Sonny

[GreatPlainsBus]

Hello!

I've been reading along here for over 6 years, and it's finally time to put all that lurking to good use.

A few weeks ago we bought a short bus and are starting the conversion process. We lived full time in a 36ft Thomas a few years ago, but we purchased that bus ~95% complete, so while we're not new to bus life we ARE new to actually doing the work....

The new bus is a 2001 Ford Collins with low miles and very little rust, and it's already painted. It has a 7.3L that got a great report from the mechanic. I'm thrilled to have found this bus, and it happened to be parked across the highway from my in-laws. I took that as a sign and snatched it up.

Demo is proving slow and painful, partly because we don't know what we're doing and partly because we started a bus conversion in the dead of winter in North Dakota. Even with cold fingers I'm so excited to be doing a build from scratch.

 

[tumblewd]

Hello and Welcome. My bus is a 2004 GMC 3500 6.0 gas. I traveled nearly same path as you as I did a 36 ft Thomas in 2013, sold it in 2015, found this one in Denver. Enjoy the road less traveled. I love my short bus, as Im sure you will love yours. Thats quite the score.

 

[AlphaHare]

Welcome!

Not much fun in the cold, but at least it's the demo and not the rebuild.

Start a build thread and post pictures!

 

[Slapdash]

Hello!

I've been reading along here for over 6 years, and it's finally time to put all that lurking to good use.

A few weeks ago we bought a short bus and are starting the conversion process. We lived full time in a 36ft Thomas a few years ago, but we purchased that bus ~95% complete, so while we're not new to bus life we ARE new to actually doing the work....

The new bus is a 2001 Ford Collins with low miles and very little rust, and it's already painted. It has a 7.3L that got a great report from the mechanic. I'm thrilled to have found this bus, and it happened to be parked across the highway from my in-laws. I took that as a sign and snatched it up.

Demo is proving slow and painful, partly because we don't know what we're doing and partly because we started a bus conversion in the dead of winter in North Dakota. Even with cold fingers I'm so excited to be doing a build from scratch.

Hello and Welcome!

Juuust about finished with our first-ever build in a 2005 GMC 6.0 Corbeil shorty. Been a great and heartbreaking challenge along the way. I hear ya on the cold. I'm in New England, so a little warmer than you, but still a little cold to charge up the battery.

One spot of advice, I would tear it down ALL the way. Wifey and I did a pretty hefty demo, found 9 million mouse nests, got rid of those, put it all back together, then found 9 million more, so out came the ceiling and just about everything else.

Welcome the to asylum and good luck! Keep us posted!

 

[GreatPlainsBus]

Thank, I will definitely start a build thread!

 

[GreatPlainsBus]

Hello and Welcome!

Juuust about finished with our first-ever build in a 2005 GMC 6.0 Corbeil shorty. Been a great and heartbreaking challenge along the way. I hear ya on the cold. I'm in New England, so a little warmer than you, but still a little cold to charge up the battery.

One spot of advice, I would tear it down ALL the way. Wifey and I did a pretty hefty demo, found 9 million mouse nests, got rid of those, put it all back together, then found 9 million more, so out came the ceiling and just about everything else.

Welcome the to asylum and good luck! Keep us posted!

New England winter is certainly no cake walk. We get the wind, you guys get all the snow. We're just entering a 10 day stretch of 20-30 degree weather which is better than we could ask for in January!

Appreciate the advice on demo. My husband is pretty tempted to leave the walls and ceiling. I don't blame him, it's a pain. But I'm going to be stubborn with this build and do things right even if it takes 5 years. Which it likely will...