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Old 04-16-2016, 08:42 AM   #1
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New skoolie

Hi,
I am new to Skoolie. I just bought a 1996 international for the purpose of using as a moving truck because a uhaul would cost about the same. I would love some advice on getting from Virginia back home to Oregon and what to with the bus when we get there. Thanks.

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Old 04-16-2016, 10:10 AM   #2
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Hi,
I am new to Skoolie. I just bought a 1996 international for the purpose of using as a moving truck because a uhaul would cost about the same. I would love some advice on getting from Virginia back home to Oregon and what to with the bus when we get there. Thanks.
Finish gutting it and turn it into an RV or tiny home. The sky is, truly, the limit when converting old buses
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Old 04-16-2016, 11:07 AM   #3
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Well Poppy, depending on what you paid for the bus and if you're not interested in keeping it you might be able to get your money back, minus fuel and insurance costs.
I've had a five window bus packed like a suitcase before. You can put a lot of stuff in an empty bus, but in retrospect I'd leave several seats to act like baffles to hold heavier items from sliding forward.

Welcome back to the left coast.
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Old 04-16-2016, 12:45 PM   #4
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I did exactly the same thing when my mother-in-law died unexpectedly. The cost of the bus was more than $3K less than a used U-Haul truck with the same engine and transmission with 2x the number of miles.

Not only did we have to clean out the house and prepare it for sale but of course we had to transport from MI to WA state lots of "treasures", including two cats.

I removed all but the first and second rows of seats but turned the first row around backwards so I had a "bed" to sleep on while going across country.

Once I got the bus home to WA I have used it as a movable shed.

I suppose the smart thing to do would be to finally empty it out of all of the "treasures", it has been almost nine years, and sell it. But with it parked out behind the shop it is out of sight and out of mind most of the time.

My 7-year old daughter considers it her bus so I may just keep it for her and let her decide what to do with it.
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Old 04-16-2016, 09:29 PM   #5
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My current bus actually cost more than a conex storage container this time. Being a movable storage unit is about the best thing about my previous buses. I can't keep everything in this one.
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Old 04-17-2016, 06:50 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by Poppy View Post
Hi,
I am new to Skoolie. I just bought a 1996 international for the purpose of using as a moving truck because a uhaul would cost about the same. I would love some advice on getting from Virginia back home to Oregon and what to with the bus when we get there. Thanks.
if you dont want your bus when you get done moving, then id plan on trying to do everything in the realm of a 30 day tag.. so you dont have to deal with registration BS..

get a COMMERCIAL insurance policy on it from say progressive or other carriers..

then simply load up and drive your bus..

if you must buy a registration tag you may end up getting saddled with CDL vs commercial vehucle etc.. I dont know virginia law and how hard it is to re-title and register as an RV.. there are threads about it here.. but first shot be reading up on the DMV site for virginia (where its current address is)..

if you can get it converted to an RV title and registered as such without having to get it inspected as an RV (its an RV build in progress).. then you have plenty of time to load, move and unlooad in your new state.

once you are done you can simply sell it.. if its in good shape and all the seats are removed (or most of them).. someone very well may want it for conversion to an RV.. or you may want it to do such for yourself..

busses make great moving vans and certainly have the capacity to handle moving..

-Christopher
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Old 04-17-2016, 07:44 AM   #7
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Poppy - exactly the plan I have been considering, though with me it's Virginia to Idaho. Moving company costs for two bedrooms worth of stuff is on the order of $4-5K. Seems I could nearly cover the costs for a bus and the diesel. Then sell in Idaho or keep as an RV. Looking at bus prices on Craigslist here and there, it seems that west coast buses are quite a bit more expensive.

Only problem I have is door dimensions: we have my dad's piano that we want to move. No bus yet, so maybe I'll make a cardboard cutout of the end of the piano to take with me when inspecting a possible purchase. Comments welcome, of course.

Yes, I do plan on securing the piano well for transport: I've seen too many Roadrunner cartoons.
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Old 04-17-2016, 08:54 AM   #8
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Only problem I have is door dimensions: we have my dad's piano that we want to move. No bus yet, so maybe I'll make a cardboard cutout of the end of the piano to take with me when inspecting a possible purchase. Comments welcome, of course.
In that case, look for an Conventional or front-engined Type D (transit), so that you have the rear emergency door.
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Old 04-18-2016, 09:33 PM   #9
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Cdl ?

My bus has a GVWR OF 27500. If it is my personal vehicle used for personal use do I need a CDL? It does not have air brakes.
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Old 04-18-2016, 10:28 PM   #10
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Without air brakes you are allowed to drive it without any special endorsements on your license. It's like a truck or van.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:28 AM   #11
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Depends on the state you live in. I'm in fl I don't need an endorsement.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:55 AM   #12
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Without air brakes you are allowed to drive it without any special endorsements on your license. It's like a truck or van.
in what state?

in ohio the 26,000 lbs GVWR is what limits you .. taking out seats for below 15 people is permissable but rated factory GVWR is used as noted... (unless its titled and registered as an RV)

in michigan DESIGN capacity over 15 people or over 26,000 GVWR (taking out the seats doesnt qualify for capacity reduction)

every state is different in regards to what is required..

-Christopher
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Old 04-19-2016, 09:23 AM   #13
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RVs in NJ require no endorsements.
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Old 04-19-2016, 10:09 AM   #14
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Oregon is the state I was talking about. I'm not aware of any specific weight limits requiring special endorsements in Oregon. That seems to be regulated naturally by the judicious use of air brakes in heavy vehicles. In the past all of my buses have had hydraulic brakes which obviously doesn't require a compressor. This is my first diesel bus, and it has air brakes. I am required to get a class "B" license, which is basically a test about air brakes to be legal.
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Old 04-19-2016, 10:55 AM   #15
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I recently discovered that if you Google 'air brake endorsement' there are lots of freebie practice exams out there.
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Old 04-19-2016, 11:51 AM   #16
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Good to know since I don't have a class B endorsement book yet.
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Old 04-19-2016, 12:13 PM   #17
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sorry I shouldve clarified.. in my response above it was if you didnt title / register it as an RV but kept it as a bus.

in Ohio a Motorhome titled and registered vehicle requires no CDL or endorsements even for air-brakes..

its only if you try to keep it a bus or register it as a moving van or such that you need a CDL..


as an RV just hop in and drive

-Christopher
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Old 04-19-2016, 02:04 PM   #18
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Eventually, if I don't change buses again, I'll probably title this as an RV. Actually titling as an RV should be a good argument for being allowed to camp in RV parks.
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Old 04-19-2016, 05:17 PM   #19
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My bus has a GVWR OF 27500. If it is my personal vehicle used for personal use do I need a CDL? It does not have air brakes.
Poppy, check with YOUR state for requirements for licensing.
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Old 04-19-2016, 06:08 PM   #20
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That's probably an excellent idea unless you're talking to someone from your state.
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