National School Bus Yellow

Steve · 11-28-2003, 05:57 PM

You should be aware that in some states, Iowa for example. It is illegal for a private bus to be painted "National School Bus Yellow." You should do research in your area on the law against the color of a private school bus.

In some areas it is sufficient to just paint the front and rear of the bus a different color than "National School Bus Yellow."

Steve · 01-04-2004, 03:48 PM

Also, in case you didn't know, it is illegal to operate the white strobe on the top of your bus.

You must also disconnect the stop sign and top warning lights.

bigdan · 01-07-2004, 05:41 PM

seriously who would like to look like a skoolie when you transform your bus into an RV ?

already bought the beige paint for my roof ....

looking for ideas for the rest ...

soused moose · 01-08-2004, 06:51 AM

I'm leaning toward a Northern California Victorian Beach House look with our Bus... antique white/beige for our roof ...victorian Green for the body ...with muted purple & Gold accenting.

With the wooden panels & Cedar Lattice we have on the exterior ...this paint sceme should look pretty good.

Hope So anyway

Skoolie BOBB · 04-18-2005, 10:36 PM

Steve,

So that is why none of the buses on the RAGBRAI are yellow. For those who don't know just what the RAGBRAI brings together in the way of skoolies, check out the gallary. Better yet, ride the RAGBRAI.

Herb in Utah
1990 flat nose Blue Bird

Jarlaxle · 05-02-2005, 11:19 AM

I modified my rear warning lights into turn signals.

Eric von Kleist · 09-21-2005, 02:30 PM

How hard was this modification? I want to modify mine, but can't decide whether to turn them into brake lights or turn signals/flashers. I also want to convert all my exterior signal lights to LED lighting, although that may be a longer term project, rather than an immediate one. Did you just connect them to the existing wiring? Run new wiring? Did you have to fool around under the dash, or were you able to accomplish everything from the rear of the bus?

If I make them brake lights, I won't have to replace the rear red lenses with amber ones. The front red ones will have to be replaced with amber lenses in order to make them into turn signals, which seems to be the best way to handle them (since you can't have brake lights in the front). There is a bus graveyard a couple of hours from me on I-85 near Hotlanta, but with gas prices as high as they are now, I'm waiting until I need several items before I go tacking on a $25.00 round trip gas expense for the Jeep...

Firearm · 09-21-2005, 05:49 PM

You might want to check into whether or not it's legal to leave the lights on. In some states (such as Wisconsin) the eight light system has to be removed. I wanted to convert them into brake lights and running lights in the rear, but they said I would be red-tagged if I came into Wisconsin that way. I am from Minnesota, but I haven't checked into it here yet. I wanted to haul my stock car through Wisconsin with it, but I have to take them off or black them out if I want to do that.

wmah · 09-21-2005, 07:15 PM

MN law http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/169/448.html

You might be able to get away with the 8 lamps being deactivated but MN also has a law that if the light is there it must work.

lapeer20m · 09-22-2005, 08:00 AM

If the light is disconnected and does not work, It seems unlikely to me that an officer would give you a hard time about it.

in my extreme lazyness, i never got around to putting the marker light lenses back on my bus. There is blue masking tape over top of the bulbs, which makes them give off a little blue glow. Not to mention that none of the school bus flashers work. oh ya...i also don't have a seatbelt for the driver. I removed it when i was putting down the new floor, and somehow neglected to re-install it. Especially irresponsible is the fact that i just finished a 5,000 + mile road trip with the bus in this shape. And I also crossed into and back out of Canada. I need to re-install the seatbelt!

my point is that you can get away with having a lot of things not really up to spec without any real problems, so having some miniscule little thing wrong ie: having a flasher that is disconnected and does nothing, really isn't much of a concern.

Just my $.02

shaggy · 02-03-2006, 07:40 AM

I've seen some posts where folks rolled the paint on the bus. How does that compare to spraying it on?

Tim

Steve · 02-03-2006, 03:07 PM

I think it depends on the look. I did a satin paint with a roller and it gave a really nice looking texture.

shaggy · 02-03-2006, 04:32 PM

Did you use automotive paint?

Tim

dravo · 02-16-2006, 07:25 PM

On our first skoolie we painted the yellow roof with white Cool Seal roofing paint and it realy kept the interior cooler. Our latest bus already came with a factory white roof.

word311 · 03-26-2006, 02:40 PM

Michigan law states that a skoolie can not be yelllow with black stripes. It can be all yellow though. As far as the flashers go, they can't be connected. On my bus I just painted the black stripes yellow and don't turn on the lights when I'm on the road. I've driven all over the state and to several bars with out ever being pulled over.

the_experience03 · 03-26-2006, 03:37 PM

Here's the lowdown I got from UTB when I bought my bus. I don't take this to be law, but from the years of experience the guy has, it seems reasonable.

The bus cannot be NSBC or any other shade of yellow that might easily be confused. Also, all markings that say school bus or a district must be removed. He also recommended against putting something like "Cool Bus" on the panel between the 8 ways as this could be misconstrued from a distance.

The stop sign must be removed. In addition, the 8 ways may not function and must either be blacked out or covered up. He was unsure as to whether or not putting floodlights on the rear and driving lights on the ront was legal. He was also unsure if wiring them up so the rears were all read turn and brake signals and the fronts were all amber turn signals would be legal due to height and confusion.

Also, as long as the bus was still yellow (when I drove it home and for the time being), I need to stop at ALL railroad crossings in the state and put on my flashers. It is illegal for a vehicle that looks like a bus to blow by apparently. The fine is steep if a cop or railroad personal catch just you. If they think you endangered anyone else's life (passengers or otherwise) it quickly rises.

I think he was really just giving me a good heads up. I haven't had a problem yet, but I haven't driven much either. I have noticed people waving to me and smiling a lot as I pass them on the 2 lane backroads, especially in the morning and afternoon so I think that people still mistake it for being an actual school bus, nevermind the lack of 8 way lights or school bus markings. Basically....I don't want to tempt fate.

phillbus914 · 03-26-2006, 05:27 PM

I just drove my bus on a 3,200 mile trip with nothing more then black paint over the school district name to distingush it from an actual school bus. It even says "school bus" on the front & back & my 8 ways still opperational. I even used the 8 ways while parking on the beach, so people wouldn't try to drive around me while I was jockying it into a spot. There were even times when a cop car happened to be behind me in traffic & they never even gave me a 2nd look.

I do plan to paint it as soon as the weather gets warmer anyway, but just wanted to let you all know that cops don't really seem to pay any attention to us skoolies.

Les Lampman · 03-28-2006, 09:14 AM

This is the proverbial run-around-the-bushes discussion. For those of us in the U.S. there are 50 different answers to the question of what's legal and what's not. Only learning what your State's requirements are will answer the question specifically.

I certainly would not use any one person's experience with their specific situation as a guidline for what's acceptable and what isn't. I live in Washington State and I drove my bus home from Colorado. My State requires that the "Stop" sign on the side be removed and that no red lights show to the front of the vehicle (like the front top flashers). I didn't know those things when I brought the bus home and I didn't really have time to do it anyway. I never got a second glance (even with no plates on the bus (I did have temp with me)) but I would never suggest to anyone that they should do the same just because law enforcement didn't bother me on this trip.

There's nothing particularly difficult about complying with the state laws for your State regarding color and/or equipment. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

phillbus914 · 03-28-2006, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les Lampman

I would never suggest to anyone that they should do the same just because law enforcement didn't bother me on this trip.

Me neather, I was just pointing out that in most cases noone gives school busses a 2nd look.

Les Lampman · 03-28-2006, 08:18 PM

phillbus914,

It wasn't my intention to remark specifically on your post; it was just suppossed to be a general observation.

Just now when I read through the thread I definitely see how you thought I meant to address your post.

I apologize for not making my self more clear; it wasn't my intention to invalidate your observations.

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