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05-09-2020, 05:10 PM
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#21
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 62
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05-10-2020, 10:57 AM
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#22
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 35
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Roof Raise
Lifting a bus roof is actually quite simple. We lifted ours with no levels or Jack's. Consider using something like a gantry crane. Google boat lift and you'll see. Keeping things level is near impossible when lifting a bus roof. I've got pictures I can dig up if you're interested. We spent very little and was comparably cheaper and easier than anything we seen. And was exponentially safer. But like I said if your interested in the exacts I'll dig up our pictures.
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05-10-2020, 11:02 AM
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#23
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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if you use all-thread its actually really easy to keep it level while you raise.
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05-12-2020, 12:22 PM
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#24
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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I did the roof raise on my Thomas this past weekend. I somewhat combined dzl freeks and transcend existences method. I started with taking out the windows then removing all trim. I used two air jacks with 4x4s up to the hat channel. I started cutting the hat channel over the front cap and in the rear as these were the most difficult cuts as I wanted to minimize body work. then cut the remaining hat channel 1 at a time and welded in 1'x1'x32 square tubing to act as sliders as you move down the bus. once all the channels are cut jack up till max clamp sliders then release jack and put another block under jack n go back up. repeat until desired height is reached and then welded in the hat channel extenders. mine did do a little sideways when going up because of the uneven driveway but was easily straightened back up with a ratchet strap. there was no double angle that some warn about when doing a raise on a Thomas
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05-12-2020, 01:05 PM
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#25
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New Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Newcastle CA
Posts: 6
Year: 1993
Coachwork: Thomas built
Chassis: International
Engine: Inline 6 turbo diesel
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waxman
I did the roof raise on my Thomas this past weekend. I somewhat combined dzl freeks and transcend existences method. I started with taking out the windows then removing all trim. I used two air jacks with 4x4s up to the hat channel. I started cutting the hat channel over the front cap and in the rear as these were the most difficult cuts as I wanted to minimize body work. then cut the remaining hat channel 1 at a time and welded in 1'x1'x32 square tubing to act as sliders as you move down the bus. once all the channels are cut jack up till max clamp sliders then release jack and put another block under jack n go back up. repeat until desired height is reached and then welded in the hat channel extenders. mine did do a little sideways when going up because of the uneven driveway but was easily straightened back up with a ratchet strap. there was no double angle that some warn about when doing a raise on a Thomas
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You have any pics of your steps along the way? I'd love to see them and also the angle of how bad it actually is
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05-12-2020, 02:57 PM
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#26
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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don't know if this worked properly but haven't loaded pics before
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05-12-2020, 03:05 PM
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#27
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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sorry for the sideways pics and lack of detailed pics im not the best about documenting everything because to me that hinders progress but that's an 18" lift
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05-12-2020, 03:11 PM
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#28
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Hard to tell from the pics but does Thomas not angle in their smaller buses? That's a van chassis and the side next to the door doesn't look like it has the 6 degree slope inward at the window line.
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05-12-2020, 03:36 PM
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#29
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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they do taper in but as long as you get a nice square cut and then clamp the faces of the hat at the cut your extender will just be a continuation of the angle. extending the angle made it much less noticeable imo
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05-12-2020, 03:48 PM
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#30
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
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Can you take a picture from the center of the rear-end looking forward, please?
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05-12-2020, 04:03 PM
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#31
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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I can tomorrow evening hopefully. the bus is still at my friends house since we haven't finished the skins yet
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05-12-2020, 04:08 PM
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#32
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
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Thank you ... I have Thomas and am highly interested to see how that raise looks from that angle.
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05-12-2020, 04:19 PM
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#33
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waxman
they do taper in but as long as you get a nice square cut and then clamp the faces of the hat at the cut your extender will just be a continuation of the angle. extending the angle made it much less noticeable imo
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As long as you get it all flush it should look good. Its the final details in a Thomas raise that make or break the aesthetics.
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05-14-2020, 09:18 AM
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#34
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Arizona
Posts: 40
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: GMC Savana 3500
Engine: 6.5 L 395 CID V8 Diesel
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heres the rear view and the progress on front cap so far
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05-16-2020, 12:57 PM
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#35
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Atlanta, TX
Posts: 58
Year: 1990
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 78
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Roof raise videos
Wess Lewis has a YouTube channel that goes through his own bus, Transcendence (I may have spelled that wrong)
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