Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-30-2018, 02:52 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
1989 Crown Skoolie conversion

Hello all, I have been lurking here for a very long time and my wife and I just jumped in head first. We bought a 1989 Crown that we will be converting. I plan to post the process on our Youtube channel so please take a look and please feel free to leave any suggestions you might have that could make our lives easier. The bus is in Fresno and we are living in Hawaii so I will only have a few days at a time to work on it. We made a three day trip there about a month ago and that will be the focus of our upcoming videos.

This week we are just getting started by pulling out the seats and charging up the batteries. They were dead since I had not been there since February and forgot to disconnect them.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KEElDvh-CHs" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Again, we are open to suggestions on just about all aspects of the build. Such as, what would you do differently if you have already done a conversion.

This won't be an all out build, we are simply looking to make it comfortable when we visit the mainland.

Aloha,
Jonny

__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2018, 03:55 PM   #2
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
https://youtu.be/KEElDvh-CHs


Here is the link to the first video. Sorry I couldn't embed it in the first post. If a mod wants to delete that imbed script in my first post, feel free. I can't figure out how to edit it.
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2018, 02:03 AM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot


Here we go! Enjoy!

I also forgot to mention that her name is Leia, after our awesome pup that passed over the rainbow bridge in May.
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2018, 06:12 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
Some pics of the bus.














More to come as I add them later.
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2018, 06:20 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
o1marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Love th e looks of those old art deco looking Twinkie buses.
o1marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2018, 09:33 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
We looked for a long time for one and when we had the chance to get this one we jumped on it. I'm not afraid of engine work and the fact that it still runs made the risk worth it.



My wife really liked the crowns because of the style but I thought it was impractical to get such an old bus but once I started reading about the Crowns I was all in.
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2018, 06:51 PM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot


Here is the next video. Cleaning up, engine work, and virtual walkthrough!

Enjoy!
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2018, 06:26 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
Here is our last video for the bus conversion since we only had 3 days to work on it during this trip. I will post again when we make another trip and make more videos of the bus. Thanks for watching and please like and subscribe!

__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2018, 11:51 PM   #9
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
That is a really nice looking Chino built Crown Supercoach.

What model number is it?

Do you know what the build number is? It is stamped into a pad located at the edge of the right front fender at about 10 o'clock. That number will tell who ordered the bus and first put it into service.

It looks to be in pretty good condition.

Good luck and happy trails to you!
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2018, 11:53 PM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
By the way, if the air wipers start to give you problems there is a company in OR that make direct bolt in swaps for electric wiper motors. Total cost for the swap, which included everything including switches and wiring harnesses is about $300.00 for both sides.
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 12:03 AM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
If you are going to put an 8D battery on a charger you need to put it on at least 15 amps of charge. With over 1000 amps of cold cranking amps it will take more than three days to fully charge the battery.

If you are going to try and do tire work with 10-hole Budd wheels with hand tools then you really need to invest in a torque multiplier.
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03715B-...que+multiplier
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 02:18 AM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
That is a really nice looking Chino built Crown Supercoach.

What model number is it?

Do you know what the build number is? It is stamped into a pad located at the edge of the right front fender at about 10 o'clock. That number will tell who ordered the bus and first put it into service.

It looks to be in pretty good condition.

Good luck and happy trails to you!
Thanks! I think the build number is 2A-40- and whatever the code is for the 6-71 turbo. (455) maybe

I don't have the build number but I will look for it next time I go. The bus is currently 3000 miles away from me. I do know that it was ordered and bought new by Fresno Unified School District in 1988 and has a sister bus #79 that was spec'd the same. I was able to win it at auction directly from the school district. I was also able to talk to the head mechanic and he gave me a ton of documentation for it. Including all the parts that have been replaced with the part numbers. It only has about 100k miles since it had an in frame in 2008. The blower and turbo were also replaced at the same time along with just about every major engine part. So I figure if I can get the current problem solved the engine should last until the end of time for my intended use!
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 02:19 AM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
By the way, if the air wipers start to give you problems there is a company in OR that make direct bolt in swaps for electric wiper motors. Total cost for the swap, which included everything including switches and wiring harnesses is about $300.00 for both sides.
What's the name of that company? They are working okay for now but it would be nice to know in case of future problems.
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 02:23 AM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach View Post
If you are going to put an 8D battery on a charger you need to put it on at least 15 amps of charge. With over 1000 amps of cold cranking amps it will take more than three days to fully charge the battery.

If you are going to try and do tire work with 10-hole Budd wheels with hand tools then you really need to invest in a torque multiplier.
https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03715B-...que+multiplier
I think the charger I had on it is only 10 amps, thanks for the heads up.

That wrench looks like something I need! I didn't originally intend to ever take the rims off myself but I thought I would try to pull the one to bring it somewhere to be fixed. But once the ether trick worked I didn't need to take it off.

Thanks for all the info!
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 08:49 AM   #15
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,757
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
wonder if they make loinger handles for that wrench.. my little body weight on a one foot handle still wont give me the torque needed to tighten a hub pilot nut
-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 09:46 AM   #16
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 1,358
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Crown, integral. (With 2kW of tiltable solar)
Chassis: Crown Supercoach II (rear engine)
Engine: Detroit 6V92TAC, DDEC 2, Jake brake, Allison HT740
Rated Cap: 37,400 lbs GVWR
That Neiko multiplier wrench looks OK for cars, but it's completely inadequate for big bus wheels! When dealing with 10-hole Budd wheels you need the big stuff. FYI, I have a 40"-long breaker bar (rated at 1800+ lb.ft.), a Budd socket and a 12" extension, all in 1"-drive, so my weight on the end of the 40" bar gives me exactly 500 lb.ft. for retightening. Getting over-tightened or corroded nuts off is a different story, but a big 1"-drive air impact tool takes a lot of air to run it, and that's about the only way you'll get them off.

For my Sprague HP200 air wiper motors I put an inline oil mist lubricator in each one's air supply: they now work smoothly and powerfully. The driver's-side motor was also leaking internally, but a few new O-rings fixed that - air wiper motors are quite simple to rebuild, and they do work well. My air-operated Sprague washer pump was a problem however - I just couldn't get it to work well, so I now instead have two electric pumps, one for the wiper arm nozzles and one for a new pair of nozzles above the windshields. It works so much better than the old system.

John
Iceni John is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 10:10 AM   #17
Almost There
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: West Chester, OH
Posts: 78
Year: 1990
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3800 Carpenter
Engine: DT360 / AT545
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
A less expensive option I saw mentioned someplace and put in my wish list.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G3NA6C0...v_ov_lig_dp_it
oredigger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 07:11 PM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
PB&G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 60
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach 40'
Engine: Detroit 6-71T
Rated Cap: A lot
I'm kind of unclear on how the torque multipliers work. I always thought the only way was to either increase the force on the handle or get a longer handle. Something to the effect of "give me a lever long enough and I can move the world." LOL



How do these torque multipliers work without using a long breaker bar type handle?


Nevermind, just looked it up, they use gear reduction instead of a longer handle. Pretty clever.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torque_multiplier
__________________
Watch us on Youtube @ Life of Curiosity
Life in Hawaii, converting a Crown bus into an RV, and other travel adventures!
PB&G is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 07:55 PM   #19
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Winlcok, WA
Posts: 2,233
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
wonder if they make loinger handles for that wrench.. my little body weight on a one foot handle still wont give me the torque needed to tighten a hub pilot nut
-Christopher
You don't use that handle to actually try to remove and torque on a nut. That handle goes down against a solid anchor and it is against it that you are multiplying the torque.

On one side of the wrench you put the socket or the socket on an extension. On the other side of the wrench you put your regular breaker bar/torque wrench/ratchet wrench.

As you apply torque to the wrench on the outside it multiplies the torque inside as it goes out the other side. But the middle has to stay still hence the relatively short length of the handle. The short handle allows you to use the torque multiplier in tight quarters. And it is a shape that can accept a longer handle it the short handle is too short to go up against a solid anchor.
cowlitzcoach is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2018, 09:51 PM   #20
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 1,001
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: International
Engine: TE 444
Rated Cap: 12
I have the second torque multiplier, 60 to 1 gearing, even Christopher could loosen Budd wheel nuts with it
Kubla is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:39 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.