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Thread: Bus Barn

  1. #1
    dreamchasers Guest

    Default Bus Barn

    I am starting preliminary design for my bus barn. I thought I would lay out the design for expert advice. I forgot to place a North South indicator on the plan. North is to the left of the drawing.

    What am I missing?

    Click on the link below to view the .pdf file. The 68 k file could not be uploaded to the POG site, to big??

    http://dreamchasers.us/pog/bus barn test.pdf

    Any and all comments are welcome. Remember, I am still a newbie.

    Hector

  2. #2
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    Hector,

    Since you have the opportunity to start from scratch move the bus to the left or right. Leave ample room to pull and axle, 5' being more than enough.

  3. #3
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    If you want to go further, add a pit, and other door to drive cars or landscaping equipment in, add a 50/30/20 power outlet from Jamestown Advanced (I can't resist plugging my daughter's company), add water and sewer, and center the peak over the offset bus, with the pitch towards the more open side of the garage (otherwise it looks like a sky scraper).

    Plumb it for shop air, get a compressor which has 175 PSI capability and an 80 gallon tank, and in addition to normal size quick connect fittings, add some 1/2" quick connects to run the 1" impact wrench.

    Put enough lighting in there so it is lit up like a surgical suite. It still won't be enough for aging eyes but it will be a good start.

    Put welder outlets around where the bus will sit so when you break a stud using your impact wrench to remove wheels, you can weld a nut on to spin the broken part off the bus. Yes I know there are tools that work without welding, but I have had several that would not come off and I still ended up welding.

    Then get the large oil drain pan, a commercial 120 # grease barrel pump and 40 feet of grease hose, a parts storage unit for fasteners and spares, a wash sink, a urinal, a telephone, radio, strong workbench with a serious vise, a set of air over hydraulic jacks from Harbor Freight, and you are getting close.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    Reno, NV
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    Default Barn and website

    Hector, I think you have a great design but agree with Jon about the changes and additions. I would love to have the barn and equipment he outlined.

    I like your website and have been there several times but I am curious about when you are going to update it and include your new bus? Like most of the POG members I like to check out the new equipment and keep up with what is happening with my fellow POGers.

    It certainly looks like you have your plate full right now with the new structure.

    Hopefully we will see you two at POG VI in Pahrump in May.

  5. #5
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    Sep 2007
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    If you can change your door from 12' wide to 14'. I did it, and I like very much.

  6. #6
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    Hi Hector. It would be great to have some sky lights for some natural light. If you are going to wash your coach outside, you might want the driveway a little wider. If you want to work on your Canopys extended inside your garage , verify the distance needed for both sides.
    Gary & Lise Deinhard, 2003 Elegant Lady Liberty, Dbl slide

  7. #7
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    Wink Now Your Getting Serious

    Hey Hector, that's great that you can build from scratch and have exactly what you want/need!
    I agree with Jon, Darl, and Gary. Mostly.
    I would make the side walls 16' and the ridge 24' high. That would give you a nicely proportioned building that looks good.
    I would go a little further and put in a 16'X16' door. That would let you get light and air into the building when you are working and also let you position the bus from side to side for different kinds of work/fun inside.
    The added side wall height would also give you sufficient height to raise the bus on mid rise jacks without difficulty.
    http://www.pkslifts.com/mid-riselifts.html

    Price them out and I think you will find that they are less expensive than a pit and could be sold when you no longer want them.
    I assume you are going with a clear span steel framed building. With that you would not be bothered by interior height limiting trusses.
    Be sure to insulate the roof, so as to not have a condensation problem. Insulated walls might also be beneficial depending on your climate.
    If you are going Deluxe, finish the interior walls with white vinyl.
    Use 5/8 to 3/4" OSB from the floor to 4' high as an internal wall and protector of the exterior sheathing, alone or covered by the vinyl.
    A metal roof would be best. Don't forget lightning rods which can be installed (do it yourself)
    http://www.lightningrodparts.com/?gc...FQ6NHgodiW-bzQ

    IMHO the pit is a fine way to go and would be nice to have and a pleasure to work in, but I have found that the government is controlling service pits through OSHA even for an individuals private use and if your insurance co knows you have one your rates are going to be excessive. Also if you might want the building for mixed use the pit would render it's area useless as a nice floor space. Draining the pit might also be a problem. Resale value of your building would also be higher with a smooth flat floor.
    Put a nice smooth machine finish on the concrete and apply the epoxy coating Brian uses on his floor.

  8. #8
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    My insurance company knows of the pit and there is no issue. Additionally, if you have no further use for a pit, back fill with gravel to within 4" to 6" of the floor and pour concrete. My pit has a lip down both sides so I can place 2X10 boards across to close it off so nobody falls into it if the bus is not over it. I only used them when I had my 40 foot coach to cover the steps leading into the pit. My 45 now covers the whole pit so it is always open. If the bus is out of the garage, we are in it so leaving the pit open doesn't matter.

    I purposely made my pit with a sump and a pump. There is no way an accidental fuel or oil spill can leave the pit unless I plug in the sump pump which drains through an oil trap. In the event I have a major spill, I can pump into containers and dispose of the material. I can wash the engine over the pit, and when done, drain the sump. My pit has no drain other than the pump.

    The lifts you show require a tall ceiling, and in a neighborhood it makes the garage an eyesore. While a lot of service facilities use them I personally feel they have serious shortcomings, not the least of which is that work which requires access from beneath the bus, but with the wheels off is not possible with the lifts. I am also concerned about the weight of the rear of the bus supported by the two drive axle tires exclusively. I seriously doubt the lifts are cheaper than a pit.

    As to local building inspectors having fits about a pit, I guess I was lucky. They did not have any problems with it, but I have heard from other folks that their building inspectors had concerns about numerous perceived problems. The owners merely built their pits after the final inspection.

    As to comments about insulating, we are in an area where it has gotten into the single digits and remained well below freezing for several days. We have also had many summer days in the 90s for weeks. The garage is well insulated with about 10" of blown insulation in the ceiling, and 6" in the walls. The interior is untaped sheet rock. Without running the furnace in the winter the lowest I have seen it get inside is 45 degrees. In the summer it remains about 10 degrees cooler than the outside. I attribute the temperatures to the pit which is the length of the bus and 4 feet deep. It seems to provide the warmth from the ground in the winter and the cooler ground temps in the summer to make the garage a nice place to work year round without the use of heat or air. However, when it warms up outside, like in the spring it is still cold inside relative to outside temps, and the bus gets condensation on it. Opening the doors or kicking on the furnace takes care of that.

    Remember one huge advantage of a pit....your bus is always over it ready to be serviced and it is failsafe.

  9. #9
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    When I lived in Europe (24 years) many (70%) private single or two garages had pits. I preffer them over any lifts.

    Jon: how wide is your pit ? Is the floor inside concrete or paving brick ?

    Alek

  10. #10
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    Alec, My pit is 48" deep, 24" wide, and is of poured concrete construction.

    Hector...Here's what I mean by offsetting the bus door. Not the roof centers over the door to lower the profile.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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