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Old 04-18-2017, 08:59 AM   #1
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Skoolie convertion

Hi all
I would would consider the possibility to find a skoolie which has started the process but not finished , because of ...whatever..

any offer's are welcome

and I will drive it down to Costa Rica , dont worry about it , just met a guy which drove his
1981 Chevrolet chevy van 30


from California to Costa Rica, he like to sell is to small for me, I like to stay long time in the Bus and I am 6.4' so even I like it but its just not doable for me and his price 8000 with USA plates is not so appealing as well.

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Old 04-18-2017, 10:32 AM   #2
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Welcome meabus

It's good that you avoided the P-30. There are partially finished conversions available relatively frequently. At your height I'd suggest finding something that has already had a roof raise. It's easily possible here.
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Old 04-18-2017, 05:38 PM   #3
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Welcome meabus

It's good that you avoided the P-30. There are partially finished conversions available relatively frequently. At your height I'd suggest finding something that has already had a roof raise. It's easily possible here.
thanks for your response
I will take my time, hope finding the almost right bus, in meantime I will try to figure out about registering part
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Old 04-18-2017, 05:50 PM   #4
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It's better if you have lots of eyes looking for a suitable bus for you. People here regularly monitor the auctions and point out good or bad deals. It's completely up to you when or if you pull the trigger.

So you're apparently looking for a shorty? The P-30 was likely a gasser. Are you staying away from diesels?
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Old 04-19-2017, 07:20 AM   #5
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It's better if you have lots of eyes looking for a suitable bus for you. People here regularly monitor the auctions and point out good or bad deals. It's completely up to you when or if you pull the trigger.

So you're apparently looking for a shorty? The P-30 was likely a gasser. Are you staying away from diesels?
No way, I am looking for a Diesel,
the P-30 was only an example that these guys came down from California to CostaRica alive and well..

I am really looking for a sort Skoolie, one ready to drive away, which is not easy because I have my expectations, and the Bus has to be pretty clean..no or little rust, new or almost new tires, engine and transmission has to have Service reports, I was a Truck driver myself long ago, I know things can go wrong when not good maintained.

or one where the seats are already taken out and I can convert , which I am not sure I really like it after reading e.g. your post, like insulation etc. but when I can find one has all the things done, preferred : 1) taken seats out, 2. isolation..etc than I can see that I can get the bus done in 3-6 month.
I started this thread actually, asking if I can get a Bus registered as a none US citizen.
I still dont know, but I guess I can, just dont know how and how long it would take me..
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Old 04-19-2017, 09:12 AM   #6
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That's good. I thought you were wanting something like the P-30.

A diesel shorty is sometimes difficult to find in a specific location. Within several months there should be a good number of buses released from the bus barns. They don't always come with maintenance records, in fact it's kind of rare. The good part is most bus barns do maintain the buses quite well.

There have been several long buses that were partially finished for sale recently. People with shorties don't often change their minds and sell their buses.

It can be difficult going through the insulation process. I lost my internet connection through most of this last summer so was floundering a little without current information. My build is not a good comparison for you because I'm an old disabled man. That was challenging for me at this age and I had a lot of difficulties. Gotta have a hobby.
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Old 04-19-2017, 09:34 AM   #7
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That's good. I thought you were wanting something like the P-30.

A diesel shorty is sometimes difficult to find in a specific location. Within several months there should be a good number of buses released from the bus barns. They don't always come with maintenance records, in fact it's kind of rare. The good part is most bus barns do maintain the buses quite well.

There have been several long buses that were partially finished for sale recently. People with shorties don't often change their minds and sell their buses.

It can be difficult going through the insulation process. I lost my internet connection through most of this last summer so was floundering a little without current information. My build is not a good comparison for you because I'm an old disabled man. That was challenging for me at this age and I had a lot of difficulties. Gotta have a hobby.
I agree with you and the hobby, if you dont do something you rust as an old BUS.
I dont look for a shorty
I look for a 38 footer or so
I like to use the bus also as my home and travel companion
I hope I can find such, I have time, but not forever I might lose interest
but if you know something I would appreciate it .
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Old 04-19-2017, 10:26 AM   #8
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There's a partially finished long bus listed on here today in one of the threads. Have you read about it. It was a pusher for $2,250 if I remember right.
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Old 04-19-2017, 12:31 PM   #9
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There's a partially finished long bus listed on here today in one of the threads. Have you read about it. It was a pusher for $2,250 if I remember right.

I click and it comes up your bus, is this right??

just checking, before I go looking for a bus
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Old 04-19-2017, 01:01 PM   #10
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No, that's a link to my build. My bus is a 26' FE.

I don't have the link right now but I'll put it here when I find it.
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Old 04-20-2017, 07:17 AM   #11
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No, that's a link to my build. My bus is a 26' FE.

I don't have the link right now but I'll put it here when I find it.
.

ok, perfect
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Old 04-20-2017, 10:41 AM   #12
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There was a completed bus in Indiana for sale on here last night. Again, I can't find the link to put here for you. You're simply going to have to spend some time here reading threads. There's lots of buses for sale here every day. Finished and unfinished buses.
I obviously don't know what you're looking for in a bus. Also, I don't mean to be rude but I'm an individual like yourself and not a bus finding service. There are buses for sale here almost daily.
Find a bus that you like, post the link here and people will tell you if there are problems with that bus to help you avoid making a mistake. People here will refer you to good buses, but that only happens if they know what you are looking for. We've been talking for a while and I still don't know what you're looking for.
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Old 04-20-2017, 11:10 AM   #13
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There was a completed bus in Indiana for sale on here last night. Again, I can't find the link to put here for you. You're simply going to have to spend some time here reading threads. There's lots of buses for sale here every day. Finished and unfinished buses.
I obviously don't know what you're looking for in a bus. Also, I don't mean to be rude but I'm an individual like yourself and not a bus finding service. There are buses for sale here almost daily.
Find a bus that you like, post the link here and people will tell you if there are problems with that bus to help you avoid making a mistake. People here will refer you to good buses, but that only happens if they know what you are looking for. We've been talking for a while and I still don't know what you're looking for.

I did not ask you to find a bus for me, in you post yesterday you had found a possible bus thats why I ask. so dont worry I look every day, but if somebody post a link, I will certainly take a look, also I like to thank for your advice..

I look for a skoolie late '90/ beginning 2000, good conditions at least all seats removed or even more advanced build..I am open for all kind of things, I might change my mind, its not all set in stone, I am a very flexible person, otherwise I limit myself to something thats not good, had good advice from a friend which lives in Texas and I listen to everything that can help to make a decision, I moved to Costa Rica I was looking 4 month for the right car..I take my time because its my money..so now you have an idea..also I look for location where the bus is coming from, for more than one reason..so perhaps I would not consider buying a bus in Nova Scotia or Montana ..cheers
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Old 04-20-2017, 12:00 PM   #14
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It's excellent that you're taking your time. Partially finished conversions are common, but they are only on the reader board for a while and then they disappear.

I agree, take your time. It's absolutely your choice. If you're reading the posts you are aware of the auctions taking place across the country. Finding a long bus for yourself shouldn't be a problem. Short buses seem to be a little rare right now though.

Good luck.
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Old 04-20-2017, 12:16 PM   #15
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It's excellent that you're taking your time. Partially finished conversions are common, but they are only on the reader board for a while and then they disappear.

I agree, take your time. It's absolutely your choice. If you're reading the posts you are aware of the auctions taking place across the country. Finding a long bus for yourself shouldn't be a problem. Short buses seem to be a little rare right now though.

Good luck.

are their any advantages between having a long to a short, besides space obviously, perhaps less gas and less space needed,
BTW: whats your opinion on pusher or front engine,
pusher less noise, but less space to fix etc..what more?
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Old 04-20-2017, 09:52 PM   #16
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are their any advantages between having a long to a short, besides space obviously, perhaps less gas and less space needed,
BTW: whats your opinion on pusher or front engine,
pusher less noise, but less space to fix etc..what more?
How about these:
sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/6080032404.html -- great AC
houston.craigslist.org/cto/6062110548.html -- partly done
dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/6068181116.html -- BIG windows for great view
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Old 04-21-2017, 07:48 AM   #17
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How about these:
sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/6080032404.html -- great AC
houston.craigslist.org/cto/6062110548.html -- partly done
dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/6068181116.html -- BIG windows for great view

Tanks a lot for the links, appreciate it

but I guess I stick to a long bus
has more space, also I look for a bus which has at least the seats already removed, I would not know where to deposit them after I remove them, and I cant drive abus with more than 9 seats legal through Mexico and central america.
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Old 04-21-2017, 10:14 AM   #18
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Seriously? Mexico has restrictions on the number of seats allowed?

That's more seats than most of us will ever need. It seems random that they'd choose 9 seats, compared to the 14 or 16 seats allowed in the US.
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Old 04-21-2017, 11:08 AM   #19
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Eh, seats aren't all that hard to take out, and the local dump will take them off your hands pretty easily. But you will need tools, and lots of curse words in the language of your choice at your disposal.

Ours was a NC school bus, then a prison bus, then a private rafting guy's bus. And then it sat long enough that the brakes caught fire on our test drive. Good times. Learned how to use a fire extinguisher that day. On a good note, it did help with the price negotiations.

Ones owned by the school districts are probably well-maintained, except in my home state of SC, where they drive them into the ground. If you get an auction bus, you can pull out the seats, hang some hammocks, and get on the road with a minimum of camping gear. Or, you can spend a lot of time and energy getting it "just right". That's up to you.

I can say that it was hard for me to pull our seats, there is no other configuration that will make it possible to fit 14 people in a short bus. But since we rarely have more than 7-8 with us, taking them out will allow for more comfort.

If you can get over to the states and spend some time in a few buses, converted or not, that will help you envision what you want in the finished product. Those of us from here have the luxury of spending some quality time as kids, often as not, riding these to and from school.
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Old 04-21-2017, 11:40 AM   #20
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Seriously? Mexico has restrictions on the number of seats allowed?

That's more seats than most of us will ever need. It seems random that they'd choose 9 seats, compared to the 14 or 16 seats allowed in the US.
Might be you need a a specila driver license, but I don t care about this, I just dont take chances to find out
I know in my country you can have more than 9 incl. driver
If you never lived in Latin countries, you dont like to experience the hassle you 100% run into, this is a promise!
Some might say this an other say opposite..you can complain , just you will not win, you always lose, no matter what

Recall
Never, ever wake up a sleeping lion, he might bite you
if you dont like to face the battle dont ask for it,
if you do, dont complain!

BTW: this guy told me to ship the bus cost 11K the real prize is 5K max..
always make sure to verify what ppl say..might be costly or worse not too.
Also something I learned along the way.

Put question out as often you can, you will get answers you never expect make sure you pick the right one..
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