Family of 9 in a bus?

[Mgulley82]

We are a family of 9 (7 kids) and planning on converting a large school bus to become our mobile living for a time as we transition to a new location and build our home.

We looked at this tonight and may be taking it home this weekend

Does anyone have experience with registration in Tennessee? Is the Vermont instructions still good? Does it change things that this bus is in a used car dealer lot?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[o1marc]

Being in a used car lot just means you'll likely end up paying more than it's worth.
That is however a nice bus to start with.

[Robin97396]

Don't leave us hanging. Make, model, year, engine, transmission. Any bits and pieces missing? Tape on the dashboard? Clues to what kind of shape it's in. Age of the tires, because you don'twant to have to put out for a new set right away if those are timed out.

We'll tell you what we're paying for the same bus. This may influence your decision on the used car lot bus.

[Mgulley82]

I’ll post a video walk trough of the bus tomorrow for sure with all the details

It’s a 2004, tires look really good

I’m hoping we’ll be around 3-3.5k

We just walked around it tonight (lot is closed) but it looks very clean from the outside

[david.dgeorge07]

Where are you in TN? I registered mine last summer as a private vehicle without any problems. Chattanooga.

[Mgulley82]

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

Where are you in TN? I registered mine last summer as a private vehicle without any problems. Chattanooga.

We are in sumner county. due north of you near the Kentucky border

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

Don't leave us hanging. Make, model, year, engine, transmission. Any bits and pieces missing? Tape on the dashboard? Clues to what kind of shape it's in. Age of the tires, because you don'twant to have to put out for a new set right away if those are timed out.

We'll tell you what we're paying for the same bus. This may influence your decision on the used car lot bus.

04 Thomas MPV-EF, most likely a Cummins 5.9/AT545.

[Robin97396]

That's a nice clean looking bus. If it's got the small power package in it I'd say it's maybe a $3k bus that I'd try to buy for $2k. I'll guarantee that car lot wants it off the lot to make space for something that will turn a profit. They are what you call motivated sellers.

[Thomas1985]

That many people sleeping in one bus would be a trick that reminds me of a clown car! 2 3 level bunk beds, plus a fold down couch and a bed in the back for the parents? If it were me I would keep a couple tents along and have a few pile outside for sleeping. That's what we do when we go to festivals with a group. Hammocks and tents!

[cowlitzcoach]

I know of one family with nine kids that in order to accommodate all of the family their converted school bus also towed along a travel trailer that had been remodeled as well.

The trailer still had the bathroom and shower but it no longer had a kitchen. Most of the space was changed over to bunk beds. It helped that most of the family were boys.

IIRC the kitchen was moved into the bus so nothing was wasted in the travel trailer. I think original purchase cost of the bus was under $3K and the trailer was right at $1K.

If instead of a trailer you need to tow along an additional vehicle I have seen a large tent to provide some extra space. I have also seen the curbside awning turned into an additional room with drop down walls on the ends and along the front. With the entrance door to the bus in front of the front axle it worked fairly well to have a door into the added room in the front end wall.

If you go to the trouble of lifting the roof you would then have room to stack bunks four high. There are many entertainer coaches that have bunks stacked four high. The bottom bunk is basically on the floor and no bunk has a lot of room.

[Godspyro]

My sister lived for 2 years with husband and 6 kids in a 32 foot travel trailer, yes it can be done, but don't expect it to be easy, and the time to convert may be better spent building your house.
We are planning on spending 1 year in a bus very much like what you are looking at with our 5 remaining kids after converting it..

These guys did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zi6Bu2QWRM

and these guys http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f32/a-...ure-12424.html
and these guys https://discoveringusbus.com/family/

Frankly, we are looking at the same thing because although our family feels tiny now it is still large by most standards and sticks&staples are really just made for a couple old people to live in full time, not a whole family.

[Mgulley82]

Thanks for the info

We are looking into this because we will be building our selves and not here locally - we are moving cross country. We will need temporary living quarters and this fits the bill

[heathnlaura]

Check the date codes on the tires. I was very happy when I saw Michelins all around with tons of tread. Then I learned about date codes, after we purchased it of course. Tires very quickly became a priority when I saw the date codes only had 3 numbers.

https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/...-of-your-tires

[Mgulley82]

Were driving away with a bus

It has a little over 100k miles on it. Engine sounds great! And....... it has the CAT in it!

Tires look great and are within a few years old

[david.dgeorge07]

Pictures please!

[Mgulley82]

Stupid question

I can’t find the windshield wipers

Is it one of the missing knob switches in the upper left panel next to the steering wheel?

Haha

Thanks guys

We will post a video walk through and update and start a project thread soon

[david.dgeorge07]

Stalk? I couldn’t find mine for a while and realize that it was on the stock sort of like a normal car.

[Mgulley82]

Originally Posted by david.dgeorge07

Stalk? I couldn’t find mine for a while and realize that it was on the stock sort of like a normal car.

It was the two knobless switches

I grabbed a pair of vice grips from harbor freight real quick


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[cowlitzcoach]

Originally Posted by Mgulley82

Stupid question

I can’t find the windshield wipers

Is it one of the missing knob switches in the upper left panel next to the steering wheel?

Haha

Thanks guys

We will post a video walk through and update and start a project thread soon

IIRC the wiper switches also work the washer--just push down on the knob.