable and it will depend on how far apart your framed supports are. Here's what we used:

1” x 1” x 24’ - 11 Gage Steel Tubing (verticals)
1” x 2” x 24’ - 14 Gage Steel Tubing (horizontal framing)
3/4” #9 Flat and Expanded sheet metal
36 - 3/8” 16 x 4” Grade 8 Coarse Hex Cap bolts
36 - 3/8” Coarse Nylon Insert Lock Nuts
36 - 5/16” Flat Grade 8 Washers
36 - 3/8” Flat Grade 8 Washers
Silicone sealant


TOOLS

You'll notice in the video that we used a jig as a template for drilling holes in the bus where the rack attaches. The jig wasn't just for placement of the holes but also to keep the drill perpendicular to the frame and although it wasn't critical that we used a jig, it made the whole process quite a bit easier and more precise.

Drill press
Hand drill
3/8” drill bit or similar
Solid chunk of scrap steel to make a jig
Band saw for cutting metal tubing
Belt sander to remove rough edges
Hammer to tap in stubborn bolts
Clamps for holding the framing in place
Welder + tanks (we used a Miller wire welder)
Weld helmet
Welding gloves
Protective clothing
Ladders
1/2” wrench
1/2” ratchet


SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you Papa Dana (Dana Franzen) for all of your shop knowledge, welding expertise, and several weekends of hard work. The roof rack is by far the most noticeable feature of our bus and a critical piece of our solar installation which is the primary and only source of energy for our house. Thanks also to Mac (Dennis McElree) of Echo Valley Metalworks for lending us your shop, tools and welding equipment. We couldn't have pulled this off without help from both of you.

-- Echo Valley Metal Works --
  / echovalleymetalworks  
http://echovalleymetalworks.com/

Thanks also to those that helped out behind the scenes to keep us motivated, warm and fed. This has been an incredibly positive experience thanks to all of your support.