Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 12-03-2014, 09:11 AM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
New Hunting Bus

Hello All..... first time post here.
I've been looking at this site for a long time now and have gotten some good ideas from it.

This is my family’s 4th school bus conversions.
My grandpa has done all 4 of them and my dad has helped with 3 of them.

Unlike most of the post here, I will not be updating as the process in ongoing because the conversion is already done.
I, unfortunately, wasn't there to help with the conversion because I live 2 hours away and there aren’t any photos of the conversion as it was ongoing.
I do however have pictures of the bus before and after the conversion that I will share with you.

So here is a little bit about the bus, it's a 2001 Bluebird 77 passenger bus with a 3126 cat engine and a Freightliner chassis.
The bus has about 112,000 miles on it.

I believe the bus is a little over 39' long and it's about 31'6' long from the back of the driver seat to the back wall.

leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2014, 10:08 AM   #2
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here are some pictures of the bus before the conversion
Attached Thumbnails
FrontBus.jpg   BackBus.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2014, 10:45 AM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here are some more pictures

Underneith the bus


3126 Cat engine


Here is the Drivers seat with the control panels
This bus is an automatic with cruise control
Attached Thumbnails
BusDriverSeat.jpg   BusUnder1.jpg   BusEngine.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-03-2014, 11:32 AM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 262
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: Amtran
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 71
Re: New Hunting Bus

Welcome! looking forward to seeing the pictures
__________________
"This is my ship...the Nebuchadnezzar, it's a hovercraft."
~Morpheus
The Nebuchadnezzar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 08:26 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

The color that they chose was a blueish/grey color



The top of the bus, the color is suppose to be a light blueish/grey color but it looks white.




This picture was taken right before we left to go home from deer hunting
Attached Thumbnails
20141130_085331.jpg   20140907_174520.jpg   20140907_162501.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 09:28 AM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here is the counter and some of the shelving that we have
For the shelving, we took the wired closet shelf and turned it upside down so we could have a lip on it so nothing would fall down on us.

This is the shelf that we have over the main table
The self is about 5 feet long



Here is the shelf that is over the counter
The shelf is about 6.5 feet long



Here is what our counter looks like. The counter is 8 feet long with a sink and a counter top range.
We used to have a full oven in the old bus but we decided to take it out because we never used the oven part and then we got more storage space below.
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_160854.jpg   20141123_161138.jpg   20141123_161208.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 11:07 AM   #7
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 120
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Honey Badger RV Co
Chassis: tc2000
Engine: 5.9 cummins
Rated Cap: 74
Re: New Hunting Bus

Great looking unit. Tire chains on a bus makes it into a tank. Thats my idea of a hunting camper.
wauto is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 11:44 AM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by wauto
Great looking unit. Tire chains on a bus makes it into a tank. Thats my idea of a hunting camper.

Thanks.....

We needed the chains this year because we had about 10" of snow.
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 01:57 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

We changed how we did our water on this bus.

This is the new way. it's hard to see, but there is a small water pump in the cabnet.
We hooked up four 5 gallon water jugs and put a toggle switch near the facet to turn the water on and off.



During deer hunting, we took out the drawers of this one and put in 4 more water jugs so they don't freeze.



This is the old way we used to do the water.
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_160944.jpg   20141123_160917.jpg   100_0032.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 02:23 PM   #10
Bus Geek
 
EastCoastCB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
Re: New Hunting Bus

Very nice rig yall got there for hunting. My last bus is now a former co-worker's hunting rig up in Georgia. He loves it.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 02:51 PM   #11
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here is our main table.
it's 4' long and 3' wide.

Since the bus seats are not 4' long, they took another seat and added it to the end to make it 4 feet.
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_0370.JPG   IMG_0369.JPG  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 02:59 PM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here is our side table that we use for eating.
For deer hunting, with the tables that we do have, we can feed 12 people.

As you can see, they fold up and down.
When it's time to eat, we put them up and when we are done eating, we put them down so we can have extra room for seating
You can have both tables up or down at the same time or you can just put up one table if you would like.

I believe they took the hinges off the old bus door and used them

They put insulation up the side of the bus to the window. Then they also put carpet all the way up to the window for extra insulation.
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_0371.JPG   IMG_0372.JPG  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 03:06 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Very nice rig yall got there for hunting.
Thanks......
This is the 3rd bus that my family has owned since i started hunting 25 years ago and I believe this is the best bus yet.
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-04-2014, 08:45 PM   #14
Bus Nut
 
Hank's P-O-S's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: MB
Posts: 279
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Tomas
Chassis: International
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 54
Re: New Hunting Bus

That's a verry nice bus! Something I would seriously copy.
Now if only I could find a bus that nice here in central canada, even the 5 grand busses are rusty crap.
__________________
"...Baler twine tie downs goin' down the road
On two bald tires and an oversize load..."
Hank's P-O-S is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2014, 08:23 AM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hank's P-O-S
That's a verry nice bus! Something I would seriously copy.
Now if only I could find a bus that nice here in central canada, even the 5 grand busses are rusty crap.

Thanks.
It took me about 9 months of searching Craigslist and other sites to find this bus.
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2014, 08:29 AM   #16
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Both the top and the bottom selves pull out.
This was done so the cook doesn't have to be on their hands and knees looking for something on the botton shelf.


Here the bottom shelf is pulled out



Here is the top shelf pulled out a little ways
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_161001.jpg   20141123_161023.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2014, 08:52 AM   #17
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here are more pictures of the counter.


These 2 drawers have our silverware and utensils.




This is our miscellaneous drawer
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_161041.jpg   20141123_161104.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2014, 11:24 AM   #18
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here is our heater.




Here is our bedding area.
We have 2 full beds and 2 single beds
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_161228.jpg   20141123_161244.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-08-2014, 11:30 AM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

We can sleep 6 - 8 adults in this setup.
6 people sleeps in beds and we can put down 2 cots next to the fold down tables for 2 more people ( we have done this ).

We can also feed about 12 adults with everyone seating at a table.


Some time around Christmas I will take better pictures so everyone can see the whole floor plan better.
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-15-2014, 10:08 AM   #20
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: 3126
Rated Cap: 77
Re: New Hunting Bus

Here is how we set up deer hunting camp
Attached Thumbnails
20141123_160620.jpg   20141123_160639.jpg  
leiniesmn1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
deer hunting keith Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 2 10-21-2012 09:56 AM
hunting keith Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 2 10-14-2012 08:23 PM
Hunting list for sale josetann Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 0 08-04-2009 07:15 PM
wvo hunting recycler Alternative Fuels | Electric, Propane, Wood & Biofuels 1 07-17-2008 12:13 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.