Lovin' this place

[TfallsTrio]

Ahoy Skoolies !
Been stalking around the site for almost a year now <give'r take> and I'm lovin' the community. There are a few GREAT post replies from some of your more learn-ed, & experienced skoolie owners. I found that the general reaction to a newbies question is well received and reflected on. Not to mention some of the great advise and instruction on so many various thing. Truth be told, this site has had some small amount in effecting our decision. Yep, WE BOUGHT A SKOOLIE !!!!!!
I'ma post the in-n-outs of what we bought, and see what you skoolie folks have to say bout it. I think I have been looking forward to starting this <as Steve said> "diary for our bus" as much as actually getting her home.

Named her Gumby although the color in the pics isnt as green looking. you know, that color green of the Gumby you found under the yardbush from so many summers ago. But the color will most likely change, so her name may as well. She was done schoolin in '85. Her 366 was rebuilt that year, as was her clutch and U-joints. 4 speed manual cruises at 50-55 allll day long. Shes runnin alil rich right yet, most likely from the lacquered fuel. Can smell it in the exhaust. Ran'er with some Sea-Foam and got 8mpg on her voyage home. 100 miles. Shes been sittin for 18 months or so. We've gone thru the carb, check floats and jets etc. New condenser/points. She's getting smoother as we go, so new plugs and maybe I'll time her once more, she should smooth out. Front steerers are new and re-groovable . The drive rubber is "new" on the outside, half-life in the inside. The split rims have been replaced. My biggest push right now is a power steering unit, MAYbe brackets too as it is missing one bolt of the three, and it doesn't look like its lined up right. BUT, the steering unit in her now,, leaks. Leaks dry while she sits, slower drip while runnin.

Things I'm about to do. She has NO battery bank, straight 120v plug in, cabin lights ONLY while runnin. So we've been pre shoppin batts/inverter. and playing with the solar idea for my trickle. This site has educated me MOST thoroughly on "watts what" there. Harbour frieght has some GREAT prices right now for some sizable inverters.
She has a blackwater tank, but no potable water tank. Fortunately she has a spot in the back for the 30 gallon pressure tank and pump from an old camp trailer, it'd be EASY to cut the lines in and run 12v for the air pump. 3 MAYBE 4 gallon propane hotwater heater,,,,4 gallons of hot water?! gotta change that eh? she has a side mount rv wtr htr. so the hole is there and LOTS'a room inboard to put in a bigger one. suggestions there are most welcome.

She was shipped down from Alaska 18 months ago. Her last owners lived in her for 20 years up there. From 20 years in the woods of Alaska, to her home here in the woods of Montana. Her belly has been SPRAY FOAMED. So a MT winter should'nt be nuthin for her. Walls are board insulated SHE IS AIR TIGHT ! Cept alil torn rubber on the split door, from the lock hasp.

had some issues gettin my pics uploaded, so i posted'em in Photobucket,,, http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c299/ ... rio/GUMBY/

OK folks, I'm hopin ya'll can be "informatively critical" about what we've got, without being brutal. Don't wann none'o that "buyer remorse"
Also, wouldnt mind hearing what such a critter usually goes for, before i share,,,,,,,,
I WOULD like to know if i got a real deal or not before all my new friends get the skinny, dont-chya-know.

Cheers Skoolies
Time for me to prepare for Gumbys NEW ADVENTURE.

So, of course after posting, I started realizing I left out this that and the other,,,,most notably,,,around 30k for mileage on the rebuilt 366/clutch. This however is from his 20 years of memory. The odom stopped working shortly after they did the rebuild. The moved it from spot to spot as his work,,in Alaska,,, deemed necessary. Every couple years or so. From what we got from our discussions with them,,,,mostly sedimentary. My kinda life.

Ill get some pics under the bonnet and of her belly. Start crawling round her blackwater in the next few days. Its always fun when its some one else's. Plus its raining again, would be more insult to injury. Thanks Admin for getting my post thru, great place ya got here

Cheers

[Tango]

"Gumby be bad!" Great classic there with most of the tricky stuff in place. What year is that old gal?

[TfallsTrio]

After discussion with d'wife, its silly i dont post we paid $3000.

They listed it 18 months ago for $4500. Had dropped it down to $3500 after the 18 month sit. we started at $2500, settled for 3k if they did points/condenser/pull clean and set carb & distributer. OH and 1 of the 2 fuel filters replaced.

As well as i will be posting in "Registrastion" topic soon. here in MT, its 3 of 5 req's, and thats seems about it. ill post more about it once we go down with the title. google "registering an rv in montana". what i found, is MULTIPLE examples of folks buying/transplating their skoolie to MT ,"cuz we backwoods here", truly. the "third world country" within the US.
still on the law books,,,,,,,, you dont have to have a windshield in your car, but you MUST have working wipers. I LOVE THIS PLACE !!

IN FACT !!!! the HWY PTRL comes to us, doesnt need to here it run,see it stop, nuthin like that. no glass questions.
MT makes things like Auto needs easy here. Most ppl are a hundred of miles from anything, and poor.

Cheers

[TfallsTrio]

OH YEAH,,,,, PLUS,,,
in the great state of MT, we have perma register. here you can get registration for a 20+ year old vehicle,,, for the rest of its life. running or not.
its costin us $262.60 and we're done, just like that. permanatly registered for as long as we own'r.

cheers

[jkindt]

NW Montana eh? I am planning a trip that way this summer. My sister bought a cabin on the Koocanusa. Not sure if we are bringing the bus or just staying in the cabin, but either way we will be around the area. I love camping in MT.

[TfallsTrio]

OHyeah, Koocanusa, whata LAKE.
wind, north to south will trash your boating plans most the time. but the camp sites and color of the water,,,,,,,,,,definatly draws us up there.
quite the 70 mile stretch o'water
alil trivia, Koo-can-usa.
Kootenai waters run thru CANada and the USA,koo-can-usa.
kewl eh?
Cheers

[Redbear]

VERY cool!

+1 on the oil drip stove and +3 on the insulation!
+1 on the mirrors making the space look larger - I intend to try that trick once I have a bus.
+1 on the table with the maps fossilized inside the top - I could see drawing and making notes on the top with a dry erase marker or china marking pencil. It could be useful for trip planning, jotting down phone numbers, or plotting a Central American revolution.
(Though I don't think there are any Central American countries in Alaska. )

Before I read the spoiler, from the pictures I guessed the price would be about $3000 to $3500 with a motivated seller. I would guess $5500 to $8500 with an anxious buyer and patient seller. Looks like the price was about right.

I don't really understand the shower set-up. From the shower picture, and the shot down the hall showing the curtain across the area, it seems the shower is the whole area, long and narrow, with the sink and countertop inside. The shower would be between the countertop and the aisle. Is that right?

Good luck and Happy Trails!

[TfallsTrio]

Got the upload'n figgered out, YEA !
hey Redbear, thanks kindly for your opinion. Your +1's are in line with some of the buying points for us.

The more heat sorces the better round these parts.

I'm hearin' more and more from folks that this belly foam she's got, is somthing most folks have on thier "Some day list".
so i agree on your +3 with that.
i could use some reinforcment ideas. its not "falling out" but its gettin old. so far im wondering if i can buy a couple cans of "squirt insulation", and squirt it in the more "age-ed" spots

The mirror trick, <while Mom had told me about it years ago>, i had never seen work this well. ill try and get more "dimensional" in my pics. One of the best placments,,, a this strip of mirror ABOVE the gangplank exit. As you exit, the movment catches your eye, and ya don't knock yourself silly walkin out. Ill get a "mirror tricks" topic started soon. This ol'couple we bought'r from, has put 20years of themselves into this bus. Its been an pleasure being able to work around such careful planning.

the Chart table ooozes with heart and personality. As far as the Central American revolution, i spose from "here" its all downhill ?!

I can't tell you how much i appreciate your input on the cost. ESPECIALLY since you nailed it right on the head. As i said in my very first post. i have found some of the most INSIGHTFUL, and thought out posts in this place.
Truly, I blame THIS SITE ! its gone and educated me on skoolies FAR more than i had anticipated.

Heres a shot of the shower portside. found some leakin' in the kitchen faucet last nite. but alls well cuz we're flare'n pipe for the 20g<thought it was 30> pressure potable water tank. next day or so.

Thanks again Redbear
been readin thru your posts and pics, NICLY DONE my friend. my deck is on the "t'do's"
the bumpers already been extended 24 inches or so, like to add about 5 or 6 feet.
also thinkin about goin with rounded corners to give it more of a "campaign caboose" look. thinkin half dome roof and balcony rail. dont plan on draggin the car behind,,,,its IS a 366 ya know.

[TfallsTrio]

Today we are headin' towards the potable tank & pump.
the shut off valve from the watermain, is an old twist valve. switchin' that to a gate valve, and see'n about re-running some of the copper.

This is kinda intriguing. Meticulous work from the wire harness' <120v & 12v dash and light> to the woodwork ,stain & varnish throughout the inside,,,,LACE & PEARLS in the seamwork ,,,,but yet most of the copper isn't so much as "ran" ,,,as it was "gotten in". but its all brandnew. Im sure theres a survival story in'r,,, if only she could talk.

hey, well there's an idea. see, my wife truly is my better half.
As i was proofreading this to my wife, she tilts her head and says "why would'nt we use Pex?"
Dern fine question,,

heres what im say'n



the fine woodwork


and the Pressure tank hole



have lots more close ups for Photobucket tonight, but i GOTTA get to town for plumbing.

[lornaschinske]

PEX would be better than copper. PEX will survive freezing better than copper. Just make sure you use the right fittings. "Right fittings" does not mean hose clamps! We use the crimp rings (but we also have the fancy expensive double pipe size crimper). They do make "push on" connectors also that you don't need the crimper but I think they are more expensive.

[TfallsTrio]

Absolutly Pex, she made my mind up soon as spoken. Changed our hardware store plans to the cheaper side .
we had re plumbed our house 3 years ago, not only have left over clips, pipe, and fittings but at least one of our three hardware stores have a crimper to borrow.
LOVE me some Pex pipe. can't speak highly enough about it.

heres the hot water heater im workin round today

[TfallsTrio]

we thought we better start showing why we're so "nautical nutty",,first cuz "land yacht looney' is to hard to say.
Second, the nautical & marine theme is all thru her.
we've load a bunch more pics into photobucket http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c299/ ... rio/GUMBY/

but here's a few quick glances

[TfallsTrio]

Im tellin' ya,,
Just about the COOLEST mirror tricks ever

[houskou]

dude, that stripper pole may cause burns

[Stuff]

Originally Posted by houskou

dude, that stripper pole may cause burns

lol "you guys smell something burning?"

[TfallsTrio]

Originally Posted by houskou

dude, that stripper pole may cause burns

although, not many fokls that'v craweled around this'ol broad,,,,have "strippin" come to mind
LESS YER TALKIN BOUT'R PAINT

its really not about strippers tearin up my pole, either. its my pussy cats that'r gettin all excited

[TfallsTrio]

Besides, it'd be like strippin at yer GRAMMAs house,,,JUST NOT RIGHT !!!
i mean have you SEEN all the lace curtains and pearls?

[TfallsTrio]

Been working on'r power steering pump with frustrating results. i've posted the goin's on here, viewtopic.php?f=44&t=10391
thought id put up some pics of the heart,,,for posterity sake.

[Shadoll]

Originally Posted by TfallsTrio

its really not about strippers tearin up my pole, either. its my pussy cats that'r gettin all excited

This is funny because I was looking at the cat scratching post and wondering where it would fit in the bus, it's big because my cat is really big. About table height, stable carpeted base. I asked my friend day before yesterday if it would be insane to have the cat scratching post under your dining room table. And whala.. someone else did it. *lol*

[magic_bus]

Originally Posted by TfallsTrio

Been working on'r power steering pump with frustrating results. i've posted the goin's on here, viewtopic.php?f=44&t=10391
thought id put up some pics of the heart,,,for posterity sake.

Love the Engine.....hard to beat old school, big block, GM power.
Run forever and easy as pie to wrench.
Now if only they got 30mpg......