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Old 08-09-2020, 10:27 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by kazetsukai View Post
OP, 1990, I'd be looking carefully at that engine in your research if I were you. Looks like it was well cared for, hard to tell.
If it was properly cared for the 8.2 engine seems fine but I've been told it's not the greatest. The biggest concern for me is it apparently has a AT545 transmission as well as hydraulic breaks which I've read are not desirable.


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We eliminated the windows and used the hatches as skylights instead. The amount of natural light that comes in during the day makes it very bright inside, all while providing for privacy.
I probably would eliminate a few windows towards the back area where a bed would go. I like the skylight idea though, that sounds awesome.

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Old 08-10-2020, 12:17 AM   #22
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Location: Fraser Valley British Columbia
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Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: C7 Cat
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Originally Posted by ohnoitsokay View Post
Oh yeah totally, I just meant buying an RV is safer if I wanted something completed already.
I’ve gone to see two different buses that were partially converted and they were both really awesome! I’m leaning more towards getting something I can completely convert so I know it’s done to the standards I would want.
I don't really care if the seats have been removed or not, but I know I’d like to put in a passenger seat somehow, which I’ve only seen a few examples of.
We're here because we like buses, we're doing it ourselves because we want our stamp on it and to understand how it all works. Listen to all the advice you can but dont let anyone tell you you can't get it done. Click image for larger version

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Old 08-10-2020, 08:03 AM   #23
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Join Date: May 2017
Location: Athens, TN
Posts: 1,574
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International RE
Engine: International T444e
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Originally Posted by ohnoitsokay View Post
If it was properly cared for the 8.2 engine seems fine but I've been told it's not the greatest. The biggest concern for me is it apparently has a AT545 transmission as well as hydraulic breaks which I've read are not desirable.
I have the 545, I'd like to change it, but tbh its been fine even on the highway, and my bus is quite a bit bigger than that one (37').



If you want to do lots of highway, you might want a different transmission. For a few interstate trips I think the 545 will be fine, but later on I may do an engine/trans swap if travel becomes more of a constant thing.



Engine: Just try looking around to see if you can get parts for it at the very least. Not saying its a bad engine at all.
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Old 08-10-2020, 08:33 AM   #24
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
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Year: 1991
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Engine: DTA360 / MT643
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everyone;s build is different and use-casse is different.. for me I am not converting a bus to live in or camp in.. howeverthe panoramic view of windows is what I keep going back to..



my red bus is a much better road trip cruiser.. it runs 70 MPH and is quieter and more powerful and up until recently was much cooler inside in summer heat.. yet I keep going back to crusing my DEV bus all over the country... why? it has clear non-tinted tall windows.. I love sitting in my mobile workspace with lots of glass.. so if its too hot i have to leave it run with the A/C.. or cold in winter with the heat.. truckers leave their trucks run all the time.. (unless in the green-nazi states on the coasts where i never go)... I see a lot of skoolie builds where the original windows are kept.. sure there are fancy builds with roof raises and RV windows and custom stainless / granite kitchens.. and those are likely much more energy efficient.. but not everyone is going to live full time in their bus.. not everyone is going to try and live off-grid using zero energy to heat / cool their bus.. so buying a bus that burns a little more propane or you are hooking up to casmpground electric isnt exactly a bad thing is that is the use-plan.. I see many builds where people never plan to boondock.. or only do it once in a while along their journey.. and many where people dont plan to full time either.. so having the absolute most efficient energy sipping dark-thick-walled cave isnt a requirement..



whether you need more or less space is a question only you can answer.. ultimately ive seen people build themselves cardboard forts inside their homes to simulate what it wouild be like to fit all the stuff they want to take with them on trips and see if they and their stuff can fit.. this is especially true for full timing but also for camping trips too.. really no one else can answer as to whether a van chassis bus or full-size bus is better suited.. where and how you drive is also a factor.. whether it stays oin the highway or does mild off-roading.. a full chassis bus on 11R22.5 tires rides much rougher than a van chassis on 16s however you have oodles more ground clearance if you are going to camp someplace off the beaten path.. a van chassis drives closer to the car or pickup whereas a full chassis bus drives like a box truck.. rent a couple U-hauls of various sizes if you want to get idea of what its like to drive a van chassis bus vs a full chassis.. (U-haul 16 foot van chassis drives similar to an empty can chassis bus).. penske still rents 26 foot freightliners which drives like a full chassis 8-10 window bus..
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