New and old members please take the time......

[CaptSquid]

Start out with the BIGGEST bus you can find. 240 sq ft for mine and i'm solo.

[cowlitzcoach]

Originally Posted by Heatheranny

Hello! We're getting married in 6 days. And after a few weeks of extremely stressful house hunting, we are considering going the opposite route and converting a bus to move in to full time.2 adults and one 5 year old boy.
I will begin my research here.
Any advice on necessities to have when moving in full-time with a child?
My research is starting from scratch.
Thanks so much!
We will be parked during the school year often in our hometown and will be travelling over summer primarily.

Getting married, finding a bus, converting a bus, finding a place to locate it during the school year seems like a lot of stuff to deal with all at the same time. But it can be done!


I would say to you the same thing I have said to many others, spend the $$$ up front to get the bus you want. If you need your bus to be able to go highway speeds then look for a bus with big HP and highway gearing. It will be less stressful and less expensive in the long run to find a bus that is already set up to go highway speeds rather than to retrofit a bus with highway gearing and increasing the HP.


I would also suggest in the mean time to go to all of the RV and tiny home shows to get an idea as to what would work for a floor plan for you and your family. There are only so many ways in which you can arrange the pieces if you want a living area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and sleeping space. But there are a lot of variations on the general theme.


Our church has a bus for sale that would make a really good candidate for a conversion. It is one of the largest buses made with the highest standard headroom. It has decent HP and will cruise 60-65 MPH all day long. And it has had a lot of the expensive stuff already updated or repaired. Which tends to explain the high cost. https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/6860756837.html


If you are in a hurry and don't want to spend the time and $$$ on converting a bus by yourself there are some very good bus like moho's out there for sale.



Here are some Blue Bird Wanderlodge for sale websites:

https://www.buybyebluebird.com/
Wanderlodge Motorhomes for sale VintageBirds Chapter FMCA -


Here are some Newell Coach for sale websites:
https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/198...sic-5006242294




Bus Nuts Online also has a want ads section where converted buses are listed for sale:

WoBN's Classifieds


Good Luck and Happy Trails to you!

[vi_king2013@yahoo]

I know this sounds like a crazy question but I can't find where I am supposed to be able to ask a question. Can someone help me?

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by vi_king2013@yahoo

I know this sounds like a crazy question but I can't find where I am supposed to be able to ask a question. Can someone help me?

Go to the thread forum you are interested in. At the top left will be a prompt for "New Thread" click that and post your message.

[vi_king2013@yahoo]

I know how many miles my bus has on it. But how can I find out how many hours it has on it? Thank you.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by vi_king2013@yahoo

I know how many miles my bus has on it. But how can I find out how many hours it has on it? Thank you.

Your questions can be better answered if you join the community by going to the UserCP in the upper left and filling out your profile. Fill out everything you can on it. I would normally say there is an hour meter on the dash, but I have no idea what bus you have. You may be able to download that info from the computer, if you have one of those.

[Flyp]

Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach

It would appear as if Drews Crew has found a really pretty nice bus.



If it has the DT466 the transmission on a 2003 is most likely the MD3060. Getting IC to release 6th gear might be difficult. But with 5 gears and 5th OD you should be able to cruise easily at 60-65 MPH without any problem.


Good Luck and Happy Trails to you!

So when I put the bus into drive it shows the number 6 on the digital display. Does that mean 6th gear is unlocked?

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Flyp

So when I put the bus into drive it shows the number 6 on the digital display. Does that mean 6th gear is unlocked?

Yes sir, you got a good one.

[Flyp]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Yes sir, you got a good one.

Thank you sir. Appreciate the knowledge.

[Hoover]

Hello, I'm new to this forum. Looking to buy or build a skoolie for full time living. I've read a few posts here.... so I pretty much know everything now. JK'n. I know nothing, any advice or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Kenfromnc]

Just got bus a 1993 7.3 idi 5sp. 10wind.

[NavyVet]

Sounds nice. Good luck and happy trails. Hope to see ya on the rode

[NomadicBus]

Just bought a 1999 Chevy short bus(Bluebird). Seems most people here convert into Tiny/Mobile homes. I’m converting it into a food truck!

[NavyVet]

Sounds like a plan. Good luck

[Rolling_Adventure24]

Hi All,
So im new to posting but ive been on here for awhile now. Finally looking to start my journey to find my home on wheels. But im still trying to figure out if i should buy one in my home state of NY or if i should travel a bit south where there isnt as much rust. Along with that i am still trying to compare different models to see what will be the best fit if i plan to live in it full time. The only thing i know for sure is that i love the dog nose style over the flat nose but thats as far as ive gotten.

If anyone has any advice i would SO greatly appreciate it.

Thank you and keep adventuring

[HazMatt]

Welcome! And good luck in finding THE bus that's right for you.

Originally Posted by Rolling_Adventure24

Hi All,
So im new to posting but ive been on here for awhile now. Finally looking to start my journey to find my home on wheels. But im still trying to figure out if i should buy one in my home state of NY or if i should travel a bit south where there isnt as much rust. Along with that i am still trying to compare different models to see what will be the best fit if i plan to live in it full time. The only thing i know for sure is that i love the dog nose style over the flat nose but thats as far as ive gotten.

If anyone has any advice i would SO greatly appreciate it.

Thank you and keep adventuring

Definitely cast a wider net! Rust can easily be a deal breaker, and you aren't gonna find rust-free in your part of the world, unless you luck into one somebody else imported into NY...
Plenty of threads on the forum covering which states and auctions to suss out.
Itemize your planned utilization. If you're staying in the flatlands you'll have more options than if you expect to be mountain climbing! Again, plenty enough threads here on engine/tranny/body style. Time to start studying...

Welcome to the asylum!

[o1marc]

No one will recommend one from your state. The extra you spend in travelling for the bus will be saved in the cost and labor of repairing a rusty hulk before you get started.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by HazMatt

Welcome! And good luck in finding THE bus that's right for you.Definitely cast a wider net! Rust can easily be a deal breaker, and you aren't gonna find rust-free in your part of the world, unless you luck into one somebody else imported into NY...
Plenty of threads on the forum covering which states and auctions to suss out.
Itemize your planned utilization. If you're staying in the flatlands you'll have more options than if you expect to be mountain climbing! Again, plenty enough threads here on engine/tranny/body style. Time to start studying...

Welcome to the asylum!

As the proud owner of a rusty NY bus I can affirm that OP needs to head south or southwest. It's hard to quantify just how much additional time and money serious rust will cost you (months and thousands is kind of where I'm going with this) and it's impossible to quantify the drain on your spirit. If you want to make this an actual, practical financial endeavor, then you need to avoid rust at all costs (BTW you will absolutely not be able to tell how bad the rust is just from pictures, which is why entirely avoiding buses from certain regions is sensible).

I don't think building and selling skoolies can really be a practical commercial activity without seriously scamming people, but I actually think doing it with food trucks could be, given how expensive they are (not sure why you're doing this, just commenting).

[tobeamiss]

Originally Posted by Rolling_Adventure24

Hi All,

So im new to posting but ive been on here for awhile now. Finally looking to start my journey to find my home on wheels. But im still trying to figure out if i should buy one in my home state of NY or if i should travel a bit south where there isnt as much rust. Along with that i am still trying to compare different models to see what will be the best fit if i plan to live in it full time. The only thing i know for sure is that i love the dog nose style over the flat nose but thats as far as ive gotten.



If anyone has any advice i would SO greatly appreciate it.



Thank you and keep adventuring

Hi there and welcome! I'm in Orange County NY. Where are you?

[Rolling_Adventure24]

I'm in Rochester NY.