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12-17-2018, 08:36 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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Skidfrog bus
Dec 17, 2018.....the start of my actual bus life. Insurance and registration still to be sorted but dealer checked ; MTO will re-designate as a simple commercial GMC 3500 cargo van for me.....then should be plated and insured with no issues.
2013 model.....practically brand new ( V8 Gas )….25,000 km ( that's like 15,500 miles )…….wheelchair lift and seats coming out.....undercoating for Ontario salt ….then the process begins !
School Bus Conversion Resources - skidfrog's Album: fresh buy - Picture
School Bus Conversion Resources - skidfrog's Album: fresh buy - Picture
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12-18-2018, 04:40 AM
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#2
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Greater Boston
Posts: 503
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Dare I ask what you paid for it?
Looks awesome! Nice and shiny all around, and that's practically new with no miles on it. That's gonna be a really great starting point.
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12-18-2018, 07:10 AM
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#3
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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I wouldn't buy a bus this new. But a van... heck yeah.
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12-18-2018, 07:13 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 19,887
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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great lookin bus!! good move on protecting against corrosion while its still pretty new! what motor is in it? 5.3?
-Christopher
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12-18-2018, 12:34 PM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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Ahhhh….the adventure begins......It's a Chevy 3500 V8 6.0 litre Gas Thomas Bus....single rear wheel so I don't have to get a fresh certification every year.
Cooperators advertises they cover bus conversions....I contacted them for a quote and they declined to quote me saying they don't do buses anymore.
MTO will give me a new registration according to the dealer.....that designates it as commercial ( cargo van )…...waiting now to see how that affects my insurance quotes. This could turn into a thing where the dealer is helping me either find insurance or even get it certified as an RV with help . He's talked to agents he knows all they all say no problem......so I hope to help clarify insurance questions in Ontario for mini buses.
Stay tuned !
Thanks for help posting my picture !!!
https://www.artstation.com/dermot_walshe
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12-18-2018, 12:37 PM
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#6
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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I bought it through my art corporation as a traveling "office" so I may get some of the sale tax back...the list was $25,000 and I got it off the lot for about $28,000 ( Canadian )….they'll cover the rustproofing and taking seats / lift / accessories off for me.
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12-22-2018, 08:48 PM
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#7
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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Update regarding insurance....I wanted to make notes on this for others in Ontario. I HAD read about another Ontario bus owner getting hit for a huge insurance bill so I was rather cautious and kept comparing what my dealer said with what my broker was saying.
Dealer assumed that since the chassis is a Chevy 3500 Cutaway....that it would be insured as a simple commercial cargo van if I told the insurance company I was not using it as a bus. Insurance broker insisted the vin # would tell all and started asking me about how many passengers I would carry to what events and how regularly ( and how much I would charge )
I insisted that I was not intending to use the vehicle as a bus but the answer was that the vin# said bus......therefore bus rates would apply. I had not purchased the vehicle yet.
The dealer visited MTO for me and received assurance that if I was not intending to use it as a passenger bus they would allow the vehicle registration to be modified to commercial status ( cargo van ) No need to register as RV.
SOOO....I bought the vehicle.....dealer asked MTO to change the registration to "unplated commercial".
NOW I could try again for insurance.
My own broker ran the new ownership with the adjustment from MTO and told me the rate was still $4800 annual. I asked why and she said it had nothing to do with the fact of bus vs cargo van.......it had to do with the weight classification . I asked what weight class did she charge me for.... and she confessed she didn't know because that didn't come up with the vin# ; could I please supply the weight .
The dealer then weighed the vehicle and gave us a receipt / date time and weight of 3460 KG . I asked other companies.....Co-operators in particular advertises that they insure converted buses. My local franchise said "no they don't".....that they used to , but not for years. My dealer asked his buddy who is also a Cooperators insurance agent out of town ( at a local hockey game ) and he said sure thing....easy....send him the details they'd set me up.
My own broker refused to accept the dealers weight receipt and wanted a photo of the door label ….but by then I already had accepted agent "hockey dad's" rate of just $1065 for 2 million liability.
My own broker still insisted $4800 was the rate.
So I now have sensible insurance from an agent almost 3 hours away from where I live. I suspect when my home and other cars are up for renewal I'll get a better deal over the phone there as well.
Shop around !....and at least for my bus.....I didn't need the RV status yet / although once I convert I'll likely get that done.
at least I can drive now.
happy ending and beginning
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01-15-2019, 02:58 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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progress ?
Its chilly winter......picking up the bus for the drive to Oakville ( living in Montreal temporarily on a freelance job )
First stop maybe the paint shop or the welder.
plans...…
I think I should call it the "skidfrog" bus because that's my Instagram handle also
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01-15-2019, 09:02 PM
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#9
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
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Good luck on that insurance is about all I can offer. Anything with the word "commercial" in the title up here seems to make rates skyrocket.
You may just do better retaining the bus qualification and put up a no riders sign and swear an affidavit to that affect before shopping for insurance. But then to write some of it off, you are commercial to a point. The ins company no doubt will call that point out.
Get a quote from Desjardins, they just lowered mine to $9.00/month for the rest of my build as it is off road for the time being.
That is one pretty froggy!
John
__________________
Question everything!
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01-16-2019, 06:46 PM
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#10
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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Hi Black John.....from Picton !.....dang......this bus was right next door to you !
Yeah......my own broker warned me that as a BUS I'd almost have to name every person to ever ride it as a passenger in past / present / future even if I swore I wasn't using it as a bus AND showed her pictures with the seats removed.
I am incorporated since 1990 as a freelance artist....so it's entirely logical I need a mobile office. Anyway.....the ministry had 2 options on the ownership.....commercial ( cargo ) or bus.....that's it. I haven't explored recertifying as an RV yet since it's far from ready and I needed to drive off the lot. As it turned out the insurance is less than my last car was ; $1065 annual for 2 million liability. I can live with that......and live IN it !
Just got it home.....probably driving to paint shop tomorrow / welding shop in Feb .
drives smooth and quiet but the mileage is not great. I also have to figure out how to remove all that excess switches and wiring.
Interesting note......the gas tank has a "fuel limiter" so I can only fill to 3/4 tank ( some notion of safety perhaps...….which is odd because the seats didn't have belts anyway.
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02-23-2019, 06:01 PM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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a bus named T.H.0.R.
Back from the paint shop........most of the stickers ground off / parked at home but off to the welder for a bumper extend and roof rack / possibly an exterior access under floor battery box.
I'm working temporarily in Montreal and the bus is in my hometown of Oakville Ontario......so it's me thinking time well spent giving the big stuff to the pros to do while I'm away ( solar next month maybe )
I haven't done any interior.....that can start when I return in May / June.....fortunately my ceiling is all screws.
Any other welding ideas to consider while I'm gone ?......I don't want a huge rig so I was thinking NOT to add a trailer hitch.....but it's probably easier right now when they do the bumper. Maybe I should just in case. This bus will last a while.....it's almost brand new !
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02-24-2019, 02:36 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 1,349
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Thomas 4 window w/lift
Chassis: G30~Chevy cutaway
Engine: 5.7/350 Chevy Vortec
Rated Cap: Just me and my "stuff"?
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Even if you never plan on towing with it, if it was mine I'd add the hitch while the opportunity is right.
You never know what might come up, and having the ability to tow could be a time and or money saver...
Your bus looks good under new paint.
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02-25-2019, 03:55 PM
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#13
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: NE Oklahoma
Posts: 66
Year: 2000
Engine: 6.5L Turbo
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Jealous of the single rear wheel and the mileage! Great start to the bus! I would add a hitch if there is distinctly a chance you might want one. Our homegrown hitch bent while traveling in California and we had to buy and install our new hitch in a city park parking lot. Still using it almost every time we drive it.
__________________
Okienomads 2000 Chevy Short Bus
Website
Instagram
Married couple full-timing in the American West-April 2018
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02-25-2019, 07:10 PM
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#14
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: US nomadic
Posts: 556
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Lewis
Chassis: Ford E350
Engine: 7.3L Diesel
Rated Cap: 14
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Great paint job!
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02-26-2019, 10:06 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 19,887
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Badass looking bus!!! I love the colors you chose!
Christopher
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02-26-2019, 11:54 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 100
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Looks nice. I’m curious of how your bumper and roof rack turn out. My bus is very similar and I’m looking at the exact setup you are for porch and deck. Are you planning on gutting and insulating it?
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02-26-2019, 11:59 PM
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#17
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 11
Year: 2005
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It looks nice, I feel like all your efforts pay off.
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02-27-2019, 12:12 PM
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#18
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tstege
Looks nice. I’m curious of how your bumper and roof rack turn out. My bus is very similar and I’m looking at the exact setup you are for porch and deck. Are you planning on gutting and insulating it?
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Ha......cool......I was just reading about your skinning the other day ! I liked what I saw done on "numberjuanbus" bumper / good you tube video on that. A lot of different roof decks out there but yeah....I don't want anything sagging or bending so I gave reference to my welding shop and asked them to come up with something similar. The shop is owned by a Nascar crew chief and he does engineering and design work so I trust I'll be good for a few laps when he's done !
I'm in Canada......so I bought a stove to keep warm / I was thinking of just insulating the cheap way but fortunately I have a screwed in ceiling so I think a full gut and spray is coming. Cool in summer / warm in winter and quiet ! That handicap door lets in a lot of snow though...….I'm going to have to invent a lip around it that stops air.
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02-27-2019, 12:14 PM
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#19
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 130
Chassis: GMC 3500 Thomas
Engine: 6.0 L GAS
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yeah...…talking about it with the welder......we're adding a hitch. I want to keep this thing a long time so easier to do solid now !
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03-03-2019, 08:25 AM
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#20
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: ...little north of Toronto Ontario
Posts: 606
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Thomsass
Chassis: FreightShaker
Engine: 5.9 Cummins 5 speed
Rated Cap: 2 ATV's and friends
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skidfrog
Back from the paint shop........most of the stickers ground off / parked at home but off to the welder for a bumper extend and roof rack / possibly an exterior access under floor battery box.
I'm working temporarily in Montreal and the bus is in my hometown of Oakville Ontario......so it's me thinking time well spent giving the big stuff to the pros to do while I'm away ( solar next month maybe )
I haven't done any interior.....that can start when I return in May / June.....fortunately my ceiling is all screws.
Any other welding ideas to consider while I'm gone ?......I don't want a huge rig so I was thinking NOT to add a trailer hitch.....but it's probably easier right now when they do the bumper. Maybe I should just in case. This bus will last a while.....it's almost brand new !
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Lookin' good!
Most things do with a fresh coat of paint.
Check with insurance company before you install a deck or wood stove.
My $.02
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