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Old 05-26-2010, 01:35 PM   #1
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the akitabus

Well, my wife and I have purchased a 1998 Thomas, 7.3 T444E 35 passenger school bus, nice and clean no damage to speak of, came with Ricon wheel chair lift, Webatso coolant preheater and On Spot Auto chains.... LOTS of bells and whistles. Here is a pic the day I picked it up.

Now the fun starts.

I am a liitle behind on posting this as I have all ready posted various questions about the doors, bow frames and windows... but better late than never.

Have to work on the bus, don't have time to watch Dances with Stars.


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Old 05-26-2010, 01:41 PM   #2
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Re: the akitabus

Welcome, and thats a fine looking bus you have.

akitabus, can I assume you have or breed Akita's. We had one 7-8 years ago! Beautiful dogs!
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Old 05-26-2010, 02:26 PM   #3
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Re: the akitabus

Nice bus, even nicer with a Webatso.
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Old 05-26-2010, 04:33 PM   #4
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Re: the akitabus

Chris, Thanks on the bus and the next pic should answer your questions about Akitas, we have had Akitas for 15 years, then we accidently had a liter and now I have a few cause the people that wanted to buy our pups did not seen worthy, I think they wanted them to be fighting dogs or so it seems.... we sold 2 and kept three + Mom & Dad. Enough about dogs but they are excited to go in the bus, as you can see the way they are looking at it.

Got the bus home removed the seats, the wheelchair lift and started to lay down new sub floor. then after a few weeks of tinkering with heaters, wireing and all those other things we decided to raise the roof 15- 18".

So I will try to post pics as I go.

I don't know if this is the right forum for that and I am computer stupid so I doubt if I could set up thing like Smitty and some of the other guys.

So would love input from people.



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Old 05-26-2010, 06:15 PM   #5
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Re: the akitabus

Lap dogs.

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Old 05-26-2010, 07:03 PM   #6
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Re: the akitabus

Nice looking bus!!
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Old 05-26-2010, 07:28 PM   #7
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Re: the akitabus

Beautiful dogs...we only had ours for 2 1/2 years. But loved her very much. Would like to get another in the future, but will need to "shop" around more, for reputable breeders. Ours and the whole litter fell very ill after they were 2 years old. Anyways beautiful dogs, and good luck with the bus, as far as posting your pictures here this is about the best spot for it!
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:19 PM   #8
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Re: the akitabus

Update: cut and raised roof 15" was going to go 18" but really once we had it at 15" it seemed right to us so we went with it. I my be going about this a liitle different then other folks. What I did was removed the rivits from the back and the front so that these areas would just float up with the resst on the bus... my idea is then to reuse the rivuit holes both top and bottom to re-fasten sheet metal back in... I was thinking 20 gauge but the more that I worked with it the more I realized that it would never bend around the corners as I had hoped. So I went with 24 gauge pre primed and was able to get it back into place with the use of bolts clamps and elbow grease. Its not perfect but with some all metal and paint it should look ok.


Thanks for the input good and bad


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Old 06-04-2010, 02:24 PM   #9
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Re: the akitabus

Wow. Pretty cool.
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:46 PM   #10
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Re: the akitabus

Here are a couple of quick shots with the cell phone (by the way my cell has a better camera in it then 600.00 one I bought abouth 5 years ago) any way here are various shots of the sheet metal replacement.

Here is one looking at the stern of the vessel

Then a little sheetmetal.

Will try to post more as I go, Even if you don't want to see them I will post.
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Old 06-04-2010, 02:50 PM   #11
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Re: the akitabus

Quote:
Even if you don't want to see them I will post.
Yep, that's right. We don't want to see your pictures. J/K. More pics please. That looks really nice.
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Old 06-04-2010, 05:08 PM   #12
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Re: the akitabus

Inside above door header with rivits out

Above the Wheel chair door

Wire mess after some removal of redundant systems, still alot more to remove
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Old 06-04-2010, 05:44 PM   #13
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Re: the akitabus

looking nice! quite the mess of wires to! lol
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Old 06-07-2010, 01:40 PM   #14
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Re: the akitabus

Over the weekend I asked a friend to come over cause "I just wanted to ask him some questions" well 4 1/2 hours later and 8-10 feet of mig wire and we had the 20 guage sheet metal up over the window sections of the bus.Thanks Dave
All the sheet metal has gone on in roofing style start at the bottom and overlap everything shingle style. I tucked the top of the sheet metal under the rain gutter running above the old windows, lots of seal tape and caulk. Dave then butt welded the two sheets together on both sides.
Its now very dark inside the bus and I am waiting to get my RV surplus windows before I start cutting holes in the new sheet metal.
We will have 48" x 24" windows both drivers and passenger side in the front salon area, then one widow above the sink, one in the bathroom and then see how we like it, may add more as time moves forward. Here are a couple more looking both forward and aft after we got the sheet metal tacked up. May be not as it would not let post more pics.
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Old 06-07-2010, 04:34 PM   #15
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Re: the akitabus

Just love posting pics, but what we love more is your comments... so please tell us if we are doing the right things.This is loocking from front to back after sheet metal went up

Need to get the metal primed asap as this wacky weather will do it no good.

Thanks for looking.
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Old 06-07-2010, 04:42 PM   #16
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Re: the akitabus

And just because we love our dogs all most as much as our bus here are a couple of pics of them.

This is Mom teaching the children how to balance.

This is Brutus after he got tuckered out after all the balancing crap.
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Old 06-07-2010, 07:35 PM   #17
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Re: the akitabus

Quote:
Originally Posted by dogfinn

This is Brutus after he got tuckered out after all the balancing crap.
My wife says this cutie looks like a tuckered out little bear in need of a hug......... She loves the white bootie paws.
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Old 06-07-2010, 10:10 PM   #18
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Re: the akitabus

Not being up close and in person, I can't tell for sure, so I'll just ask... How are the steel pieces you scabbed in for the roof raise attached? To my eye it looks like they're bolted with one bolt at each end attached, which may be fine, but if that's the case, I'd beef it up, personally.
You guys did a great job with the window coverings- can't see a nary a wrinkle.
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Old 06-08-2010, 10:14 AM   #19
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Re: the akitabus

Bus-Ted
The tube steel that holds the roof up is indeeed bolted, one top one bottom on the majority of the mullions some have two top, two bottom and all are stiched welded on the outside. I too was worried about the structual integerity of just bolts but even before we welded and only having two bolts per mullion it was very secure. Maybe if you rolled the bus you would fing a different story but I really hope that never happens. Rained the day I brought the sheet metal home.
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Old 06-22-2010, 12:15 PM   #20
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Re: the akitabus

More Pics,
Was preparing to paint, just to stop the raw sheet metal from rusting in the soggy PNW.

Applied a coat of gray rustoleum (SP) on the bare sheet metal, used a cheap roller and still it looks pretty good for not trying.

Here is a close up of the paint.

My better half wants to have the bus painted and I know it would save alot time and of course I am not getting any younger, but I am of the thinking that if we are building the bus then lets really build it so we can say we did the whole bloody thing.

Till next time
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