How to Remove School Bus Ceiling Panels | Skoolie Conversion

Step-by-step tutorial on our ceiling panel removal process: bit.ly/ceilingpanels
How we removed the ceiling panels from our skoolie bus conversion. Our ceiling panels were originally secured in place with screws, not rivets. If your panels are secured with rivets, unfortunately this tutorial won't be helpful to you. If you have any questions, shoot us a comment. And don't forget to subscribe to catch all our upcoming bus conversion tutorials!
Check out our series of step-by-step bus conversion tutorials: bit.ly/skoolieguides
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Our skoolie bus conversion took 9 months and $28,000 to complete. It contains a recording studio, art studio space, kitchen + bath + two guest beds + rooftop deck. All in 198 sq ft of space!
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Angle Grinder (get used to using this ALL the time!): amzn.to/36OskgL
Table Saw (it will be nearly impossible to complete your conversion without this. It’s WORTH the investment!): amzn.to/3gyGur3
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About Art We There Yet:
Art We There Yet is a project to create art inspired by the Americas, and to give back to communities along the way. Aboard a school bus converted into an art and recording studio, we are traveling 30,000 miles across North, Central, and South America. Creating art and music to highlight the challenges, diversity, and shared humanity of peoples across the Americas. Providing murals and workshops in schools and communities that lack access to arts funding.
Check out Art We There Yet: artwethereyet.com/
Join our Patreon crew: / artwethereyet
Support the project with a tax-deductible contribution: fundraising.fracturedatlas.or...

[@johnjoe9918]

So how did you remove the ceiling panels?? U put it in fastmode for that part

[@ArtWeThereYet]

Hey John! This tutorial goes into more detail: artwethereyet.com/blog/remove-ceiling-panels-school-bus-conversion/ Removing our panels was pretty easy because they were fastened with screws. We know that folks with rivet-fastened panels have an entire different story - they usually have to use an angle grinder to bust off the rivets. If yours are fastened with rivets, unfortunately we don't have experience in dealing with that. Hopefully yours used screws!

[@LanimaL128]

Hi, thanks for the video! Did you just cut the hoses and wires for the ac removal? Did you have to get someone to remove the refrigerant? I’m goi g to be removing my ac unit soon and just want to know what I should prepare for. Thanks for the info

[@boganlurchett7006]

hello im having the same problem and were wondering what you did?

[@ArtWeThereYet]

Hi Lee-Ann and Bogan! We did a video and tutorial on that exact thing! Here you are: artwethereyet.com/blog/removal-school-bus-ac-air-conditioning-system/. Hope it is helpful!

[@nboudreaux07]

I just bought my first bus and they painted the bus ceiling. I’m having issues getting the screws out. Does some panels pop off???

[@ArtWeThereYet]

Hey! So the panels don't just pop off - they are secured with either screws or rivets. Do yours look like they are secured with rivets? If so, it's unfortunately going to be a lot more difficult process for you. Hopefully there are some helpful YT videos on that. We've seen some people in skoolie groups on FB have luck with angle grinding the rivets off, others with a well aimed maul strike to a small crowbar tucked against the rivet at just the right angle. Our panels were secured by screws that came out pretty easily. If yours are secured with screws that are just painted, maybe your best bet to get them out is an impact driver - go in just enough to crack the paint and then reverse to get them out.

[@ArtWeThereYet]

Hey, so the panels don't just pop off, they are secured with either screws or rivets. Do yours look like they are secured with rivets or screws? If they are with rivets, it'll be a tougher job, but it can be done.

[@ArtWeThereYet]

We've seen people on FB groups have luck using an angle grinder to get the rivets off. Others used a well-aimed maul strike against a small crowbar tucket right against the rivet at the right angle. If your panels are secured with screws and they're just painted over, maybe your best bet is an impact driver. Go in just enough clicks to break the paint, then reverse direction to get the screws out. Hopefully that works for you! Let us know what ended up being the solution!

[@ArtWeThereYet]

Our panels were secured with screws which came out pretty easily. They weren't painted over, so they came out without a hitch.

[@nboudreaux07]

@@ArtWeThereYet thanks so much for the info! I’m new to all this and KZbin is teaching me a lot for all of this! May be a crazy question but … Would it be possible to frame the ceiling and put shiplap?? I’m not living in it I just bought it to travel in