Off to a big start -- 2001 AmTran

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Bought the bus a month ago in Jersey City, New Jersey. A couple of buddies picked it up and relocated it to Philadelphia and I (and a couple more buddies) went and drove it home from there to St. Mary's County, Maryland.


Since then, I have stripped out the interior and removed all the school bus safety equipment from the exterior, changed the fuel filter, did an oil change, changed the transmission fluid and put 6 new tires on it.


This past week, we've been working on painting it. It is half painted as of this evening


Original plan was to paint it a deep red and name it "Rosebus" (We're Citizen Kane fans and had a "Rosebug" in our past ). Well, upon pricing red paint, we opted for Desert Khaki to go with a more tactical Marine Corps theme. But the name has stuck. It will still be "Rosebus" Look for appropriate graphics in the future.


We are very jazzed with the progress today!

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Repaint complete! Last picture is JB, the painter.


For those who may be interested in how much material was required to paint the AmTran:


1 gal Primer/sealer
2 gal Base Coat (actually used about 1.5. Rest will be used for touch ups, misc)
2 gal clear coat
2 activators
2 reducers

 

[nikitis]

Congrats on the repaint. Moving quick on it all.

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Big day today -- I had dropped off the bus to get Maryland inspected Saturday. They inspected it yesterday and I picked it up today, after I had gotten the paperwork and swung by Quick Tags to get plates for it.


So now I am fully titled and registered in Maryland as a "Multi-purpose vehicle" (AKA, an RV).


For those who might be interested in what the inspection entailed, here is my inspection report. The other picture is an interesting vehicle at Newburg. a '69 GM bus. It has the venerable 6-71N (flat) Detroit. Its for sale on consignment. I would have looked inside but didn't have the time.

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Leaving tomorrow on first camping trip -- Tristate Antique Truck Show in Winchester, VA.


Got the upper lights turned into additional turn indicators. And built a bunk over the rear heater using engineered joists scavenged from a job site.


Ready to roll on trip 1!!

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

cant leave home without the poncho liner.
wish mine still looked that new?

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Roger THAT! I keep one in the Quigley, too. Even in the winter, I rarely use the sleeping bag -- the poncho liner is enough. Best issue item ever!


Here's a couple of shots from last weekend. Rainy but still fun. I don't have a trailer hitch yet so I ended up leaving the '49 home and just took the bus. Ended up with roommates (tent guys). It was a blast.


You can even check out my no-frills Galley ...

 

[DeMac]

Coffee First Camping

I like that you are moving directly into using your rig. The build's necessities will prosper organically and your conversion will be custom to the real world situations that arrise with it's use. It's very difficult to predict our conversion's specific needs until we find ourselves in actual need.

This might be my favorite photo. I need this, yester-week and tomorrow, too.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

what no perculator coffee pot for that folgers and a tin cup?

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

No -- See the french press there to the left? I have some work yet to do in perfecting my method ...


Still a long way (and many years) from my first sergeant (deployed to Korea for Valiant Blitz) after waking up on a 10-degree snowy morning in a snow drift, handing me a steaming canteen cup with everything from an MRE in it -- Coffee, sugar, creamer, lemonade and hot sauce. BEST damn cuppa joe I ever had!


Second to that was a Navy Chief (crew chief) on a Navy C-9 Space A flight at about 0530 walking down the aisle with a Bunn carafe in one hand, packs of creamer in the other and a stack of styrofoam cups in his flight suit rear pocket asking me, "Coffee?"



Racking in da bus last weekend under the poncho liner sortta brought me back to those days. I haven't slept that well in a long time.


Ooh rah, Marine Corps!!
Semper Fi,
John

 

[Kentucky Dreaming]

John,

Thank you for your service.

I need to say no more, my Hero.