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 08-19-2017, 02:17 PM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Smokie mountains, TN
Posts: 6
Just joined...HELLO!

Hello everyone!
My name's Andrew and I just joined your community. To be honest, this is the first one I've ever joined so if I do something wrong or post in the wrong place, I'm sorry in advance. I'll try and learn the in's an out's as quickly as possible.
I am new to the Skoolie world but not to the RV lifestyle. I have two years of workamping experience and have been in love with the outdoors since I was a child. I've wanted to be a full-timer for a long time but have allowed "Society" to dictate what is acceptable when you have a family. I have been miserable inside while living this way and have decided NO MORE!
I have seen busses for sale over the years and there was always something that stirred inside of me but never gave it much thaught until a few months ago. I love working with my hands and was never the type of person to go buy something when I knew I could build it (better sometimes) myself. I love working with wood and over my many years of working I've developed into a "jack of all trades". Long story short... Here I am.
Any advice would be welcomed and I hope to develop friendships with people who have the same love for this lifestyle as I have. Please share your gifts with me as I want to share mine with you. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you! Andrew

Geckomon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 02:45 PM   #2
Traveling
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,573
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Rated Cap: '00
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geckomon View Post
Any advice would be welcomed and I hope to develop friendships with people who have the same love for this lifestyle as I have. Please share your gifts with me as I want to share mine with you. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you! Andrew
Welcome !

Plan your ideal bus- towing? maneuverable? tall interior? Mountains? Hot climate/cold? 2 adults? 7 dogs?

Tell us more.
Rusty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 02:45 PM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
M1031A1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
Posts: 1,444
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
I'm sure others will say this, so I guess I'll be the first.

Find some of the builds that you think will fit your wallet, wants, and needs. Those threads will give you insight into what to do, and much more importantly - what to avoid or not do.

Second. Have patience - LOTS of patience. When we bought our first bus we bought it because it was cheap. We didn't think through the needs our family has. It was a tough lesson. We went back, looked at our needs, looked at what we really needed in a bus, and then had to wait for almost three and a half years to find our bus. However, the wait was well worth it. We bought from a reputable school district with an excellent reputation of keeping their buses to manufacturer specs. and they were in a rust free area of the US. We're in year two of our build and are just now getting to the fun part of building our bus - and that is ACTUALLY building the interior of our bus. We still have a few hurdles to overcome - but we're well on our way. So patience will always pay off in the long run.

Third. Have some friends that are willing to help with the big stuff. Pulling the seats out can be done by yourself. However, it's SOOOOOO much easier having someone else on the other side of the floorboards!!!!! Planning and timing with friends makes for a fun build and morale builder for all. Pizza and beer tends to make it more enjoyable.

Fourth. Keep an eye on places like FreeCycle and other free online sites trying to recycle things. The ideas people come up with for even the seemingly mundane items is amazing.

Fifth. (and I'm not talking about a fine whiskey either.....) Don't be afraid to try something to see if it works. What works for one may not work for another. Our original reason to make a Skoolie was to full-time and get out of the apartment we're in. However, my wife has health issues, so now it's being built so she can travel the US safely and relatively pain free. She can't take an airplane because it hurts her legs way too much. Thankfully, the bus is flexible enough to allow us that change in purpose. However, there are other buses we considered that would not work in the same way now as compared to our original purpose. So we tried things and tried our best to plan ahead. In this case it worked - unlike our other bus.

So, in conclusion, best of luck, be patient, think creatively, have friends willing and able to help when needed, and try to plan for years ahead, oh yeah, and be patient. Did I mention you need to be patient? Just checking.......

My two cents.....

M
__________________
Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence. — George Washington
M1031A1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 06:30 PM   #4
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Smokie mountains, TN
Posts: 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty View Post
Welcome !

Plan your ideal bus- towing? maneuverable? tall interior? Mountains? Hot climate/cold? 2 adults? 7 dogs?

Tell us more.
Well as I want to make this my home, I would like to tow a vehicle, I am 5'11 so based on my research I "think" the standard height would be sufficient. 6'2??? I would like to be able to travel anywhere. I am not so keen on hot places like deserts but life is an adventure and I can't say I'll never visit said places...lol. I am starting out as one adult but am planning a bedroom to accommodate two adults. Again, life is unpredictable. Was hoping a queen bed is not out of the question. May have a bunk area for the kids visits. Two cats and a husky. I really like the look of the "flat nose" buses.(don't know if that's what they are called) They have a vintage look about them with the right paint job. Hope that is a good start on info...😆
Geckomon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 06:41 PM   #5
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Smokie mountains, TN
Posts: 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by M1031A1 View Post
I'm sure others will say this, so I guess I'll be the first.

Find some of the builds that you think will fit your wallet, wants, and needs. Those threads will give you insight into what to do, and much more importantly - what to avoid or not do.

Second. Have patience - LOTS of patience. When we bought our first bus we bought it because it was cheap. We didn't think through the needs our family has. It was a tough lesson. We went back, looked at our needs, looked at what we really needed in a bus, and then had to wait for almost three and a half years to find our bus. However, the wait was well worth it. We bought from a reputable school district with an excellent reputation of keeping their buses to manufacturer specs. and they were in a rust free area of the US. We're in year two of our build and are just now getting to the fun part of building our bus - and that is ACTUALLY building the interior of our bus. We still have a few hurdles to overcome - but we're well on our way. So patience will always pay off in the long run.

Third. Have some friends that are willing to help with the big stuff. Pulling the seats out can be done by yourself. However, it's SOOOOOO much easier having someone else on the other side of the floorboards!!!!! Planning and timing with friends makes for a fun build and morale builder for all. Pizza and beer tends to make it more enjoyable.

Fourth. Keep an eye on places like FreeCycle and other free online sites trying to recycle things. The ideas people come up with for even the seemingly mundane items is amazing.

Fifth. (and I'm not talking about a fine whiskey either.....) Don't be afraid to try something to see if it works. What works for one may not work for another. Our original reason to make a Skoolie was to full-time and get out of the apartment we're in. However, my wife has health issues, so now it's being built so she can travel the US safely and relatively pain free. She can't take an airplane because it hurts her legs way too much. Thankfully, the bus is flexible enough to allow us that change in purpose. However, there are other buses we considered that would not work in the same way now as compared to our original purpose. So we tried things and tried our best to plan ahead. In this case it worked - unlike our other bus.

So, in conclusion, best of luck, be patient, think creatively, have friends willing and able to help when needed, and try to plan for years ahead, oh yeah, and be patient. Did I mention you need to be patient? Just checking.......

My two cents.....

M
Thank you so much for the advice! I am in no hurry on this project. This will be my home and I want to do it right. I have a pretty good idea on where I want to go with this. Having said that I do also understand that life can throw you curveballs periodically and adjustments will have to be made. I hope the amount of preparation I'm willing to put into this project will pay off with a product that I'm happy and satisfied with. For example, right now I'm researching toilets...lol. Something I feel will be an important in the years to come. Please stay in touch!
Geckomon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 07:07 PM   #6
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Picton,Ont, Can.
Posts: 1,956
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: Cat 3116
Rated Cap: 72
Welcome and good luck with your build. One question though..why would jack of all trades need us bus people? You should have no issues figuring out one of these baby's..no?

John
__________________
Question everything!
BlackJohn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 08:04 PM   #7
New Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Smokie mountains, TN
Posts: 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackJohn View Post
Welcome and good luck with your build. One question though..why would jack of all trades need us bus people? You should have no issues figuring out one of these baby's..no?

John
While I may have experience in different fields I have never put them all together in a space like this. I may be able to build a cabinet or plumb a sink, I don't know the best way to attach it to a bus wall or the correct way to drain into a tank. I was thinking this was the best place to learn that information from people who have done it. I am sure there are people here with better ideas than mine....😊
Geckomon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2017, 08:50 PM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Welcome aboard Geckomon, you'll find a lot of knowledgable people on this forum.
The forum's search feature isn't the greatest, but you can google words and add skoolie.net in your search. It'll help.

Also, if you feel so inclined...
Please start thread (new post with title) about "Workamping", I'm extremely intrigued by the concept.
Let us know how it's worked out for you... The Good, Bad, and the Ugly would be great! What is your method of job search? What works and what was a waste of time?
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2017, 05:28 AM   #9
Traveling
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Midwest
Posts: 2,573
Year: 2003
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins
Rated Cap: '00
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geckomon View Post
Well as I want to make this my home, I would like to tow a vehicle, I am 5'11 so based on my research I "think" the standard height would be sufficient. 6'2??? I would like to be able to travel anywhere. I am not so keen on hot places like deserts but life is an adventure and I can't say I'll never visit said places...lol. I am starting out as one adult but am planning a bedroom to accommodate two adults. Again, life is unpredictable. Was hoping a queen bed is not out of the question. May have a bunk area for the kids visits. Two cats and a husky. I really like the look of the "flat nose" buses.(don't know if that's what they are called) They have a vintage look about them with the right paint job. Hope that is a good start on info...😆
Sounds like:
Flat nose 30ish feet, big diesel, 5 speed auto lockup transmission and air brakes.

Pushers (rear eng) have towing setup constraints, more research needed.

Husky- cool dog.
Rusty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2017, 11:23 PM   #10
Almost There
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NJ
Posts: 92
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GM CV 6600 I think lol
Engine: 3126 A Caterpillar AT2400
Rated Cap: 54 ps
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geckomon View Post
Hello everyone!
My name's Andrew and I just joined your community. To be honest, this is the first one I've ever joined so if I do something wrong or post in the wrong place, I'm sorry in advance. I'll try and learn the in's an out's as quickly as possible.
I am new to the Skoolie world but not to the RV lifestyle. I have two years of workamping experience and have been in love with the outdoors since I was a child. I've wanted to be a full-timer for a long time but have allowed "Society" to dictate what is acceptable when you have a family. I have been miserable inside while living this way and have decided NO MORE!
I have seen busses for sale over the years and there was always something that stirred inside of me but never gave it much thaught until a few months ago. I love working with my hands and was never the type of person to go buy something when I knew I could build it (better sometimes) myself. I love working with wood and over my many years of working I've developed into a "jack of all trades". Long story short... Here I am.
Any advice would be welcomed and I hope to develop friendships with people who have the same love for this lifestyle as I have. Please share your gifts with me as I want to share mine with you. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you! Andrew
koool welcome!!! lol make sure you check out the tntinyhouse festival coming in your way in September i think mid sep. you can get more ideas from the tiny houses and they may even have a skoolie or 2. i went to the njtinyhouse fest in Sussex County nj as an attendee and got added to the venue as a Work in Progress Skoolie project.
lemmeskoolu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2017, 11:33 PM   #11
Almost There
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NJ
Posts: 92
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GM CV 6600 I think lol
Engine: 3126 A Caterpillar AT2400
Rated Cap: 54 ps
Quote:
Originally Posted by milkmania View Post
Welcome aboard Geckomon, you'll find a lot of knowledgable people on this forum.
The forum's search feature isn't the greatest, but you can google words and add skoolie.net in your search. It'll help.

Also, if you feel so inclined...
Please start thread (new post with title) about "Workamping", I'm extremely intrigued by the concept.
Let us know how it's worked out for you... The Good, Bad, and the Ugly would be great! What is your method of job search? What works and what was a waste of time?
YES!!!! I'm interested to hear your experience with Workamping too
lemmeskoolu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2017, 06:41 AM   #12
Bus Nut
 
Phatman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Brazoria County, Texas
Posts: 819
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 32 Passenger
Welcme aboard Geckomon. As was said there is a wealth of knowledge with these Skoolies. Being a "Jack of all Trades" and a master of none, as in my case, don't be afraid of asking the dumb questions. Everyone here sees things differently than the next guy (or Gal). Remember, use lots of glue and anchor points on those cabinets, Busses flex.
Phatman 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 05:02 AM.


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