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Old 04-28-2012, 02:35 PM   #1
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Northern Colorado
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Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Freightliner Type D Series 130
Engine: 6.6 Liter CAT 3126
Benny and Marissa's Bus

Hi everyone, my hubby posted a couple days ago but his posting disappeared before we had a chance to read the member comments - so I hope you will join in the conversation once again.

To introduce ourselves, we are the proud new owners of a 2001 36' Thomas Saf-T-Liner. I hope I have the specs right, if not then I am sure my husband will be quick to correct me. We live in Northern Colorado with our 2.5 year old son and another bundle on the way come September. We have aquired the bus with plans to convert it to home-sweet-home. We will be using most (if not all) salvaged materials in the process as that is our family business. You may visit our blog at bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com for more details or to follow our journey. We, of course, intend to be on here (and often) updating as well. We are grateful for this forum and look forward to gleaning the skoolie wisdom and experience of others who have gone before us.

Benny will post more specs soon.

Warmly, Marissa
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Old 05-01-2012, 08:17 AM   #2
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Congratulations! Looks like you've got a great bus there and a growing family to live in it. Welcome to the forum; I look forward to seeing how you build out your bus.
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Old 05-01-2012, 08:44 AM   #3
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Hi Guys, and welcome to the Looney Bin! --- you've definitely found the source for all things Skoolie. You'll find both opinions and expertise here. Just start with what you hope to accomplish, ask lots of questions, then , most importantly...do it your way. Oh yeah...and take lots of pix. We also love to watch other people work here. Once again, welcome!
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Old 05-01-2012, 09:08 AM   #4
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

That is a very good platform and engine to build a conversion with.. If you are going to use salvage materials, i thimk you will be able to easily get old trailers and campers for next to nothing esp around denver, but greeley, loveland, ft collins, etc should have a ton of that stuff as well. You can also go to the metal scrap yards for metal instead of buying it new, as angle iron is always new under the rust....
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Old 05-01-2012, 09:25 AM   #5
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Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Freightliner Type D Series 130
Engine: 6.6 Liter CAT 3126
Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Thanks everyone for your welcoming replies. We now have two posts up of our bus so I will be taking mine down. My husband, Benny, wants to keep up his original post and account, so I will be deleting this account and reappearing as just "Marissa". For those of you who have not read my husbands post, please join us in conversation over there.

Thanks again!
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Old 05-01-2012, 09:32 AM   #6
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Chassis: Freightliner Type D Series 130
Engine: 6.6 Liter CAT 3126
Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Well, I can't delete this thread so hopefully a moderator or administrator notices we have two postings up of the same bus and will delete one. Sorry for the double-up!
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Old 05-01-2012, 11:12 AM   #7
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Welcome aboard. Love the platform. Good luck and keep the pictures rolling in.
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Old 05-01-2012, 12:41 PM   #8
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Very nice ride...welcome
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Old 05-01-2012, 06:33 PM   #9
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

welcome.....i too am in co.....looking foward to watching your build
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Old 05-02-2012, 06:39 PM   #10
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Sweet looking bus. And I love those mirrors! You definitely have a very nice platform for your family.
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Old 05-02-2012, 10:32 PM   #11
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

a 2001! nice!!
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Old 05-03-2012, 09:19 AM   #12
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Hey all, thanks for all the encouragement and nice comments, we feel welcomed to the community! We both posted a thread of our build and would like you all to follow along, we just need to pick one or the other. Since this thread has more views and comments we'll use this one. Here is my original post: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438 Thanks for understanding we've got it figured out now.
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2001 Thomas 37' pusher
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1985 Vanagon (wife's/family bus)

Our build: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438
Our blog: https://bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com/
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Old 05-07-2012, 11:36 PM   #13
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Here is our floor plan. I tried to keep the plumbing as cohesive as possible. Ezra will be three and sleeping on his own mattress next to our bed on the engine hump. Our king mattress will be up at 30" to match his mattress height. Storage under the mattress with our inverter/charger at the foot of the bed where there is a bit easier access as the batteries are directly below. black, grey and fresh water tanks fit in cargo bay beneath W/D, bathroom and sink drains. W/D combo is by side exit door where we'll put a screen door. Bathroom is 2'x3' shower/tub, toilet and small wall mount sink. There is a 5' walk in closet between the bedroom and bath with hanging storage on right, shelves on left and access to under bed storage area. There is a 2'x2' pantry between the w/d and fridge. the corner counter with sink is 40"x40". I scored a vintage 20" Dixie from the biz that is next to the sink cabinet. Next to that is our wood stove that is small and will hide for the summer with a window unit in its place. next to the fridge I think we'll put another small counter and cabinet for more worktop. on the passenger's side are two swivel captain's chairs with a fold-down table between. across from that we are thinking of a built in. I also want to put in a rooftop a/c in the back escape hatch. haven't figured out where to put a gas fired source of heat and hoping to find an instant hot water heater for cheap. Let us know what your thoughts are and feel free to ask why we're thinking what we're thinking!
Benny
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2001 Thomas 37' pusher
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1985 Vanagon (wife's/family bus)

Our build: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438
Our blog: https://bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com/
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Old 05-08-2012, 09:41 AM   #14
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Hey guys --- check out Google "SketchUp". Free 3D software that will let you rotate the perspective to view everything in real time, from any angle. Makes quite a difference when you can look at things that way. Below is a quick rendering I did for my Shorty. Use the "Free" version...the one you have to pay for is more sophisticated (harder to use) and expensive. I'm no computer graphics whiz, so it took me about three days to work it out. Youngsters like you will no doubt figure it out much faster than an old geezer like me.

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Old 05-08-2012, 10:25 AM   #15
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

!!Nice! Thanks Tango, I'll download it when I get home. A picture is worth a thousand words and a 3d pic must be priceless when trying to convey our plan.
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2001 Thomas 37' pusher
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Our build: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438
Our blog: https://bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com/
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Old 05-08-2012, 06:49 PM   #16
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

I see that you are heading down a path similar to the one I'm on with the floor plan.


I had to change where the captain's chairs went because they would have been right over the fuel tank and I didn't want to have to drop the fuel tank in order to BOLT the pedestals in. I don't know where your fuel tank is but you might run into the same issue.

Like you, I also wanted to keep the driver side escape door usable so I placed the bathroom on the passenger side. You can do it that way, it is workable, but it has complicated the plumbing of the drains and the tank hook ups and valve are on the passenger side. Most campground have the sewer on the driver side which means I have to run the sewer line under the bus. Originally I thought Imight be able to have the tanks on the passenger side and the valves on the driver side but I wasn't able to because of the exhaust and drive shaft. I don't regret laying things out the way I have but on my next bus I'll place the kitchen sink and the bathroom on the driver's side just to simplify things even if I have to sacrifice the door.

Just putting that out there.
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Old 05-08-2012, 09:39 PM   #17
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Mchunt, yeah, they are pretty similar, I should scan my six sketches I drew up until I started dealing with the reality of toilet location options. I have the toilet as far back as I can for as much space up front as possible. I didn't know about driver's side poop shoots, but I had thought about hanging out on the passenger side of our bus with plumbing and electrical lines coming out everywhere. Unfortunately(or...fortunately depending on how you look at it) if I flipped the floor plan the toilet would be right in front of the side exit... so, if we were boondockin' I could open up the door and enjoy the outdoors!

I was going to eliminate the side door, but we are keeping our factory front door and I thought it would be nice to put a screen door on the side by the washer/dryer. Plus, when we get land and have it parked we can put a deck off the side.

Fortunately I don't have to deal with a drive shaft or exhaust! the fuel tank is centered right behind the front axle and there are air tanks on both sides. I planned on putting the propane tanks in front of the cargo bay as it is all open. Any suggestions on which side to put propane tanks?

I was reading discussion threads and I think I may put our fresh water under the bed now. seems like a good idea. The cargo bay will be really well insulated and will house the black and grey tanks and battery bank, but putting the fresh water under the bed in the back pretty much insures it won't freeze. Anyone have experience with freshwater system being OK in -10F weather inside of an insulated storage bay?
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2001 Thomas 37' pusher
1971 VW Homemade double cab
1985 Vanagon (wife's/family bus)

Our build: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438
Our blog: https://bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com/
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Old 05-10-2012, 08:36 PM   #18
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

I was reading discussion threads and I think I may put our fresh water under the bed now. seems like a good idea.
Two things:
Make SURE you don't block ANY existing access panels to engine or transmission parts or you will regret it later.
If you decide to put a water tank do it into a pan with a drain to the outside. If something breaks you want all the water out of the bus ASAP, not running all over the place.
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Old 05-11-2012, 10:07 AM   #19
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

i just have a few holes under my fresh water tanks that are under the bed - with a sealed edge around the perimeter.. works just like a shower pan.. found out a couple of weeks ago when one of my fittings leaked..
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Old 05-11-2012, 09:43 PM   #20
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Re: Benny and Marissa's Bus

Huh, thanks! I wouldn't have put a pan under the plumbing on my own. Thanks for the advice.
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2001 Thomas 37' pusher
1971 VW Homemade double cab
1985 Vanagon (wife's/family bus)

Our build: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12438
Our blog: https://bennyandmarissa.blogspot.com/
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