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 03-20-2015, 12:35 PM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
Ditching the house

hello everyone,

So my name is Higgins, myself and my wife started a conversation about campers, about year ago with both of our up bringing having pop-up campers, and tents around growing up. I thought to myself, why not an RV, then, since we like to do things differently. I asked my wife what about a school bus conversion? Now, she is in school and I am in the navy, and currently deployed. We have at least a year before my wife is done, and I might be out in several months. So, looking to buy a bus and convert the bus ready to go, is something I am shooting for by the end of 2016. We are in the Hampton Roads of Virginia. We really don't like it here, and we don't know where we want to go to. So, we just want to go where ever until we find that place. Looking forward to learning about do's and dont's, tips, and making fellow skoolie friends.

Higgins

brohig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2015, 01:11 PM   #2
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
Welcome to the forum.
Where are you currently stationed?
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2015, 01:34 PM   #3
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
Station out of little creek, Virginia beach, but deployed to Bahrain small island in the Persian gulf. EastCoastCB, what about you, were you in?
brohig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2015, 02:10 PM   #4
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
No I wasn't but I have friends who have served. I like travel though!
I like hearing tales of others travels as well. One buddy of mine is stationed in Hawaii and loves it, another hates every second while he's in Afghanistan. My uncle got drafted in Vietnam but somehow got lucky and was stationed in some part of Germany during the whole conflict.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-20-2015, 02:36 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Welcome friend.

Former Canadian Reservist here. We fight for the same side.

Be sure to read the pages in the build threads section as you have time. There is a ton of usefull info hidden in the pages of each build thread.

I personally like the build thread section more that any other part of this site.

My latest and current build.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/th...ime-10138.html

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 08:19 AM   #6
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
hello Nat,

Same side is right, I have had some fun times with some of your boys playing in a small rugby league out here in Bahrain last year, you guys are great. I have a question for you and eastcoastCB, do you all live full-time in your Skoolie's? me and my wife are looking to take ours to the road for a bit until we find that place. So we are looking to live in it full time. How would you all do it, or recommend us to go about it, as what type/size bus, what skills would be most useful to have around a skoolie? Just how to get started in the right direction.

Thanks advance, Higgins
brohig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 09:11 AM   #7
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
I live full time in 16 feet of my fist bus body, turned into a shed. I will live here till my Four season prime is done. I moved back into my shed in September last fall when the work season slowed, and it was no longer feasible to live in the hotel anymore.
Between my passed marriage debt payments, ($5000 a month) the hotel bill, ($3600 a month) and building the bus, $2500 a month for a place in town was not possible.

I currently live extremely basic. A wood / coal stove, a queen size mattress, a few cast iron pans, and rubber made totes for my clothes, and other belongings. I use the totes like dresser drawers in a house. This keeps my stuff clean.

I shower at the gym. I have a monthly pass, it cost $62 a month.

My lights run off my Milwaukee M18 heated jacked controller. Two 12 volt MR16 120 lumen led bulbs give me a full 14 hours of run time off one 3 amp hour, M18 battery. I charge my battery's everyday at work, as they also power my hand tools and heated jacket. I also have two kerosine lanterns as back up.

I have no TV, I use my laptop at the coffee shop in the morning before I head to work. Bad weather I stay at the coffee shop all day sometimes.
This is not a bad thing, I met my new wife there, and I find a ton of work by talking with people there. It is a good watering hole.

My comfort will start when the four season prime is done.

Your skills, needs, want's, climate, budget, and location will all play a massive role in what bus you get, and how you build your bus. Bus builds often take years. We will be here to help you along.

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 09:33 AM   #8
Bus Geek
 
lornaschinske's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
Are you planning on converting the bus in the Hampton Roads area? Based on what little we have seen there (husband's sister and her husband lived there for several years), converting might be a problem but living fulltime in an RV park isn't. We have stayed in both a private RV park and the county park there. Perhaps keep your eye out for an already converted that you can remodel to suit your tastes while you live in it.
__________________
This post is my opinion. It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Fulltime since 2006
The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335BC-264BC)
https://lorndavi.wordpress.com/blog/
https://i570.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps0340a6ff.jpg
lornaschinske is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 09:44 AM   #9
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
Quote:
Originally Posted by brohig View Post
hello Nat,

Same side is right, I have had some fun times with some of your boys playing in a small rugby league out here in Bahrain last year, you guys are great. I have a question for you and eastcoastCB, do you all live full-time in your Skoolie's? me and my wife are looking to take ours to the road for a bit until we find that place. So we are looking to live in it full time. How would you all do it, or recommend us to go about it, as what type/size bus, what skills would be most useful to have around a skoolie? Just how to get started in the right direction.

Thanks advance, Higgins
I live in a house I own. My bus is parked down the road at a buddy's place who owns lots of property.
Will be living in it full time when its done though.
No particular skill set needed but you have to be willing to do a ton of work and learn a whole lot.
EastCoastCB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 10:25 AM   #10
Bus Geek
 
bansil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: MNT CITY TN
Posts: 5,158
Bahrain...the stories I heard about the place in 90/91...party time, our unit never made it there [crying]

there supposedly were girls and booze...major stuff we didnt have on our tanks

Welcome!!!
__________________
Our build La Tortuga
Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.
George S. Patton
bansil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-21-2015, 11:23 AM   #11
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Stony Plain Alberta Canada
Posts: 2,937
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: 190hp 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Living on a space while trying to convert it is the worst idea ever.

Your belongings will always be in the way of the conversion, your tools and building materials will always be in the way of you trying to live. The filth of construction will get into everything you own. Most of the dust from cutting building material is deadly to humans. You will be moving stuff over and over again. Not fun.

I have lived in construction zones over and over again. I will never do it again.

That's why I live in my shed vs trying to live in my bus.

This is also one of the reasons I'm building my bus. I will always have somewhere clean to live, no matter what work site I'm on.

Nat
__________________
"Don't argue with stupid people. They will just drag you down to their level, and beat you up with experience."

Patently waiting for the apocalypses to level the playing field in this physiological game of life commonly known as Civilization
nat_ster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2015, 11:44 AM   #12
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
ske,

I am curious as to why you say that it would be hard to convert a school bus in hampton roads? My wife and I are a bit concern on how we are to approach this project while living in hampton roads due to the fact that we live in a townhouse and have no avaliable space to work on one, though I might have a friend just across the state line, just have to ask him if it would be cool to park it, and work on it there.

Bansil,

Yes, you can defintly lose your sole out here in Bahrain, some of these guys do find them selves situations they can't take back. Watch out for ladyboy!
brohig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2015, 12:11 PM   #13
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
nat,

Thanks for your post. I understand what you mean living in a construction zone. My house turn into one when I first bought it, but, we are past that now. We do have a bit on our plate. I know trying to have our bus all complete by the end of 2016 is pretty ambitious, but it will keep us focused. Learning what is really important, and what is needed in life and how to down size is the one of the very first things to tackle for us. We've recognized this, and donated a lot to salvation army. We both want a simpler life, one that is more enjoyed living then playing stupid rat race games "keeping up with Joneses". My wife loves actual books in fact, she smells them, I really just enjoy nature and we both love animals. Are intentions are to down size, rent the house out, live in the bus full time and travel, even go abroad. Find that place that we don't want to leave, and park it.
brohig is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2015, 08:25 PM   #14
Bus Geek
 
lornaschinske's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Roswell, NM
Posts: 3,588
Year: 1986
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: 40 ft All American FE
Engine: 8.2LTA Fuel Pincher DD V8
Rated Cap: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by brohig View Post
ske,

I am curious as to why you say that it would be hard to convert a school bus in hampton roads?
Perhaps you have more space than was in the neighbourhoods we saw while there. My in-laws were living in one of the historic neighbourhoods and things were very tight. Both spacial and local rules/regulations. We had a heck of a time delivering building materials without upsetting anyone (David was there working on their Victorian house). Or parking more than the 2 vehicles allotted per house. Granted that was a designated historic neighbourhood but none of the neighbourhoods we saw were someplace you could easily park a bus.
__________________
This post is my opinion. It is not intended to influence anyone's judgment nor do I advocate anyone do what I propose.
Fulltime since 2006
The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335BC-264BC)
https://lorndavi.wordpress.com/blog/
https://i570.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps0340a6ff.jpg
lornaschinske is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-22-2015, 10:09 PM   #15
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 2
We are in Norfolk as well (Hubby is in the Navy) and we are looking to be in our Skoolie by 2016. Small world!

Best of luck!
Barkerswife is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-26-2015, 12:14 AM   #16
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 6
Barkerswife,

Best of luck as well to you and your family, on you all is adventures. I read thread on your family plan, with three buses and a little bit of land, sounds like a fun challenge. Maybe our families could help each other with our skoolie plans, with us being local.

Brohig
brohig 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


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:39 AM.


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