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Old 11-09-2018, 12:08 AM   #1
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Engine: 3800 DT 466E
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New user! 1998 International 3800 DT 466E

Hey everyone!

My wife and I just bought this bus with 170k miles. We will not start converting until April, but the bus will sit on land in Colorado until then. Looking to live in full time with 2 cats. Very exited to get started and rolling around.

We're looking to be completely off-grid when necessary with tanks and solar. Composting toilet. Leaving all stock windows in. Roof rack with deck. Large bathroom area, master, and kitchen as our main areas.

Does anyone have suggestions on what we can get completed in our spare time between now and April? Planning or purchasing wise? Does anyone else have experience with this engine in cold weather? Or this make/model? Suggestions, tips, concerns, and helpful hints are all appreciated.

Cheers!

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Old 11-09-2018, 06:13 AM   #2
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Engine: DT466E (195hp, 520tq)
Welcome! We just purchased a similar setup but are planning to work through the winter with the conversion. The DT466 is a robust engine. Does yours have a block heater? That will certainly help in the winter.
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Old 11-09-2018, 06:21 AM   #3
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That is a decent setup! I bought mine right before winter and did the conversion through the winter months.
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Old 11-09-2018, 06:22 AM   #4
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2001 INT dt466

I have just completed my Int skoolie. If you need any help along the way just holler! You will find that you will build everything more than once so any advise you can get from someone who has completed it already will sure save you time and money.

Scott
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Old 11-09-2018, 06:35 AM   #5
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Just make SURE and keep the coolant 100% perfect and it should live a good long life.
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:33 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ermracing View Post
Welcome! We just purchased a similar setup but are planning to work through the winter with the conversion. The DT466 is a robust engine. Does yours have a block heater? That will certainly help in the winter.
Yes it does have a block heater. Are you plugging yours in during extremely cold temps? Starting it every couple of weeks? Looking forward to following along with your journey.
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:35 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet View Post
That is a decent setup! I bought mine right before winter and did the conversion through the winter months.
Nice conversion Johnny!
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:38 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Just make SURE and keep the coolant 100% perfect and it should live a good long life.
EastCoastCB- Is there anything else involved in keeping the coolant level correct in terms of what you're talking about keeping the coolant perfect?
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:40 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ciscokid View Post
I have just completed my Int skoolie. If you need any help along the way just holler! You will find that you will build everything more than once so any advise you can get from someone who has completed it already will sure save you time and money.

Scott
Thanks Ciscokid! Definitely will reach out. Do you have any videos or step by step process that you've documented in which we can study? Saving time and money is music to my ears.
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:46 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dognose View Post
Yes it does have a block heater. Are you plugging yours in during extremely cold temps? Starting it every couple of weeks? Looking forward to following along with your journey.
It hasn't been cold enough for the block heater yet (20's or so for the lows so far). Figure when it gets down to the single digits or lower we'll start using it. It doesn't have be plugged in all the time. Maybe a few hours before starting it. Based on other people's comments about starting it every few weeks, we will probably only start it if we plan to drive it.

Dave
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Old 11-09-2018, 08:52 AM   #11
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It's absolutely possible to convert during the winter, if that's your concern. The sun, due to greenhouse effect, warmed our bus by about 25 degrees above the outside air temp. We had some assist from our woodstove and our Mr. Heater propane heater.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Dognose View Post
Does anyone have suggestions on what we can get completed in our spare time between now and April? Planning or purchasing wise?
We had mixed results as far as purchasing items in advance. We bought some cabinet hardware we thought we could use, and it ended up not working for us. We also bought an RV bathtub that we thought would be perfect for out build...but ended up being just a little too big....and we had to sell on Craigslist (surprisingly we were able to sell it at all). There were a few other things that we purchased in advance but ended up not using. Our compositing toilet was one exception.

My advice is to buy things as you build. Our floor plan changed as our build progressed. Not drastically, but enough that it would screw things up if we had bought everything in advance. The realities of the physical space of the bus sort of made us adjust on the fly. It was a mixed blessing too, as it was very fun and very rewarding to discover what our bus had been planning for us!
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Old 11-09-2018, 11:55 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Dognose View Post
EastCoastCB- Is there anything else involved in keeping the coolant level correct in terms of what you're talking about keeping the coolant perfect?
Keep test strips and make sure the additive and ph are perfect.
My 2004's coolant ate the metal away at the block/timing cover junction. $9300 was the quote from the navistar shop.
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Old 11-09-2018, 12:22 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
Keep test strips and make sure the additive and ph are perfect.
My 2004's coolant ate the metal away at the block/timing cover junction. $9300 was the quote from the navistar shop.
About those test strips, are those like a universal test strip or are they engine-specific or what? That's something on my long list of things to do.
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Old 11-09-2018, 03:52 PM   #14
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About those test strips, are those like a universal test strip or are they engine-specific or what? That's something on my long list of things to do.
They are universal not engine specific. See my last post.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/st...r-14080-4.html
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Old 11-09-2018, 04:10 PM   #15
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They are universal not engine specific. See my last post.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/st...r-14080-4.html

right on, thanks man!
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Old 11-09-2018, 04:20 PM   #16
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right on, thanks man!
You bet! Forgot to mention they are available at most any NAPA or equivalent parts store.
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Old 11-14-2018, 06:15 PM   #17
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I got a couple strips from a truck mechanic. My engine (466E) was just on the borderline of needing some additive, so I changed the coolant filter which contains the additive within it. They make filters with and without SCA so you can change or not change the SCA as needed. My filter was so thin and crispy it crushed like well done bacon when I removed it and caused a small flood, so be prepared.
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Old 01-18-2019, 10:03 AM   #18
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I have almost all my pictures and working on a complete build tutorial. www.skoolieadventures.com

I would like to share a bad experience about buying ahead of time. We knew what appliances and parts we would be using. We daily searched many different sites for auctions, ebay, craigslist, sales, etc. trying to save as much as we could if a item came up for instance on black friday we went ahead and purchased this. All the items we stored in the back of bus until needed. A 14 year old boy all geeked out stole all our stuff. He was a minor so he got slapped on the hand and I was out 8 thousand dollars in solar equipment. Had him on camera but since a minor he didnt even get a day in jail. No insurance due to title being converted over to RV. This made me so mad I didnt do a thing to my bus for two months.

Holler if you need any help. our personal email is on our site.

Scott
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Old 01-18-2019, 11:40 AM   #19
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Originally Posted by Ciscokid View Post
I have almost all my pictures and working on a complete build tutorial. www.skoolieadventures.com

I would like to share a bad experience about buying ahead of time. We knew what appliances and parts we would be using. We daily searched many different sites for auctions, ebay, craigslist, sales, etc. trying to save as much as we could if a item came up for instance on black friday we went ahead and purchased this. All the items we stored in the back of bus until needed. A 14 year old boy all geeked out stole all our stuff. He was a minor so he got slapped on the hand and I was out 8 thousand dollars in solar equipment. Had him on camera but since a minor he didnt even get a day in jail. No insurance due to title being converted over to RV. This made me so mad I didnt do a thing to my bus for two months.

Holler if you need any help. our personal email is on our site.

Scott
Sue the kids parents, they are liable for his actions.
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Old 01-18-2019, 12:22 PM   #20
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Tried that both parents are on disability and dont work, they live off the government check. Lawyer told me I would be out Lawyer fees and I would never get a dime from them.

01Marc what kind of scooter is that? I have a few antique Harley's is that a xlch racer?
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