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Old 11-05-2020, 01:46 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Post Hello Skooliean's.

Hello All,
Let us first thank you all for accepting our family into your group.

Our Names are Ronell & Pamela+2 and we live in the city of Philadelphia.

Our Story:

My wife and I met on the internet 10 years ago and instantly fell in love and wasted no time planning our lives together.
At the time we meet I was in Philadelphia, PA, while Pamela was living abroad in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she was born and raised.
She'd never been to the State and I'd never visited Brazil.

5 Years after meeting we Married after finished a long and financially draining immigration process that cost no less than $30,000 to complete/
If there are any Skoolieans who need any Advice on our experiences with USICS, Forms, or even just navigating the system don't hesitate to send us a little message.

Where to Buy a house?
$30,000 for the privilege to marry here in the States left us very few options to buy a home.
We're neither rich nor did either of us come from families of significant means so we had to be practical.

3:00 am Youtube:
We were watching a video about people who Homestead for about 2 hours until we both fell asleep. You know how Youtube "Auto Play" does after you've fallen sound asleep LOL.
You wake up to a creepy video about the Loch Ness Monster or some dark sinister music playing.
Anyway, jumped outta bed to change the video and stumble onto a fellow touring someone's tiny home, which in fact was a School bus converted into a skoolie.
After 2 Months of Youtube Videos, our minds were set on Buying "North"

Her name comes from a combination of the United States of American being North of Brasil, Where my Wife and Kids are from and I've worked for "North Italia" Restuarant for 2 years.
The Company is fantastic and the food is amazing.
Once North is up and Running I'll tour all of the North Italia in a Bus named "North".

That's the Story of how I was converted, to converting a School Bus into a Skoolie, from buying a house with a 30-year mortgage.

I'm located In Philadelphia, PA so if there's anyone in the community that's local, I'd much appreciate any help seeing our dream come true.



Here she:

NORTH:
2003
International
T444E
Rear Engine
92,000
Attached Thumbnails
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Old 11-05-2020, 05:26 AM   #2
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
Welcome, fellow Phillistines! Looks like you have excellent starting bus material there. I'm down to help if you need any.
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Old 11-05-2020, 08:52 PM   #3
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 167
Year: 2009
Coachwork: Girardin
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 6.6 turbo diesel
Rated Cap: ?
Hi there Ronell. I am new here also, having purchase a shorty last week. Great story of perseverance in love. I am sure this bus challenge will pale in comparison. Wishing you all the best of luck in this endeavor! Elizabeth (NY)
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Old 11-05-2020, 09:49 PM   #4
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Northern California (Sacramento)
Posts: 1,424
Year: 1999
Coachwork: El Dorado Fiberglass
Chassis: Ford E450
Engine: V10 Gas
Great story, thanks for sharing!
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Old 11-05-2020, 10:56 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
Do keep us posted as to the progress of "North".
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Old 11-07-2020, 02:26 AM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by Native View Post
Do keep us posted as to the progress of "North".
Hey Native Thanks. I'll try to upload a few vids as well and keep you all posted.
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Old 11-07-2020, 02:35 AM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
Welcome, fellow Phillistines! Looks like you have excellent starting bus material there. I'm down to help if you need any.
Hello MusiGenesis and thanks��.
We're down to help as well just let us know if you need anything well. Were now looking over solar Setups.
Where are in the city?
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Old 11-07-2020, 02:42 AM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rucker View Post
Great story, thanks for sharing!
I'm more grateful you all even listen to our story. We have thousands of photos and vids we plan to share on our channel. We have bit of stage fright lol
Hopefully people will enjoy and may be inspired by our story.

Love Sacramento, I lived in Natomas for a bit while I did some engineering way back.
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Old 11-07-2020, 02:49 AM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buster Junior View Post
Hi there Ronell. I am new here also, having purchase a shorty last week. Great story of perseverance in love. I am sure this bus challenge will pale in comparison. Wishing you all the best of luck in this endeavor! Elizabeth (NY)
Awe thanks Buster Junior
Well if 2020 is any references of what's to come then your spot on.
I feel so much better having North even if she hasn't been completed in these uncertain times.

May peace be on us all.
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Old 11-07-2020, 06:04 AM   #10
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
Quote:
Originally Posted by North View Post
Hello MusiGenesis and thanks��.
We're down to help as well just let us know if you need anything well. Were now looking over solar Setups.
Where are in the city?
I know bupkis about solar, unfortunately. If you need any welding or riveting, I'm your man. I live in Wallingford (in Delco) and store my bus in Aston, Mississippi - er, Aston PA.

You may know about this already, but Joseph Fazzio Inc. in Glassboro NJ is the place to go for steel (and other stuff like Ospho, paint, tools etc.). I'm due for a trip over there to get some materials for my interior storage (airplane-style), they have an excellent warehouse full of scrap steel for $0.50 a pound. I can pick you up some materials if you need it - plenty of room to haul in a 35' bus.
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Old 11-07-2020, 03:08 PM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Athens, TN
Posts: 1,574
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International RE
Engine: International T444e
Rated Cap: 76
Hey, that's the same bus chassis we have. If you have difficulty coming up with an effective layout with those rear engine air intake holes in the back, check out my build thread. We just pulled off an interstate trip in it, passing through PA.

Best of luck!
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Old 11-09-2020, 09:18 AM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 16
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Rear Engine
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 14,968
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis View Post
I know bupkis about solar, unfortunately. If you need any welding or riveting, I'm your man. I live in Wallingford (in Delco) and store my bus in Aston, Mississippi - er, Aston PA.

You may know about this already, but Joseph Fazzio Inc. in Glassboro NJ is the place to go for steel (and other stuff like Ospho, paint, tools etc.). I'm due for a trip over there to get some materials for my interior storage (airplane-style), they have an excellent warehouse full of scrap steel for $0.50 a pound. I can pick you up some materials if you need it - plenty of room to haul in a 35' bus.
Good Morning Rusty,

We checked out your recommendation:
Joseph Fazzio Inc. in Glassboro N.J.

Looks promising and exactly what we needed.
We've been looking for a welder forever.
With all of that stimulus flowing around all summer good welders were not reasonably available for simple welding.
We Just spent $160 for 15x 24'X23' roughly.
We have a 180 Mig by Lincoln Electric but have absolutely no experience in Welding which I definitely needed like weeks ago.
What would it cost me to get you out for a day to teach us a few things?
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Old 11-09-2020, 09:55 AM   #13
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,995
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
Quote:
Originally Posted by North View Post
Good Morning Rusty,

We checked out your recommendation:
Joseph Fazzio Inc. in Glassboro N.J.

Looks promising and exactly what we needed.
We've been looking for a welder forever.
With all of that stimulus flowing around all summer good welders were not reasonably available for simple welding.
We Just spent $160 for 15x 24'X23' roughly.
We have a 180 Mig by Lincoln Electric but have absolutely no experience in Welding which I definitely needed like weeks ago.
What would it cost me to get you out for a day to teach us a few things?
$0. And not a penny less!

Weekends are best for me right now - I'm scrambling to get all my interior insulation in place before the cold weather hits (if it ever does), but by general agreement with my neighbors I only bring the bus to my house to work on it during the week.

Do you have a bottle of AR/CO2, wire, auto-darkening helmet and gloves etc.?
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