New Owner/Member with Thomas Transit Liner Questions...

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by vanguy67

Glad you got out of that one OK! I've felt your pain! I'm sure there are others here who have too.

Be thankful it wasn't something more serious.......like your transmission!

Read the thread, "SO Bummed Out, Bus is dead!" If you have the time. it will make you feel much better about a clogged air filter and a broken fuel shut-off solenoid!

I ended up selling Carpy for $1000 so you came out better.

Hope your child's birth is uneventful and your wife is OK!

Ya gotta admit though: Being able to say "I was born in the grass on the side of (Insert your favorite highway here) " would have been a cool story for your child to be able to tell!

What can I say but WOW... That sucks vanguy! I read about the first 4-5 pages & so sorry to hear what happened. I guess it coulda been much much worse! PLUS if we had gotten the bus home I am sure it would have had to be taken to a mechanic anyway for the full service & yes this all worked out as we found ourselves a good shop that cares!

Yea, born on the bus on RT60 while it was broken down woulda been a great story! Thanks on the baby! I can't wait - our first child... & Still waiting!

So did you end up getting a new bus? You mentioned your new job & part of our home-based business is doing the storage garage auctions when they go into default. We get some cool & unusual stuff to sell (& keep).

Jonathan

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by vanguy67

We agree that it feels as tho we are taking advantage of others misfortune but again, its part of our business... Do you have some photos of your bus?
Jonathan

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by vanguy67

Jonathan,

Photos are in the gallery. Title is: Should I buy her???

there are photos up to the current state of completion.....almost. I have finished the wood on the walls and the 120v and 12v wiring up to the breaker boxes. I'll take some more photos of the inside after I get all of the stuff out of the floor from the wood cutting operation.

Nice Schoolie! That thing is LOONG! So what is the ceiling height? I looked at a couple of Blue Birds (have always liked them) but couldn't find a mid-size one... That is a great start for your conversion. I am amazed at this site & how many people are addicted to converting. Before we bought our bus we were considering a step van but couldn't find a nice diesel van that we could afford. Plus they aren't the most comfortable driver or ideal RV donor... Are you going to add any alternative energy sources?

[ezbme]

That little stove is nice! It looks tiny next to the pup... Is it hard to insulate/protect the walls of the bus when installing one of these & how hard is it to install the chimney? What do you do for the chimney when traveling - rain etc? I like the idea of a cast iron stove in our bus. What do they run price wise?

I really like your bus, I looked at many of the same but like I said I couldn' find a mid-size that wasn't over 500 miles or more away...

[ezbme]

72" is a good height. I think ours is 78" but that was the measurement the dealer gave us & our bus us still getting maintenance work at the shop & hasn't been home yet. They told us ours measures 30'L X 78" 8'9"W...

Wow, I just read all of pjespers build, start to finish... you aren't kidding about "stealing ideas" from their beautiful build! I am jealous but our bus will have its day... ah time to dream into the night... bus conversionzzzzz

Jonathan

[ezbme]

Well our bus has been at the shop getting regular maintenance - oil/filter change, coolant, all belts & a full DOT check to see if there are any issues at all. That is just scary what they might find but we actually did quite well... The only issues are the stabilizer bushings on the rear & one universal (drivers rear I believe). Has anyone ever attempted these repairs before & if so is it that hard to do? The mechanic told us he would drive it as is to New Mexico (about 2000 miles) so I am thinking I will attempt the repairs once we move. Is it hard to hook up an air line for tools to the air tank?
Jonathan

[paul iossi]

WARNING; your transit style bus sits low to the ground and is probably airride, make sure to properly block the body/chassis up before you crawl underneath the bus, your health and future may be at risk!

to install an air line, drain all pressure from the tanks, remove a pipe plug from the side or end of one of the tanks and plumb a quick connect fitting into the system, locate the fitting where it is protected from the elements and stil easy to access, maybe the battery compartment?

sway bar bushing should be just nuts and bolts, the down side is under the bus probably in cramped quarters and the dirt and rust will follow Newtons principal and Murphy's law and attack your face and body wear your safety glasses

U-joints can be tricky/finicky to install if you don't have previous experience and the proper tools, you might be wise to have your mechanic replace the marginal joint while he still has the bus. If you have a probem with a u-joint on the middle of nowhere you are at the mercy of whoever, also a catastrophic u-joint failure can and probably will cause damage to other driveline parts that will need to be replaced(driveshafts and yokes are expensive and not always readily available.

goodluck

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by paul iossi

WARNING; your transit style bus sits low to the ground and is probably airride, make sure to properly block the body/chassis up before you crawl underneath the bus, your health and future may be at risk!

to install an air line, drain all pressure from the tanks, remove a pipe plug from the side or end of one of the tanks and plumb a quick connect fitting into the system, locate the fitting where it is protected from the elements and stil easy to access, maybe the battery compartment?

sway bar bushing should be just nuts and bolts, the down side is under the bus probably in cramped quarters and the dirt and rust will follow Newtons principal and Murphy's law and attack your face and body wear your safety glasses

U-joints can be tricky/finicky to install if you don't have previous experience and the proper tools, you might be wise to have your mechanic replace the marginal joint while he still has the bus. If you have a probem with a u-joint on the middle of nowhere you are at the mercy of whoever, also a catastrophic u-joint failure can and probably will cause damage to other driveline parts that will need to be replaced(driveshafts and yokes are expensive and not always readily available.

goodluck

Thanks Paul, Yes the bus is air ride & it does sit low, but still plenty of room to crawl around. I will take your suggestions seriously & support the beast whenever I am underneath... The quick connect fitting you mention is the standard air line connection for air tools, correct? We think we will have them replace the u joint if it will fit into the budget... I am sure it won't be a cheap repair. Thanks for your input & help Paul! Jonathan

[ezbme]

OH YEA! We had a beautiful baby girl on Mothers Day at 12:27 am!!!
She was born at 7lb 6oz, 22 inches long & her name is Nia Antoinette... She is happy & healthy! Now if I could just get some sleep....

[Sojakai]

from what I have heard alot lately, not for the first 6 months to a year. You will get use to less sleep before you get to sleep more.

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by Sojakai

from what I have heard alot lately, not for the first 6 months to a year. You will get use to less sleep before you get to sleep more.

HEHE...you are sooo correct! yawn

[Sojakai]

I dont have any kids, and for the most part, plan to keep it that way. But, I have been around kids alot and tended to listen. So I was always hearing people complain about how the kid is up Every four hours wanting to be fed, and two hours to be cleaned.

My best friend has told me that he has gotten better nights sleep after his kid was born than before his girlfriend got pregnant... I suspect that its cause she is too tired to nag him much. He also claims that they have to wake the baby up every 4hrs for food, as the baby wants to continue sleeping...

She's a year old now, little past starting to wobble around the house, and as seen in one vid, smacking her father in the groin with a ("Be Good" *) brush. Dont worry, you're time will come.


* Normally its a "Be Good Stick"... Long story, will summarize. Friend worked at a "Michael's Craft Store" in their framing department. His boss had a wooden baseball bat chained to the counter. The bat had "Be Good Stick" printed on the sides in "Sir Mark-a-lot" permanent marker. When an annoying customer would hound the manager, he would reach down and grab the bat and just set it on the counter. When the customer would start behaving, he would put it under the counter. It was very common for this manager to grab the bat when my friend jokingly made an off comment, and threaten him with it... and at least once, chase him through the store with a bat.

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by Sojakai

I dont have any kids, and for the most part, plan to keep it that way. But, I have been around kids alot and tended to listen. So I was always hearing people complain about how the kid is up Every four hours wanting to be fed, and two hours to be cleaned.

My best friend has told me that he has gotten better nights sleep after his kid was born than before his girlfriend got pregnant... I suspect that its cause she is too tired to nag him much. He also claims that they have to wake the baby up every 4hrs for food, as the baby wants to continue sleeping...

She's a year old now, little past starting to wobble around the house, and as seen in one vid, smacking her father in the groin with a ("Be Good" *) brush. Dont worry, you're time will come.


* Normally its a "Be Good Stick"... Long story, will summarize. Friend worked at a "Michael's Craft Store" in their framing department. His boss had a wooden baseball bat chained to the counter. The bat had "Be Good Stick" printed on the sides in "Sir Mark-a-lot" permanent marker. When an annoying customer would hound the manager, he would reach down and grab the bat and just set it on the counter. When the customer would start behaving, he would put it under the counter. It was very common for this manager to grab the bat when my friend jokingly made an off comment, and threaten him with it... and at least once, chase him through the store with a bat.

Great little stories & ouch!! "The Be Good"... yet something else to look forward to!
My wife & I never planned on having kids either as we were a little greedy & enjoyed our freedom but hey, we are happy with the lil' one! We happened to take a fantastic & much needed vacation camping on the beach in Huntington Beach SC.... Well needless to say 9 months later we got a bonus out of that vacation!

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by rccipriani

Did you buy your bus in Florida? I saw its twin on Craigslist.

EDIT: ezbme, i read your other post. I live in Tampa, and actually inquired about the bus but never got a response. You must have already bought it! Did you say it was from the Sarasota transit folks? I wonder if they have any more. I'll probably have to wait until I redploy from Iraq to get something (I like the All Americans too, and I need the space for the rug rats).

I like the Transit Liner because it has a high roof. We're short people, but I just like the way it looks from the exterior compared to the flat roofs or the ones that slope down, not to mention more room for bunks (we have 5 kids, the oldest is seven. They rock!).

You mentioned USAA, are you military?

Did you say you are going to paint it? I'd leave the colors...paint some red pinstripes on it and it will look like a Thomas the Tank Engine train! The transit-style side windows look cool. What condition is the paint in (if you've already posted this, I apologize)?

Are you sure it's only 30' long? I thought the Transit/Saf-t-liners were more like 36'.

Best of luck with your new child, and if I may say so, ignore all the advice your or your wife's family may give you.

Babies are easy, all they do is eat, poop, and (hopefully) sleep. They stay put in one spot and don't go running around Target. My youngest is 6 months old, and is very close to crawling. Look out world!

Hey welcome to the forums! This is THE best place to be for skoolies & bus conversions!

Good eye - As a matter of fact the bus was bought in Tampa (Bella Auto Sales - Florida Ave if I remember correctly)! It was on ebay for a little while & we kept looking & the more we thought about it the more we liked it because it was different. It was actually a Space Coast Area Transit bus for the space shuttle tours out of Canaveral - Still SCAT tho which threw me off with Sarasota County Area Transit. SCAT is just a funny name to use... Pfffrt!

Yea you need some room... 5 kids!!! Whew...thats a job in itself! It has 6'6" ceilings (which is good as I am 6'3") & measures about 30' in length inside from the drivers seat to the back window, so yea it is about 36' in length overall. I don't think we will ever paint it. The paint is in excellent condition minus some minor bumps & bruises here & there & we will redo the roof sometime with a ceramic paint. The black strip of metal between the windshield & the upper little route display window has a little rust but should be an easy fix - prob a result of the salt air. "Thomas the Bus"...It does look like the train!

Keep looking & I will get you the SCAT number in Canaveral if you want to call them directly to see if they have any other busses. My dad was military & I just recently was married & my wifes dad was military. I love USAA & the services they provide! Although they couldn't insure the bus but gave us a discount thru Progressive which is ok I guess. Gotta go to the babies 1 month checkup...

Jonathan

[elkoskoolie]

When putting a quick connect fitting in, most put them on the/a drain valve. It already has the valve, so one less piece to buy. Also there are several sizes of quick connects. Maybe ask your mechanic which is most common? Also, it seems that I've read that some air ride buses have check valves between the main (brake) and aux (suspension) systems. I don't know if it matters where the quick connect is located, but take the time to know your air system. Make sure you can air the brake system- gotta be able to release the brakes if you ever need a tow!! I.e. the quick connect is used both to power tools etc (air out) and service the bus (air in).

[ezbme]

Well I know others have been here & now, so are we... We got a code violation from the city of Sebring on the Thomas parked at the house. They state that a "commercial vehicle" is against code. I haven't taked with them yet as it was after 5:00, but will be tomorrow. I am looking for any advice on what should be said & what should not be said, if that would help. The bus is titled as Private so the commercial status is gone, but I am just leery that the code office may pull out some other code out of their hat just to make my life miserable...

Any help or links to this subject that are informative would be very helpful!

[ezbme]

We had just gotten insurance through Progressive about 2 weeks ago when we brought the bus home. $430.00 per year I believe. Today we find out that we are going to have to find another insurance company as they are dropping our policy as they no longer insure conversion vehicles?!!! Again, AW CRAP!!!

I know this has been discussed elsewhere but is anyone able to give us a good insurance company that is resonable?? I mean our bus isn't a conversion yet & won't be till we move to NM in august. This should make it even easier to insure correct? I don't know... been a bit frustrated lately. Anyway, we shall see what the Code Official says tomorrow. I may be working on the bus with a generator parked at some guys farm out in BFE!

[ezbme]

"I was looking for a link for Sarasota public auctions....Thanks for the info on the 'other' SCAT.

Is the route display intact? That would be fun to use!

USAA is one of those rare companies that still knows the meaning of 'customer service'. I love them. Plus, they are cheaper than Citizens' for FL property insurance.

Edward is more bus-like than Thomas, especially if you get a matching toad:"

I have to go out & get that phone number for you... maybe tonight. The route display is still intact, sorta. Some of the letter boxes are damaged. The side display looks good. The power packs all look good. When I first saw the bus the display was on in the photos of the front of the bus but since then I wasn't able to get it to work. I messed with it way too long & I unistalled it completely.

I think the bus would make a good Edward or Thomas, but where would I get a matching toad??

[ezbme]

Originally Posted by elkoskoolie

When putting a quick connect fitting in, most put them on the/a drain valve. It already has the valve, so one less piece to buy. Also there are several sizes of quick connects. Maybe ask your mechanic which is most common? Also, it seems that I've read that some air ride buses have check valves between the main (brake) and aux (suspension) systems. I don't know if it matters where the quick connect is located, but take the time to know your air system. Make sure you can air the brake system- gotta be able to release the brakes if you ever need a tow!! I.e. the quick connect is used both to power tools etc (air out) and service the bus (air in).

Yea, the trip home after we bought the bus ended in a meeting with a triple axle $775,000 wrecker as the bus left me sitting at a red light on a busy road during rush hour, for over 6 hours... He had to air the system as we had a leaking rear airbag (since fixed). Was a learning experience to say the least.

I know one tank does have a valve to release condensation. This is where you are talking about correct? You know, I don't even know how many tanks my bus has & what each one does... I need an extra 4-6 hours in each day to do all I want to

[baadpuppy]

when talking with the officials, just be polite and firm that the vehicle is not commercial, but is instead a private vehicle. You can point to your seat removal as evidence that you're preparing your bus to be a moving truck for your pending move to NM. If they keep persisting, ask them if they would do the same thing for a u-haul truck.

If it does ends up going to court, the judge should dismiss it as you should have documentation showing you registered it as a private vehicle.

As for insurance, I've heard that everyone except GMAC is dropping conversions unless done by some high dollar professional firm. Join the good sam program, and get the GMAC insurance through that program, and you should be good to go. Just don't lie to the insurance guys, they love an excuse to cancel a policy. It is costing me about $500 a year for liability on my unconverted thomas. I didn't join good sam first, so I don't have that discount.

Also, to get insurance with GMAC, you have to call them. An agent won't be able to do it for you locally.

Good luck with the hassles. I gotta say there are some advantages to living in the country.

jim