Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 06-02-2014, 12:52 PM   #741
Bus Crazy
 
Diesel Dan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,489
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/AT545
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Your bus is really starting to take shape now - looks great!

__________________
Gallery:
https://www.skoolie.net/gallery/v/Skooli ... l_dan_bus/
Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?t=4959
Diesel Dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2014, 01:21 PM   #742
Bus Nut
 
M1031's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 471
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: Ford B600
Engine: 6.6L Turbo Diesel
Rated Cap: 26
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

WOW WM,

I'm VERY impressed!!! I doubt I'll do a roof raise on my pusher after I buy her, but I'm taking notes on both your build and 'chops.... That really is looking AWESOME!!!!!!
__________________
We few, we Band of Brothers. For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
- William Shakespeare ("King Henry V")
M1031 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2014, 07:44 PM   #743
Bus Geek
 
Tango's Avatar
 
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
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

That is one sweet Buffalo you have going there! Great job, keep it up.
Tango is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2014, 08:56 PM   #744
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Thanks everyone, it is nice to finally get things done on the inside.

Tonight I finished up the lights in the bedroom area. To hold the wires until I got the plywood up I made staples out of used 12 GA wire.



Marked where the lights will go.



Measured and ran the wires.



I also cut a hole where I marked and pushed the wires up and stapled them there. The measured the location of the holes and marked the plywood. I cut a 3" hole in the plywood and they all lined up.



All the big pieces are up. All that is left in the 8" trim piece at the floor and around the back engine bay area. But since I ran out of money, that will have to wait awhile.

I do have Bus-Kote I can paint on the roof, a radio to install and the side view cameras for my backup system to install. So I have things to do until money magically appears.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-02-2014, 09:36 PM   #745
Bus Nut
 
M1031's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 471
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Ward
Chassis: Ford B600
Engine: 6.6L Turbo Diesel
Rated Cap: 26
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

That must really hold in the heat or A/C and keep out the outside sounds fairly well! I'm inspired!
__________________
We few, we Band of Brothers. For he who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
- William Shakespeare ("King Henry V")
M1031 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2014, 07:56 PM   #746
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

No one is following my build any more, woe is me. All these new build to follow and us old timers are history.

I started to install my radio. I miss having music when I drive.

Mounted the antennas first.



A new FM antenna because the old one was broke, and the satellite antenna. It is the small black thing behind the big white thing.

Then I ran all the wiring to the dash first. I'm pulling power from my house battery so I can use it when parked.



I almost forgot the microphone for the bluetooth.



Now everything is soldered to the wiring harness.



I cut out where the gauge blanks were and mounted the radio in the side dash.



I know, very dirty and needs to be cleaned. The override button below the radio is re- purposed as the on-off switch. Now I need to figure out how to install my speakers above the window.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2014, 08:14 PM   #747
Bus Crazy
 
Scooternj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: EHT New Jersey
Posts: 1,134
Year: 2003
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: International 3000RE
Engine: T444E/AT545
Rated Cap: 75
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmkbailey
I started to install my radio. I miss having music when I drive.
Same here. I drove back from Maine listening to my iPod with earbuds, my standard "God, how the hell can I drive without music" solution from my Guard days.

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmkbailey
A new FM antenna because the old one was broke, and the satellite antenna. It is the small black thing behind the big white thing.
Very technical...like how I explained the antenna systems on the Humvees in my last unit, an Air Guard tactical air/ground support squadron. "The really tall one is your HF. Don't break it, I can't get parts for it. The two medium tall ones are your AM/FM tac air and ground radios. You can break them, because I can get spares for it. The egg beater is your SATCOM. If you break that one, you've also snapped off the other three, and we're going to have a talk with the Ops officer."
__________________
Hey! That's not an RV, that's a school bus.
Well thank you for noticing, Captain Obvious

Captain Obvious on deviantArt
Scooternj is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2014, 09:05 PM   #748
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Thanks, I feeling the love.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2014, 09:07 PM   #749
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooternj
Very technical...like how I explained the antenna systems on the Humvees in my last unit, an Air Guard tactical air/ground support squadron. "The really tall one is your HF. Don't break it, I can't get parts for it. The two medium tall ones are your AM/FM tac air and ground radios. You can break them, because I can get spares for it. The egg beater is your SATCOM. If you break that one, you've also snapped off the other three, and we're going to have a talk with the Ops officer."
I understand, I was in the Navy and you have to talk to the level of you audience.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2014, 11:51 PM   #750
Bus Nut
 
gmarvel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Danville, California
Posts: 345
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Supercoach
Engine: DD6-71T
Rated Cap: 78
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

I also check every day. Your build is one of the really interesting ones. I don't miss a single post.
__________________
______________________
Greg and Donna Marvel

Danville, California
https://www.transtraks.com
gmarvel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-07-2014, 12:36 AM   #751
Skoolie
 
serpent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Black Rock City
Posts: 113
Year: 198x
Coachwork: Crown & MCI
Chassis: 40ft Tandem/40ft MC-9 Tag
Engine: Cummins 855 BCT/6V92TA, RTO-910/HT-740
Rated Cap: 47,000lb/38,000lb GVWR
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Nice work!
serpent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 08:50 AM   #752
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Sorry I don't have photos to post with this. I will get some tonight.

I spent the weekend getting the Bus-Kote on. Saturday morning was spent washing the roof to prepare for the primmer coat. As I was backing the bus around to wash the other side, smoke started to roll out of my dash board. When I turned off the bus the smoke stopped. Lucky for me I was lazy and only put back four of the screws holding the cowling around the dash.

I turned the key back on and heavy smoke started to roll again. There are two control circuits mounted on the steel self the windows sit on behind my dash. The right one was smoking. As I wrote down the wiring to disconnect it I noticed two of the wire where labeled Delay. Hope it was nothing critical; I started the bus back up and it was the passenger side wiper circuit.

The primer coat was like thin glue, very sticky. By the end of the day I only got one coat on. The directions say it is best to let the first dry over night before applying the second. Then Sunday I got two more coats applied for a total of three. Times like this I wish I had a shorter bus. Four coats times 34 ft. All the time spent on a ladder to get the side roof down to the gutter. I was tired when I finished.

I do have photos of my temperature testing. Thursday afternoon it was 87 outside and full sunlight. The exposed steel was 109.9 and you could feel the heat coming off it. Sunday at almost the same time and temp of 87 and full sunlight. The exposed steel felt cool. The temp… 90.6 Almost a twenty degree drop.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 09:03 AM   #753
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,791
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

I can't remember.. Was that bus kote WITH insulating beads, or without?
__________________
My build page: Armageddon - The Smell of Airborne Rust
jazty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 09:06 AM   #754
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Quote:
Originally Posted by jazty
I can't remember.. Was that bus kote WITH insulating beads, or without?
With
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 04:08 PM   #755
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Here is the proof.

Before Bus-Kote



Same spot same temp and weather three days later, after Bus-Kote.



Today it is in the 90's, bus shut up all day. The inside is same as if you where in the shade. Steel still feels cool to the touch. I'm sold.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 04:14 PM   #756
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Since I'm painting to the gutter, I only had to tape off the front and back.





Here is how it turned out. I like the look.





This is the control board for my passenger side wiper that smoked.



I need to pull it off and see if I can get a part number to order new.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 05:33 PM   #757
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Maryland / Boulder
Posts: 347
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP ER
Engine: CAT 3126b Rotella-Chugger
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Nice stuff with the bus cote.

I think I remember windshield wiper motors being an issue on these but I thought it was the motor itself not the switch. But I could definitely see that turning into a fire if, say, you are driving with the windows open with 65 kids in the back and don't smell / see the smoke. I'll be sure to keep an eye out on mine.
porkchopsandwiches is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2014, 07:22 PM   #758
Bus Crazy
 
Stu & Filo. T's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Vacaville, Ca
Posts: 1,634
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Crown / Pusher
Engine: 8.3 Cummins
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

I've been going thru the Hytech website,I see they recommend covering with a clear coat but what about covering with a different color?
Stu & Filo. T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2014, 09:03 PM   #759
Skoolie
 
kenny76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Savannah Ga
Posts: 120
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

I would think that coating it with another color would reduce the reflective properties of the white paint and maybe even the insulating beads.

How much paint did it take to get the paint work done with the 3 coats on your bus. I ask because I am considering buying the beads and adding them to elastomeric paint I can buy locally and not pay to ship.
__________________
Not all those who wander are lost.
kenny76 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2014, 07:51 AM   #760
Bus Nut
 
wmkbailey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: West Lafayette, IN
Posts: 832
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 72
Re: The Journey Visvi 1999 Thomas MVP ER

Quote:
Originally Posted by kenny76
I would think that coating it with another color would reduce the reflective properties of the white paint and maybe even the insulating beads.

How much paint did it take to get the paint work done with the 3 coats on your bus. I ask because I am considering buying the beads and adding them to elastomeric paint I can buy locally and not pay to ship.
This paint is made to relfect the sunlight and UV rays so good I had to wear sunglasses. Unless you find a paint that relects UV rays as well, I would stick with it.

Three coates used a little more than half my 5 gal can. I would say I used about 3 gals. Same with the primer I used almost the whole gal for the roof. So 1 gal per coat using a roller.
__________________
William

visvi Cherokee for Journey, Sounds Like Oeesha

https://thejourneyvisvi.com/

My Conversion Thread:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=464989
wmkbailey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Smells Like Teen Spirit: Conversion of 1999 Thomas MVP porkchopsandwiches Skoolie Conversion Projects 451 11-16-2021 07:31 PM
Our Skoolie Journey Ponyracer Skoolie Conversion Projects 60 03-19-2017 10:55 AM
Starting My Conversion Journey Mark Antony Wray Conversion General Discussions 26 10-28-2014 10:41 PM
The Skoolie Journey usafny Short-Bus Conversion Projects 15 04-05-2010 10:37 PM
Advice for my journey??? cobaltcry Alternative Fuels | Electric, Propane, Wood & Biofuels 0 10-20-2008 06:49 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:07 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.