|
10-22-2019, 10:59 AM
|
#1
|
New Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Alaska but currently N. Florida
Posts: 2
Year: 1998
Coachwork: International
Chassis: 3800
Engine: T444e
Rated Cap: 66 passengers
|
Where to convert?
Hi folks, this is my first post. I'm a Alaskan Tour Boat Captain and my fiancee and I are down in North East Florida for the Winter searching for a bus and hoping to have 90% of the conversion of a 66 pax school bus finished by spring. We are planning on renting a pretty small apartment in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine Area. Because we are renting, we're having a really difficult time finding a place to park the bus and actually do the work. I tried calling Green Cove Springs Marina Boat yard but they said "nope" to having a skoolie parked next to yachts.
Where have you fine people parked your bus during conversion and does anyone have any suggestions on where a renter might park a bus for conversion?
Thanks!
Austin and Sarah
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 11:07 AM
|
#2
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
|
You'll need property, friends with property, or money to pay rent somewhere that will allow you to work on-site.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 11:14 AM
|
#3
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,992
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by WanderingAppalachian
Hi folks, this is my first post. I'm a Alaskan Tour Boat Captain and my fiancee and I are down in North East Florida for the Winter searching for a bus and hoping to have 90% of the conversion of a 66 pax school bus finished by spring. We are planning on renting a pretty small apartment in the Jacksonville/St. Augustine Area. Because we are renting, we're having a really difficult time finding a place to park the bus and actually do the work. I tried calling Green Cove Springs Marina Boat yard but they said "nope" to having a skoolie parked next to yachts.
Where have you fine people parked your bus during conversion and does anyone have any suggestions on where a renter might park a bus for conversion?
Thanks!
Austin and Sarah
|
Welcome to skoolie.net. I called around to all the self-storage places in my area until I found one that would let me park a bus and work on it. Downside is it was expensive ($200 a month) and I got robbed three times. I've since moved to a U-Haul place 10 minutes from where I live, where the owner haggled me down to $75 a month from my initial offer of $100 (I love this man like a grandfather).
I think finding a spot close to where you live is very important so as to minimize your driving time - and to prevent days where you just say the hell with it all. I think it pays to be kind of vague about how much work and what kind you're going to be doing on the bus. Finding a place with electricity is good but not all that important, since generators are cheap and easy to deal with; finding a place with running water and proper drains would be better.
I'm going to be in Flagler Beach in December and again in February, and I wouldn't mind coming up and helping out on your build to relieve the boredom. There's also a skoolie gathering in Ocala in February, IIRC.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 11:18 AM
|
#4
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
Welcome to skoolie.net. I called around to all the self-storage places in my area until I found one that would let me park a bus and work on it. Downside is it was expensive ($200 a month) and I got robbed three times. I've since moved to a U-Haul place 10 minutes from where I live, where the owner haggled me down to $75 a month from my initial offer of $100 (I love this man like a grandfather).
I think finding a spot close to where you live is very important so as to minimize your driving time - and to prevent days where you just say the hell with it all. I think it pays to be kind of vague about how much work and what kind you're going to be doing on the bus. Finding a place with electricity is good but not all that important, since generators are cheap and easy to deal with; finding a place with running water and proper drains would be better.
I'm going to be in Flagler Beach in December and again in February, and I wouldn't mind coming up and helping out on your build to relieve the boredom. There's also a skoolie gathering in Ocala in February, IIRC.
|
Sucks that its $20 to get into that "gathering". Usually gatherings are free.
Hit me up if you have any free time while in FL. Roxy and I would love to meet up for dinner or just hang out at the bus and BS.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 11:27 AM
|
#5
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 6,992
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Sucks that its $20 to get into that "gathering". Usually gatherings are free.
Hit me up if you have any free time while in FL. Roxy and I would love to meet up for dinner or just hang out at the bus and BS.
|
That sounds good. The elder generation in my family likes to go to The Villages but that place feels like a horror movie to me, so maybe I can dump them there can come see your bus.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 11:40 AM
|
#6
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,762
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
That sounds good. The elder generation in my family likes to go to The Villages but that place feels like a horror movie to me, so maybe I can dump them there can come see your bus.
|
Sounds good!
I grew up in Lady Lake. Back in the day the villages was a medium sized trailer park for old people. They had a store, a bowling alley, and a mexican restaurant. Now its three counties! Its hell to drive through. Those retirees from OH and MI are the worst drivers in the world!
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 12:07 PM
|
#7
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
|
While riding my bike along Manhattan Beach last weekend I saw a guy converting his Sprinter in the parking lot. Not ideal workspace, but he had a great view.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 12:09 PM
|
#8
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Sounds good!
I grew up in Lady Lake. Back in the day the villages was a medium sized trailer park for old people. They had a store, a bowling alley, and a mexican restaurant. Now its three counties! Its hell to drive through. Those retirees from OH and MI are the worst drivers in the world!
|
I used to live in AZ. I saw MANY pickups with fifth wheel hitches driven by retired folks that had difficulty navigating parking lots. It scares me a bit to think of those drivers on the highway pulling an 16,000 lb trailer.
I enjoy the benefits of not needing a CDL to drive my buses but there are some times that I question the wisdom of the exemption. That said, I see people who should not be driving a 3000 lb car.
|
|
|
10-22-2019, 12:18 PM
|
#9
|
Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,401
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
|
Back on topic...
I lived for a few years in an area where there were a number of lots (1/3 acre) that had power, water and septic that were rented to folks who lived in RVs full time. County regulations limited your stay to 6 months of the year. One of my neighbors had been living there, full time, for 16 years. The regulations were not enforced. I still have friends living there that pay $325 a month.
I would check Craigslist for something similar.
|
|
|
08-04-2020, 01:18 PM
|
#10
|
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 2
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
Welcome to skoolie.net. I called around to all the self-storage places in my area until I found one that would let me park a bus and work on it. Downside is it was expensive ($200 a month) and I got robbed three times. I've since moved to a U-Haul place 10 minutes from where I live, where the owner haggled me down to $75 a month from my initial offer of $100 (I love this man like a grandfather).
I think finding a spot close to where you live is very important so as to minimize your driving time - and to prevent days where you just say the hell with it all. I think it pays to be kind of vague about how much work and what kind you're going to be doing on the bus. Finding a place with electricity is good but not all that important, since generators are cheap and easy to deal with; finding a place with running water and proper drains would be better.
I'm going to be in Flagler Beach in December and again in February, and I wouldn't mind coming up and helping out on your build to relieve the boredom. There's also a skoolie gathering in Ocala in February, IIRC.
|
Hi! Another newcomer here. So you called the U-Haul place and asked them if you could work on your bus on the premises? How big is your skoolie?
Thanks for all the info!
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|