It's time for the Bus...

Will · Sep 21, 2008

I've got the bus pretty much done. The paint is done though these pictures don't show it. By far the worst part of a schoolbus is the friggin gum. Everywhere kids could reach you will find gum. I blasted, scraped and wire wheeled for hours. I don't think I could do it again. I have hated gum since I was so high.

Here's my design and some earlier photos:

The rest of the pictures I'll leave as thumbs I think. I have a 6KW diesel generator for it to run a roof air and electric stove etc. I have a hitch for it as well. A few things to finish up as time allows.

Dishtowel · Sep 21, 2008

Wow Will. You do nicenice work. Da'Bus looks great, and you have super cute kids, those are awesome pics.

Wicked_Sludge · Sep 21, 2008

more specs on it please. what are you using for fresh and gray water tanks? gonna blank out some of the windows for privacy? what kind of bus is it anyway?

looking good so far, bus conversions rock.

Will · Sep 21, 2008

Thanks.

The windows are tinted and you can't see in in the daytime. I'll put curtains in the bathroom for nighttime but I'm not painting windows. I like the open feel of all those windows. It's going to get all 120V wiring with conduit.

Obviously the toilet has a holding tank built in. That will be upgraded to a Sealand Traveler which is porcelin and has a 9-gallon tank built in but gets plumbed down to a dump valve. I have a 9-gallon holding tank for the sink and were going to use 5-gal cans for the hand pump to draw from. Just the basics.

I used to have a Winnebago but didn't deem it safe--those are nothing more than a rolling styrofoam cooler on a cheap pick-up chassis. You're sitting on a sheet of plywood rolling down the highway surrounded by styrofoam. This is 16,000# of steel compared to the 7,800# for my 24' 'Bago. A bus can survive a broadside from a semi and stay intact, can roll over without collapsing, can survive being rammed full-speed by a Hummer and not receive more than a light bumper scratch. These are child protection vaults. And cheap--this guy has 68,000 miles on it and I paid $3,600 for it and they are $80,000 new. It's like new. I think I could recycle it and get more for the steel than I paid for it.

It's a 9-row Thomas--2 rows shorter than the standard 11-row 66-pax. The detailed specs are it has a 185hp Navistar DTA360 engine. It has a Fuller 6-speed. It's 25,500# GVWR with an 8,000# front axle and a 17,500# rear. It has hydraulic disks all around. A 100-gallon tank. I'm guessing it will get 12mpg. I rented an F700 truck with a 180hp 5.9 Cummins in '96 when I moved from California to Ohio and got 12mpg at 30,000# gross. This should be similar and just as slow.

Shran · Sep 22, 2008

Lookin good, man! So what did you end up doing with the 'Bago? I've been working on mine a lot since my last update to my camper thread. Sometime I'll post some pics...it's lookin pretty bitchin now.

Mark_88 · Sep 22, 2008

Nice work Will...

There was a guy in Canada built an entire colony underground using school buses...that was around the Y2K scare...it was pretty intersting...and they are built tough so good to use as family cruisers...

The only thing I'm not keen on is the red paint...but I guess kids like the RGB colors...

Jspafford · Sep 22, 2008

He sold the Winnebago on Ebay.

SawyerRanger · Sep 22, 2008

"These are child protection vaults. "

LOL

94STXRanger · Sep 22, 2008

Man i would not want to be the kidding sitting up in the middle of the night and hitting those bars. That bus is pretty cool though. Quite handy.

Will · Sep 23, 2008

The thing about the bunks is that they fold up so you can haul stuff--like bikes and bootleg liquor. It's an idea from my days of being human cargo on navy transports. Kids will hurt themselves on the things you think are safe and walk through a room filled with flying glass and exploding dynamite and not even notice anything was happening.

The red paint I had to do a stripe on the outside. When I started grinding the gum I needed paint that I didn't think I would need. It's okay.

Will · May 18, 2010

I was looking to update this thread with the hitch I just built and realized I have completely redone the inside in the last year or so. It's completely different. Generator, wiring, AC, leather couch/double bed, pipe bunks out/wood bunks in, overhead cabinets, sound system--damn. You'll have to find me on Facebook I guess because I don't think I'll update it here anytime soon.

Ranger Sport Honduras · May 18, 2010

awesome work!!!!
some pics dont work tho...
i saw it on your website, i dreamed of having a bus like that when i was a kid lol

ozziemo27 · May 19, 2010

Will said:
I was looking to update this thread with the hitch I just built and realized I have completely redone the inside in the last year or so. It's completely different. Generator, wiring, AC, leather couch/double bed, pipe bunks out/wood bunks in, overhead cabinets, sound system--damn. You'll have to find me on Facebook I guess because I don't think I'll update it here anytime soon.

Your kids probably think you're the coolest dad ever! hah

It's time for the Bus...

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