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Old 05-03-2015, 12:32 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
The Golden Bus mobile studio conversion

Hi! I'm new to forums in general, but I thought I'd give it a try on behalf of my my golden bus project. After 2 years of emails and semantics I FINALLY have my gold, 1991 Thomas Transitliner here in town with me. It's 40-feet, rear engine and flat nosed. I love it. It already has a washroom installed from the previous owner and is registered as a motorhome. In order to insure it as one, I have to install some living quarters, including a sleeping area and a cooking area. I have a couple of rusty appliances ready to be installed, and am working on designs for bench/beds. I'd love suggestions and advice! My ultimate goal is an open-concept, mobile studio/art space. The back ten feet will be the dedicated living quarters, and the front thirty will be open-concept, likely having two sets of long benches that fold out to be beds, along either side. The intention is to be a mobile recording studio and performance space, but I will also partner with other projects to offer mobile film screenings, art shows, and other projects. So many ideas! I'm pretty thrilled. So far I've been cleaning it up with friends, working towards patching the rust and working on a platform over the rear wheel-well to house the fridge and stove. Still lots and lots of work to do!

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Old 05-04-2015, 08:51 AM   #2
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Welcome to Skoolies! --- Post some pix when you can.
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Old 05-04-2015, 12:47 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
Here are some photos of the exterior, where it was parked in a field, and then in its current parking lot:



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Old 05-04-2015, 12:50 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
And here are some shots of the interior (in the state I purchased it in)


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Old 05-04-2015, 02:10 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
Hope you've managed to relocate the field mice by now. Mine had a family of about six in residence when I bought it.

Worse were the mud dauber nests. I must have chiseled out 200 pounds worth of their cement from places that I would never have expected. If there are any openings on the motor, they can get in and do some real damage when you start it.

Best of luck an thanks for the pix.
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Old 05-04-2015, 02:50 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
Mice

Ha ha - year there were mouse nests for SURE - there was an insane one in a wheel well that was so cemented in there they had to pry to thing apart, and there's still remnants of one in the front heater that I haven't managed to totally clear. Quite the smell when you turn on that heater. But nothing living in there any more, and my mechanic cleared away anything of worry when he got all the mechanics running. Other than rusty, a dirty under carriage and a radiator that will eventually need re-corring it's in great shape. I love it SO much. I'll post some more interior photos soon, and some of the beginnings of reconstruction photos.
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Old 05-04-2015, 03:44 PM   #7
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
Welcome...
Am I reading that right on the rear of the bus....."Horse Rub and Tug". Kidding, couldn't resist.

You're only 20-25 min west of me....don't get my project 'til next month.
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Old 05-04-2015, 05:00 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
Equine massage

Ha - yup pretty much . One of my favourite ridiculous details. Where are you located? Exciting to find another Ontarion! Are you getting a full-sized? Did you figure out insurance?
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Old 05-04-2015, 05:38 PM   #9
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
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Originally Posted by The Golden Bus View Post
Ha - yup pretty much . One of my favourite ridiculous details. Where are you located? Exciting to find another Ontarion! Are you getting a full-sized? Did you figure out insurance?

Erin area
40 foot, dog nose....tube tent toy hauler.
Nope....
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Old 05-04-2015, 11:56 PM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
Toy hauler

Ha - I have no idea what any of the things you described about your bus mean . I do know Erin though! The school bus company I drive for is based out of there, and in fact the previous owner of my bus bought my bus from Trax, across the street from my place of work.
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Old 05-05-2015, 07:43 PM   #11
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Golden Bus View Post
Ha - I have no idea what any of the things you described about your bus mean . I do know Erin though! The school bus company I drive for is based out of there, and in fact the previous owner of my bus bought my bus from Trax, across the street from my place of work.

LOL, the bus is a 40 footer, it has a hood [dog nose] and I'm turning it into a RV toy hauler [tube tent also for ATV'S].

How long you driven for Joyce, Brian and Kyle?
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Old 05-05-2015, 10:07 PM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
I'm in my third year of school bus with Denny's I really like it - my own bus won't be for hauling very many people though, I suspect insurance won't let me carry more than eight or ten. I'll have to wait and see! And the irony is my bus has a "G" classification, so my bus license isn't even necessary and doesn't get me a discount on insurance or anything (which seems silly to me) Are you a bus driver?
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Old 05-06-2015, 01:50 PM   #13
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
An ex-trucker, off the road 16 years now with a shoulder injury. What bus number and route? Some of my buddies kids are in the local schools. I'll keep my eyes open for ya.

Hydraulic brakes? ....No "Z" needed on your bus.
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Old 05-07-2015, 10:07 AM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Guelph ON
Posts: 12
Year: 1991
Chassis: "Transitliner" (Thomas Built Bus)
Engine: CAT
Rated Cap: 48
Hey - yes it does have air brakes, so that's something my license helps with. Still crazy to me though that people with no bus or truck experience can hop in an RV and drive around and insurance doesn't mind - crazy!! I'm route 317, to Guelph from Eden Mills and Rockwood and the east end of Guelph
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Old 05-07-2015, 11:25 AM   #15
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: EHT New Jersey
Posts: 1,134
Year: 2003
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: International 3000RE
Engine: T444E/AT545
Rated Cap: 75
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Golden Bus View Post
Still crazy to me though that people with no bus or truck experience can hop in an RV and drive around and insurance doesn't mind - crazy!!
Agreed, its a definite pet peeve. I may not have a CDL, but I was qualified on on tractors, 2.5 and 5 ton cargo trucks (I probably could have gotten by with my license with 7.5 and 10t trucks also), and buses in the National Guard. Along with MRAPs, Humvees, bucket loaders, and forklifts.

Hell, when I called NJ MVC about an air endorsement for a "Class A RV" with air, they were like "No, you don't need one".
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