How does this look to you?

[luza]

Hey guys,

Been looking at this site for awhile, and am looking at converting or buying a converted school bus sometime in the next few years when I move back to the USA. I am trying to get a feel for things right now. What does this look like to you experts? Is the price too high? I am completely new to this.

Converted school bus

[austin1989us]

The ad says it's 200 square feet, but that's untrue. I only count 8 windows. That's less than 150 square feet. 200 square feet is in the 11-13 window range. Windows are between 2' and 2.5' long. The bus is about 7.5' wide on the inside (maybe even less depending on if you're gonna insulate more).

Also, most people here would tell you to avoid a gas engine.

I'd say for $15k and 6-12 months of hard work on weekends you could have something much nicer than that.

[luza]

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, I doubt I'll have 6-12 months of opportunity to work on weekends, and would prefer to buy one that's mostly complete.

While I'm pretty good with carpentry and decent with electrical, I'm not great with plumbing, and a complete idiot when it comes to autos

I can modify an interior somewhat, but would prefer not to start from scratch.

[somewhereinusa]

Too much money for what you get. Porta potty and solar shower. Don't really see a bathroom in any pictures.

[opus]

Originally Posted by luza

a complete idiot when it comes to autos

I'm afraid, that has a great possibility of biting you, if you buy a bus.

[luza]

Originally Posted by opus

I'm afraid, that has a great possibility of biting you, if you buy a bus.

....sigh... I'm sure it does. Ah well, I can dream, I suppose.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by luza

....sigh... I'm sure it does. Ah well, I can dream, I suppose.

He is not trying to dash your dreams. Just letting you know that you will pay through the nose for repairs if you can't do things yourself.

[Tango]

There are VERY few folks here who came into the Skoolie thing as gas or diesel mechanics. Myself...I am still very early into the learning stages of the whole diesel thing. I have found that if you just concentrate on finding out what you can about whatever engine is in your rig, you can quickly pick up on it's particular quirks & issues. Good news is, the internet has made the whole process of finding answers to such things quite easy. You may never get a job as a certified technician, but you should be able to handle the most common issues. Go for it.

[REDD]

Pictures don't show everything, poor workmanship, water damage, underneath condition etc. could be good but I myself would like to look at it closer.

As far as the engine/drive train part of it, my step son is a diesel mechanic with an interest in using it.....bonus!

[luza]

I'm willing to pay a few thousand for upgrades/repairs - I just don't want to get screwed. I guess, just like with cars, I'd need to find a diesel mechanic I trust, and use him (or her) as an advisor on purchases as well.

...or just hire someone to buy the bus, fix it up, and get it all ready for me to do the finishing. I've been craving a long unplugged road trip lately...

I'm very impressed by the level of ingenuity, commitment, and creativity I've seen on this site so far - your ability levels are as intimidating as the prospect of converting a bus myself.

[turf]

Being a skoolie owner....

maybe i have unrealistic expectations, but i bet that the sale price is close to the amount of money the PO spent on it.

can you do it cheaper yourself? nicer? in your allotted time?

i think the price sounds reasonable, and gas is super cheap now.

for a comparable moterhome, its not bad

turf

[luza]

Originally Posted by turf

Being a skoolie owner....

maybe i have unrealistic expectations, but i bet that the sale price is close to the amount of money the PO spent on it.

can you do it cheaper yourself? nicer? in your allotted time?

i think the price sounds reasonable, and gas is super cheap now.

for a comparable moterhome, its not bad

turf

I agree. I didn't think it was that bad. Could I do it cheaper myself? probably not, no.

I thought this would be pretty cool, though. I imagine this kind of thing has already taken one or two steps in the right direction:

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...=1&acctid=8295

[luza]

Originally Posted by turf

Being a skoolie owner....

maybe i have unrealistic expectations, but i bet that the sale price is close to the amount of money the PO spent on it.

can you do it cheaper yourself? nicer? in your allotted time?

i think the price sounds reasonable, and gas is super cheap now.

for a comparable moterhome, its not bad

turf

I don't think I could do it cheaper myself - not in a reasonable amount of time, anyway.

I think my best bet will be to buy an already converted skoolie, and hire out the mechanical repairs/upgrades, and modify the interior myself.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by luza

I agree. I didn't think it was that bad. Could I do it cheaper myself? probably not, no.

I thought this would be pretty cool, though. I imagine this kind of thing has already taken one or two steps in the right direction:

https://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?f...=1&acctid=8295

That is a lot of rust.

[Redbear]

Originally Posted by crazycal

That is a lot of rust.

But the 10kW Onan Quiet Diesel genset is worth more used than the current $450 bid for the whole bookmobile. . . . .

[luza]

forgive my ignorance - very new to this. There is indeed a lot of rust, and I know that it can spread. Is there anything that can be done to stop/remove it?

[CaptSquid]

That amount of money for that small bus? I paid $8K for a much larger bus and I have to work on the interior myself.