Howdy from Kansas

[Collins248]

Hello Skoolie world,

We are newbies and contemplating our first mini bus. My mom drives a school bus for fun during the school year and her bus (2005 Ford E-450 Collins 5 window) was just "timed out" so she got a new bus and they are selling her old one. She would like to buy it to convert into an RV. I have been trolling here for a week or so and think I may be able to make her dream come true, I won't know until they finally put it up for sale and we win the bidding. The nice thing is that she knows the bus and the maintenance history.

Here are the plans so far.

I want to make a convertible couch/bed in the back with a drawer set underneath and boxed in for rear door storage. Maybe another bunk above for when there are others along for the adventure.

I was to make a bathroom with shower and composting toilet. An eating area that can also get transformed into a sleeping area kind of like a pop-up camper.

I am not sure if anyone has been able how to run a 15000 BTU A/C as you are driving to help keep passengers cool, this one doesn't have an auxiliary one in the rear but it does have the separate heat box back there.

I was thinking about putting 2 refrigerators in it, one for food and one to act as a cooling unit for a small keg that she and her travel guests could use at the campground. I am planning to put in a shore power system fo she can comfortably run the amenities, but may add solar as well for nights where camping in a National Forest or boondocking somewhere.

All of this will be dependent on my knowledge and the resources I can find on here. I don't completely understand the electrical setup for 12/120 solar/ and 120 shore and how to make all of it work yet.

Any thoughts or ideas would always be appreciated.

Thank all of you for the great work and selfless sharing you have done. If I an able to do this I will try to take lots of pictures and post a build thread.

[Jdawgsfanasty]

Originally Posted by Collins248

Hello Skoolie world,

We are newbies and contemplating our first mini bus. My mom drives a school bus for fun during the school year and her bus (2005 Ford E-450 Collins 5 window) was just "timed out" so she got a new bus and they are selling her old one. She would like to buy it to convert into an RV. I have been trolling here for a week or so and think I may be able to make her dream come true, I won't know until they finally put it up for sale and we win the bidding. The nice thing is that she knows the bus and the maintenance history.

Here are the plans so far.

I want to make a convertible couch/bed in the back with a drawer set underneath and boxed in for rear door storage. Maybe another bunk above for when there are others along for the adventure.

I was to make a bathroom with shower and composting toilet. An eating area that can also get transformed into a sleeping area kind of like a pop-up camper.

I am not sure if anyone has been able how to run a 15000 BTU A/C as you are driving to help keep passengers cool, this one doesn't have an auxiliary one in the rear but it does have the separate heat box back there.

I was thinking about putting 2 refrigerators in it, one for food and one to act as a cooling unit for a small keg that she and her travel guests could use at the campground. I am planning to put in a shore power system fo she can comfortably run the amenities, but may add solar as well for nights where camping in a National Forest or boondocking somewhere.

All of this will be dependent on my knowledge and the resources I can find on here. I don't completely understand the electrical setup for 12/120 solar/ and 120 shore and how to make all of it work yet.

Any thoughts or ideas would always be appreciated.

Thank all of you for the great work and selfless sharing you have done. If I an able to do this I will try to take lots of pictures and post a build thread.

Good luck with your adventure...welcome to the party

Sent from my VS500PP using Tapatalk

[o1marc]

I was confused when you said they were selling the old one to her, but then saw you said "if she wins the bid". I don't think any government agency can choose to do personal sales of government property. They legally have to go to public auction unless they are being traded in on new ones.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by o1marc

I was confused when you said they were selling the old one to her, but then saw you said "if she wins the bid". I don't think any government agency can choose to do personal sales of government property. They legally have to go to public auction unless they are being traded in on new ones.

Some can, most can't.

Some even prevent state employees from bidding at public auctions of state property. Most don't ... some simply ban this while "on-duty".

If anyone is caught buying state property for an employee, where the employee is barred, expect a world of hurt if caught.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Twigg

Some can, most can't.

Some even prevent state employees from bidding at public auctions of state property. Most don't ... some simply ban this while "on-duty".

If anyone is caught buying state property for an employee, where the employee is barred, expect a world of hurt if caught.

Name one that can. Too much chance for fraud and cheating the government, which is why it is required to go to public auction to the highest bidder.

[M1031A1]

Collins,

Where are you in Kansas? There's a bunch of us near Hays if you're looking for some people with build experience....

M

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Name one that can

Name one that can......


As a government employee I could bid on surplus equipment that was sold at auction. However, I was not allowed to bid on real estate foreclosures that were auctioned off at the courthouse.

I sent equipment to the auction myself. I was allowed to bid on it myself but it would have been bad form and was frowned upon.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

Name one that can......


As a government employee I could bid on surplus equipment that was sold at auction. However, I was not allowed to bid on real estate foreclosures that were auctioned off at the courthouse.

I sent equipment to the auction myself. I was allowed to bid on it myself but it would have been bad form and was frowned upon.

You bid on things at an auction, you could not have, as a government employee, taken something that should go to auction and sell it to me cause i'm your buddy.

[Collins248]

M1031A1: We are in Olathe, a few hours East in the KC Metro. Thanks, glad to know we have some resources close by and we may come out there if we need help and spend the weekend or what is needed to help thins along.

This is not a government bus sale. It is a private company that has a contract with some of the school districts here in the area. They decommission the bus then they send it to a private auction/bus sales lot. I know some of the larger lots in the company sell their busses on their own and if they would be set up for it the garage said she could have bought it straight out. The only busses that the employees are not allowed to purchase through the company are the ones that are "cost too much to fix" because there is a significant risk for fraud. In the case that there is a company wide policy to decommission a bus after 10 years and this one was with them for 13 years there is no real chance for fraud as it is a corporate policy of time in service and no other employee has any decision authority behind it.

I could have explained it better at first, I didn't mean to start a debate.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by o1marc

You bid on things at an auction, you could not have, as a government employee, taken something that should go to auction and sell it to me cause i'm your buddy.

I am not quite sure what you are trying to say??

I was allowed to bid. So was my buddy. If he wanted it he can go to the auction and bid on it. That was the whole purpose of sending it to the auction. So that it (whatever "it" was) would be sold to the highest bidder in a public sale.

As I mentioned it was discouraged on certain items to avoid the perception of impropriety.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I am not quite sure what you are trying to say??

I was allowed to bid. So was my buddy. If he wanted it he can go to the auction and bid on it. That was the whole purpose of sending it to the auction. So that it (whatever "it" was) would be sold to the highest bidder in a public sale.

As I mentioned it was discouraged on certain items to avoid the perception of impropriety.

The OP made it sound as though his mother was sold something that was legally suppose to go to an auction to the highest bidder. I questioned that, he agreed that wasn't how it went down. Twigg claimed some states can sell government property to their buddies outside of public auction, I challenged him to name one, he hasn't yet. You commented that as an employee you could "bid", like everyone else, and buy it if you were high bidder.

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by o1marc

The OP made it sound as though his mother was sold something that was legally suppose to go to an auction to the highest bidder. I questioned that, he agreed that wasn't how it went down. Twigg claimed some states can sell government property to their buddies outside of public auction, I challenged him to name one, he hasn't yet. You commented that as an employee you could "bid", like everyone else, and buy it if you were high bidder.

Twigg never mentioned anyone's "buddies".

I said that some public organizations can sell direct.

Most don't.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Twigg

Twigg never mentioned anyone's "buddies".

I said that some public organizations can sell direct.

Most don't.

Direct sales of government surplus? What state was that again? Just one will do. Who would determine value or price on said items?

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Direct sales of government surplus? What state was that again? Just one will do. Who would determine value or price on said items?

Let me help you feel better.

You are right, I am wrong.

I am now done with this matter.

[Robin97396]

I can just see you two sitting in rocking chairs on a porch bicker like this all day long. It's kind of picturesque.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I can just see you two sitting in rocking chairs on a porch bicker like this all day long. It's kind of picturesque.

He couldn't argue with common sense.

[Robin97396]

Let's not go there. You know what can happen.

Everybody has an opinion, just like... well you know.