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Old 08-17-2014, 08:14 AM   #1
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Year: 1997
Chassis: International Amtram Genesis
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TRusty Bucket .. since the thread is not going away lol

1997 International Amtram Genesis, 77 passenger, belly storage both sides, DT466E, Allison 4 speed
Attached Thumbnails
2014-08-22 15.01.55.jpg   2014-08-22 16.06.20.jpg  

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Old 08-17-2014, 08:21 AM   #2
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TRusty Bucket .. since the thread is not going away lol

First quick coat of paint just to get er legal and evidently piss off the HOA
Attached Thumbnails
2014-08-24 11.28.48.jpg   2014-10-04 11.05.04.jpg  
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Old 08-17-2014, 08:57 AM   #3
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Welcome! Looks like you really dive in both feet first!
If I could suggest something-I wouldn't buy too much stuff until you need it. With the suggestions you'll get from this site, you find out things that work better-cheaper-where to find used-etc. If you have no tools to get the job started, your are going to be making a few trips to Home Depot for cut off saws-grinders-sanders-etc.
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Old 08-17-2014, 09:17 AM   #4
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Our last dog would just head to the back of the Class C and crawl into bed to sleep (and squabble with her cat). She was a couch 'tater. Make sure you allow your dog access to the bus interior while it is under construction. That way it's not all "new and scary". When we were working on the Eagle, our dog and cat would stroll into the bus and just sit in it, even if no one was in the bus. Waiting to go places I guess as both were traveling from an early age.

BTW, microchip your dog and put a tag on the collar with an email address plus cellphone number. Micro chip is for the animal control/shelter and the tag is for individual who finds your pet. train your dog to a harness and use the leash on the harness not the collar. More control that way and it's hard to slip a harness (though not impossible).

I understand about the "generator costs more than the bus". We paid $1400 for our bus shell. I refuse to pay more than what the bus shell cost for anything that goes in the bus. It's why I chose the "noisy open frame contractor type" generator I chose (not yet bought and installed). The price of an LP generator is a bit much considering we would rarely use a generator in the first place (and why we want LP). We will install a Predator gas genny (sized to run at 50% load) with an LP conversion kit on it (we will be carrying about 100LBs LP). I have designed a soundproof box that it will go into plus add a permanent mounted homemade genturi. This genny will be used mostly in parking lots and while traveling down the road. We had a POS Onan Microlite 2.5KW (gas) in the Class C. Had nothing but problems with it and it wasn't what I would call "quiet".

Genny I have bookmarked to buy is $600. Gas to LP conversion kit $200 Ballpark estimate, not including shipping is $800 to convert. $3 for a 1 lb box of roofing nails in case any fine upstanding RVers decides my generator is too loud. That suits my pocketbook.
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Old 08-17-2014, 09:36 AM   #5
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdwarf36
Welcome! Looks like you really dive in both feet first!
If I could suggest something-I wouldn't buy too much stuff until you need it. With the suggestions you'll get from this site, you find out things that work better-cheaper-where to find used-etc. If you have no tools to get the job started, your are going to be making a few trips to Home Depot for cut off saws-grinders-sanders-etc.
I've been lurking here and on other sites for a few months.. I'm making my purchase decisions carefully. I need to have the 4/6 items to title it as an RV from the start so the surge in purchases was to ensure I have invoices for those items for the DMV. Knowing what the DMV expects was knowledge gained by reading posts here months ago =)

I chose my bus carefully.. under belly storage was an absolute because I don't weld, I would have liked to have gotten a 14 row but 13 will do.. thanks!
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Old 08-17-2014, 09:37 AM   #6
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by lornaschinske
BTW, microchip your dog and put a tag on the collar with an email address plus cellphone number. Micro chip is for the animal control/shelter and the tag is for individual who finds your pet. train your dog to a harness and use the leash on the harness not the collar. More control that way and it's hard to slip a harness (though not impossible).
Yea, he's micro chipped and all tagged up .. I can't hold him if he's on a harness, he's way too strong, I use a choke collar. When I got him I knew he was gonna be big and needed to have him under control so I hired someone to come help me learn how to communicate with him.. the trainer said a harness will make him feel like he's the boss, the physical stance he gets when pulling is like puffing his chest out. Being the dominant member of the pack is essential.. so I won't be going harness, he's very good on the choke collar =)

My brother use to build and wire 747s, he thinks he can build me a suitable generator from a riding lawn mower motor while he's here.. so yea, I'll let ya'll know how that goes =)
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Old 08-17-2014, 10:26 AM   #7
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Another Skoolie Welcome (from Texas BTW) --- Sounds like you have a solid unit and a pretty good plan. Just take your time and don't hesitate to ask questions. There is more real world experience here than anywhere else on the planet. Just do it your way and have fun.
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Old 08-17-2014, 02:06 PM   #8
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

It looks like you have a solid foundation to start the next phase in your life. Smart idea to save your money and double up on your 401K. So many Americans are really not prepared for retirement and will be shocked when the time actually comes and they realize how little they have to live on. Your aggressive move to get adequately prepared for retirement by using a skoolie to cut your housing costs is a great idea.

We love pictures on this site and the more the better. Also, we all have ideas about what you should or should not do. Sometimes our ideas are conflicting. What is important is that you do your conversion the way you want to, using all of our ideas as a foundation of options, but not "the only way". The beauty of this site is that all of us are developing our skoolies our way. You can too. Enjoy the process and good luck as you prepare for retirement down the road.
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Old 08-17-2014, 03:24 PM   #9
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

welcome....and no one has said it yet????????????
.
.
.
.
you got a frikin' detroit locker!!!! I want one or any locker , I hate to spin only one tire in the grass.....by the way you suck
.
j/k!
.
.
.
and welcome again...cant wait to see this and....your brother is crazy for using vacation time to "convert a bus" make sure to give him a big skoolie welcome

.
.
.good luck and cheers
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Old 08-17-2014, 11:15 PM   #10
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Newbie to the forum and the first posts are pictures. YUP! I LIKE YOU!

Your fuzzy is cute. I wanna love on him. Gonzo is a GREAT name.

I like your floorplan, too! Nice big bathroom. What colour are ya paintin' your new home?
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:29 AM   #11
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Bansil, Thanks for the AWESOME welcome.. everybody else too!

The very FIRST thing I am doing is painting to get legal .. gotta be legal lol. I am leaving all the black bits black and painting the yellow bits white. Eventually I'd like to make a black stripe that will graduate from top to bottom covering the windows that I am blocking ending with covering the two bottom windows of the doors. I saw something similar on another skoolie and liked the idea.

I really can't take credit for Gonzo's name.. I swear he picked it himself. When I got him on the way home I kept thinking what will I name you ..? When I would talk to him Gonzo just came out .. I have no idea why.. eventually I just said FINE, you want to be called Gonzo so Gonzo it is ..kinda magical IMO.

Got another delivery yesterday.. can't wait til Friday when I go pick it up.. here's the pic of latest deliveries!
Attached Thumbnails
2014-08-18 20.08.55.jpg   2014-08-17 16.55.43.jpg  
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:37 AM   #12
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by bansil
and welcome again...cant wait to see this and....your brother is crazy for using vacation time to "convert a bus" make sure to give him a big skoolie welcome
My brother bought a bus many years ago to convert to a camper, he's part of where I got the idea. He's retired so not using vacation.. that means I get him helping me for a LONNNNGGGGG time =)
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Old 08-19-2014, 06:48 PM   #13
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by missingTexas
My brother bought a bus many years ago to convert to a camper, he's part of where I got the idea.
*GASSSSSP!* I KNEW THE 'BUS BUG' RAN IN FAMILIES! I AIN'T THE WEIRDO IN THIS LOT!





ETA: Derped on the quoting, sorry!
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:35 PM   #14
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

I would REALLY like to meet your facebook friend that was able to come up with all that information on your bus !!!!
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:44 PM   #15
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by newbusser
I would REALLY like to meet your facebook friend that was able to come up with all that information on your bus !!!!
I won't share his name I'll just say he offered from one of the conversion groups I joined over there... In the end the school I bought the bus from provided me with all he'd given me ...and much more!!
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Old 08-19-2014, 08:47 PM   #16
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

What you'll REALLY want to see is the badass generator he's going to build me out of riding lawn mower parts lol
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Old 08-20-2014, 06:28 PM   #17
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

how about a hook up with the name of the conversion group? I will go check it out in person.
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Old 08-25-2014, 06:58 AM   #18
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

So, Drove 400 miles and picked up the bus Friday, got it home at around 10PM. Saturday it rained so painting was cancelled. Here are the pics of the trip and our progress so far..
Attached Thumbnails
2014-08-22 15.01.55.jpg   2014-08-22 16.06.20.jpg   2014-08-22 16.20.14.jpg  
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Old 08-25-2014, 08:15 AM   #19
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Sorry Was interrupted before I could finish the post lol, here are some more pictures of progress. I thought I had posted them all .. there are 10, but after the last one realized on the last 7 I was getting too many pictures errors.. so have to start again..
Attached Thumbnails
2014-08-22 17.13.28.jpg   2014-08-24 11.28.48.jpg   2014-08-24 15.59.41.jpg  
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Old 08-25-2014, 08:17 AM   #20
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Re: Slice Of Life -- OMG, what have I started

Quote:
Originally Posted by newbusser
how about a hook up with the name of the conversion group? I will go check it out in person.
Rising lotus .. it wasn't the owner of rising lotus.. just a member.
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