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Old 07-06-2019, 01:50 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Currently in NH
Posts: 11
Hello from New Hampshire!

Hello all!

Glad to be back. I was an active member a few years back, with a 1989 International chassis Thomas body Navistar DT466 engine. 35'. Well, that bus (QT-X) is now in MT, and I am back in my home state of New Hampshire about to begin my next bus project. I am about to inherit a bus with a known issue, and I want to call upon you all to assist me in this process!

I am going to stop by the rig today for more details about the bus itself, so I will plan to populate the profile with more details later.

What I do know:
- Newer than 1989 (haha!) I think it is a 2005 or newer
- Shorter bus! (not sure yet if 4 or 5 window - more later)
- Diesel for sure. I think it has a cummins engine. Again - later.
- International chassis, I think?
- My step dad bought this bus for $3500 around the time I purchased the model I mentioned above, so about 3-4 years ago. He didn't have the time, resources, knowledge, or patience to work on it. . .he just slapped a couple dead stickers on it and drove his buddies around a couple times. Haha!

Where he was stuck, and why the bus was retired from a (somewhere in New York state, I believe) school district fleet so early, was that there is a short circuit that is believed to be tied to the stop sign. I will need to get new battery(ies) to start tinkering. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

The plan for this bus, is to be my home and storage for ecological education supplies for an upcoming teaching tour I am planning for the near(ish) future. I'm sure I will share many more details about this project as time goes on, but feel free to reach out sooner if you want more info.

The reason I am typing up my intro post so prematurely (without many details about the actual bus. . . is it even real!), is because I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, and because I feel I have more resources than I did the first time around, I want to test the waters to see if anyone in or around NH would be willing to spend the day, or a few hours, tinkering with me to assess the severity of the short-circuit issue, and to help me come up with a game plan to settle or bypass the issue before I start ripping out seats, floor, etc. I am willing to pay or trade, absolutely!

Anyways, hello!

Stephanie

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Old 07-06-2019, 03:12 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: E Central Tejas
Posts: 2,094
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: IH 3800, 8 window
Engine: T444E w/ Spicer 5-speed MT
Rated Cap: I prefer broad-brims hats
Welcome to the booby hatch! Well, welcome back!
Going on 2 years since I left NH, so can't help there... Literally.
That it is a post-emissions bus gives me pause. In 2004, the EPA mandated diesel controls that; break easily, are a booger to work on, and're very expensive to repair. It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that system is tied in with the SNAFU.
Is there any way to have a battery charger hooked up to it? They may be dead, but there could be sufficient life left to be of some use.
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Old 07-06-2019, 03:16 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
Wish I could help, but current medical conditions preclude my ability to help at this point in time.
There are several others from NH on here, and hopefully one or more can come to your aid.

Parasitic electrical draws can be extremely frustrating and with the seeming miles of wiring runs in a bus, they can add to the fun of locating the source of the problem.

Did your stepdad register it as an RV? If so, maybe you can freshen up the battery(ies), and vehicle registration, and take it to an RV repair shop locally to troubleshoot?
(if nobody can help you in person)
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Old 07-06-2019, 04:14 PM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Ashtabula, Ohio
Posts: 1,494
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E 7.3L
Once you give us more info on the year, make, engine, etc we can be of more help. Good luck!
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Old 07-06-2019, 07:33 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Currently in NH
Posts: 11
Bummah!

I did find more info out. 2007, yikes. More rust than I would like to see for the age. I’m going to fill out more info in my profile, and post photos. I’m going to cal upon y’all to help me make the decision of whether to move forward with this bus (which I’ve inherited at no cost as of yet), or invest in a more promising one. . .
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Old 07-06-2019, 07:40 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plant Resilience View Post
Bummah!

I did find more info out. 2007, yikes. More rust than I would like to see for the age. I’m going to fill out more info in my profile, and post photos. I’m going to cal upon y’all to help me make the decision of whether to move forward with this bus (which I’ve inherited at no cost as of yet), or invest in a more promising one. . .
If it were me, I would try and sell that bus and get a better start. Being from NH, the rust you see is minor compared to what is hidden under the floor. The 07 year model puts it in the EPA era of expensive and hard to diagnose emission issues.
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Old 07-06-2019, 07:51 PM   #7
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
Can you post pics of the rust?
As we all know, unfortunately NH is firmly in the nation's infamous "Rust Belt"!

Depending on the actual severity of said rust will go a long way in deciding whether to continue onward with this particular bus. IF the frame and supporting body underpinnings are solid enough, it might make sense to repair it.
On the other hand, if the body is falling off the frame it would be too much money and effort to try and save it.

Having possession of it at no monetary cost to you is a bonus so even if you pay $2~3K in rust abatement work to get a solid platform to build from, you will still be ahead of the game!

You might need to post up a few more times to be able to post pics?
Good luck, and you'll get your desired feedback after we can "see" what you have...
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:11 PM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: E Central Tejas
Posts: 2,094
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: IH 3800, 8 window
Engine: T444E w/ Spicer 5-speed MT
Rated Cap: I prefer broad-brims hats
After you post 3 more times, you should ought be able to upload your fotos. If you try before achieving that mystical number, your post may be delayed awaiting moderator approval.
Clarification: The bus originated where in NY..? City, school district if known. (Like, did step-dad remove the side lettering between the torpedo belts, or just paint over it?)
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:39 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Currently in NH
Posts: 11
Engine

Alright y’all. No rust pictures just yet. My last Skoolie was from Colorado and lacked the rust factor, and I grew up in NH where rust is often the demise of our 4+ wheeled friends, so i get that predicament. We call anything beyond surface rust cancer up here.
Attached Thumbnails
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Old 07-06-2019, 08:59 PM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
So far so good. No cancer showing on its right side!
It would be much better if it was 03 or older, vs it being an 05 though.
It appears to be a Vista model, which is the no frills bus. Nothing wrong with that, but not much grunt power under the hood...
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Old 07-07-2019, 10:59 AM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
HazMatt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: E Central Tejas
Posts: 2,094
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: IH 3800, 8 window
Engine: T444E w/ Spicer 5-speed MT
Rated Cap: I prefer broad-brims hats
^
I can attest to the lamentable lack of gruntage, since I have the 175 HP variant, too.
Tho in an 8-window.
Your gruntage may vary...
(It originated just W of Utica,NY, fyi)
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Old 07-07-2019, 11:08 AM   #12
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by peteg59 View Post
So far so good. No cancer showing on its right side!
It would be much better if it was 03 or older, vs it being an 05 though.
It appears to be a Vista model, which is the no frills bus. Nothing wrong with that, but not much grunt power under the hood...
Its not a vista.
Its a lowrider on small tires though.
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Old 07-07-2019, 11:22 AM   #13
Bus Crazy
 
HazMatt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: E Central Tejas
Posts: 2,094
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: IH 3800, 8 window
Engine: T444E w/ Spicer 5-speed MT
Rated Cap: I prefer broad-brims hats
It's a lowrider?
That might work, being next door to The Green Mountain State, Vermont.
Which is especially green, nowadays...
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Its not a vista.
Its a lowrider on small tires though.
I'd be amazed if this classic wasn't in your library...
https://youtu.be/Alyx4QeRRdg
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Old 07-07-2019, 09:32 PM   #14
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plant Resilience View Post
Hello all!

Glad to be back. I was an active member a few years back, with a 1989 International chassis Thomas body Navistar DT466 engine. 35'. Well, that bus (QT-X) is now in MT, and I am back in my home state of New Hampshire about to begin my next bus project. I am about to inherit a bus with a known issue, and I want to call upon you all to assist me in this process!

I am going to stop by the rig today for more details about the bus itself, so I will plan to populate the profile with more details later.

What I do know:
- Newer than 1989 (haha!) I think it is a 2005 or newer
- Shorter bus! (not sure yet if 4 or 5 window - more later)
- Diesel for sure. I think it has a cummins engine. Again - later.
- International chassis, I think?
- My step dad bought this bus for $3500 around the time I purchased the model I mentioned above, so about 3-4 years ago. He didn't have the time, resources, knowledge, or patience to work on it. . .he just slapped a couple dead stickers on it and drove his buddies around a couple times. Haha!

Where he was stuck, and why the bus was retired from a (somewhere in New York state, I believe) school district fleet so early, was that there is a short circuit that is believed to be tied to the stop sign. I will need to get new battery(ies) to start tinkering. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

The plan for this bus, is to be my home and storage for ecological education supplies for an upcoming teaching tour I am planning for the near(ish) future. I'm sure I will share many more details about this project as time goes on, but feel free to reach out sooner if you want more info.

The reason I am typing up my intro post so prematurely (without many details about the actual bus. . . is it even real!), is because I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, and because I feel I have more resources than I did the first time around, I want to test the waters to see if anyone in or around NH would be willing to spend the day, or a few hours, tinkering with me to assess the severity of the short-circuit issue, and to help me come up with a game plan to settle or bypass the issue before I start ripping out seats, floor, etc. I am willing to pay or trade, absolutely!

Anyways, hello!

Stephanie
Hey! I'm Dan Fox, and I live in Keene. I don't have a bus, but I'm smart and have worked on cars all my life. Happy to lend a hand if needed. PM me and I'll send contact info.
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Old 07-11-2019, 11:16 AM   #15
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Claremont, NH
Posts: 480
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DT466E (195hp, 520tq)
What part of NH are you in?
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