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Old 07-14-2015, 07:36 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 25
Hello from Texas

Hello everybody. don't have a bus yet but I'm will with in 2 months and was wondering what to look for. I have a back ground in the diesel industry so I'm leaning towards a 5.9 Cummins just not sure what trans to look for. It will be moble for about 6 months a year as a home for my fiance and i.

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Old 07-14-2015, 09:44 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
A big Skoolie Howdy! --- always good to see another Texan on board (what part of the state?). As you no doubt know, it's hard to beat a Cummins (especially an all mechanical) and there are a number of tranny options. Allisons do have the advantage of bolting up directly to the SAE 3 arrangement Cummins all have. Most others require an adapter of some sort. I went with a new from the factory 6-speed with double overdrive but there are plenty of 5 speeds out there that will work ..and..can be re-programmed as 6 speeds. The big advantage of the 5th gen Allisons is that all they require to talk to a mechanical motor is a simple TPS (throttle position sensor). It is more complicated with the older units and you have to find a tech who will agree to do it. Many won't without a letter from Allison authorizing it due to the speed rating on school bus tires. Weird, but true.

Best of luck and do post some pix as soon as you can.
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Old 07-14-2015, 11:00 AM   #3
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Tomball, TX
Posts: 313
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9TA
I like my cummins. My AT545 doesnt bother me. How many miles per year? what type of terrian? what are you planning on doing with it?

Lots of texans/houstonians on here.
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Old 07-14-2015, 12:12 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
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home base is north of Houston. Ill be running between here Dallas and Austin. Im going to go look at a 1997 model with a 5.9 in it this weekend.
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Old 07-14-2015, 12:54 PM   #5
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Tomball, TX
Posts: 313
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9TA
We're probably not that far away. Especially after the grand parkway is done this winter.

which reminds me, I'm gonna need an EZ tag on my bus.
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Old 07-14-2015, 01:48 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by austin1989us View Post
which reminds me, I'm gonna need an EZ tag on my bus.
It's a shame that they can't interlink all the toll transponder systems together- EZPass, Tx-Tag, K-Tag, Sunpass, etc.- especially for long haul truckers and RV'ers so they don't have to have a windshield full transponders
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Old 07-14-2015, 02:22 PM   #7
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Tomball, TX
Posts: 313
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9TA
All of the tags in texas are compatible. A friend of mine has been driving through texas quite a bit and decided to go with the tx tag.
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Old 07-14-2015, 02:52 PM   #8
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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
We may have enough Skoolies in the Houston area to justify a gathering somewhere to swap war stories over something cool. I'm near downtown Houston and know a few good hangouts if anyone is interested. As near as I can tell, I'm kind'a centrally located.
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Old 07-14-2015, 06:05 PM   #9
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Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
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Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
I'm in Katy, not far away....
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Old 07-14-2015, 07:02 PM   #10
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Im up in Cleveland.
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Old 07-14-2015, 09:08 PM   #11
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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
Anybody else in the "Greater Houston Area" (that's just about anyone within 180 miles in any direction these days).
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Old 07-14-2015, 09:36 PM   #12
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
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Year: 1989
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Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
I used to live in Liberty, so I know the area....
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Old 07-14-2015, 10:04 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
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I would like to see some pucs of yalls busses if they are handy.
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Old 07-14-2015, 11:17 PM   #14
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
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Year: 1989
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Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
Look at my thread then! "Heavy Fuel" in Bus Conversions.....
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Old 07-15-2015, 01:27 AM   #15
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Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
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Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Yup, the build thread section is where the pics are at.

Nat
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Old 07-15-2015, 07:27 AM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
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I would also like to know how to regester a bus for non commerical use
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Old 07-15-2015, 07:38 AM   #17
Bus Nut
 
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Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Tomball, TX
Posts: 313
Year: 1988
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9TA
Talked to the ladies at the tomball tax office. they said they'd do it and not require any pictures or anything, but thought it was an exciting project and now they want to see pictures. If it's already registered in texas with commercial plates, you can just do the paperwork for a corrected title to change the title to reconstructed motorhome. You'll need a weight certificate. I brought my bus in from out of state, so I had to get the title switched over to texas first (as a bus) then I can do the paperwork for a corrected title to make it a motor home.
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Old 07-15-2015, 08:56 AM   #18
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
My last conversion was a 40' BBAA and all they needed to see was a weight ticket. Texas keeps it pretty simple.
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Old 07-15-2015, 08:33 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
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BBAA? Tango do you have build thred on your bus
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Old 07-15-2015, 09:37 PM   #20
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Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
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Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
He does indeed
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