In the planning stage

[Hophophouse]

Hello!

I LOVE that there's such a big and rich community to be a part of! I'm in Victoria BC and I'm in the planning stage of my skoolie adventure. I'll be moving up island for a quieter (read: get me out of the rat race and all its trappings) life this fall and in the process of trying to find alternative and cheap accommodation i discovered this. My best idea had been living aboard a boat, but as i have no boating experience, this idea was really the same lifestyle but on land.

I look forward to soaking up all the ideas and info here. It just occurred to me I'll need a different license. Thanks ahead of time for all this info and more!

[o1marc]

Do you need a "different" license in Canada? Most states in the US do not require a CDL for a decommissioned bus or RV.

[Hophophouse]

My mother is a school bus driver with a special license so I assumed. Maybe you're right!

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Hophophouse

My mother is a school bus driver with a special license so I assumed. Maybe you're right!

In service school bus is considered a commercial vehicle and would require a CDL to operate it, usually not so after decommission

[PNW_Steve]

I have heard from several people that have tried to enter BC in air brake equipped RVs. They were stopped at the border and told that they could not continue because they didn't have a CDL.

I traveled BC to Ontario in a converted bus with air brakes and had no trouble. That was 20 years ago though.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I have heard from several people that have tried to enter BC in air brake equipped RVs. They were stopped at the border and told that they could not continue because they didn't have a CDL.

I traveled BC to Ontario in a converted bus with air brakes and had no trouble. That was 20 years ago though.

Sandi just went to BC on air brakes. Maybe she got lucky?
I did warn her. But I've never been there and so I was just passing on what I'd heard on here.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Sandi just went to BC on air brakes. Maybe she got lucky?
I did warn her. But I've never been there and so I was just passing on what I'd heard on here.

I ran into some folks 2-3 years ago that had been turned around that morning for air brakes and no CDL.

Since then I have run into a handful of others that had similar experiences.

I was ignorant when I went up and I had zero trouble.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I ran into some folks 2-3 years ago that had been turned around that morning for air brakes and no CDL.

Since then I have run into a handful of others that had similar experiences.

I was ignorant when I went up and I had zero trouble.

Sounds like its a roll of the dice. Like most things "skoolie".