| Author |
Message |
Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 3:48 pm: | |
I did not mean to indicate by my last response to my original post below that I was going to be bashed on the internet, but I know the tone sometimes of some on here like to do that and I just did not want to let it go that way. I do apprecaite all the kind words and praise of my workmanship, I am trying to enourage others to do the same if they have the ability and health. I will never, never do this again I assaure you but I hope I may help many others in their physical work at times on repairs of their rigs when I get on the road. I plan to be completely self efficient with most of the equipment I feel needed to do major repairs to my coach if needed and others needing assistance . Thanks again for looking at these photo's, pass it on to others in question of some of the things to look for in a before bus purchase inspection, these pictures are only a taste, a small taste of what I have documented to date. But enough for you to get the real drift.
I am putting a second notice on this BB for you to see latest pictures of my bus that I hope you will also see. Yesterday's post are pictures of over a year ago. Today's are a real eye opener even to me today!! There is two albums, the latest one for you I hope you will look at has the same name heading for the album as this posting suject. There are only 13 pictures but all very eye opening. As you will see in pic #3 there seems like surface rust but on on #4 and #5 you get the eye opening of a life time after using a air chisel to test the integrity of the bus frame as I always do now. The inside of the entire tube was full of rust. If you inspect your bus with a ball peen hammer by hammering on the frame, listen for the rust to fall inside. If you hear it, you got (Rust Termites) believe me, look at these pictures real close and see how full that the tubing really is.
Web site name again is:
(http://community.webshots.com/user/converter101)
I do apprecaite the kind comments from those reading this post, thanks again.
Gary LaBombard |
Campbell
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - 9:38 pm: | |
I do not think I would ever have the time to do the great work you have done on your bus. have you done anything on the inside. gary you can tell you take great pride in what you do more power to you. Jerry Campbell |
Mike T
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 12:39 pm: | |
The original photos are heartbreaking news. The after photos shows great work & skill to resolve and show, at least to me, a respect to safety of self & others. We should all take a little more time to review our coaches. I know i will be looking at mine more closely. Thanks for sharing your photos. I hope some day to have my Scenicruiser back on the road.
Mike in Denver |
Phil Hendrix
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 7:12 pm: | |
Gary,
If it is any comfort too you I also bought a rusty Eagle. Four years ago I purchased a 1987 model 15 with the intentions of cutting it and stretching to 45'. If I had known then what I know now, well that's water under the bridge. I have spent the last four years rebuilding the frame and would guess there is now at least 80% new steel in my bus. Has it been fun? Yes and no. I will say though that when I get it done I will feel comfortable building the interior I want. And yes I understand your financial investment, I have way too much in this "hobby". What's a guy too do, as for me I am pressing on and will one day be on the road with a bus that I know has a solid skeleton behind all the inner and outer skin. I will say that because of all my problems it did open the door for me too run into a great deal on a second 45' wide body Eagle that I picked up pretty reasonable. This second "frame" has also been totally rebuilt.
Give me a call sometime, I would love to hear more about your project. 1-847-309-0245
Don't get discouraged, you will end up with what you wanted to begin with and much more.
Phil Hendrix |
Connel Smalling (Connel)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2005 - 10:37 pm: | |
Gary,
Excellent work! I can truly appreciate the amount of work you are putting in your coach.
Have a '73 05 that I stripped to the bare frame and am rebuilting. Am into my 15th week of work (7 12 hr + days straight each week). My wife kept asking when I was going to start putting tnings back on instead of taking bad tubing off. It sure felt good when that day finally arrived.
Am documenting my conversion with still pics and video tape. Like you I would never want to do it a gain but would not take for the experience. Was a welder in my younger days and that sure has been a life saver. Purchased a tubing bender from Harbor Freight and have become quite a bender. When it is finished it will will be a solid coach from top to bottom and end to end.
Noticed in your pics you added stringers under your bays. I removed the alum decking and put 7 stringers were there was four before. Cut the roof off and hung from the rafters then cut the walls off at floor level and rebuilt them. Now have an 8" roof raise. Raised the drivers area to coach floor level (up 16").
Did not mean to carry on. Again great job!
Connel |
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