Getting my feet wet. Taking seats out

[dwitty]

Hello to all.
My name is Darren (dwitty) and I just met a 1989 International Thomas 3800 44 pass with a DT360.

It's big but am looking forward to making some memories with my 3 kids and eventually spending alot more time on the road.

Starting on removing seats TODAY. I know you're not jealous....right of passage I guess.

Looking forward to asking questions here and seeing/sending pics and reading the forums.

Happy Labor Day weekend!

[BamaBus]

Depending on your plans it may be more like a drop of water on your pinky toenail!

So why did you chose the bus you have?

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Welcome to the asylum, Darren.

You will find many friendly folks here who are willing to help.

Fill out your member profile with all the info you are willing to share. Ask lots of questions. No questions are stoopid here, only some answers.

Get the bus roadworthy and then toss in an air mattress or three, a camp stove or grill, a few jugs of water, a cooler with food and drinks. Take a few weekend trips to see what works for your situation. We are all different. Build your bus for YOU!!

Good luck and bon voyage,
Marty

[dwitty]

I wanted a DogNose. It is an Activity Bus so it has luggage racks and I plan on keeping about half of them. ....and it is big enough to hold a bunch of my record collection. Haha. Already got most all of the seats out. All Day.

[dwitty]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Dreaming

Welcome to the asylum, Darren.

You will find many friendly folks here who are willing to help.

Fill out your member profile with all the info you are willing to share. Ask lots of questions. No questions are stoopid here, only some answers.

Get the bus roadworthy and then toss in an air mattress or three, a camp stove or grill, a few jugs of water, a cooler with food and drinks. Take a few weekend trips to see what works for your situation. We are all different. Build your bus for YOU!!

Good luck and bon voyage,
Marty

Thanks. I filled out my profile, I think.

I already got most all seats out . Can't wait to get this beauty on the road.

[Kentucky Dreaming]

I've been to Wilmington a couple of times. Nice area.

[DeMac]

Originally Posted by dwitty

Thanks. I filled out my profile, I think.

I already got most all seats out . Can't wait to get this beauty on the road.

-------------

Are you leaving some seats to haul passengers or build a booth?

What are your plans for the bus?
-Daily Driver
-Weekend Camper
-Food Truck
-Toy Hauler
-Transient Tiny Home
-Mancave at Home
-Mobile Shop
-Chicken Coop

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by dwitty

I wanted a DogNose. It is an Activity Bus so it has luggage racks and I plan on keeping about half of them. ....and it is big enough to hold a bunch of my record collection. Haha. Already got most all of the seats out. All Day.

records!! egads!! last place i would put records is in a bus, it doesnt take much heat at all to destroy records... alot less than most people think..



I was a DJ back in the 90s, travelling to an out of town club to go play was always an interesting challenge.. even records in the back seat of an air-conditioned car wit hthe sun shining on the crate could be enough to warp them.



I would seriously come up with some kind of cool (but dry.. moisture isnt good for them either) vsult for any records you mght carry...



I would never even think about full-timing with a record collection..

[cadillackid]

the DT360 is a great engine.. little lacking on power but a true mechanical DT with no electronics and a pretty simple Bosch injection pump..



several transmissions were offered.. a couple stick-shifts and then an AT545 allison (most common but not real stout).. and the MT643 (less common but extremely stout)..


never never Over-temp your DT360... 210f is OK but a bit warm.. 220 is yeah we are hot and need to cool down like Now.. 230 is we are overheated BIG TIME... ive seen these engines damaged at 230.. not always but ive seen it.. so pay attention to the temperature.. esp on the highway..

[dwitty]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the DT360 is a great engine.. little lacking on power but a true mechanical DT with no electronics and a pretty simple Bosch injection pump..



several transmissions were offered.. a couple stick-shifts and then an AT545 allison (most common but not real stout).. and the MT643 (less common but extremely stout)..


never never Over-temp your DT360... 210f is OK but a bit warm.. 220 is yeah we are hot and need to cool down like Now.. 230 is we are overheated BIG TIME... ive seen these engines damaged at 230.. not always but ive seen it.. so pay attention to the temperature.. esp on the highway..

Noted. Thank you so much for that insight. Probably one of the 1st things I will do is make sure the temp gauge is good. I've got the AT545. Sounds like someday either upgrade trans or different. OR both. For now...58mph sounds dreamy. 10mpg is fair I guess.

[dwitty]

For trips, I guess bringing a select set is what I mean. I've got quite a collection and understand taking care of it. Definitely going to have a setup though. That's my plan and it will be awesome.

[dwitty]

Originally Posted by DeMac

-------------

Are you leaving some seats to haul passengers or build a booth?

What are your plans for the bus?
-Daily Driver
-Weekend Camper
-Food Truck
-Toy Hauler
-Transient Tiny Home
-Mancave at Home
-Mobile Shop
-Chicken Coop

I have left a few seats to "show it off" to some friends and drive to a concert. Ill end up removing all. Going to be a road trip bus and get a last few trips with kiddos before they go off to college. Folks live in Montana so I will probably end up taking a very very long way to get there someday. Or longer.

[dwitty]

Originally Posted by Kentucky Dreaming

I've been to Wilmington a couple of times. Nice area.

Wilmington has been home for 21 years. Lots of beautiful warm water around here right now.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

I would never even think about full-timing with a record collection..

It's weird how often this comes up. I think a record collection would be even more difficult to skoolie with than a fish tank would be.

I think the only way to do it would be to have some sort of storage container suspended on the underside of the bus, so that at least it never gets any hotter than the ambient air temperature. Any vehicle parked out in direct sunlight from time to time is going to heat up to 140 or 150 °F or hotter inside, and those LPs would be doomed.

An underside storage container would of course be inconvenient, but inconvenience is really all LPs have to offer at this point anyway. As a child of the '70s and '80s, the reemergence of LPs is mind-blowing to me. Give me the infinite music on my phone any day.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

welcome from swansboro.
i have some experience with the DT360.
just helped my son cram one into a 350.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

It's weird how often this comes up. I think a record collection would be even more difficult to skoolie with than a fish tank would be.

I think the only way to do it would be to have some sort of storage container suspended on the underside of the bus, so that at least it never gets any hotter than the ambient air temperature. Any vehicle parked out in direct sunlight from time to time is going to heat up to 140 or 150 °F or hotter inside, and those LPs would be doomed.

An underside storage container would of course be inconvenient, but inconvenience is really all LPs have to offer at this point anyway. As a child of the '70s and '80s, the reemergence of LPs is mind-blowing to me. Give me the infinite music on my phone any day.

even 90 or 100 degrees can begin to damage records.. they dont have to all out be destroyed to be warped enough where they wont play right.. I live in a newer house with a very dry basement and thats where my records are kept..


the infinite records on my phone or the 'Virtual DJ' on my macbook pro is a really wonderful setup.. I can rip Old school techno trance like there's no tomorrow with a 4 lb computer.. the pioneer devices that look like little turntables have sort of a record feel about them...



But theres definitely an art lost to actually working 3 turntables and a Denon dual CD player with pitch control... rather than count 32 beats and drop the crossfade.. the music evolved from one track to the next.. often crossing over another 2 tracks in the process.. and there was nothing likejust a touch of the edge of a record to momentarily drop the speed or giving it just a tad of bost by grabbing the little spindle with your thumb and index finger... all the while working the board... of course the board is still there so i can at least still work the EQ and such but I miss the physical spinning records... Traktor scratch was an attemp at the old school feel giving you special "records" you put on a turntable that translated to the computer as digital time-coding so you still have vinyl.. but i never dug it..


its nice to see that some EDM and techno / trance is getting pressed in vinyl again... i do still occasionally break out the Numark's and make a set.. my fancy Pioneer XDJ sits around more than not..



while I running a streaming internet Vintage christmas music radio station from octoner till january.. chrstmas time at my house is all reel to reel and vinyl. i have hundreds of christmas records and love to play them

[dwitty]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223

welcome from swansboro.
i have some experience with the DT360.
just helped my son cram one into a 350.

Whoa. Did you have to modify the body at all?

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Originally Posted by dwitty

Whoa. Did you have to modify the body at all?

yes a little bit of the chassis front crossmember got dropped about 6 inches and welded back in to clear the oil pan.
the fire wall had to be moved back about 10 inches behind the motor and had to cowl the hood and had to make a core support.
text me with a skoolie reference and i can send you what pics i have.
910-581-7210
or you could come to swansboro one weekend and look at it and my 2 buses if you would like.

[nikitis]

I didn't realize you were an East Coaster. You're not that far away from me, but the roads to you are all backroads so it would take me 5+ hours to get to you.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

dont know where in SC you are but not all back roads?
I85,I40 I20 turns into I95 in florence,SC.
hwy 70 is being turned into I70 near me all the way to morehead.
85 runs down from around asheville and runs with 40 around graham mebane area through raleigh durham down to wilmington.
i am 40 minutes east of wilmington depending on where you designate being in wilmington these days from my house i can be in wilmington in 30 minutes by using the many back roads to dodge traffic and buses.
not a big fan of the east coaster thing?
but the marine corps does seperate marines by east of the mississippi buy and west of it was born in texas and got out out the corps here.
been to more countries over seas than i have states in the US.
my wife is changing that as i got to visit her every now and then as a traveling lab TECH.
she in missery now at the land of the ozarks and thinking of visiting because she just extended 3 more months.
give it another week or 2 and the prices will drop cause tourist season ends after labor day.