For the fridge: go 12v. Our Westy had a propane fridge. By replacing it with a modern 12v, I've got more space, a freezer that freezes and theoretically infinite amounts of onboard cooling with the solar.
For the fridge: go 12v. Our Westy had a propane fridge. By replacing it with a modern 12v, I've got more space, a freezer that freezes and theoretically infinite amounts of onboard cooling with the solar.
Ford52PU wrote: I just wanted to congratulate you on your trip home with the bus, that is what caused me to join this site. You must have a lot of courage to bring it back like you did. I have a 52 Ford Pickup and saw a post about your trip on the FTE website. Check out FTE if you need anything on the mechanical side of things. Great bunch of folks over there with a lot of knowledge. Good luck! Dennis
I have fond memories of the FTE forums. Very knowledgeable group. Sadly, haven't been there since selling my van back in '07. 
Some more work done on SanFord today. 95% of the carpet is gone.
And what a nasty job that was. Yuck! Old moldy carpet and dust.
I did get some help with this part.
I also started studying the rear windows. One of the side windows is broken. The plan was to pull the glass, have a new piece made, order new gasketing and replace it. The first step is done. I'll drop a template by my glass manufacturer tomorrow. I'm debating on tempered or laminate. I'm leaning toward tempered like modern side windows. There is less of a chance I'll break the tempered while installing it as well.
I was worried about the condition of the body around the windows. This one is in really good shape.
The curved back glasses are going to have to come out as well. The gasketing around them is pretty much rotten. The POs have gooped a ton of RTV around them, trying to stop the leaks. I think I'm going to fix it right and hope I don't break a glass.
Now if I could just find the gasket material, I'd be set. CRL has something close I'll probably have to use. Anyone have a good source for automotive window gaskets?
More to come.
Check Metro Moulded Parts: https://www.metrommp.com or Steele Rubber: http://www.steelerubber.com Chances are they don't have a direct replacement but both companies sell a variety of universal rubber gaskets, you may be able to find one that works.
In reply to stuart in mn:
Outstanding! Just what I was looking for.
Edit: Metro had something that looks like it will work perfectly. I ordered 10' to see.
Thanks for the info.
Considering my vast knowledge of heavy duty trucks (zero) and my willingness to express an uneducated opinion, I have a suggestion on your power steering.
Would a recent 3/4 to 1-ton unit be acceptable in that application?
I ask because the components on my '50 F-1 appear fragile compared to those on my '04 F-150 and both are rated "1/2-ton." (Granted, I can't imagine 1/2 ton in the '50 and have hauled quite a bit more than that in the '04.) Can a similar comparison be made for the larger trucks, as well?
Probably. On the older trucks, apparently the main change between the medium trucks and the light duty is the gear ratio in the box.
I would think you could pretty safely rate the steering box (and get an idea of steering effort) by comparing front gross axle weight ratings.
56 B-600, 4600lbs
http://nipper.freeshell.org/56fordbus.htm
01 Ram 2500/3500 4500lbs+ http://dodgeram.info/2001/towing-charts.html
00 F350 up to 5200 (page 50) https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckbbas/non-html/2000/bbfsd00a.pdf
So a 1 ton box, at least a modern one, would work well, strong enough and good effort, should be very easy with that monster steering wheel, next would be finding boxes that the 56 Pitman arm fits, or has a pitman arm of roughly equal center to center distance and a taper you can work with, and of that subsection, seeing if one exists with the same mounting pattern. Though I suppose that doesn't matter much with longitudinally oriented draglink steering where the box is easily located via the hole in the frame the sector shaft typically goes through.
I also wonder if that medium/heavy cabover Ford made forever (63-90!) might have something that will work.
Toyman01, I am thrilled to see you made home relatively unscathed and got the paperwork sorted out. It would have broke my heart of you had to part it out. I'm happy that she has found a good home and is on her way to being glorious once again.
As far as parts go, I think a lot if the light duty stuff crosses over pretty well. LMC has a lot of repop parts, gaskets, moldings, etc.
http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fa/t.aspx
Looking forward to seeing your progress on her.
LONG LIVE SANFORD THE GREAT!
Toyman, I will be starting within the next 2 weeks as a salesman for Cohen&Sons Truck Parts out of Thorndale, Pa. They have a huge selection of new and used and/or rebuilt Medium and heavy duty truck parts. If you go on their website: www.cohentruckparts.com you can check out their inventory. They ship all over the world. Watching this thread with great interest as I have had several bus conversions.
I finally made it home early enough to do a little more work on the bus.
The glass and gasket for the windows hasn't come in yet, so I figured I'd start geting it ready for paint. I've had a fair amount of advice to not sandblast it because of oil canning, so I figured I'd try a pressure washer and see what happened. My only pressure washer was a cobbled together electric job. Since it's time to do the house as well, I broke down and bought a decent gas version. I'm glad I did.
3000 psi is doing wonders for the finish.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
It's stripping almost all the paint down to the primer that is on top of the original school bus yellow.
I have found a little filler in the fenders and one new rust spot that I hadn't noticed before, but over all this thing is in pretty good shape.
I worked on it this afternoon until the temperature started to drop. It's supposed to be in the 70s this weekend, I should have the rest of it done by Saturday. 
That is one heck of a power washer. Or just really crappy paint. Probably both.
Glad it is mostly solid.
What are planning on painting it with? I did a rustoleum job (brush, thinned a little) on an equally ugly fuel oil drum about 6 months ago, hosed it down, wire brushed the loose crap off, hosed, let dry, painted, adhered great.
In reply to Don49:
Don, I notice they have several Clark 280VO transmissions. That's the 5 speed OD transmission I will probably be needing, so expect a email about that after you start.
In reply to BrokenYugo:
First coat is going to be Ospho rust converter. Next will be a sprayed coat of Rustoleum rusty metal primer on the roof. The roof will then get a coat of Kool Seal Elastomeric roof paint.
The body will probably get painted with Tractor Supply tractor paint. I'm thinking a red and gray in keeping with the Sanford theme, or maybe a gray and white. Red would be a pain to take care of.
In reply to Youngbloodcustoms:
Glad to see you on here.
Glad the trip worked out as well. When I left your yard that Friday, I really didn't think it would make it back to SC, and was making plans to ship it. I had to try though or these guys would have never let me live it down and SanFord just kept on going. Ran pretty flawless after a few hiccups at the start. All in a good trip though I'm pretty sure I used up 2016s supply of favors from above and luck.
In reply to Toyman01:
I'd recommend rolling that primer on, thin about 10%, seems to work better than the spray bombs for whatever reason.
In reply to BrokenYugo:
I'll probably thin it 10-20% and shoot it through my spray gun.
In reply to Toyman01:
Ah, that sort of sprayed, carry on.
Kia_Racer wrote: That is one heck of a power washer. Or just really crappy paint. Probably both. Glad it is mostly solid.
It is one heck of a power washer. My shoulders say so. I dont know that I have ever used one with that much butts behind it.
Sounds like a pressure washer that requires PPE... watch your toes!
Looking good.
So, info on the pressure washer? Would beat the hell out of sanding and scraping the deck....
http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200641183_200641183?hotline=false&cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Pressure%20Washers%20%3E%20Gas-Cold%20Water%20Pressure%20Washers&utm_campaign=Powerhorse&utm_content=45811&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=45811&gclid=COS_1KSkgMsCFQNkhgodsecFFA
Toyman, My email is don49 at aol.com
Not much time today because of a child's chorus recital.
I pulled the covers off of the water heater and refrigerator. I put my youngest to work cleaning paint out of the flat head screws.
That let me get to the plug for the refrigerator in. In a couple of hours, I should know if it works.
I was surprised that the water heater was a instant heater like a modern Rinnai. The pilot lights, I don't know if the main burner works or not.
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