Skoolie cost

[Illusion]

What was the cost of your project and was that including everything from plumbing, electrical, appliances, and furniture? Haven't got a bus yet but will soon.

[Josiahdr]

Looking at comming in around $15k total. Although in the future that will push closer to 20k when we add more to it.

[TAOLIK]

I'm looking at a similar budget, but I got a ways to go.

[gbstewart]

got about 15g in our bus give or take, now doing upgrades need to put some new tires on, new flooring etc
gbstewart

[Azuleslight]

Originally Posted by Rentfree

What was the cost of your project and was that including everything from plumbing, electrical, appliances, and furniture? Haven't got a bus yet but will soon.

I am currently at 5,400 looking at coming in around 8-10k total and realistically down the road more like 15k on project and 5k on the "did that just break?" fund.

[turf]

im finished... just over $20k. however, if i added solar or an inverter, well... each would add another 5k.

if you buy new stuff, it adds up fast. fridge, furnace, water heater, stove all cost about $1k each, then batterys, countertops, sinks, toilet.......lots of money.

every one thinks they'll do it cheaper. good luck!

[RHOMBUS]

I'm at almost 20k, expecting 50k or so.

[TheRainbowBoxer]

I'm probably about $8k in (including the original price of the bus at $3k)... will likely have $10k in by the time I'm done

[Tango]

If I can wrap this thing up for $35K it will feel good.

[aaronsb]

I'm guessing 35k. The cost of batteries and solar panels at time of purchase may make it +/- 10k

[New2Skool]

I sitting about 4,000 right now and I am no where the building stage.

$350 initial service of my bus (Filters, oil, lubrication, etc.)
$650 on steel (Sheet steel for lift, angle iron, tubing, flooring).
$200 fuel
$650 tools (I never did anything worthy of having real tools before).
$100 DMV (Title, plates, tabs.)
$500 (Sprayer, Primer, Plastic, Tape, etc.)
$500 on misc. (Welding rods, Great stuff, Grinding Wheels, odd steel, etc.)

As of today, I have bare metal floors, no interior walls, no exterior skin and major rust removal scheduled while increasing structural supports.

Once, that is done I can do the lift of 16-20 inches and reskin the exterior.
Then, I am ready to prime and start sealing everything up.

My goal is to have a completed shell by the end of the summer months.
Focusing on the interior construction during the winter.
At least what is possible to do during the winter months.

I am expecting to spend $20,000 but, in all reality I wouldn't be surprised to double that over the next year or two. I basically, have to rebuild my bus from the frame up.

An important lesson learned about buying a bus purely based on the mileage.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by New2Skool

I sitting about 4,000 right now and I am no where the building stage.

$350 initial service of my bus (Filters, oil, lubrication, etc.)
$650 on steel (Sheet steel for lift, angle iron, tubing, flooring).
$200 fuel
$650 tools (I never did anything worthy of having real tools before).
$100 DMV (Title, plates, tabs.)
$500 (Sprayer, Primer, Plastic, Tape, etc.)
$500 on misc. (Welding rods, Great stuff, Grinding Wheels, odd steel, etc.)

As of today, I have bare metal floors, no interior walls, no exterior skin and major rust removal scheduled while increasing structural supports.

Once, that is done I can do the lift of 16-20 inches and reskin the exterior.
Then, I am ready to prime and start sealing everything up.

My goal is to have a completed shell by the end of the summer months.
Focusing on the interior construction during the winter.
At least what is possible to do during the winter months.

I am expecting to spend $20,000 but, in all reality I wouldn't be surprised to double that over the next year or two. I basically, have to rebuild my bus from the frame up.

An important lesson learned about buying a bus purely based on the mileage.

Sounds about right. Check out my build thread. I'm at least in the rolling shell for 4-5 grand. easily.
But I've got ways of saving a ton of money on the conversion.

[Jolly Roger]

I paid 2800 for the bus , have salvaged almost everything and am 90% livable and workable if I have shore power or generator(re-built my old portable for now) just cause I want the genny away from the bus cause its loud. 4500$ in it for now. but rear gears,tire and rim changes, house batteries,DOT propane tank and a good final paint when I finish storage underside is probably going to bring me into the 10,000 range but that is dealing with my 8.2 and 545 and planning on them lasting and save my money for when they do give up.

[Scooternj]

I'll be looking somewhere in the 10-15 range when I'm done

[RC000E]

As long as anyone going over 20k realizes that regardless how nice, you're never recovering that investment directly, then carry on. Only way I could justify that number is living in it full time, that way it offsets living expense. Otherwise, it'll just be another listing for a 50k converted bus that no one will ever buy.

15k is a good number into a bus...you have full potential for recovery if it's decently put together.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by RC000E

As long as anyone going over 20k realizes that regardless how nice, you're never recovering that investment directly, then carry on. Only way I could justify that number is living in it full time, that way it offsets living expense. Otherwise, it'll just be another listing for a 50k converted bus that no one will ever buy.

15k is a good number into a bus...you have full potential for recovery if it's decently put together.

There's no magic number to spend on a bus to gain one's money back.

[M1031A1]

Right now, with bid price, service in California before bringing her home to Texas, fuel to get her here, blanking the windows, trying to get the genny from offgr1d in two weeks, the Webasto from another fellow skoolie, we have about $3500 right now with a budget of $15K to work with in about two weeks. We have most of the appliances already. It's just the hardware to make everything run..........

[superdave]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

There's no magic number to spend on a bus to gain one's money back.

expect nothing back, dont let money cloud your dream!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by superdave

expect nothing back, dont let money cloud your dream!

Yes, exactly.

[cadillackid]

I had a bus previously that was destroyed by fire.. I had done some custom upgrades to it and had a declared value insurance policy on it that paid out and I put that money away and let it grow ear-marked only for a bus.. nothing else. I knew someday id want a bus again... im NOT an investor or a Money guy... im just an Ultra Geek Dude that built a product that a lot of people are buying so theres money.. Money to ENJOY LIFE with!!.. Money that currently supports a good number of other people's Lives to make them happy as well.

thus far..

12k to this point, a Bus with a recently rebuilt engine, all body work complete, school lights and lettering removed nicely, 2 tone paint job, A/C system, New tires... new driver seat, fully serviced, new air compressor, new air dryer (just ordered)..

MINUS 12k - that money in the bank i had earmarked for a bus..

what I have is a bus that I can drive anywhere.. ( I drive it a lot)

the stuff completed for which I dont have tools or skills for,,, to me it was effort better spent having the body work professionally completed rather than buy special tools to perform tasks that id only ever use once.. then either have a tool that never gets used or have to try and sell it on craigslist or fleabay..

I have a BUNCH more $$$ to throw at this project if I choose to do so.. I could care less about the investment.. and care all that this Bus MAKES ME AND OTHERS SMILE!.. (which it does really well)..

see I dont have a wife or kids or a boyfriend or husband... and likely never will (unless the right man comes along..).. very few things truly make me Smile.. But a School bus is one of them!..

so the FULL RECOUP on investment is me being Happy! and thats money made!

my conversion is a minimal of sorts.. I will likely have another 3k or so in building out my 120 volt electrical system, maybe a non-engine A/C, the "glass cockpit controller".. and whatever else I choose..

so im up to what a total of maybe 15k?

-Christopher