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Old 09-17-2016, 10:02 PM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 157
My new Bus, ready to convert

Well, I am new here, I have been lurking and looking for a while. I finally found the school bus I have been looking for. I found an add for a 1985 International S1800, DT466 with Alison(unknown yet). It belonged to a Church and had been painted gray at some point. They had put new tires on recently and new tabs. It also came with a full tank of fuel. It is a 65 Passenger, 38ft with 29ft of usable living space.
The reason I started the search is because I have a travel trailer that is really nice, but is rotting away and sinking around the frame, but still looks great. So, I am going to pull everything and install it into the Bus. Well, mostly.
Anyway, all I have done so far is to pull the stop sign flipper and the bumper arm.
I plan to make this into a RV, but with the idea that it could be used long term or as a tiny house. For now though, it will be used as a mostly weekend RV.
I will post up pictures as I work on it.


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Old 09-17-2016, 11:19 PM   #2
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 932
Year: 1984
Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
Nice bus!
Plenty of room, and a sweet motor with new tires, awesome!

Welcome too.
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Old 09-18-2016, 08:24 AM   #3
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
Thats a cool bus! Welcome!

You'll love that DT466. Properly maintained that is a million mile motor, and you can work on it and still find a boatload of parts.

Cant wait to see what mischief you cause during your build!
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Old 09-18-2016, 09:13 AM   #4
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Location: Houston, Texas
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Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Another Welcome! --- Ya...the mechanical 466 is a highly prized engine. Good luck on your build and keep the pix coming.
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Old 09-18-2016, 09:30 AM   #5
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
An '85 model with an Allison will probably be an AT545 (unless it was changed).
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Old 09-18-2016, 10:25 AM   #6
Skoolie
 
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Posts: 157
So far I really like it. It did OK on the ride home down I-5. I was able to do 65 or little over on the flats and it slowed to about 55 on the hills. I am sure on the back roads with steeper hills it will be much, much slower, but that's ok. I am not in a hurry.
I do love the classic school bus style and the DT466 was the engine I wanted. I looked at a bunch of buses with Cat engines in them, but just did not want the expense or the hassle of working on them.
The seat removal starts today
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Old 09-18-2016, 06:13 PM   #7
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
I also wanted the classic school bus style too... I looked at a lot of newer busses that were probably nicer but im with you.. nothing like the classic school bus style!!

beauty of a DT-466 is if you wear it out you can rebuild it without having to take it out of the bus!.

-Christopher
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Old 09-18-2016, 09:33 PM   #8
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Engine: 366 Big block Chevy! :) w/ Stick shift
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Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
I also wanted the classic school bus style too... I looked at a lot of newer busses that were probably nicer but im with you.. nothing like the classic school bus style!!

beauty of a DT-466 is if you wear it out you can rebuild it without having to take it out of the bus!.

-Christopher
Holy Cow; i did not know he dt466 could be rebuilt without removal. Talk about great engineering.
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Old 09-18-2016, 09:38 PM   #9
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
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Originally Posted by Carytowncat View Post
Holy Cow; i did not know he dt466 could be rebuilt without removal. Talk about great engineering.
Just search "dt466 in frame rebuild"

Lot of good info out there... Plus getting a cherry picker (big enough to pull this engine) in my bus would be a bitch!


http://www.enginebuildermag.com/2011...-dt466-engine/
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Old 09-18-2016, 10:28 PM   #10
Skoolie
 
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Got some work done today

So, I got the bus home yesterday and removed a few items, then today I spent the afternoon removing the seats, trim, and heaters. I also had a chance to do some layout of where I want things. I am leaving 2 seats in the front for my wife and daughter to ride in, and any other passengers.
I am also going to be using the parts from my Coachman trailer. It looks real good, but it is rotting internally.
I plan to use all of it but the shell.







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Old 09-26-2016, 09:24 PM   #11
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 157
So, I wanted to lay out some ground rules, mostly for me, but so you all will know where I am headed with this thing, that way some of my decisions will make more sense.
First off, this is not going to be a tiny home on wheels, I love those and think they are super cool, but this is not going to be lived in. It is not going to be a full tie RV.
This is going to be a weekend/week RV for trips around the North West. Here the weather is very mild and I should be able to get by with a normal RV propane heater or 2.
I do not plan to do any Off-Grid living, so no solar panels or extra large battery bank. I will have house batteries, but maybe 2.
I do want most stuff to be RV Propane powered, not AC only. This way I can boon-dock if I want, but will mostly be in state or private parks.
I own a nice house that will be paid for in about 12 years, about 8 years before I retire. So selling my house and moving into this would be a poor idea right now.
So, I figure that if someday I do need or want to full time it/tiny house, I will build another and use what I learned building this one to make my next one perfect(or close)
So I guess I just wanted to put out a Mission Statement so to speak so if anyone looks at my build they will know why I am doing things the way I am, and if they want a tiny house/full time RV that they need to follow someone else's build.
As for the build progress, I am almost done removing the floor and will post pictures of it when it is sanded and painted this weekend.
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Old 10-01-2016, 10:37 PM   #12
Skoolie
 
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Well, I got a chance to work some more on the bus, I got the floor cleaned up and painted. I also pulled out the front heaters to repaint the metal parts around them.

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Old 10-01-2016, 10:42 PM   #13
Skoolie
 
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I also found out that the trans is the MT643 and with the DT466 I feel that I have a pretty good bus. The trans is painted yellow, so I think it may have been rebuilt or changed at some point.
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Old 10-01-2016, 10:47 PM   #14
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,707
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
nice.. thats a great drivetrain combo! that bus will go about anywhere you want it to.. floor is lookin great!
-Christopher
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Old 10-02-2016, 06:15 AM   #15
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Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldmopars View Post
Well, I got a chance to work some more on the bus, I got the floor cleaned up and painted. I also pulled out the front heaters to repaint the metal parts around them.

Beautiful!
I've got a similar scene, only I've started at the top-
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Old 10-02-2016, 07:52 PM   #16
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 157
Hey EastCoastCB, looking good.

I did some more work on the bus today. I covered all the holes in the floor with that foil backed roof repair tape, then cut all the plywood for the floor. It is just set in place in this picture, I will be securing it down next weekend. Do most people glue it, nail it, or screw it down? I know it was nailed from the factory, but gluing it might help it not squeak? Any thoughts?

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Old 10-02-2016, 08:29 PM   #17
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Location: Billings, MT
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Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
I would've painted the wheel arches while I was at it.
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Old 10-02-2016, 09:02 PM   #18
Almost There
 
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Location: Tenino, Wa (20 mi SE of Olympia)
Posts: 69
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Bluebird
Engine: CAT 3208
Rated Cap: 84 pass 36200 gvw
If it was me I would spread some liquid nails in the center of the boards and a few screws around the edges with a couple in the center area to suck it down.
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Old 10-02-2016, 09:25 PM   #19
Skoolie
 
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I would've painted the wheel arches while I was at it.
I am going to paint them, but they will be white. the floor is that rusty primer color.
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Old 10-02-2016, 09:26 PM   #20
Skoolie
 
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Quote:
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If it was me I would spread some liquid nails in the center of the boards and a few screws around the edges with a couple in the center area to suck it down.
Sounds like a good idea, I think I will do it that way
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