Freebo’s build

[Freebo]

Got my 06Thomas Minotour bus this week and starting the Skoolie build. I don’t have a name for her yet, but thinking of Homeskoolie.

[Freebo]

3 layers of decals, two under paint were the first things to go. Good family project. Heat gun for the win.

[Freebo]

Got rid of the seat belt, fire escape, and the no child left behind alarms today. Also started to get some of the seats out.

[Bus'n it]

Nice looking rig! Welcome and enjoy the ride!

[Rwnielsen]

Looks like you're having a good time, the whole family is involved.
Happy Trails

[Lilbitfurthur]

Awesomeness !!!Welcome and happy trails !

[Freebo]

After my “alarm removal”. The bus won’t start. The battery was down to 12.3 so I undid my “fix.” Charged up battery. Still won’t start. At first there was one click but that’s all. The lights do work and chime starts when I put in the key. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[peteg59]

Most likely a "phantom" cut wire still looking for "ground" in the door/window safety system.

Suggest you go over the wires you cut again, or might have pulled loose, on the deconstruction phase.

Good luck, and post up again when you find the issue...

[Rwnielsen]

The "alarm" is also a start interrupt circuit. If certain conditions aren't met, like an open door, hatch, wheelchair lift etc. the bus won't start. Somewhere you've probably cut a wire which interrupts part of that circuit. Either that or one or more of your hatches or doors or... isn't closed.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Originally Posted by Freebo

After my “alarm removal”. The bus won’t start. The battery was down to 12.3 so I undid my “fix.” Charged up battery. Still won’t start. At first there was one click but that’s all. The lights do work and chime starts when I put in the key. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

on my 04 chevy 6.0 gas vortec i had to connect the vandalock relay and the vandalock pilot wires together to make it start.
but the company i work for has many box vans that are the chevy gm chassis and i had to drive an hour away to work on one or haul it back after they replaced the battery and starter and still nothing?
i told those men yesterday to check the fuses and this morning when i got there and asked about them checking fuses they said where is the fuse box?
so i went to work.
i found a bad fuse on the ignition circuit and swapped the same size fuse from the blower circuit over and it fired up.
no vandalock on that one.
there are several (more than normal)ignition fuses under that under hood fuse box and some ignition fuses serve more than just ignition and some are labled ignition and dont even have anything to do with ignition.
trust me?
once i figured out the vandalock inside of the bus i was able to cut every safety switch out including door buttons/buzzers,no child check stuff.
this is my second bus and my first one didnt have all of that so from reading on here for years of people with cutting wires issue I took the long road on a short bus?
kept a battery charger on.
i cut each wire in between the the name/number designation on each wire so as to identify each if i had to reconnect.
cut a wire and start the bus. delete wire cut a wire and see if it starts? oops reconnect. same thing dash lights up and everything looks good but turn to start nothing.
i will end up deleting the last two vandalock wires when i get into finding where they spliced into the ECM or they or connected and tucked away now so i might just forget about them.
mine were vandalock relay and vandalock pilot had to be connected together.
good luck

[Freebo]

Thanks for the input Jolly Roger. I’ll see what I can do tomorrow

[Freebo]

Thanks petteg59 and rwnielsen. I’ll keep you posted. It’s all fun and games till the bus won’t start

[Freebo]

I disconnected and reconnected the battery and undid my previous work and Praise God the bus started. I have learned my lesson. One thing at a time.

[Rucker]

Good to hear, and thanks for the update.

Would be good to pin a thread entitled 'DON'T DO THIS FIRST'.

[Rwnielsen]

Glad to hear it. It happens to people all the time, you can add Expert Troubleshooter to your list of skills. Onwards to the next challenge.

[peteg59]

Good deal!
Sometimes it takes awhile to pinpoint the problem especially when it comes to electrical, but in a shorty it usually? is easier.

Good luck going forward, and keep your progress pics coming!

[Freebo]

I thought I’d take a break from the electrical system and get a hammock up “something fun”. I used some flip anchors and self tapping screws for the mounting points. The holes in the anchors were pretty close to the screw holes that hold up the metal roof. A little persuasion from my vice and they were good to go. They should hold the weight fine but I put in another set for a back up.

[Freebo]

Today I patched the holes left from removing the four rear reflectors. Also repaired a spot on the rear roof where the last owner backed under something that wasn’t quite high enough. I even managed to go on a quick lunch date with my wife, to the beach (in the bus of course).

Next week I have a friend coming over to help me get rid of the alarms. Round 2

Also working up the nerve to remove the rear heater. I got this.

[Rwnielsen]

You got it, you're doing great. Keep smiling

[Freebo]

My daughter and I took the rear heater out, after much consideration. I bent both coolant hoses several times into and z shape then clamped with vise grips. No coolant leaked and hoses seem fine. I bought a 3/4” fitting which was wrong and had to go to the store after cutting the hoses for a 5/8” fitting.