1928 hand-made BUS / RV

sunnybaba · January 14, 2020

I don't know if anybody here at AACA is interested in seeing a Bus, Camper, RV, Recently built out of a 1928 Chevrolet flatbed Truck..... Instead of using wood for the framework as they did back in the 1920's...... I used thin-wall tubular steel. I wanted it to be safe on the freeways, easy to get parts for, and be able to pull some weight, while traveling from Canada to the southwest..... I also really like the vintage body styles... with the sweeping fenders, big headlights... they are so Beautiful ......

This Bus was built outside in the desert of Arizona, during the Winter months... I have No Shop, and used a portable 5,500 watt Generator, and a wire-fed Mig welder....... I dismantled the original 1928 chevrolet truck body... sandblasted the sheet metal, spray painted it outside on a windless day after wetting down the ground, (to keep dust down).... I had to cut/splice/box and stretch, the original Frame.... fabricate engine and transmission mounts.

I used a 1985 Chevrolet 4.3L Vortex V6 engine (fit nicely under that small hood, with plenty of power)...... 5 speed transmission....... 3/4 ton chevy rear end... I planed and created tongue & grooves on the white Oak boards and secured them to the steel framework with sheet metal screws...... I rebuilt all the wooden Hickory wheel spokes........ I created the cowl with scrap sheet metal, used two original, opening windshields, side by side.... and welded two visors to make one long one... mounted the original truck doors..... We (my wife & myself), made 20 oak framed, stained glass windows, and 4 arrow turn signal lens.... It had skylights, solar powered electricity, propane 4 burner stove with oven, 2 way (under the counter) Fridge, queen sized Bed and carried 50 gallons of potable running water to the Kitchen sink........ The driver, (ME)... sat on a bench seat up front of a woven willow divider wall.

It took 3 months to build, cost $8,000 in total materials.... and we traveled 14,800 miles in it over a period of living in it for 3 years ....... I sold it for $45,000 to a man, retiring, who also lived and traveled in it, before selling it...... It now it lives in a Chevrolet museum in Florida .... I just want to inspire people to bring back to Life and enjoy using, these old vehicles.... and if you do most the work yourself.. you don't need to invest a large amount of money.