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04-03-2018, 09:25 PM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Harlem, GA
Posts: 21
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
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Deal me in
After months of reading threads and looking for a bus that felt right, I bought a 97 International 3800 Thomas built. Now I can’t wait to get her home and start transforming her to our travel home. But honestly, I’m anxious about the 14 hour drive to get her home.
https://d323w7klwy72q3.cloudfront.ne...es/DD8739E.JPG
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04-04-2018, 05:38 AM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
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 to the madness
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
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04-04-2018, 08:05 AM
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#3
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Frisco, Texas
Posts: 829
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: Dt466e
Rated Cap: 71
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Looks very similar to mine, except you got some under storage, nice. I had a 500 mile drive home, went awesome. I went I to a bit scared since I've never driven bigger than a dodge truck and never even towed a trailer, but it went fine, and you get the hang of it very quickly.
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04-04-2018, 02:09 PM
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#4
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Skoolie
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 124
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 466
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Right, on and hello from WV..
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04-04-2018, 03:59 PM
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#5
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Brunswick, GA
Posts: 149
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gadawg9
After months of reading threads and looking for a bus that felt right, I bought a 97 International 3800 Thomas built. Now I can’t wait to get her home and start transforming her to our travel home. But honestly, I’m anxious about the 14 hour drive to get her home.
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Good looking rig, Dawg!! Regarding the drive - my biggest advice is don't get yourself locked into a tight time crunch "gotta get home by nightfall or else". Be prepared to take your time and do a good pre-trip inspection - then make frequent stops along the way to check everything over. Get a feel for what's going on - pay attention to sounds and vibrations that might be problematic.
My pick up was only 400 miles from Birmingham to Brunswick, but we took our time - drove shortest distance vs Interstates since I kept speed around 55-60 where the bus seemed happiest.
Good luck - send pics!!
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04-04-2018, 07:08 PM
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#6
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 28
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Looks like a nice bus. Did you buy it from the school district? They are 100 miles right down I-70 from me. Clean looking bus. Tell us about the drive home. Please tell us about the bus and how it drove. I'd like to know the price of the bus. Thanks.
GW
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04-04-2018, 07:44 PM
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#7
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Ashtabula, Ohio
Posts: 1,494
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E 7.3L
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Can't wait to see the progress! welcome aboard
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04-04-2018, 09:25 PM
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#8
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
Posts: 1,444
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gadawg9
After months of reading threads and looking for a bus that felt right, I bought a 97 International 3800 Thomas built. Now I can’t wait to get her home and start transforming her to our travel home. But honestly, I’m anxious about the 14 hour drive to get her home.
https://d323w7klwy72q3.cloudfront.ne...es/DD8739E.JPG |
HOLY COW!!!! I'm JUST down the road in Russell!!!! I JUST substitute taught there TODAY!!!!! WOW!!!!
Need any help?
M 
__________________
Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence. — George Washington
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04-14-2018, 02:33 PM
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#9
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Harlem, GA
Posts: 21
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
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Deal me in
Thanks for all the comments. Well after a flight to Kansas City, a rental to Hays, KS the journey home finally began. I’m relieved to say that after 24 hours of uneventful driving (over 2 days) we made it back home safely. I couldn’t have been happier with the mechanical and physical condition of the bus or the fact that one of the a/c’s will freeze you. We stopped when the fuel was down to half a tank or slightly less, checked fluids and stretched our legs. Fuel economy appears to have been around 8.6 mpg that’s with driving it 60-67 on interstates. No fluid leaks of any kind. Actual gross weight is 18680 lbs.
Now the fun begins, seat removal starts on Monday. 
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04-14-2018, 02:39 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
Rated Cap: 15
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Congratulations on an "uneventful" voyage home. Now the fun begins!
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04-14-2018, 02:39 PM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Marion NY
Posts: 103
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: 3126 7.2
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hey seems legit... good luck with your build!!
Jim
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04-14-2018, 06:06 PM
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#12
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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That's some SERIOUS rear overhang. Kinda knocks the snot out of your departure angle.
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04-14-2018, 06:18 PM
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#13
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: near Christiansburg VA
Posts: 692
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 44 or 66? 11 rows
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Some of that overhang might have been due to the perspective (the photo was taken from slightly behind the bus). Here's a version of the same photo with the rub rails now parallel: 
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04-14-2018, 06:20 PM
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#14
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: near Christiansburg VA
Posts: 692
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 44 or 66? 11 rows
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What are the vents in the back for?
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04-14-2018, 07:25 PM
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#15
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Billings, MT
Posts: 1,269
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: HDX
Engine: Cat C7
Rated Cap: 84 passenger
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Probably AC, but the overhang in the rear is still too much.
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04-14-2018, 08:49 PM
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#16
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Harlem, GA
Posts: 21
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
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Dapplecreek, the vents are indeed for the a/c units.
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04-17-2018, 05:06 PM
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#17
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Harlem, GA
Posts: 21
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 65 passenger
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Today, we took all the seats out and 1/2 of the screws on the panels under the windows and will remove the puke mat/plywood tomorrow. Hope there isn’t much rust underneath. Please with the progress so far.
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04-17-2018, 07:51 PM
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#18
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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I hope my trip back is as uneventful as yours was. I plan on 2 motorcycles in the back of mine, if I put 3 in the back of yours we could do wheelies.
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04-17-2018, 09:15 PM
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#19
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,119
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gadawg9
Dapplecreek, the vents are indeed for the a/c units.
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Trans/AIR 0362 condensors to be exact 
-Christopher
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04-17-2018, 10:27 PM
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#20
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 2,264
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 14
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Let me know if you plan to remove the AC units, as I live in GA and would like to add that to my own bus.
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