TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:39 pm

TOLJA!, and BTW, they're right, IMHO. Hey. you want to play the superman test? Go for it. I've ridden motorcycles for 35 years that are not equipped with a seatbelt, so it took me a lifetime to be convinced to wear them in a motorized box.

All it took to convince me for life was (sober) laying an 80000 lb fully loaded semi on it's side to avoid killing some idiot I found as I crested a hill, driving 30 MPH on the I-40 at 3am, nosing into an embankment, doing a 180 in the middle of the freeway on it's side and surviving with only a badly torn up leather vest and a bump on the back of my head, because why? Because I was wearing the damn thing, hate it or not.

My wife was lucky, sleeping in the back, to only get 3 broken ribs, being knocked completely silly for a few hours, and a bloody nose, but then she only bounced a few times around the cab before we crawled out the hole where the windshield used to be. She wasn't wearing the silly strap they put in the sleeper.... most accidents are pretty much a surprise.

So, if I put a sideways seat in the bus, it'll have belts, even if they don't look cool.

I KNEW this thread would get hijacked when somebody brought that up.. :lol: MORE INTERIOR STUFF PLEASE!

Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:59 pm

I have no problem at all when people die because they were so wise to chose to not wear their seatbelts. It's their choice. Then there's the ones that don't strap their kids in. The kids arn't educated enough to know the difference. Sad when the kids die. Too bad they arn't around anymore to have learned how much their parents didn't care for their wellbeing. An unrestrained kid in the back turns into a missle real quick in a head-on. Hopefully they will be aimed at their parents head to take them out also.
But setting all that aside, the extreme medical costs from accident injuries and deaths really raise our insurance rates. Without those higher rates I'd be able to afford another bus.

Could it possibly be that the laws are there to help protect the inocent as well as the ignorant?

Yep jah_B, your edit about keeping on topic is what we should do. The cab on a bay came with belts. So that's a no brainer. As far as the customizing of the rear, in addition to convenience and appearances, any modificatiions should be well thought out in regards to safety. If passengers are going to be riding in the back it's the bus owners responsibility to make the provisions. If it needs belts- do them. Right after I got my bus a friend was sitting on the camping stool in the back. He was holding on but didn't know I was going to make a sharp turn. He tipped and gashed his head. My stupidity, not his.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:16 pm

I designed my interior to be functional for 2 people when camping, and still have the capability of hauling 4x8 material. Under the sink there is a 13 gallon fresh water tank with drains behind, and I made a retractable fill hose that runs beside the drivers seat through the vent hole. Under the platform is an aux fuse block and light.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:33 pm

This is mine, the bench seat functions as a storage chest and the back of the seat folds down and has attached upholstered cushions to make a bed. The storage chest holds my Bose bass module, Inverter, 12V battery charger, all my tools, and parts that tend to break.

Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:39 pm

Your bus is amazing. More pics?

Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:42 am

My Favorite- purely functional, easily portable and removable, not stuffed with every possible thing, and looks decent. Not as jazzy as the others, but I actually prefer that too.

kulo wrote:

I designed my interior to be functional for 2 people when camping, and still have the capability of hauling 4x8 material. Under the sink there is a 13 gallon fresh water tank with drains behind, and I made a retractable fill hose that runs beside the drivers seat through the vent hole. Under the platform is an aux fuse block and light.

Wed Jul 23, 2008 2:21 pm

Wed Jul 23, 2008 7:56 pm

wow trn9, ur bus is awesome. well, i just figured i'd post some pics of mine. i decided to do a 60's and 70's memorial for my pannels. these are clippings from old LIFE magazines dating from 1958 to 1973. i got about 75 of them for free from a buddy, then i pasted them on panneling, and clear appoxied over them. i'm still not sure what i'm going to do for the roof, i thought of doin some wood slats, and putting records on it....well, here goes...

back of driver's seat...

back of pas. seat...

driver's side rear cargo area...

drivers side front cargo area...

whole view...

drivers side door panel...

behind the slider...

rear hatch...

slider...

pas. side door...

carpet that i'm plannin on using...

still havent started on the rear furniture, but i'm wanting to do an L shaped seat and have them open up for storage.

Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:41 pm

cylonics wrote: My Favorite- purely functional, easily portable and removable, not stuffed with every possible thing, and looks decent. Not as jazzy as the others, but I actually prefer that too.

kulo wrote:

I designed my interior to be functional for 2 people when camping, and still have the capability of hauling 4x8 material. Under the sink there is a 13 gallon fresh water tank with drains behind, and I made a retractable fill hose that runs beside the drivers seat through the vent hole. Under the platform is an aux fuse block and light.

I agree, though hats of to all these sweet custom interiors. This one is inline with my approach. I dig the pure simplicity...like a fishing cabin, and totally in keeping with a timeless camping spirit.

Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:55 pm

yeah, i can really dig that one too. it would be awesome if you made that part that hangs over to where it would lift up and have some sort of a bottom made to where it could fold into a seat...but that would probably do away with the whole "pure simplicity" look. lol but yeah, i really like that one... wouldnt want it for a DD, but its probably an awesome camping bus.

Wed Jul 23, 2008 11:03 pm

NinetyEight wrote: Your bus is amazing. More pics?

Thanks Garrett! I do have more pics. I need to get my gallery started, its on my to-do list.

Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:27 pm

Thanks for the comments. TRN9 and 2jm- awesome craftsmanship. 2jm, do those seats have storage underneath? I really like those rounded edges.
C-mack, looks like roll on bedliner on the floor? I did that first when mine was gutted too, stuff is tuff as nails. Your panels look cool, please update as you go.

Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:10 am

Kulo, that bus is not mine unfortunately. :x Shoulda mentioned it.

I can't find the thread the pic came from, but it was on earlybay.com

Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:14 am

2jmotorsports wrote:

i want to see more of this

Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:16 am

Hi Guys, I'm from Germany.
You maybe interested in my interior? I put seats of a BMW in the back and covered the walls and roof with black leather. The floor is some kind of laminate, so it isn't too heavy :wink:

Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:49 am

germanBay wrote: Hi Guys, I'm from Germany.
You maybe interested in my interior? I put seats of a BMW in the back and covered the walls and roof with black leather. The floor is some kind of laminate, so it isn't too heavy :wink:

wow...intersting. That's really diferent. Well done. I'm guessing the bench doesn't convert to a bed, right?

Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:59 am

Very nice GermanBay, can we see the rest of your bus too??

Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:03 am

Yeah, right. The only disadvantage of this bench is, that the seatbelts are mounted in the back, so this part has to be very stable. But it isn't a camper anyway and I don't need sleep in my bus.

Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:23 am

Some more pics...

2 liter engine with 85HP

Fri Jul 25, 2008 10:30 am

Very, Very nice GermanBay. Thanks for posting.

You have now provided some great pics to add to my garage wall.