Hello & Opinions Needed On Bus For Boondocking

[Chris & G Travels]

Hey everyone, thank you for checking my post! I have been stalking this forum for a little while now and have learned a great deal. However, after some research, I still have not found the answer to my particular question.

We are looking to build a bus conversion that is set up for boondocking "aka dry camping". Our goal is to build a rig that can be driven out to BLM and public lands and park for 2 to 3 weeks while being fully self contained. So plenty of water, solar gear and food storage will be needed. As you well know, all that gear means we need a rig able to handle a decent amount of weight.

At the moment I have a friend who works at an auto auction and 15 2004 IC RE300's are up for auction soon ( link is from another seller but this is the exact rig ---> Used School Buses For Sale - Better Buses @ Better Prices - We deliver school buses nation wide ) As the listing states, this rig has had an engine rebuild. In other research I have found that the DT466*E* has had some seal issues, while the DT466 has not. Another listing ( https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/au...ew?auc=1909465 ) states the engine has faultered and had to be taken off the road. Other Google searches like DT466E problems will bring up a bunch of information as well. I wanted to check here and get your thoughts before pulling the trigger on a less than preferable engine.

I like the RE 300 for a few reasons. The underbay storage would be perfect for water tanks and battery banks as well as other outdoor gear. The rear engine diesel will help with the weight distribution and keep noise down as we drive. Lastly, the RE300 comes with the Allison MD-3060 transmission.

On the flipside, I am not certain if a bus this length would be good for public lands camping. Sometimes we have to drive on rough and muddy roads to get to our camp spot. Likewise, sometimes there are small to medium inclines and declines we must traverse. Are school bus conversions known for getting high centered and stuck in mud?

Thank you so much for checking this post and look forward to hearing from you!

Chris

[kellijaebaeli]

I have all the same questions.

[WIbluebird]

Originally Posted by kellijaebaeli

I have all the same questions.

Why dig up a 3 year old thread???

[kellijaebaeli]

BECAUSE I HAVE ALL THE SAME QUESTIONS.

[PNW_Steve]

Well, to answer one:

In my first bus we carried 200 gallons of fresh water. That was our limiting factor in how long we could boondock. We carried 130 gallons of diesel and ran out generator from the bus tank. I set it up so that when I got down to about 1/8 of a tank of fuel the generator would run out of fuel leaving me 1/8 tank to get me to the nearest fuel stop.

Before setting that generator up I gave a gent into town to buy fuel cans and diesel. His generator fuel pickup was at the bottom of his fuel tank and ran his generator until he ran his tank dry.

[kellijaebaeli]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

Well, to answer one:

In my first bus we carried 200 gallons of fresh water. That was our limiting factor in how long we could boondock. We carried 130 gallons of diesel and ran out generator from the bus tank. I set it up so that when I got down to about 1/8 of a tank of fuel the generator would run out of fuel leaving me 1/8 tank to get me to the nearest fuel stop.

Before setting that generator up I gave a gent into town to buy fuel cans and diesel. His generator fuel pickup was at the bottom of his fuel tank and ran his generator until he ran his tank dry.

Thank you for that info!