what do you "do"?

[Beirdo]

Software design by day, play games or scheme on my bus build at night

[rossvtaylor]

We are Kara and Ross. We live near Flagstaff, about 20 minutes west of town off I-40. We both have odd/varied backgrounds but those led us down a path towards building a food business... we invented the FBOMB! Well, not that kind of FBOMB...the kind you eat. https://www.dropanfbomb.com/pages/about-us


Anyway, that business was built out of personal need (as all fun things are, I guess) while we were traveling for other work. That sort of runs itself now, so Kara and I have devoted our full-time attention to building conversion buses and ambulances...and we focus on making them accessible. Kara's mom lives on our "family compound" and needs a wheelchair, so this also started out of personal need...and it feels good, so that's what we do now.

[Morgan]

I'm an adult educator, social media "influencer" and writer. My partner also works in social media and has a side hustle as an artist.

We are just starting our bus journey but we've been working towards it for a few years now - transitioning both of our businesses so that we can work from the road. For me, it will actually be better, as I teach live, in-person classes (or I did, in the before times), so I can start that up again once it's safe to travel. I've done the same work while backpacking across Mexico, so bus life will be much easier for me as far as work goes.

He works in an office (at home for the last year), so his job can't travel with us. He's been working to get his art shop off the ground and build up a following.

Since we both work and have experience in social media, we plan to do a travel blog/youtube as well as our existing work. Rather than the typical travel stuff, we have a few niche markets we will be targeting, since the general market is pretty over-saturated.

We figure, if worse comes to worst, we can do social media management for others. It's not exactly what we want to do but it's a good backup plan that should keep us on the road.

In a bad situation, my income can sustain us both as long as we live frugally. Oh, and we have a fair bit of savings, just in case everything falls apart!

[Gyrkin]

Browsing through this thread it's not surprising that there are a wide variety of occupations. What is surprising, to me at least, is there are very few school bus drivers. Well that's what I do. I mostly drive activity trips, which in Wyoming tend to be far, like 200 miles each way far. When my skoolie was still a school bus our school district owned it, and I transported students in it. When it went up for sale 15 years ago I snatched it up.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Gyrkin

Browsing through this thread it's not surprising that there are a wide variety of occupations. What is surprising, to me at least, is there are very few school bus drivers. Well that's what I do. I mostly drive activity trips, which in Wyoming tend to be far, like 200 miles each way far. When my skoolie was still a school bus our school district owned it, and I transported students in it. When it went up for sale 15 years ago I snatched it up.

Very cool. My buddy's mom bought her route bus when she retired.

I have a cousin who drives for a local district, but she hates buses and talking buses. She just drives em!

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

very cool for you to know and have driven the exact bus you own.
there are bus drivers on here and bus mechanics on here.
me myself was a texas farm boy running. cattle and horses.
picked up college experience through a trade program in high school with a weld cert as a junior and a mechanics cert as a senior but instead of taking the test to be a mechanic i joined the marines.
years later i am a mechanic on the side and have good work as a pipe fitter welder supervisor on govt installations for almost 27 years now.
doing govt construction projects new and renovation.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Gyrkin

What is surprising, to me at least, is there are very few school bus drivers. Well that's what I do. I mostly drive activity trips, which in Wyoming tend to be far, like 200 miles each way far. When my skoolie was still a school bus our school district owned it, and I transported students in it. When it went up for sale 15 years ago I snatched it up.

Ha ha, only one thing's keeping me from being a bus driver!

That's awesome that your skoolie is a bus you used to drive. I'd love to find people that used to drive #87 and show them what's become of it.

[Tejon7]

This is a great thread - I love the diversity on this site.

I'm a geologist. That's the rock one, not the one that can identify birds and such.

[Gyrkin]

I'm actually in the process of doing it again. Our school district is retiring another good one. It's a 2003 rear engine Thomas. It's a good bus, has always been dependable. Also has a transmission retarder, WEBASTO, drop down chains, cruise control, and the optional taller ceiling. It even has an aftermarket backup camera.

[Gyrkin]

Originally Posted by Tejon7

This is a great thread - I love the diversity on this site.

I'm a geologist. That's the rock one, not the one that can identify birds and such.

Rocks are cool and all, but not near as interesting as birds.

[Oscar1]

Originally Posted by Gyrkin

I'm actually in the process of doing it again. Our school district is retiring another good one. It's a 2003 rear engine Thomas. It's a good bus, has always been dependable. Also has a transmission retarder, WEBASTO, drop down chains, cruise control, and the optional taller ceiling. It even has an aftermarket backup camera.

That sounds like one to grab for sure.

[Tejon7]

Originally Posted by Gyrkin

Rocks are cool and all, but not near as interesting as birds.

That seems to be the majority opinion. I mainly prefer rocks because, while somewhat boring, at least they don't s*** on my bus

Looking forward to seeing your new rig!

[BusDaRhymes]

I'm new to the forum and am patiently planning our transition into bus life. I have 2 kids (16 and and 7 animals. My doggo, Peppa, is a Dutch shepherd and we have 6 cats - only 3 cats would come on the bus, 1 is going to a friend's house/farm for rodent control and the other 2 will retire with my parents. They are older, survived injuries, and aren't suited for the bus life. My mom will spoil them rotten.

I work remote for a hospital and currently am an Executive Assistant for Corporate Integrity (Supporting Internal Audit, Privacy, Compliance & information Security) but am transitioning into a Risk Management Analyst position at the end of the year.

I have been at the hospital for 5 years now, but have worked as (in no particular order) a bartender, server, farm hand, horse trainer, vet tech, office manager at a pet shelter and at a lawn care company, legal assistant for foreclosures and workman's comp, hospice caregiver and maid. Jane of all trades they say. I have my database analyst certification and am currently working on an Associates degree in Office Technologies.

I have to say that this Skoolie family is absolutely amazing. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive.

[Mountain Gnome]

From the either the book It Was On Fire When I Laid Down On It, or All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. (same author, good stuff)



What do you do?


I'm a Breatheur. I breathe for a living. Sometimes I drink water and eat, too.

[DustinDeez]

I started working 13 years old as a go-fer for my dad's construction company, fun but I hate doing that as a job. Worked fast food and mini marts and walmart after kid #3 I joined the army at 30 years old as a heavy equipment mechanic. Wife became disabled during my first deployment so I left active duty and only "army" part time now as a I.T/communications guy. Civilian side I am a tractor/trailer/reefer tech. I love my job and the company I work for. 8.5 years until I retire and my youngest is over 18. My 13 year old wants to build a skoolie and learn all about maintenance/fabricating. I am leaning away from a 40' trailer build and thinking about doing a skoolie myself. My wife is 100% behind it and I figure the extra money coming in on this upcoming deployment is the perfect opportunity to start saving and researching.

[Iceni John]

Recently retired from the State of California, so enjoying life without work (yes, it does exist!). Got to finish my bus this year, but I've been saying that for several years now, then I can begin full-timing in it. I'm also getting back into bicycle riding, and I'm planning my first short trip riding Route 66 back from NM to CA, then I'd also like to ride the entire Pacific Coast from Canada to MX (I've already done some of it in chunks), then maybe later a longer trip somewhere else after the planet recovers from Covid, maybe across Central Asia or the Karakoram Highway or somewhere interesting. So, with bus and bike I'm going to be busy. Retirement is good! After 47 years working I think I've earned it.

John

[Zechs36]

Not a school bus driver, but I'm a driver for Greyhound. I've always loved buses ever since I was a little kid and always wanted to own one. I finally got that opportunity earlier this year when a friend of mine decided to sell his prison bus he'd bought and was only using for storage.

[Froggy]

I went to college intending to be a pilot, life had other plans and through the difficulties, I still scraped through and got a Bachelor's degree for the effort, just in Aeronautics instead, and with an additional Aeronautical Studies minor added to the Aviation Safety. I was too stressed and got sick often which significantly delayed flight progress, so I never even got the first pilot license, and then ran out of money.

With zero experience, I couldn't even get a job throwing baggage an airport, which I still don't really understand, given employment shortages today...

A year later I answered a radio ad and was trained to be a school bus driver and I have held no other job since 2009. I have transferred easily from Florida, to Oregon, to Colorado, Georgia briefly before family death brought me back home to my original Florida district... with jobs waiting for me each time. I am young enough and a passionate person with a strong work ethic, so I advanced quickly and became a school bus driver trainer, and then a Router in the office last year. Somewhere along the way I saw an RV hubby's dad horsetraded, then learned about tiny houses, and got the notion that I must someday convert a school bus and live in it.

We have been destitute our entire adult lives, helping the adults in it by living together at times, saving grandad's house during college (student loans weren't any use for flight anymore >.<), and constantly repairing my first lemon car needed to travel to full time work and full time school... we were still climbing out of debt so I was very sad to miss out on the auction of the Frog bus or any other from my district.

There is also a long story involving two Volkswagen Beetles and a chicago-built Schwinn bicycle, but anyway my husband found a Bluebird Wanderlodge that was the exact same price as the total settlement from losing my beloved car... we immediately had to buy it. I didn't even know Wanderlodges were a thing. Now I OWN MY OWN BUS!

I enjoy video games, or, well my husband does, I only like World of Warcraft. I loved roleplaying and writing stories from the chatlogs. After the Legion expansion the game changed and we finally failed to purchase the last expansion Shadowlands, and discovered free private servers to play older versions instead. We thoroughly enjoyed creating content for developers to add for TurtleWoW. He and I might love to work on games, as someone mentioned they do here.

I also love sewing. My grandma always did quilting for charity, I didn't know money could be made doing it? I have sewn dress slacks and vest for my husband, a jacket version of a ScotteVest with 22 pockets from the scraps of
3 of a beloved uncle's hard-used coats, a perfectly matched plaid couch cover for a couch I should have never parted with, it was so comfy... dresses for me. Dog clothes for a jack russell terrier with skin allergies. I can and will create anything and, since we've been consistently poor, WITH anything. I've made awesome Halloween costumes

I am still a Router with my district, but I'm thinking that my life goals have changed now that we are out of debt for the first time. I have bursitis in my shoulder and cannot currently drive a bus route. Plus, I really want to put my creative talents to use!

I want to rebuild my bus, due to it's deteriorated condition. I want to repair my wrecked Beetle. I want to make my husband's truck and his Camaro as nice as he deserves. And I want to save the old cars. I want to help people get their skoolies and be happy too.

I just... I don't know how to start... We've relied on a steady paycheck since we were 15...

[ISAF2009]

I was an RN until mid pandemic now I co own 2 auto repair shops. Been a wrench since I was a kid was a medic in the army then a cop briefly. I did some executive protection while in college. Now considering law school.

[Mags]

HI ! Where did you get your short bus? Thanks