I would have loved to see endless non sped up footage of the raising. You are a great craftsman and I want to learn from you. That is the most sincere praise there is... people that want to be as good as you. LOVE the channel..

Im still watching your videos, 5 years lata... thanks for the inspiration!

You were the first roof raise ive watched. No One shows yiu this part i could never figure out how it was done it’d so good. as it just shows everything i wondered about it all How informative and interesting. Thank You so much

@JoelPit

4 жыл бұрын

No one else shows the frame stabilized when I built my Cargo Trailer conversion it moved the ground froze and I have an odd out of level spot.

Thank you so much for posting. I'm doing this same build soon and thank god yall did it first 🥰

@pipcatchers1979

3 жыл бұрын

did you start your build yet?

Very smart with the sheet metal being the perfect size without cutting for the sides!!

@pipcatchers1979

3 жыл бұрын

did you start your build yet?

@theindicacharmer1001

3 жыл бұрын

@@pipcatchers1979 Not yet... just daydreaming until the day when I can make it happen! 👽

Stagger the piller cut line... nice. Very organized process, it ain't drywall

Thank you. This is exactly what I was looking for. I hope you follow up with more of the build.

@hussainsaeed984

5 жыл бұрын

David W same as I :) Thanks a looot guys. That what im going to do on my 2nd skoolie. What was the size of the tupe you used please??

@rogerwhiting9310

3 жыл бұрын

Me too

Thank you so much for your videos!! They are extremely helpful and very much appreciated.

@TranscendExistence1111

7 жыл бұрын

Monty Hale thank you....I'm happy you've found the videos usefu?

This is your bus wow. Ive watched Chris and Jim raise theirs. Figured I should watch yours. I watched other buses you've done. Can't wait for the day I can call my bus a skoolie

@TranscendExistence1111

4 жыл бұрын

Joel P thanks for coming over and watching mine!

all right now you did that good you are the the man.

WOW! I love your video's Thanks very much!

amazing content sir....

Very Very Good Job !

Dude! I really like your videos!!! Thanks for posting. Awesome!

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Thank you mudspringer.......They are really fun to create. My hope is that others can see that raising the roof isn't a difficult task, and to go ahead and do it if they are questioning the idea of doing so.

@mudspringer

9 жыл бұрын

Well - when tall people are in my bus they tell me I should raise the roof. I jump up and down and say 'why?' Ha ha - benefits of being short :)

I shit myself for a week running up to my roof raise. Wess makes it look so damn easy.

Now you got me hooked. I hafta see how this thing turns out ..

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Pounder Speaks Stay tuned....I hope to make much progress this season. Thanks for subscribing!

I've never seen somebody literally raise the roof before. Ha. I didn't know that could be done. You made it look easy. Looks really good.

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks, There are actually quite a few people starting to do this to their buses. The added space makes it well worth the effort.

Wow 2015 so long ago but feels like yesterday

I love the work you're doing. I especially love how calming it is listening to the music!

Pretty detailed explanation & demo, for us out here in lookiloo-land. Thank you! Glad I'm not 6'5". Looks a little hard for a beginner without someone experienced to direct the work. Maybe off to plan B. Cool music.

Man, I can't imagine what 7 people have you a 👎!! I really, really appreciate your video!! I especially like how you look like a bunch of ants scurrying around. I can't wait to be raising my roof some day soon. Thanks so much!

I raised the roof on my international 40'er 12 years ago and did basically the same way but i used 2x2 full pieces on every other post! was way over kill! I have a 4' garage at the rear with doors i made and a lift for my Harley Electra glide! i put a rebuilt engine and trans in it! Was one of my smartest builds in life, I used it on construction sites many a jbs

@TranscendExistence1111

7 жыл бұрын

Very cool...that sounds like a cool build. I'll have two Honda CT90's on a back deck when I'm finished...a lift sounds nice though! Thanks for watching the videos....cheers!

Like watching a tv show with a big cliff hanger...lol...I kept trying to figure out if you needed or how you were going to furr out the square tubing to be flush with the outside framing before re-skinning the bus and bam.....stay tuned

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching my videos. Spoiler ALERT.....I'm going to us angle iron to accomplish that task. Stay tuned!! :)

@Transcend Existence Great work! Thanks for showing us how it's done. What is the music @5:00?

You are doing an amazing job. I wish you were closer, I could use a hand raising mine! :p

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Thank you.....I'd give you a hand if I could!

Ok . Thank You. I have this same bus. Mines better tho😕🤣. I bet it's a lot more noiser in the driver's cockpit anyway!!! Gotta insulate around all this engine. Anyway just have finished drilling the thousands of rivets out of the headliner sheet metal and getting it out like 30 minutes ago. I have metal shavings in places that a man should never have metal shavings. I do wish you had of shown how you got the plates off the outside of the hat channels. I'm asking do I take the top rib band off that is on the bottom of the windows and the rivets on the bottom row of the roof to release the top and bottom of them??? I can see the 4 or six rivets that hold them on the hat channels , but they go under both top and bottom on each end. Probably tomorrow , will start knocking the centers out in the rivets so the drill will drill them out. Great instructional

On a full-size bus, what is the maximum height a roof can be raised? And... Thank you for everything you have shared, I have learned many useful things.

@djedeye2665

3 жыл бұрын

Max height allowed on US highways is 13'6. Not sure you'd maintain structural integrity going that high though without a lot of added support.

What size bolts and threaded bar are you using? About to do a roof raise myself and trying to figure out the best way.

I have been waiting for a more detailed roof raising video like this! I am so glad you are doing it. My husband and I are going to be doing a bus within the year and we will be raising the roof. I would love to know how long it took you to strip the sides, cut, raise and weld all the new steel tubes in from start to finish (this is a long going debate between me and my husband ;-) I am the more optimistic in timing). Thanks again and keep up the good work!

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

I didn't really keep track of my actual hours, but I would imagine that if you could devote a 40 hour week on it, you'd be really close to getting to this point in this video. This of course would depend on the tools you have and the skill level of whoever is working on it. It's not real difficult work, just takes a lot of persistence. If you haven't already.....make sure to check out my other videos leading up to this. they are not as detailed, but give a pretty good indication as to what is involved. Thank you for watching and please subscribe.....there will be many more updates to follow! :)

Really appreciate the information. Seeing is so much nicer that trying to understand someone's written instructions sometimes.We are getting ready to raise the roof on our bus and use RV windows as well. I was wondering if you planned to make frames for the windows at this point before installing all of the posts first. Or how were you thinking those windows were going in? Can hardly wait for the next episode. Keep up the great work!

@TranscendExistence1111

8 жыл бұрын

+Michael Woodward I'm finally back on this project and I'll work on it as much as possible before it get too cold here. I believe I'll frame the windows in before re-kinning the sides with sheet metal. Thanks, I wish you the best on your project!

good

good luck with..👀🚙🛠🤩🇺🇸✌

Hi my name is marlon, love what you are doing with the bus, good work. My question is what is the name of the saw you used to cut the roof?

Curious why you cut each pillar at different lengths...? Love the episodes thus far....!

@TranscendExistence1111

7 жыл бұрын

Cutting at different lengths/places allows better distribution of opposing forces. Cutting in a straight line would allow for a perfect fault line that could very well have a negative effect on the structural integrity of the body. Thanks for watching!

Wess Lewis Dude you are getting crazy with that bus! love every minute of it. Thanks for sharing! are you experienced at welding or learning as you go? Thanks for telling me about your channel i'm glad I finally was able to watch some videos! Jed

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

NDNomad Thanks for checking it out! I'm a hot rod builder by trade so I've had some extensive on the job training for over 20 years or so. I can't wait to finally get started working on the bus again full time. I'm really looking forward to adventure!!

How much standing clearance do you have in there now? Awesome, by the way.

Looking good my "bus brother" thanks for sharing it. Check out what I am doing with my 95'

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Cast Iron BBQ Thanks....I'm heading over to your page now!!

Thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful videos, Wess. I just got my hands on a short wheelbase TC2000 after years of searching, and I've been going back and forth trying to decide if I should attempt a roof raise on it. The benefits in increasing livability are obvious (especially on a shortie like mine), but the forums leave a lot open to interpretation for a noob like me, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to figure it out from words alone. Your videos have really helped me understand the steps needed in order to do this job correctly, and you've inspired me to take the plunge. Thanks again man. Question for you before I go, what are your thoughts on simply removing the roof and building a new superstructure on top out of tube steel and sheet? That's the other option I've been toying with, and seems like it would be a little simpler (though certainly not cheaper..unless I can salvage some of the metal roof panels..). Anyway, good luck with selling your house! Looking forward to your next episode!

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Adam Nicholas Burke Thank you for taking the time to watch my videos. I'm super happy I've inspired you to raise the roof!! My hopes were that I could show people that are on the fence about doing it that it's definitely an acheivable task with some proper tooling. It's pretty straight forward for the most part. To answer your question....I wouldn't try to reinvent the wheel. These buses are engineered to last a long time and are very solid. They are designed to hold up very well even in a rollover situation. The roof arch that these buses have are one of the strongest shapes on the planet. Unless you think you can engineer something as good or better, I'd Raise the original roof....after all, it's already built except for some extensions. It'll save a lot of work in my opinion. If you have any questions when you begin the work, please feel free to ask....I'll help in any way the best i know how. I hope my house sell goes well..Thanks I'm looking forward to getting back on the bus project also!!

Quick question for you. Why do vary the height of each of the window support cuts?

Where's Episode 10?! What kind of jacks did you use? Were the 4 bolt ones welded to the ribs?

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

+Michael Talley Episode 10 is still in the works. I have been focusing a lot of my time getting my house ready to sell as of lately. I used a bottle jack and standard car jack. Check out Episode 7 if you'd like.....it goes over the Bolt style mechanisms in a bit more detail. They are welded on to the window pillar. I hope this helps with your questions. Thanks.

you sir, are a master at what you do! I am just in the thinking and planning stages of a bus conversion and your videos are truly inspirational. What part of the country are you in?

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Michael Saviano Thank you Michael.....It's a fun project. I'm in Kansas...where are you?

Where's episode 10?! Killin me lol

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

Kaysha Turner Episode 10 is still in the future for me!! LOL I'm Focusing on home remodel first so I can get sold...then more progress on bus asap.

Hey I have a question. The steel tubing you used in the hat channels, do you know how thick it was? I'm trying to order the steel for my roof raise and I can't figure out what thickness I need. Thank you!

How did you get the inside of the roof so clean ?

Sir I'm surprised you didn't put in any cross braising to stop the body of the bus from spreading out. Did you have any problems? when we do cars or trucks we always do lateral bracing in both the body and top to avoid spreading walls.

@TranscendExistence1111

7 жыл бұрын

Yep....I'm a high end hot rod fabricator by trade and have contracted doing heavy structure and sheetmetal work in the aircraft world for many years. So I totally understand what you're thinking. A bus is much the same on one hand but a whole other monster on the other hand engineering speaking. With the roundedness of the roof, it wasn't and didn't sag or move not even a 16th of an inch from front to back. My only problem was that I didn't have the frame shored up on the very front and the frame sagged after my first cut up front. The body is very structural and definitely helps hold everything together properly.

Wess, thank you so very much for these movies. After looking on Skooli.net and other resources, albiet very informative, the written word can sometime be difficult to translate in to a working idea. The problem that I was having was visualizing the threaded screw and nut combo, welded to the bracket. That problem is now solved, thanx to you. : ) I know it's a little late, but if you ever do this project again, run a plumb bob from the roof in the front of the bus, to JUST above the floor, on the centerline. Make a crosshair mark where it levels, and then go over it with clear lacquer spray paint. Then spray paint where the string is attached to the roof. Do the same to the aft. When doing the actual raise, reattach the plumb string to where the spray paint silhouette on the front is, and raise jacks in a corner to corner fashion. Front Left then back right. Front right, back left. when you get to the height you want, tweek it with fine adjustments, till the plumb is right in the crosshairs dead center. This helps not only with level but roll and yaw of the roof. Not to say that you did a bad job, because your work is AWESOME!!!! I just wanted to give you something in return for what you gave me, in seeing the fabrication of your plate metal brackets, welded to the metal tubes. Thank you again, and I look forward to Episode 10!!! -Mark

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

applemarkwantsvids Thanks.....I'm glad you enjoyed the videos.....I look forward to more progress as soon as some other projects are finished up around here.

I LOVE the idea of doing this and want to do this as well. Question: 1) Does doing this compromise the integrity of the bus? 2) Would doing this alteration have an effect on mileage and 3) Will it have an effect on the steadiness when driving the bus on the highway with strong winds, etc... Thanks for sharing.

@TranscendExistence1111

8 жыл бұрын

+imasurvivornthriver Thanks...I hope you follow through with your idea!! To answer your questions.....1) As well as you are familiar with this type of work and have an understanding of how things are engineered and can perform the work properly, this will not hinder the integrity. 2) From everything I've read from many different sources, no matter the design or the weight of these buses you'll always only get about 8-10mpg. I still have no personal experience with this yet though. 3) I would imagine that a strong side wind would prove a bit challenging in some cases. Keep in mind though....these old buses barely reach 60mph, so slow and steady is the name of the game. I hope this helps....Stay tuned, I'm back to work on it and should have new videos up in the near future.

@djedeye2665

3 жыл бұрын

As a longhaul driver, I'd expect the raise would make it more succeptable to wind hitting from the side..headwind not so much.. With the weight when completed, I wouldn't forsee too much of an issue..( empty trailers in strong wind are pretty scary ; )

👍

What kind of sheet metal did you use for the exterior panels?

@TranscendExistence1111

9 жыл бұрын

+Michael Talley I haven't put any sheetmetal on yet. I'm still working on my house getting ready to sell. I'll definitely have another video up of bus progress as it happens.

Have you ever done a roof raise on a shortie?

Hey there just wanted your opinion is a 2 inch overlap of my 1.25" square piping and hat channel enough overlap for a 1' roof raise?

@TranscendExistence1111

4 жыл бұрын

Ethan Jones yes...that should be plenty sufficient.

W hho does the inspections on these buses?

Hello, Im considering doing a roof raise on my 30 foot skoolie using a 90 amp flux wire welder to do the welding (and maybe back it up with some riveting). What do you think? would you advise against it or not a problem.

@TranscendExistence1111

6 жыл бұрын

M Sanchez that'll hold up just fine...just make sure you get good penetration with your welds and do a good job. By the time you get the exterior metal and interior wood in place, it'll be just as strong as before.

do u stil have those four roof jacks? if so are you willing to sell them for my roof raise next month

I've been stalking all your videos man, excellent work!! One question, are you using a 140 or 180 amp welder? I heard you say in another video it was a 110v welder so I'm guessing it's the 140. I sold my 180 amp and wondering if I can use the 140.

@TranscendExistence1111

4 жыл бұрын

Don Juan thanks so much! Yes...the 140 works great for this type of work. It’ll weld 1/8” no problem, and does really well on 3/16” also.

@donjuan4087

4 жыл бұрын

@@TranscendExistence1111 thanks alot for the response, bro. Looking to start our build by the end of the year, hopefully see you around when we're on the road.

What's up

Hi

Why does no one just do the cut at the line that you did above the lights in the rear, and follow that line all the way around? Cutting all the pillars could be avoided. Plus, you would be raising the level of the windows up, and giving more privacy on the inside when finished.

@TranscendExistence1111

6 жыл бұрын

There is definitely more than one way to do a raise. With that said.....the pillars/hat channels run all the way to the floor, so you'd still have to cut them regardless. Doing it the way I did was the easiest solution for the kind of raise I was doing. It made it very easy to weld in new sections without the exterior sheetmetal being in the way.

@mountainman4410

6 жыл бұрын

Transcend Existence, So cutting it like I explained above is definitely doable then? I was wondering if there wasn't a specific reason why I've never seen one raised that way. Structural or otherwise.

Bb b

How much standing clearance do you have in there now? Awesome, by the way.

@jaivignesh8360

6 жыл бұрын

Lindsey Rae Crivea good C Shift In Rohit