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 12-29-2011, 01:52 PM   #1
New Member
 
kaelanda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
Getting Started

Hi all,
Hoping to get some serious feedback on this, my friends and I want to start putting together a skoolie fund and getting odds and ends together for our bus. We're working with limited funds so we aren't actually buying the bus yet but can anyone (and everyone) give us some info on what we should be getting. We have a shed and some storage space so we can hold alomost anything.
Also, what is a reasonable price for a decent bus, I've seen prices range from a couple hundred to well over 6 grand... and is anyone in NC or NY doing or having done this already, it'd be great to be able to ask more questions.. Thanks

****
So I thought I said this the first time but I guess not. We wanna fulltime it, for about a year or two... And all together theres 3 of us. So a bus seemed more space efficient. A motorhome may work though... It would need more than one bed.. At least 2.

* And lornaschinske If your actually posting anything, your posts aren't showing.

__________________
~~*Kae*~~
kaelanda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-29-2011, 03:38 PM   #2
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
Re: Getting Started

--
__________________
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 12-30-2011, 04:11 AM   #3
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
Re: Getting Started

The first question i would ask is, do you want a bus for a specific reason, or just a older motorhome? my reasoning here is that if you just want something fast and inexpensive, an older motorhome would be much easier to obtain cheaply and you wouldnt have to do a conversion.
second, under normal circumstances, you should buy the very best and newest year bus that you can afford. You also need to consider what you actually plan to use it for, which will also determine what length you would need.
There are a lot of good ideas on this site, on the bus conversions magazine site, and others on the internet. As mentioned in the previous post, getting parts out of motorhomes, trailers, etc is a great idea, the newer ones have much better appliances, etc than like the 20 yr or older ones have.
Given what your intended use for your conversion is, you will need to figure how large of tanks you need, number of a/c units and so forth. Things like fasteners, plumbing and electrical supplies,etc can frequently be purchased at discount/salvage places, car swap meets, or even like the habitat for humanity stores.
just a few thoughts...
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
chev49 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-30-2011, 11:40 AM   #4
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
Re: Getting Started

--
__________________
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 12-30-2011, 05:32 PM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
Accordion's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Central Tennessee
Posts: 1,093
Year: 1973
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American
Engine: CAT 1160 V-8 Diesel
Rated Cap: 72
Re: Getting Started

Kae, is that the telephone booth that Dr. Who used?
__________________
Best Home Yet - Strong Command Center --- viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10764
Accordion is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2012, 09:38 PM   #6
Bus Nut
 
TygerCub's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 784
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Genesis
Engine: Detroit
Rated Cap: 14
Re: Getting Started

When looking for your bus, think long and hard about what type of roads you will be traveling. Will they all be highway? Will you ever hit an interstate speed? Will you ever travel dirt roads? Keep these things in mind and be flexible - willing to compromise - on your final "dream machine".

A 40 foot bus sounds awesome with loads of room for living, but you do NOT want to drive one through a small town with narrow streets if you are unfamiliar with a vehicle that long ! And trying to make a sharp turn with a tree, boulder (or another vehicle or lamp post, for that matter) in the way will be a major bummer.

If you hope to stay in campgrounds, consider the size limit some impose because they simply aren't built to accommodate a long vehicle.

Once you're sure what you feel comfortable driving, keep you eyes open on both Craigslist, ebay, and your local trade newspaper. I found my first bus on Craigslist. While I had to sell it, I'm looking for the next one now. In the mean time, plan, dream, sketch, and change your mind a dozen times. Look at the photo gallery here for inspiration. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Not sure if something will work for you? Build a mock up out of cardboard or scrap wood to get a 'feel' for things. Once you're fairly sure what you would like to do, you can start to gather components now, thus spreading the cost over time while looking for the bus.

Most important of all, remember you'll spend more than you expect. More money, and more time. Life happens. Just don't let it completely stop you.

GOOD LUCK
TygerCub is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-05-2012, 10:37 AM   #7
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Oregon/Philippines
Posts: 1,660
Re: Getting Started

some 40' busses have tighter turning circles than others. for example my brother's amtrans can turn much sharper corner than my thomas even though they are both re
__________________
Jesus Christ... Conversion in progress.
chev49 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2012, 06:45 PM   #8
New Member
 
kaelanda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
Re: Getting Started

Quote:
Originally Posted by Accordion
Kae, is that the telephone booth that Dr. Who used?
Yep its the TARDIS
__________________
~~*Kae*~~
kaelanda 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
Getting Started mjh2901 Conversion General Discussions 5 06-27-2014 12:09 AM
Just getting started! Anthony Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 1 06-19-2012 09:06 AM
maybe you folks can help me get started Captian Zack Conversion Tutorials and How-to's 1 06-09-2010 06:22 PM
So new I haven't even started yet! Griff Conversion General Discussions 1 08-12-2007 01:28 PM
Getting Started... Jody Titles, Insurance, Registration and Money Matters 10 04-24-2006 06:34 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:25 AM.


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