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Old 01-19-2013, 05:51 AM   #1
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Fwiw I can not walk comfortable in a high roof thomas I hit my heab 6 foot tall,low roof thomas
for us was a no go for sure.
You need to actually walk in some differentstyle buses and then start looking after you choose several styles

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Old 01-19-2013, 05:52 AM   #2
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Oh and welcome
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Old 01-19-2013, 07:20 AM   #3
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Welcome,
I'm sure you will find as many opinions as there are members.
I'm always puzzled by

Quote:
leaning toward a dognose to keep the heat/noise out of the cabin and for ease of mechanical work
I have a rear engine Blue Bird, it's so quiet the only real way to tell if it's running when I start it is to look at the gauges.
When I drove it home from NM in the winter, I slept on the shelf above the engine in the rear, wasn't enough heat to keep me warm with out ht
heater on. As for ease of maintenance, I can stand on the ground and reach everything on the engine, don't have to reach over a fender or tire, or radiator.
Underneath there isn't a tire in the way, or an axle under the oil pan. I have noticed that some makes, have a couple of doors in the back, but a Blue Bird, and
I think Thomas, the door opens across the whole width of the bus.

As for the work area for pottery, I have a photo business. My original plan was to have my computers/showroom in the back (costumers come in to see me work).
This means I would have to come up with an easy entrance for ANYONE. This meant some kind of sturdy steps up the back (how do I transport that), build a rear
side entrance (takes up valuable interior space), or have them walk through my living space (not an option). I changed my plans so that the work area is in the front.
I have a 34 inch entry with nice steps, I have a vista view out the front, and it's brighter. I can curtain off the rear for privacy for my wife while I'm working.

Just some food for thought.
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Old 01-19-2013, 10:57 AM   #4
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
... With a little background given, here are some of the questions I have.

1. At 40 feet being the max bus length, has anyone had much trouble finding rv sites to accommodate that length?
2. Many of the buses I have found so far are Thomas and BlueBird. Are there any particular body manufacturers that are easier to convert than others?
3. I read on here that you can estimate a buses length by window count (2.5 ft per window), is that still a good standard?
We bought our 40 ft BlueBird All American (flatfront) off of the Asheville/Western NC Iwanna. I watched it for months before calling. This was in 2009. The bus itself was sitting in Almond NC. We were in Franklin, NC. It was originally $1800, dropped to $1600 and we offered $1400. We went to look at it with the full purchase price in our pockets (good thing I used a backpack for a purse. $1600 in $20's are a lot). I like the look of a Bluebird Wanderlodge back when they looked (and were) built on a school bus chassis. Before we bought the BlueBird, we were in the process of converting a 40 ft Eagle 05 highway coach (David's choice of bus... 2nd bus was MY choice). Worked on it for years trying to get past the rust to start converting. Rust won. During that time we camped in a popup and later fulltimed in a Class C. Our fav campgrounds are public. So we seriously checked out possible problems involved with having a large, low slung coach pulling into some of those campgrounds. I would look at the ones that I found posts saying "length limits" and "hard/impossible to get into". Since Nantahala, Cherokee and Chattahoochee NFs were basically our back yard I concentrated on those. Actually at one point one of our homes was backed up to the Nantahala NF.

Chattahoochee NF
Of the developed campgrounds listed for Clayton GA, I would only avoid Wildcat 1 & 2. Getting in/out of the campground entrance is an accident waiting to happen. Entrance is on a blind curve. Usually there are pieces of vehicles/RVs laying on the side of the road. For SIZE, making the last very sharp turn into Sandy Bottom (Tate, Sandy Bottom & Tallulah River are all on Persimmon Rd off Hwy 76) may be rough. As for length they will all handle a 40 ft RV, just not ALL the sites in the campground will handle a 40 ft. But you do have two others to choose from! Rabun Beach (also Clayton) is across the road from Lake Rabun Recereation Area (the "beach"). This is one of our FAV campgrounds in the area. We have camped here VERY often over the years. You can get a 40 ft bus in ANY of the RV sites.

Nantahala NF
No problems with Cable Cove (Fontana Village), Standing Indian (Frankllin), Jackrabbit (Hayesville & the one most crowed during the summer), Van Hook Glade (between Highlands & Franklin) DO NOT TAKE AN RV OR BUS PAST VAN HOOK! If you want to drive up to the waterfalls, take a car.

Cherokee NF
We have only looked at the campgrounds on our way to/from the Cherohala Parkway. these are listed under Telico Plains. No problems there either. Ones like Indian Boundary are huge and will definitely take 40 footers.

This does not take into account the State, county and COE parks. When you figure what size pad you will fit on remember this... The bus does not have to sit on the "PAD" currently our bus is sitting with the back wheel almost (not quite) touching the back of the pad (telephone pole at the back of the pad). The WHEELS must stay on the pad, the BODY can hang out past if there isn't a tree in the way. So measure from the front of the bus to the back of your rear wheels. That is the size pad you can fit on. Making the turns is the biggie although even the tiny campgrounds have had their roads widened in the late 70's -early 90's to accommodate the idiots who can't drive their monster RVs towing their luxury SUV's.

If you are using the Forest Camping website I've linked to, chances are you will have no problem driving into any of the campgrounds listed there. Otherwise it will say. Also, while Wildcat 1 & 2 are, in my opinion, dangerous to get in/out of, you should have no problems with the rough interior roads with a high riding skoolie. I think that Rabun Beach (lake swimming with life guards for the kids) and the Persimmon Road (flat sites next to the river) campgrounds are better choices for camping .

If you are using a directory like Don Wright's Free & Cheap, then I would strongly suggest that you take a toad in to explore before committing the bus. We have checked out several and for the most part had no problem. Nor would we have a problem getting the bus into the ones we looked at (although low limbs might be a problem... we have no "stuff" on our roof, except for the black tank vent pipe, for a reason). EXCEPT for Warwoman Dell (east side of Clayton GA). We could not get my 4WD Jeep up the gravel road! We actually were sliding backwards a few times. and we had a hard time finding a place big enough to turn the Jeep around. I knew the road was rough but I didn't realize it was that bad.

We are now fulltiming in the bus conversion (work in progress). We've only had it in two campgrounds (NM). No problems with either. Our biggest problem has been getting a food cart (which we have stopped operating... might turn it into a storage trailer for junking when we go back east) PLUS the 40 ft bus PLUS my Jeep all squeezed into the same pull-thru site. We are currently in a back-in site and there is no problem getting them all on the site.

IF you are in Western NC, you may want to take a drive out to Franklin NC. At the intersection of the Old Murphy Road & Roller Mill Rd to the west of the gas station/convenience store is a mechanics building (corner of Old Murphy Rd & Gillespie) where they will sometimes have a few buses for sale sitting near the chain link fence. Sometimes they have a few buses other times they have a lot. I don't know the name of the business but they are not there on weekends. I think they are part of the school bus garage (opposite side of the street across from the veterinarian's place).

Look up 1427 State Road 1442, Franklin, NC 28734 on Google maps and look at the street view there.



On edit: when we left Franklin in July 2009, they had three buses sitting next to the fence for sale. They all had $2000 written on the windshields. $2K was more than we wanted to pay for a bus to use as a moving van.
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Old 01-19-2013, 11:00 PM   #5
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

I do jumping jacks in mine.
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Old 01-21-2013, 10:43 AM   #6
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
... How is the lower clearance on your Bluebird? I saw in previous posts that the front engine makes some noise for you and David, but is it unbearable? How does the 8.2L work for ya'll? (I would be towing a 98 K1500 (Silverado ex.cab, 4x4), and am curious that engine has performed)
Engine isn't terribly noisy according to David. But then he is partially deaf. I've only been in the bus with the engine running "parked". Doesn't matter now for us since it's what we've got. I need to put rubber weather stripping around the engine cover still. It was lined with engine heat shield insulation that I bought from JC Whitney. We like the motor. The (loaded floor to ceiling) bus towed our 5500 lb Jeep Grand Cherokee (loaded with stuff) 4 down on the way out here. David said he didn't even feel it. Top speed on the interstates on flats was 55 to 60 mph. Climbing hills was a pita but the semis around him were doing the same. We don't care to travel interstates all that much anyway. We prefer the primary and secondary roads. Less stressful and takes about the same length of travel time. More free & cheap county/city parks when you get off the interstates too.
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Old 01-21-2013, 09:18 PM   #7
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

I can get my thomas pusher into almost any place that i could get all of my shorter busses in to. I mostly have to be careful around rail road tracks if there is a rise on each side of them..(and there is where i am currently located), otherwise, as long as it is dry ground, and not too steep, i just drive it like a short bus. Right now it is at the farm, up a hill, blocked up so it is level.
I have never had any trouble with campgrounds, although i take a car in or walk in and check if it is something like a small blm campground, and as long as i can turn around somewhere, and the road is at least wide enough for one vehicle, i go there. The point is, if you are careful, you can get in to more areas than you might think you can.
My thomas is like 6 1/2 feet high inside, and since i am a foot shorter than that, i raised my bus living room to the height of the inside wheel wells...
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Old 02-01-2013, 07:54 AM   #8
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Thomas buses have a high roof version in which you have 6'6" (79") headroom. That's what I have. I think maybe Carpenter also made some high ceiling buses.
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Old 02-01-2013, 08:19 AM   #9
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Thomas and Bluebird both have high roof models, don't know about Carpenter. I don't know when they did it but Thomas and Bluebird at some point in time quit offering the low roof models and now only offer the taller ones. Thomas is easy to spot because of the distinctive hump either up or down just above the drivers head. There were actually three options on a Thomas, if there is no hump it is the mid roof. Blue birds are a little harder to spot the tall ones, the biggest clue is how much area is above the windows.
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Old 02-03-2013, 01:35 AM   #10
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

78 inches. International Genesis.
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Old 02-03-2013, 08:42 AM   #11
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Re: Bus interior height

Quote:
Originally Posted by Westward
... Beyond activity buses, are there any particular regular school bus bodies that have a little taller interior than 73"??
Can as many as possible add their pre conversion interior height (at center & side wall)? I think this will help others who come here to find info.

For other people's benefit.....
1986 Blue Bird All American FE (40 ft):
74" at center peak
65" at sidewalls

While we are on the short side (under 5'8") we are placing ALL our floor insulation under the flooring rather than on top. The beams the flooring sits on is 9 to 10" (can't remember exactly and I'm not going out in the cold to measure) and we placed R30 Attic (unfaced fiberglass batt) insulation down the center between the two beams. It will get covered either with corrugated metal or fiberglass roofing panels (and spray foam in the open nooks & crannies). The bays will get rigid foam sheathing wheres needed as we plan to heat the bays a bit. Placing the insulation outside means we can do it "later" and it does not eat up interior space. Also means that our plumbing is hidden inside the insulation and it will stay toasty (with the help of a heat cable) without having to add pipe insulation.

We need to build a "4 season" bus since we are currently sitting in an area that has below freezing temps fairly often. Right now it's 7:30AM and the outside temps are 30°F although it will start warming up shortly (desert). Coldest temps are between 2AM & 6AM. We figure if we build to the worst temps we are liable to encounter (roughly 35° LAT or South of I40) we should do just fine in the warmer areas (32° - 30° latitude) with their more infrequent cold snaps and hot summer temps. But you gotta insulate no matter where you are.
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Old 02-03-2013, 12:33 PM   #12
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Quote:
Can as many as possible add their pre conversion interior height (at center & side wall)?
1991 Blue Bird All American RE (40 ft) (40ft) ex activities bus
76" at center peak
67" at sidewall
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Old 02-03-2013, 02:03 PM   #13
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

1973 Blue Bird---75 inches in the center.
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Old 02-23-2013, 07:19 PM   #14
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

off topic but i thought i would share haha, me and my girlfriend are moving to Canton NC this summer.
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Old 02-23-2013, 07:28 PM   #15
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

o and i thought i would add, when i first bought my bus i had thought it was too big beaing 40ft but now that i am far into my conversion i and glad that i got a full 40 footer because you really have all the room you could need.
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Old 02-23-2013, 08:25 PM   #16
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeyBskunk
off topic but i thought i would share haha, me and my girlfriend are moving to Canton NC this summer.
Canton?!! Oh dear God... How can you stand the smell? It's so awful. It's enough to make me gag. It's the worst part of going to Asheville.
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Old 02-23-2013, 10:33 PM   #17
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Welcome!
No bus here yet either, but we looked at some this week and I definitely vote for the tall body buses. Our passengers will be 5'3 and5'9 and the height made a difference for both of us. The taller bus just feels less cramped in general, so add insulation and flooring and I think the regular height would feel tiny. We are looking at full sized buses for full timing. Good luck with your bus hunt! This board is def the place to be for conversion info - the members here are awesome. Keep us posted!
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Old 02-26-2013, 04:33 PM   #18
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

hmm i have never heard about the terrible stench of Canton NC but im sure il find out for myslef hahaha
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Old 03-11-2013, 04:16 PM   #19
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Re: Skoolie Wanna be....

Quote:
Originally Posted by wmkbailey
From one Skoolie wanna be to another, Welcome. I'm in the process of scouting out a bus and wanted to stay around 30' - 32'. I also want a diesel pusher, but cannot find one under 35'. Now my friends say go all the way - 40', you can always find use for more space. I will have to drive a 40' to see if I'm comfortable driving it. I rented a 30' camper and after a while forgot it was so big. Drove through town with no issues. Saw a couple people duck when I made turns . Right now I need to find a place to work on it, I live in an apt

I have a 40' Blue Bird and a 30' International. I choose the International hands down. It's like driving a Honda compared to the 40 footer.
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