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Old 11-08-2022, 11:52 AM   #1
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Virginia
Posts: 157
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
DanFrazoo’s Conversion

Not sure if I am doing this right, but here goes. First two images are how it looked on arrival at home, seats gone but many rusted bolts from seats still there. I currently have about 10 more bolts to deal with . Previous owner loosened the bolts but could not remove them. I tried a 4.5” cut off wheel on an angle grinder but found a low grit abrasive flapper wheel worked best.
All lettering has been removed and removed the mirrors mounted on the very front of the bus.
Removed driver side rear flashers and fabricated two discs to cover the holes. Undecided if I like that or just one big cover. Something to consider.
Need to figure out why passenger side wiper will not work. All suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Attached Thumbnails
F5C2F5B9-DD8C-43C2-82B4-585F1722CAEE.jpeg   E70368BC-FD0F-439B-95F5-1232E8E4C35F.jpeg   23603431-A7A6-49C4-B88C-90B2AEF7821A.jpeg  

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Old 11-09-2022, 04:44 PM   #2
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Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
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Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
Some people leave the crossing mirrors in place, but I removed my mine too and don't regret it at all. They're ugly and in my case the hood mount bolt holes leaked and rusted out my headlight housings. I also used 7" steel circles to cover my 8-way openings and I think it looks good; you get a slight hint of the original flashers which matches the original school bus aesthetic (I also left the "eyebrows" in place on mine although they're functionally useless now). I'm eventually maybe going to paint them one of my highlight colors (maroon or navy) but right now they're the same antique white as the rest of the bus.

Pro tip: after uploading pics (like you obviously already know how to do) you can then insert them in-line with the text of your post by clicking the paper clip button again and then clicking each pic (or "insert all"). Then instead of saying "first image is such-and-such" etc. you can put comments right next to each pic. Pics you don't explicitly insert inline end up in the "Attached Thumbnails" section of the post.

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Old 11-09-2022, 05:55 PM   #3
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
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Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
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Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
Thanks, I appreciate the pro tip for the images!
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Old 11-12-2022, 08:06 AM   #4
Skoolie
 
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Year: 2002
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Chassis: Freightliner
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The residual hurricane rain has kept me inside so no real progress on the outside. Spent a nasty few hours inside investigating the wiper issue. Turned out to be an easy “fix”, when they were pulling wires out to delete the camera system they had also pulled the three leads to the passenger side motor.

Today I will be going after the dome lights and clearance markers.

One dome light (front passenger side) had been removed by PO, and none of them work. Not sure if these were installed in sequence where the first in the line kills all of them or not at this point.

The clearance/marker lights on driver side shows front and back lit and middle light out. Passenger side is the opposite, middle burns, front and back lights out.

When I get the lights figured out I will be able to drive it for a state inspection and then take to a diesel and tranny place for a going over before sinking my kids inheritance into something too tired and worn out to be truly road worthy.
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Old 11-12-2022, 03:03 PM   #5
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Also good rainy day is good chance to look for leaks��
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Old 11-12-2022, 04:06 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Miles O Roads View Post
Also good rainy day is good chance to look for leaks��
It's also worth parking your bus at odd inclinations to catch issues, especially with the windows. My front passenger window leaks badly when my bus is parked nose-down, but is dry as a bone when the bus is perfectly level.
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Old 11-12-2022, 07:27 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
It's also worth parking your bus at odd inclinations to catch issues, especially with the windows. My front passenger window leaks badly when my bus is parked nose-down, but is dry as a bone when the bus is perfectly level.

Yes. I too am learning this.
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Old 11-13-2022, 07:14 AM   #8
Skoolie
 
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Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
The idea of leakage was a concern for me, when I fist saw the bus it was in a large, high-topped carport well protected. I watched the approaching rain with much trepidation.

But, everything held with the exception of water coming in along a seam where the dog nose cab meets the vertical just below the windshield. It looks like this area had been caulked in the past but the caulk is old and has separated now.

The bus is parked with the nose elevated on a sloped lot allowing water to pool at the area I described above. Certainly makes sense to park it in various ways, I don’t think I would have thought of that, so thanks for the tip!

I came to the conclusion that the interior dome lights do not matter, they are going away anyway, to be replaced with something more appropriate and useful. So onward to the marker lights now and finalizing the floor plan layout!
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Old 11-13-2022, 12:00 PM   #9
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i actually pit sprinklers on the roof and all the way around gave it a few hours and jumped inside to chase leaks
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Old 11-15-2022, 02:38 PM   #10
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Virginia
Posts: 157
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
Weather has gone from bad to really crappy, but I guess it is that time of year for “anything goes”.
I had mentioned deleting the domes, but after reading Ed’s Build thread, I will replace the current domes with the super bright led’s he referenced, and reroute new wiring to shore and solar power.

Marker lights are taken care of, just needed new bulbs (got lucky again). Getting lucky on the wiper and marker lights scares me, you know the worm will turn eventually and ole Murphy will come a knocking.
But, I’ll take the current good fortune and deal with whatever later!
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Old 11-15-2022, 03:52 PM   #11
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I have my bus wired so I can turn on my interior lights (original) from my control panel by my entrance door or from my drivers switch panel. One word of caution, I tried the super bright LED lights overhead and if you switch them on at night it will kill your night vision and it actually hurts your eyes they are so bright. Make your cabinet lights really bright where you need the light, not in your eyes in the middle of the nite.
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Old 11-15-2022, 08:37 PM   #12
Skoolie
 
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Good point, thanks!
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Old 11-16-2022, 03:44 PM   #13
Skoolie
 
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Stripped out around the wheel wells, started looking at the rear heater, will be removing that and took all the metal out of the ceiling.
Surprising clean behind the insulation.
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Old 11-17-2022, 08:17 AM   #14
Skoolie
 
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Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
Looking for a heating solution for conversion during cold weather. I have propane heaters from 1500 to 50,000 btu, but they put too much moisture in the air, particularly inside a metal tube.

I can’t use kerosene, messes with my asthma. Maybe a diesel heater or small (very) wood stove vented out the back just over the rear emergency doors and then capping it off later just like we do with the emergency lights. Diesel heater would be useful after the build permanently mounted for cooler weather camping.
I like the idea of a permanent wood stove but need to research insurance for that.
Decisions…, .
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Old 11-18-2022, 12:56 PM   #15
Skoolie
 
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Called an insurance agent yesterday afternoon about coverage during the conversion. She called me today with a quote, will cost less than my motorcycle coverage. Can’t hate that!
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Old 11-21-2022, 01:43 PM   #16
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Virginia
Posts: 157
Year: 2002
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Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126 Cat/5sp manual
Got down to 23* F here last night. Looked in my workshop loft and brought down an electric space heater and plugged it in in the bus. An hour later the temp inside was workable.

I took all the insulation in the ceiling down and checked for old leaks and rust, sanded and treated on 12”x18” area for very light rust, used a rust converter on it after giving it a good cleanup. Primed and painted and insulation reinstalled in the ceiling.

Need to make a trip to the county transfer station with most of the ceiling panels I removed and then head for the big box store for plywood and new ceiling material. Once I get the ceiling insulation recovers and sealed up I can get started on the floor without having to worry about it raining fine insulation dust on me while I am working.
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Old 11-22-2022, 03:43 PM   #17
Skoolie
 
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Well, just wasted an hour posting some pics and progress only to have the system eat it all and it disappeared. WTH?!
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Old 11-22-2022, 04:41 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DanFrazoo View Post
Well, just wasted an hour posting some pics and progress only to have the system eat it all and it disappeared. WTH?!
There is, like, a time limit between when you upload the pics via the popup window and when you actually submit the reply that includes them. I've lost a couple of full posts when I went off to get dinner in the middle of writing something up. It taught me to be snappy about things.

Multiple, shorter posts are sometimes the way to go.
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Old 11-22-2022, 05:32 PM   #19
Skoolie
 
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Ah, okay, thanks, I’ll try that going forward.
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Old 11-22-2022, 06:58 PM   #20
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Pics or not. Comments or not. I (and I'm sure lots of others) are reading and following along as you make progress. Thanks for sharing the updates!
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