Filling in windows of a bus....?

outstation42

Its looking like we will need to fill in the rear windows (oops, not rear windows, see below!) of the converted bus we bought. Motorcaravan Club need it for their insurance and Dolmen have been weeks getting back to us with a quote (we don't have an insured car being the problem with the other companies) as apparently the relevant person is away... We don't really want to (we like the windows) and have no idea of cost or where to go to have this done? Please advise if you've any idea (or if you can do it!), we'd really like to get this thing on the road now before the summer is over.... Thanks

paddyp

outstation42 wrote: »

Its looking like we will need to fill in the rear windows of the converted bus we bought. Motorcaravan Club need it for their insurance and Dolmen have been weeks getting back to us with a quote (we don't have an insured car being the problem with the other companies) as apparently the relevant person is away... We don't really want to (we like the windows) and have no idea of cost or where to go to have this done? Please advise if you've any idea (or if you can do it!), we'd really like to get this thing on the road now before the summer is over.... Thanks

Sounds a bit arbitrary surely you'll be allowed some windows in the back so why not more/all. Is it to do with their glass breakage cover I wonder. Maybe you could offer to have the rear windows excluded from that cover. Worth chasing up dolmen before spending money. I imagine the glass panels are so big that any steel or aluminium replacement would require reinforcement as it would be too flexible. If I had to do it right now I think I'd use precoated aluminium sheet and bond a sandwich of kingspan insualation and ply to the back with low expansion expanding foam for rigidity. I've done something similar to our van to reduce noise and stiffen the panels where I had to remove a brace.

outstation42

paddyp wrote: »

Sounds a bit arbitrary surely you'll be allowed some windows in the back so why not more/all. Is it to do with their glass breakage cover I wonder. Maybe you could offer to have the rear windows excluded from that cover. Worth chasing up dolmen before spending money. I imagine the glass panels are so big that any steel or aluminium replacement would require reinforcement as it would be too flexible. If I had to do it right now I think I'd use precoated aluminium sheet and bond a sandwich of kingspan insualation and ply to the back with low expansion expanding foam for rigidity. I've done something similar to our van to reduce noise and stiffen the panels where I had to remove a brace.

Thank you, that's helpful. Its the last windows on the sides, rather than the back (on the doors), to make it look less bus like... I got the impression it was about looks rather than cover.... We've chased Dolmen quite a bit, and still hope they get back to us, but would like to have a back up plan too as we need to move forward on this somehow! The windows involved aren't as big as the other windows- perhaps a couple of feet square?? Its not outside our house even, its outside my partner's parents place! Do you know what sort of place would do that work? If we had time on our side (as in if we were insured anyway) we'd be happy to learn how to do it ourselves but we'd like to go on trips this summer if possible...

Most people just cut boards that fit snugly into the window frame from plywood or chipboard. They're easy enough to remove after you send your photos to the insurance company. ...for cleaning purposes...

outstation42

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

Most people just cut boards that fit snugly into the window frame from plywood or chipboard. They're easy enough to remove after you send your photos to the insurance company. ...for cleaning purposes...

Hmm.... So the window frame itself would still be visible, or would there be something going over the edges? Will put our minds to this. Could've done that already if it that would cover it....

outstation42

Oh. Apparently the guy actually said 'take out the windows and fill with metal'..... TBH at this stage I'd rather throw money at it rather than try to work out how we can do that with our limited knowledge and equipment. Still nothing back from Dolmen which we take to be a negative.

Also, not sure if anyone will see this, we need to find out what they were saying about the cooker- my partner recalls him saying 'no wood within 2 foot of the cooker'. What would this mean? Cooker currently on chipboard unit and we are aware that it needs a heat shield adding. Think we need clarity on that one!

dharma200

Hi, sorry not much help to your OP, but just wondering how big your bus is, we have a campervan at the minute (conversion) but are loking towards getting a larger bus in the future. Think partner will have to go for bigger licence etc.

Will follow your threads so if you have any photos, do share!!

outstation42

dharma200 wrote: »

Hi, sorry not much help to your OP, but just wondering how big your bus is, we have a campervan at the minute (conversion) but are loking towards getting a larger bus in the future. Think partner will have to go for bigger licence etc.

Will follow your threads so if you have any photos, do share!!

Its around 3 tonne I think, and under the weight for driving on a standard modern license. I may well put pictures up at some point.

I'm not advocating this is the correct proceedure only what I would do. Which is cut boards that fit into the window frames you don't need from the inside, painting the exterior facing sides a similar colour to the body of the vehicle or black (insulating) or white (reflective). Then I would persist with insurance cover options meaning all camper insurance dealers are busy this time of year so be prepared for due process. Also different insurance companies have different stipulations for their cover.

You need to flash the surroundings of your cooker with heat shield in the form of tin/aluminium or other sheet metal plating. Allowing an adequate gap for ventilation (2 foot in this case).

outstation42

Sir Liamalot wrote: »

I'm not advocating this is the correct proceedure only what I would do. Which is cut boards that fit into the window frames you don't need from the inside, painting the exterior facing sides a similar colour to the body of the vehicle or black (insulating) or white (reflective). Then I would persist with insurance cover options meaning all camper insurance dealers are busy this time of year so be prepared for due process. Also different insurance companies have different stipulations for their cover.

You need to flash the surroundings of your cooker with heat shield in the form of tin/aluminium or other sheet metal plating. Allowing an adequate gap for ventilation (2 foot in this case).

Yes, I just don't want to do all that (we're not set up for even that but could manage it) and then still be told no....

RE the cooker, I don't understand how you can have a 2 foot space between cooker and 'wood', it sits on wood and has wooden presses under and diagonally to side and below. That's a very normal set up isn't it? I think I must be missing something here? Do they mean just 'bare wood'?

Re: cooker, I don't believe it necessary unless you're using a domestic cooker. Even at that 2 foot sounds like overcompensation.
I've as little as 6" before flashing on a wood burner and that's adequate.

Dolmen have no problem with my wood framed kitchen units.

moodrater

My friend has a minibus conversion and the rear windows you mentioned are covered in opague white film instead of being removed.

outstation42

I called Dolmen today and they'd just heard back... Its a 'no'. On account of it being a converted bus. I do not know why it took them 3 weeks and extra photos etc to realize that.

Re cooker. I think we need to call. As it looks like we do need to go the Club way then we need to know exactly what they want...

paddyp

outstation42 wrote: »

I called Dolmen today and they'd just heard back... Its a 'no'. On account of it being a converted bus. I do not know why it took them 3 weeks and extra photos etc to realize that.

Re cooker. I think we need to call. As it looks like we do need to go the Club way then we need to know exactly what they want...

How many seats did it start out as and whats the base vehicle my brother is about to convert an xlwb sprinter bus.

That's a pity. Sitting the cooker on bolted slate/ceramic tile/slab might appease the overzealous.

outstation42

paddyp wrote: »

How many seats did it start out as and whats the base vehicle my brother is about to convert an xlwb sprinter bus.

16 or so it says on vehicle details, and I think that's correct despite it being large enough for more it took disabled passengers. Looks pretty bussy really; I can't remember exactly what it was (Ford something!) and as its not outside its trickier to check!