New here and new to me bus

[AllToHimIOwe]

I purchased a 2001 bluebird 24 valve school bus a week or two ago. I got a good deal on it (or so I think). It does not currently run. I bought it on an auction so I have no idea of the issues with it. The school bus interior has been removed by the previous owner. It is currently in a RV configuration that can sleep 6. The bus was originally from Indiana area. It was used at a canoe rental for part of its life based off of the old lettering that has been painted over.

I have joined the forum to gain some knowledge about my bus and to see others builds.

[DeMac]

Welcome to skoolie.net.
Fifteen windows! That's a house size bus. What are you going to do with it? ie, camper, tiny home, food truck...
Will your Barred Rock climb aboard the skoolie, too? Tell us more about your plan.

[PorchDog]

Nice looking paint job. Being a 5.9 Cummins-- should be a lot of folks nearby who can help get it running. Basically same engine as in the early Dodge pickups. 98.5 up through 2000 I think used that engine.

[AllToHimIOwe]

This bus originally caught my eye because it has a 5.9 Cummins in it. My original plan was to take the engine out of it and swap it into my 1996 f150. I planned on using the rolling chassis as a chicken coop. But once I got to look it over, I might fix it up and use it as a weekend camper. It has two AC units, tankless water heater, power inverter, and battery bank. It had a small electrical fire that melted the coolant reservoir and some coolant hoses. Depending on how much work it takes to get it road worthy I might stick to my original plan of taking the engine and selling the upgrades listed above to cover the cost of the bus, or I might clean it up and use it as a weekend camper.

My next steps to determine which way I’m going to go:
1. New fluids and filters
2. Determine blue bird wiring and remove/disconnect wiring not critical to vehicle operation
3. Fix the coolant system
4. Get the engine running
5. Reconnect driveline and braking system

[TheHubbardBus]

I think you should do both... transform it into a travelling coop so your chickens can see the world.

[cadillackid]

"small engine fire" is often much "bigger" than it seems.. coolant hoses dont just melt on their own nor do they start fires.. so something else caused it.. if its electrical chances are there are gremlins to be found.. the 24 valve is an electronic engine so first step would be to locate and look over the engine harness and the wiring going to / from the computer.. that will help determine whether its even salvageable for your pickup swap.. (the easiest engine to swap into a pickup is the old mechanical 12 valve).. although if you intend to use an electronic transmission then the 24 valve is preferred...

[AllToHimIOwe]

Upon further inspection I found the origin of the fire. The alternator caught on fire and melted/burned up the wires attached to it, an oil line, coolant hose, trans coolant lines, and the wires going to two sensors on the exhaust side of the engine.

That is more work than I want to do on something that I am ultimately going to swap into my f150. So I am now going to start parting out the stuff I won’t be using for the engine swap or chicken coop. Now the fun begins of disassembly to pull the engine before summer.