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Old 08-19-2014, 01:31 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Year: 2000
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Chassis: Saf-t Liner
College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Hey everyone, I am new to this forum and new to the whole skoolie conversion projects as well. I purchased a 2000 Thomas Saf-T liner rear engine bus at the beginning of the month and have started my own conversion project! Don't have any photos to attach to this thread at the moment since I am posting from a remote computer. But I do have a website http://www.joeandabus.com that has pictures and will be continuously updated! Hopefully tonight I can post a few pictures here.

Also I have very little experience with power tools, construction, or most things I need to build this bus. So I am planning to learn along the way. This place will probably become my second home for asking questions(especially with electrical work!).

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Old 08-19-2014, 02:48 PM   #2
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

You buy it from the Montgomery County auctions? Nice looking bus.
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Old 08-19-2014, 05:54 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by bustagator
You buy it from the Montgomery County auctions? Nice looking bus.
Bought it through Govdeals.com. But it is/was a Montgomery County bus. The guy at the depot said to bring it by when I am done with it. He thinks it sounds really cool.
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Old 08-19-2014, 06:44 PM   #4
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Welcome to the madhouse where we have a thing for photos of our buses! And other buses! And weird buses! And normie buses!

We also do stupid stuff and poke fun at each other but it's all in good fun (mostly).

Oh, good, ya got the GOOD Thomas Saf-T Liner (the one with the straight walls). Good on ya! Looks darned near new. I like it! It's sooooooo shiny. That yellow. It's intense, man.
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:21 PM   #5
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Welcome o brave one. Research research research.... research everything and plan. Then approach with well informed realistic expectations.

I was bidding on a 2000 Thomas Safety liner at the beginning of the month lol. Did you get it on publicsurplus.com?
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Old 08-20-2014, 06:09 AM   #6
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by missingTexas
Welcome o brave one. Research research research.... research everything and plan. Then approach with well informed realistic expectations.

I was bidding on a 2000 Thomas Safety liner at the beginning of the month lol. Did you get it on publicsurplus.com?
Research was all I did at my summer job! And I got it from govdeals.com. I found the bids there to be cheaper than publicsurplus. And my work blocked publicsurplus halfway through the summer oddly enough... Was browsing publicsurplus in the morning, came back from lunch, and no longer could access it.
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Old 08-20-2014, 01:31 PM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Cool. I bought mine last month on Govdeals too, same auction from Montgomery County. I paid about $700 more for mine though I wanted one of the ones with low miles and I guess I wasn't the only one

Were the seats easy to take out?
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Old 08-20-2014, 02:02 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by bustagator
Cool. I bought mine last month on Govdeals too, same auction from Montgomery County. I paid about $700 more for mine though I wanted one of the ones with low miles and I guess I wasn't the only one

Were the seats easy to take out?
In the process of taking the seats out. Using a grinder with a cutting wheel to get them out. Thats not hard. Getting the remaining part out is pretty challenging. Making "X" cuts into the bolts and just hammering them out with a crowbar. Probably not the most efficient way to do it but it works.

How many miles are on yours? Are you a Montgomery County local?
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Old 08-20-2014, 07:41 PM   #9
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Mine has 145k on it, there was one with 126k but the one I got ran a lot quieter. How many does yours have?

Thanks for the tips on the seats, taking them out and removing the wall and ceiling panels are the things I'm really not looking forward to.

I'm from CT, wanted something that had less rust on it than what I could get here in New England. Getting the bus back here was interesting. I take it you're from Maryland?
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Old 08-20-2014, 07:49 PM   #10
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Mine has 243k on it. Underside is a bit rusted, but nothing i didnt expect from something with so much usage. I am from Maryland so it wasnt a bad trip, got a towing company since I couldnt legally drive it. I got a grinder and cutting wheels from harbor freight. Grinder was $21 and cutting wheels are $7 for a pack of 10. Those are the bread and water to my bus at the moment
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Old 08-21-2014, 10:30 AM   #11
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Hey nice bus. I'm a college aged dude (20) with a 1999 version of your bus (nearly the same). Mine was pretty trashed mechanically it turned out, I hope yours isn't because it is wicked expensive. My thread is on the first page, it's worth a look through for ideas. Wmkbailey did a roof raise on his. PM me if you need any help with mechanical stuff, I know the joint inside and out now haha.

Welcome to the club
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Old 08-21-2014, 10:33 AM   #12
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Rated Cap: 72
Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by bustagator
Mine has 145k on it, there was one with 126k but the one I got ran a lot quieter. How many does yours have?

Thanks for the tips on the seats, taking them out and removing the wall and ceiling panels are the things I'm really not looking forward to.

I'm from CT, wanted something that had less rust on it than what I could get here in New England. Getting the bus back here was interesting. I take it you're from Maryland?
Check out my thread for how I did the seats, if you have those tools it'll take you ~4 hours to do by yourself, less with help. The ceiling took me 3 hours or so to drop myself, it's really not as bad as it looks. If you put the metal ceiling back up, however....good luck to ya.
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Old 08-21-2014, 06:14 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches
Hey nice bus. I'm a college aged dude (20) with a 1999 version of your bus (nearly the same). Mine was pretty trashed mechanically it turned out, I hope yours isn't because it is wicked expensive. My thread is on the first page, it's worth a look through for ideas. Wmkbailey did a roof raise on his. PM me if you need any help with mechanical stuff, I know the joint inside and out now haha.

Welcome to the club
Actually I have been following your thread religiously in the beginning. Still working on getting seats out. I use a grinder w/ cutting wheels to get the seat itself out, but getting the base out takes a bit longer.
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Old 08-23-2014, 10:04 PM   #14
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Engine: CAT 3126b Rotella-Chugger
Rated Cap: 72
Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by nachosforjoe
Quote:
Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches
Hey nice bus. I'm a college aged dude (20) with a 1999 version of your bus (nearly the same). Mine was pretty trashed mechanically it turned out, I hope yours isn't because it is wicked expensive. My thread is on the first page, it's worth a look through for ideas. Wmkbailey did a roof raise on his. PM me if you need any help with mechanical stuff, I know the joint inside and out now haha.

Welcome to the club
Actually I have been following your thread religiously in the beginning. Still working on getting seats out. I use a grinder w/ cutting wheels to get the seat itself out, but getting the base out takes a bit longer.
Haha nice. Do you have the tools I used? I thought it was pretty easy but make sure you pick up all the bolts that fall out of the bottom, some of them get wedged into the floor support things.
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Old 08-24-2014, 07:10 AM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 40
Year: 2000
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Chassis: Saf-t Liner
Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches
Quote:
Originally Posted by nachosforjoe
Quote:
Originally Posted by porkchopsandwiches
Hey nice bus. I'm a college aged dude (20) with a 1999 version of your bus (nearly the same). Mine was pretty trashed mechanically it turned out, I hope yours isn't because it is wicked expensive. My thread is on the first page, it's worth a look through for ideas. Wmkbailey did a roof raise on his. PM me if you need any help with mechanical stuff, I know the joint inside and out now haha.

Welcome to the club
Actually I have been following your thread religiously in the beginning. Still working on getting seats out. I use a grinder w/ cutting wheels to get the seat itself out, but getting the base out takes a bit longer.
Haha nice. Do you have the tools I used? I thought it was pretty easy but make sure you pick up all the bolts that fall out of the bottom, some of them get wedged into the floor support things.
So far I have been using a grinder with a cutting wheel attached. Not really sure what tools you have. Removed all the seats as of yesterday and started working on the rubber flooring. Then I tried to turn the bus on in the rain and got an issue. Check engine, check air intake, and stop engine lights all went on. As well as an alarm. The alarm is from low air pressure. The bus had a hard time starting, so I need to go check today and see what is happening with it. Not going to be able to spend a ton of time looking at it. Really hoping it was just a fluke day due to the rain. Since I turned it on a little over a week ago and drove it with no issue. I think the bus needed to build up air pressure but it wasnt sounding good
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Old 08-24-2014, 07:27 AM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner


Finally got all the bus seats stripped. Now to work on getting the rubber floor out and diagnosing the engine problem. Dont really want to advance on putting any money into it til I know it runs properly
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Old 08-24-2014, 04:58 PM   #17
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

what a mess!!!!!

if you dont clean before pictures....make sure there is a beer can or bottle in the picture

best of luck with engine
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Old 08-24-2014, 05:48 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 40
Year: 2000
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
what a mess!!!!!

if you dont clean before pictures....make sure there is a beer can or bottle in the picture

best of luck with engine
Ha next time! Will be going back to work on it Friday. And I think I figured out the engine. It started right up today, and let it sit for a bit to build up air pressure. But it ran fine today with no warnings. Not sure what happened yesterday. My guess is low air and the rain didnt mix well
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:02 PM   #19
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Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by nachosforjoe
Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
what a mess!!!!!

if you dont clean before pictures....make sure there is a beer can or bottle in the picture

best of luck with engine
Ha next time! Will be going back to work on it Friday. And I think I figured out the engine. It started right up today, and let it sit for a bit to build up air pressure. But it ran fine today with no warnings. Not sure what happened yesterday. My guess is low air and the rain didnt mix well
might as well blame it on....................global warming


good to hear, I actually got to work on mine this weekend
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Old 08-25-2014, 09:09 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 40
Year: 2000
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Chassis: Saf-t Liner
Re: College student taking on 2000 Thomas Saf-t Liner

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
Quote:
Originally Posted by nachosforjoe
Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
what a mess!!!!!

if you dont clean before pictures....make sure there is a beer can or bottle in the picture

best of luck with engine
Ha next time! Will be going back to work on it Friday. And I think I figured out the engine. It started right up today, and let it sit for a bit to build up air pressure. But it ran fine today with no warnings. Not sure what happened yesterday. My guess is low air and the rain didnt mix well
might as well blame it on....................global warming


good to hear, I actually got to work on mine this weekend
What kind of bus do you have?
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