Bus Windows that Open From the Bottom

Regular school bus windows work well, but depending on window treatment it can be hard to open them sometimes because the latches are at the top, and they open from the top down. Some time ago I figured out how to disassemble the windows in my bus and reconfigure them to be more like a conventional double hung window in the home. This video and the images below show you how to do this.

The original bus window, it opens from the top.

My modified window, opening from the bottom.

An added benefit of modifying the windows in this way is that you can cut down a storm window screen and clip it into the window frame on the outside of the bus.

Step one is to remove the windows from the bus. There are two screws on the outside that hold the bottom of the window frame to the mullions. Only remove the bottom pair of screws here, the other six screws secure the mullion, not the window. On the inside there are two screws on either side in the upper half of the window and one screw in the top of the window.

Next we disassemble the window frame, it’s held together with Torx head screws.

Then we disassemble the movable pane. The frame gets flipped around so that the weather seal is on the outside, and the glass is reversed so that the logo reads right side up and is on the inside.

Then we have to reverse the latches. There are two springs, and once you remove these you’ll be able to slide the plastic piece towards the center and lift it up out of the channel. Once it’s up out of the channel you can disengage it and then remove the metal latch. Swap the latches left for right and reassemble in the same manner.

The windowsill is angled, so we need to trim the bottoms flat so that we can turn the frame around.

Once that’s done we can reassemble the window with the fixed pane at the top and in the outside track.

To do this will have to drill two new holes for the bottom edge of the fixed panel’s frame.

The next step is to make a 1 inch tall slot at the bottom that the latches will engage to lock the window when it’s fully closed.

You can use a file, hacksaw, or in my case and angle grinder to cut the slot.

Now we need to drill a set of holes so the window latches at various heights.

The topmost hole is at 12 and three-quarter inches which is the fully open position. The others can be wherever you want them, as long as they are the same on both sides.

Then we resemble the window.

The window goes back into the bus in the same way that it came out. However the holes in the window frame are in different places now so you will have to drill a pilot holes into the steel of the bus or, as I did, use self drilling sheet metal screws to resecure the windows.