Hey New guy from Marin county California

[WestCoastCarpenter]

Hello.
I'm from Marin county California and am interested in converting a school bus.
I am a carpenter and my wife is a preschool teacher/Owner.

Hopefully we will be moving to The Olympic peninsula soon.
Our plan is to buy property around Sequim Washington and go on road trips when it gets too cold for us there.

I just started looking for a bus recently and I have a fairly good idea of what kind of bus I want.

Just waiting for the stars to align.

[Rusty]

I bid you welcome to this fine asylum !

Tell us (me) more about your wonderful plans. I'm elbow deep in bus wiring guts and need a mental escape !

Spell-out how many people, how tall, kids, pets or other special needs.
Camp for: days? weeks? months?

It sounds like you will want to insulate for sure with those destinations.

Read ! Ask questions. Tell us about the bus your looking at, without posting a link is best. We like transmission, gear ratio, engine talk.

Time frame?

Budget? hahahaha

[MarkyDee]

Yes, definitely, welcome to the asylum!

[Robin97396]

Welcome.

If you're like everyone else, you're looking for a shorty in really good condition. The secondary choice is a 40' pusher. All us people with medium size buses are developing a complex.

[Johnny Mullet]

Glad you could join us!

[DT Rutledge]

Sequim is one of favorite places. Good choice! Maybe we can have a mini skoolie meet-up and catch some spot prawns.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

All us people with medium size buses are developing a complex.

You have a 9 window flatnose. The shortest flatnose I've ever seen had 8 windows. You are approx. 2.5 feet longer than the shortest flatnose known to mankind......therefore, you are a shorty.

Complex averted.....and welcome to the club.

No charge for my time.


Don

[Robin97396]

I'm glad you spalined that to me. I could have gone around thinking I was medium size bus for years.

That's actually something I marvel about. This 9 window bus is one foot longer than my 5 window dognose shorty. I guess I considered myself medium because of my window count, considering shorties are usually 5 or 6 window. Pushers are usually 12 or 13 windows. It sure seems like 9 windows is just about in the middle there.

I haven't measured the wheel base on a shorty, but this bus has an 11' wheelbase for this 26' vehicle. I measured the wheelbase on a crewcab at 12'. This bus turns sharper than many vehicles, including the shorty. That's really good because lots of times I have to turn around on narrow logging roads.

I still think this is a medium size bus. It turns sharper than a shorty, so it can't be a shorty.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I'm glad you spalined that to me. I could have gone around thinking I was medium size bus for years.

That's actually something I marvel about. This 9 window bus is one foot longer than my 5 window dognose shorty. I guess I considered myself medium because of my window count, considering shorties are usually 5 or 6 window. Pushers are usually 12 or 13 windows. It sure seems like 9 windows is just about in the middle there.

I haven't measured the wheel base on a shorty, but this bus has an 11' wheelbase for this 26' vehicle. I measured the wheelbase on a crewcab at 12'. This bus turns sharper than many vehicles, including the shorty. That's really good because lots of times I have to turn around on narrow logging roads.

I still think this is a medium size bus. It turns sharper than a shorty, so it can't be a shorty.

The wheelbase on my 6 window dognose is a hair over 14 feet.....yours is 3 feet shorter. How can I not have made my point by now?

But don't worry -- I will hold onto your "Shorty Club" credentials until you come to your senses.

When I first start looking at buses, for the longest time I wanted an 8 window TC2000.....my desire for off-road capability (and not having that front overhang) is what steered me towards the conventional. But it sounds like you do just fine in those circumstances.


Don

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by plfking

The wheelbase on my 6 window dognose is a hair over 14 feet.....yours is 3 feet shorter. How can I not have made my point by now?

lol ... the wheelbase of mine is 23 feet ... definitely a "Longy"

[Robin97396]

I spent a youth turning thing around on these logging roads. I honestly didn't know how well these things turn, but it sure does work. I can hang nearly 1/3rd of this bus over a cliff.

I agree, it's definitely a shorty wheelbase. Topside I've got the extra windows though. I just have to remember not to stop to fast so I don't tip forward.

[WestCoastCarpenter]

Thanks everyone.