Well, I brought home another diesel vehicle last night. This one is not however, an MB diesel. Instead, the vehicle is 37 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 11 feet tall. It's powered by a Cummins 555T turbodiesel. What is it you may ask? One 1982 Thomas Transitliner diesel pusher bus, retired from the Texas A&M shuttle fleet. My plans are to convert this monstrosity to a class A motorhome.

What's the top speed on that thing? 0-60 time? Raced any 18-wheelers yet?
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

0-60 barely happens, as 60 mph is its top speed at current. I'll get that minor issue "fixed."

Pictures please!

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Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

As soon as I have some to post. I tried to email a set to work, only to forget that a 10 meg email would be bounced.

OK, I'm finally home, and can upload some pics!!!

more....

last one......





Oh well. I hosted the pictures elsewhere as these have already been shrank down to 28% of their original size. They still won't show up as a pic in the post, but at least the links work.

Those picture links are not working, but I looked at the html source and found the pics. I tried two other ways to link them here, and neither worked. They'll have to be resized to be posted here.

Looks like a fun project.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

The links worked for me.

That vehicle looks exceptionally clean considering it's age. Up here, one of them would be a rusted out rattletrap after that many years.


Probably need to remove quite a few of the windows to get a decent interior setup.

You certainly are not shy of big projects.

He fixed them. Looks good, Brian.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Diesel Power..you're the man! I think that's an awesome idea.

You have to keep us updated on the progress. I wonder how long it will take to get all those seats out?!

How many miles on the engine? It runs good?

With air tools, those seats will be out inside one afternoon at worst. The engine has about 130,000 miles on it, the trans about 134,000 miles on it, and the chassis, 440,000 miles. The engine runs great considering it's gearing. It has a top speed of 60 mph at current, which is a whopping 3800 RPM on the tach!!. It does have a bad rear main seal that I will be taking it in to get repaired. I was having issues with total loss of oil pressure at idle on the way home, and I'm going to have the injectors gone thorough while they have the driveline pulled out to do the rear main seal.

This whole project will be long term, while I learn how to do what I want to do, before I actually do it. While it'll never be up to the candor of the million dollar Marathon coaches, I still want it to be done right. Every single window will be removed, and "proper" RV glass installed. About the only "bussy" thing that will remain, are the double front doors. Part of my latching onto the Thomas chassis was the design of the doors. I'll be able to install a deadbolt lock on these doors without too much effort. When you're in the bus, and the air system that operates the doors is engaged, nobody will be able to force them open when the lever is in the closed position.

When I was growing up, we had a converted shoolbus that we would use yearly for camping at Barbee Lakes in Northern Indiana. I had really great memories of that old bus. I would love to take on the same project myself, but I would never hear the end of the *****ing if there was a bus in the driveway!
Phal

I would suggest you start your motorhome conversion asap... if not you will be called to be the local Boy Scout Scoutmaster.