The first real demolition work on our American school bus has begun. And it feels good! Yesterday was all about screwing, screwing, and more screwing.
Hundreds of screws later .....
I never thought a bus could hold so many screws. The ceiling isn't made of panels you can just pry off. No, each panel is held in place with dozens (maybe even hundreds?) of screws. But, after some initial trial and error, I finally got it moving with a drill and an old-fashioned Phillips screwdriver.
What's behind that ceiling?
Of course, I'm not removing that ceiling for nothing. I want to know what's behind it – how the wiring runs, what the condition of the roof is, and most importantly: how and where I can best insulate later. The view behind the first panel was good: no nasty surprises, no rusty issues, just a solid foundation to build on.
Turning off the heating: a piece of cake
Besides the ceiling, there was another job I initially dreaded: removing the original heater in the van. Luckily, I found a great video on YouTube that explained step by step how to safely disconnect the heater from the engine. Then drain the coolant. Disconnect the hoses. Disconnect the heater unit and lift it out of the van. In one of the photos below, you can see the result: a mountain of material that, until recently, formed the heating system.
A good start
Demolition work might not be the prettiest part of a renovation, but it's certainly satisfying. After all, it lays the foundation. And the best part is, of course, when it goes off without any major setbacks. As has been the case so far. On to the next job in the van – and that will probably be stripping the ceiling further and then the side walls. Until the next update!
Peter de Martines
Follow our renovation via www.glampingaandemaas.nl and on Instagram. We aim to open the bus doors to the first guests in May 2026.
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