Bus Project 2018

[jmacx81]

I've started doing some planning for building a skoolie but I was hoping to get some advice on the buying process. What buses to look for, engines, body, and some good to know information before jumping on ebay and buying a bus. Also any lessons learned that people have would be appreciated, I would rather learn from your mistakes rather than do them all myself.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by jmacx81

I would rather learn from your mistakes rather than do them all myself.

Your first mistake is putting a "year" on your post...It takes a bit longer than it was planned on.

Read Read Read. Then watch youtube builds. Then read.

Then bleed money like there is no tomorrow.

[Robin97396]

Your first lesson should be DON'T BUY A BUS ON EBAY.

Shop the school and federal auctions; Public Surplus, GovDeals, etc.

Do you know what kind of bus you want yet? Length?

[MarkyDee]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Your first lesson should be DON'T BUY A BUS ON EBAY.

This should be repeated over and over. They are overpriced by a good distance.

(Note, I did get my coach on eBay. It was a combination of fortune, haggling, and the guy just plumb wanted to sell it to me and no one else. There are still times that I had wished I got a school bus as there are some complexities I'm not quite ready for that I wouldn't have with a school bus.)

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Shop the school and federal auctions; Public Surplus, GovDeals, etc.

THIS is where you want to find your chariot....

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Do you know what kind of bus you want yet? Length?

First, you need to figure out what you want to do with it:

• Overnight camper or a long-haul RV?
• How many people do you want to stay in it comfortably?
• Always connected to the grid or boondock until your stores run out?

Visualize yourself in your bus. What does it look like? What do you have in it? Where are you?

[Robin97396]

As most people keep saying, it all depends on what you intend to do with your bus.

I spend time on backroads. I'm talking about roads some people won't take their cars on. I couldn't do that with a low floor model. I also couldn't do that with a 40' bus. Turning around and sometimes making sharp corners on narrow gravel roads would simply be to difficult. This bus fits its intended use very well, but it may not be the best choice for interstate travel, although it is capable.

Your primary intended use should dictate the type and size of bus for you. This is the fun part, since there are so many choices available.

[Dog Rescuer]

My advice is to just do it. I know that I tried to take a few shortcuts, and in the end have had to get what I should have gotten the first place.
I spent too much time trying to over analyze every step - and worried about not doing it right - but in the end - it can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be - just make it your own. Do what you are comfortable doing.
I just installed my Nature's Head toilet - after a month and a half of the bucket.
Other than that- I learn by living in it - and keep updating as I go.
I love living in my bus - My Dog and I are traveling - and exploring - we are seeing a lot of State Parks - and meeting great people.

I don't regret anything - except not doing it sooner.

[jmacx81]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Your first lesson should be DON'T BUY A BUS ON EBAY.

This is something I was wondering about because you see some school buses on eBay for as low as $5000 and some that are $75,000. I've been trying to figure out if I want a dog nose or a flat front. I think I'd like a full size over a short bus. Also, I see a lot of wheelchair lift buses. Are there any pros to having one of these if I'm not in a wheelchair?

[jmacx81]

Originally Posted by MarkyDee

THIS is where you want to find your chariot....



First, you need to figure out what you want to do with it:

• Overnight camper or a long-haul RV?
• How many people do you want to stay in it comfortably?
• Always connected to the grid or boondock until your stores run out?

Visualize yourself in your bus. What does it look like? What do you have in it? Where are you?

So I'd really like to have it as a full-time RV and possibly live in it while doing the build. Sounds crazy I know but I just retired from the Army as an Explosives Ordnance Disposal Technician so I guess I get to be a little crazy. Most of the time it will just be a dog and myself in the camper but from time to time I'll need it to sleep my 4 sons as well. I'd like to not be connected to the grid at all but I'm not opposed to being able to connect.

[jmacx81]

Originally Posted by Dog Rescuer

My advice is to just do it. I know that I tried to take a few shortcuts, and in the end have had to get what I should have gotten the first place.
I spent too much time trying to over analyze every step - and worried about not doing it right - but in the end - it can be as simple or as difficult as you want it to be - just make it your own. Do what you are comfortable doing.
I just installed my Nature's Head toilet - after a month and a half of the bucket.
Other than that- I learn by living in it - and keep updating as I go.
I love living in my bus - My Dog and I are traveling - and exploring - we are seeing a lot of State Parks - and meeting great people.

I don't regret anything - except not doing it sooner.

Attachment 17987

At what point in your build did you decide you could move into your bus?

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by jmacx81

This is something I was wondering about because you see some school buses on eBay for as low as $5000 and some that are $75,000. I've been trying to figure out if I want a dog nose or a flat front. I think I'd like a full size over a short bus. Also, I see a lot of wheelchair lift buses. Are there any pros to having one of these if I'm not in a wheelchair?

Around here we consider $5000 to be high for the vintage of bus that makes a good RV. Most people have been sticking to buses no newer than about 2004, to avoided the engines beset with problems from emissions regs.

Public auctions remain the best source for buses, if you are happy to bear the risks involved. You are buying directly from the school districts with a fee for the auction house (the only middle-man).

Short buses in good condition seem to command a premium.

[MarkyDee]

Originally Posted by jmacx81

So I'd really like to have it as a full-time RV and possibly live in it while doing the build. Sounds crazy I know but I just retired from the Army as an Explosives Ordnance Disposal Technician so I guess I get to be a little crazy. Most of the time it will just be a dog and myself in the camper but from time to time I'll need it to sleep my 4 sons as well. I'd like to not be connected to the grid at all but I'm not opposed to being able to connect.

Living in while doing the build is rather difficult - check out JDFinley's coach build. Its like living in your house while you are building it. However, you get the upside of knowing exactly where you want something by the time you get around to putting that something in.

As for sleeping 5 (+dog) in a bus that isn't grid-connected for a possible extended time - well, you're going to need deep pockets for that. You're talking a hefty solar system or constant genset use (depending on your amenities you want). I'm looking at sleeping 6 and I opted for a coach bus for the room.

I'd suggest you put down more detail on exactly how you want to live in the bus. Develop a few "user stories" (as we say in the software industry) - basically small stories that detail out how you want to wake up in the morning; prepare a meal; or entertain guests. Something like:

When I wake up in the morning I roll out of bed (without hitting my head on furniture). I immediately take a 10 minute shower. I then have breakfast (cereal) with coffee. (And so forth....)

This lets you see what features you want in your bus - a bed (cot, twin, queen, etc.), a shower (how long do you want to be in the shower before it goes cold? Can you get by with a 6 gallon water heater, or do you want a diesel heater system or even a tankless hot water heater?); a hot plate or electric coffee pot; a refrigerator of sorts, etc.

Once you have several "user stories" detailed out, you can start getting an idea of what features you need in the bus (furniture, appliances, etc.). You can start getting an idea of how much energy you will use, and in what forms that energy is in (electric, diesel, propane).

Also, what climates are you going to be in? If you are "chasing the 70's", you won't need as much insulation than if you are going to stay in a more-northernly climate during the winter.

So, you need to think about "how you live your life" and how that "how" can fit in a bus. Also, you may need to figure out how to "jettison" some of that "how" because those methods don't fit in a bus....

[cadillackid]

a lot of things about usage will surprise you too.. ie taking a shower .. even a short one uses more water than you think it does.. .. when thinking about climate control throw out what you read as far as aquare footage on the box for an A/C or a heater - unless you plan to Super-insulate.. which costs you valuable floor and ceiling height..

living off-grid is fairly easy until you want to live off grid wit hthe same lifestyle you have on-the-grid. then is when things get tough..

solar is great until you realize you have configured it using the ratings on the panel's ad or tag.. and you have 4 cloudy says in a row.. or are up north where the sun angle is so low you get 1/2 output..

User-stories is a perfect way to look at it.. pay attention to everything you do in your life now. and how it pertains to space, energy usage, water usage, and the like.. and then think about how or if you are willing to modify aspects to fit bus life or if you are to build and nodify the bus to fit your lifestyle.

-Christopher

[Robin97396]

Let's be real. A bus is somewhere between living at home and full on camping. As mentioned energy concerns are pretty important, and that makes insulation quite important regardless of if it's for heating or cooling purposes.
Put whatever conveniences you want in your bus, but the build cost goes up considerably the more you try to make it like waking up at home. You may wake up and take a shower in the morning, but if five of you take a shower you'll likely be headed somewhere to refill your water tank and dump your waste tanks. Buses are about the pinnacle of camping without the expense of a motorhome.

To answer your original question, once you get insulation into your bus it's fairly easy to live in it after that point. So get your bus, strip the seats out, remove the interior metal skins and old insulation in preparation for insulation. You can install rigid insulation or spray foam your bus.

You can actually live in your bus while you're going through this process, but you're going to find little bits of insulation in everything. I did it the hard way, as usual.

[Bluthebus00]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Your first mistake is putting a "year" on your post...It takes a bit longer than it was planned on.

Read Read Read. Then watch youtube builds. Then read.

Then bleed money like there is no tomorrow.

The "Read Read Read. Then watch youtube builds. Then read." is exactly what you need to do! We spent countless hours watching others' Youtube videos and reading posts on forums. Learn about front/rear engine setups, which engines/transmissions to avoid, etc.


Draw up floorplans and figure out what you want in your bus. It helps to see it on paper/on a screen and can aid in figuring out what size bus would fit your needs. That said, don't stress too much over the floor plan as it will be a general guide and can be refined as you close in on the type of bus you want. Most places will provide you internal dimensions of a bus if you ask nicely!

Depending on your location, also look into local ordinances for parking such a vehicle on your property! I live in PA so our state is a little on the stricter side compared to others. I've seen places both nearby and on forums where owners couldn't park a bus on their property at all or they couldn't have a vehicle on their driveway that doesn't have a license plate or sat uninsured. Better to know ahead of time!