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Old 11-11-2018, 04:19 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vermont
Posts: 13
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
I have my bus!!!

My mobile kitchen is closer to a reality! Woot, Woot!!

It's a 2002 International T444 with an Allison 2000. I brought it home from NJ on Saturday. It drove up the thruway at 65 MPH, how sweet it that?

Today we took the seats out, and pulled 1/2 of the vinyl off the floor. I am EXHAUSTED!! The plywood is in mediocre shape. I plan to take the rest of the vinyl out tomorrow and start removing the plywood.

I know I saw it somewhere but maybe someone can tell me what the "stuff" is that you put on the metal to clean it and remove any surface rust. I also saw someone use silicone and pennies to fill/cover in the holes from the seat bolts. Do you think that is a good idea, what did you do?

So excited, I appreciate your thoughts.

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Old 11-12-2018, 09:56 AM   #2
Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Indiana
Posts: 176
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Chassis: AmTran
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 54
I used a wire wheel cup brush on my rusty floor (wear a mask!!! this is dusty as all get out), treated it with ospho, and painted the clean metal with rustoleum primer and paint. As far as the bolt holes for the seats go, i just put a glob of seam seamer over the holes before i put my new plywood in, so that it would seal them up pretty good.



Keep in mind if your floor has any serious rust, you will have to spend the time to use an angle grinder to cut out the rusty sections of the floor, and patch it with new peices of metal. Some folks weld the new pieces in, but I just used some rivets and seam sealer around the edges and that seems to work fine.
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Old 11-12-2018, 03:57 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vermont
Posts: 13
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
Thanks eethan, I appreciate your thoughts. I am not sure what aspho is.
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Old 11-12-2018, 04:01 PM   #4
Skoolie
 
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Location: Indiana
Posts: 176
Year: 2002
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Rated Cap: 54
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dot D View Post
Thanks eethan, I appreciate your thoughts. I am not sure what aspho is.

Ospho is a rust treating chemical (sold in many hardware stores and on amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003Q7XWU4) that neutralizes the rust so that it won’t eat away at your floor. It is usually a good idea to treat your floor (ESPECIALLY if the bus saw any time in the Midwest, where the roads are salted in the winter) so that you can build without having to worry about holes forming on your floor from rust.
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Old 11-13-2018, 01:30 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vermont
Posts: 13
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
Perfect, thanks again!!
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Old 11-13-2018, 02:03 PM   #6
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Claremont, NH
Posts: 480
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466E (195hp, 520tq)
We also use the black windshield goo for filling holes. Seals them up nicely but also stays a bit flexible across all temps.
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Old 11-14-2018, 08:35 AM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vermont
Posts: 13
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
ermracing.... That is Brilliant!! Thanks for that info
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Old 11-15-2018, 07:59 AM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Vermont
Posts: 13
Year: 2002
Coachwork: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72
Well the seats weren't as bad to remove as I expected. Of course I didn't have to do it alone.

The rubber flooring was a little stuck in places and ripped some, but it is out!

The floor under the plywood is not looking so great or maybe not so bad? At this point I have only removed 2 sheets. Its much harder than I expected, most of the screw heads have a coating of crud in them making it hard to screw them out. Most of the rust is around the seat bolt holes and near the windows. I was surprised to find the sheet metal to be in sections, like 2' wide by width of bus, not the full floor like I have seen in pictures and videos. It looks like standing seam roofing, upside down.

It looks like I too will be taking out all the windows and replacing the calking as many others have, I'd be a fool if I didn't after all this work.

The ceiling is perfect for my purpose and I will only be taking out one panel at this time to check on a possible leak at the front. When better weather comes we will be cutting the roof to put in a hood vent with Ansul system.

With the snow coming sooner than later, we will have to postpone calking the roof vents and windows for a bit.

Blue tarps work in a pinch and what a fashion statement!
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