New to the skoolie world

[BearPaw]

Hello!

I'm new to this site and new to the skoolie world.
I've been looking through the site and there is so much information that it's overwhelming

I was hoping someone could possibly point me in a direction of some really helpful forms for engines/makes/models or anything a newbie should be looking for.

We would really like a 35ft bus. I believe that's about a 9 window? We plan on converting and traveling for about a year or more.

We have a lot to learn and you all seem very knowledgeable! I hope to gain as much knowledge as possible. This will be one post of many and looking forward to speaking with you all!

[nikitis]

Hello Bearpaw.

I can give you some starter tips if you are looking for a bus.

Some criteria to consider

Mechanical considerations:
Engine - Pick a good engine. Not a later model Maxxforce. DT466's are good, T444E's are good engines to look for. Stay away completely from maxxforce, not kidding.

Transmission - Majority of buses come with AT545. A good torque transmission that can move a lot of weight from stop, but sucks at top speed. Most won't go past 60-65mph, and are pushing it hard at those speeds. Look for transmissions which have overdrive Allinson 2000 or 3000, and maybe even 1000 have some overdrive options, so if you can find a bus with those is ideal and will save you upgrade money. If you are living in it stationary most of the time and occasionally traveling, you may can live with an AT545 transmission for the occasional travel, If you plan on driving all over the place you're gonna not want a bus with AT545 in it.

Living quarter considerations:
Are you tall? Is the ceiling 7 inches above your head? If less you may need to consider a roof raise. Picking a bus so you don't have to crouch to move through it is ideal. There are some that are tall, but most are around 6ft'ish so if you are taller than 5'5, then you may have to consider a roof raise after installation unless the roof happens to be taller than 6ft which few but some are. Buses were meant for kids in the back after all. And the reason for the 7 in height difference is to allow for 4 inches of insulation you'll need on the floor and 2-3 inches of insulation on the ceiling.

Length and size of bus. How big do you want your living quarters? Does finding more places to park matter to you more as you travel or does room inside your bus matter to you more? Some places won't allow full sized buses. Shorties they do but then there's less living space.

Age of bus to look for, Typically 2004 and older are best due to lack of EPA emission devices which tend to destroy the diesel engines much faster. Believe it or not the older engines are going to outlast the newer engines. Look for ones with 140k ish miles. A good engine as listed above is rated to go 300-500k miles.

There's lots of other things to look out for, but these are the major items that should turn you off right away to a potential buy.

Cost of a bus:
You should pay 3-5k for a bus. If it does happen to have all of the items you need, like engine, transmission etc, and in working shape it may be worth paying up to 8k for it. I wouldn't go over that price though, keep on looking.

Good Luck!