I made a mistake with the ceiling. I did it during the hottest months of the year, when the bus metal was expanded to the max. I left room for expansion and contraction on the ends, but because the ceiling boards are attached at each rib, they became warped in between the ribs when it got colder and the metal compressed. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s not the greatest, either.
First I had to install the front panel.I pre-wired it up for a TV and some speakers so I wouldn’t have to break my wrist to run wire for those things in the future. I also secured the excess wire in a way that would make it easy for me to install the panel.Then I started installing panels.Some had to be cut on the table saw in odd shapes.I would put the board in place, drill a hole through it, into a rib, then screw it into place.Lights would get installed along the way. I drilled holes for them as I went.Checking the wiring while it’s still accessible.I also saved a few of the cabin lights so I could switch them on and off from the driver’s seat to illuminate the cab.Shrink-wrapped crimps.Second of 3 cab lights. They ground by making contact with the foil on the insulation!Luckily, I didn’t throw this piece out. It has the bus VIN number and other info on it. I wanted some original bus parts, so I saved this to be installed later.Wiring up the lights in place.Installed the fan.All Done! It looked beautiful all summer. It wasn’t until it was consistently cold that the panels started to warp. This was due to the compression of the metal in the bus. I may have to redo this entire project, down the road.Looks good here.
