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Old 03-20-2017, 11:10 PM   #1
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New to group.

Hey I just joined the forum. I'm not a current owner of a bus but I'm am trying to get a head start on figuring out what I'm going to need. Getting ideas and info from other skoolies.

My name is Allen. So I'll be creeping on the forum for a while till I can get a bus and get started.

I'm from the great state of North Dakota.

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Old 03-20-2017, 11:42 PM   #2
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Allen, I'm impressed. It's good to lurk here. You can still start a thread and let folks help you figure out what kind of bus you need/want for how much stuff you want to cram in it. It's a fun process and a bunch of good people here.

From ND? Didn't I hear they have good buses over there? More insulation and stuff like auto chains and better heaters.
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Old 03-20-2017, 11:45 PM   #3
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Might be I haven't looked much yet. But right now it will depend on how things go a few months from now. Not going to go into detail there but the way things are headed I will more then likely be on the market for one.

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Old 03-20-2017, 11:49 PM   #4
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Welcome, glad you are here
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Old 03-20-2017, 11:52 PM   #5
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Thanks, glad to be here I've read a few things so far.
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Old 03-21-2017, 12:00 AM   #6
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There's nothing like having numerous eyes looking for your type of bus.

So are you planning for a live in, or are you making a weekender type camper? You've thought about things you want to put in there. Do you want to drive a 40' bus? Front engine or rear engine? Going for an antique bus or a newer model? Lots to think about. How many people are you going to put in a bus?

People here are going to want to know what you're looking for. If you plan to travel you'll likely want diesel and good road gears. You need to spend some time shopping on the auction sites and figure out how much it will take to get what you want. It's a fun process because this is probably the biggest metal box you're going to buy. You'll likely get a bit overwhelmed with all the suggestions but just let is soak in for a while and start imagining your bus design while pricing sales.
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Old 03-21-2017, 12:07 AM   #7
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Oh trust me I have been doing a lot of thinking as to what I'm going to want. I know I'm gonna be looking for a 40' with a diesel pusher. If I do go about this is going to be just me and a few pets. I have not decided if I'm gonna do live in or a get away camper.

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Old 03-21-2017, 09:40 AM   #8
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It sounds like you're going to put everything in that 40 footer.

I've got a 26 foot medium size FE bus that's plenty of room for me. Even at 26 foot I have some parking issues while in town. I don't let my pets live in the bus because I don't want to deal with their mess, or dealing with lost animals while visiting an unfamiliar area.

I just checked Public Surplus and there don't seem to be very many buses available in your area, but maybe they dispose of them through another auction site.

I'm sure you've found the Non-affiliated buses for sale thread. Read there to learn what to avoid in a bus. You'll work it out.
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Old 03-21-2017, 10:06 AM   #9
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Parking for me is not an issue I have a rental house in a small town my one driveway is two cats wide and two long so I could back into there key the back hang into the yard. Our the other end of the lot that has an ally that is only the length of my yard but has parking down there as well 3 wide but could back it in along side the ally. Or I have a couple of friends that don't live far from me in the country that have several acres that I could park it on to do the work or maybe even live on.

As for pets it would be my one dog who's half shepherd and half lab. And one or two cats. That are indoor cats only. None of my pets are actually messy. The dog is never on a leash. He was a rescue dog. The first time he was out at the house he chewed through his leash and ran off. We were inside painting so we didn't know the area any more then he did. Well when I realized he was gone I went outside called his name just a couple times and he came running back. We only had him for maybe a month at that time. I knew then that he was a good dog.

I want a bigger one as I like to go to music festivals and camp and every so often I may have other people in there as well. It does not have to be a pusher but it does have to be diesel. It does not compare in size to what I operate at work granted a locomotive is on tracks. I'm a locomotive mechanic for BNSF. I also went to school for automotive. So I've got a good mechanical skills under my belt and Pam to do all our most of my own work.
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Old 03-21-2017, 10:38 AM   #10
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Ok, that pretty much explains why you've got a plan.

Out of curiosity, are you planning on putting a garage in the back of your bus?
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Old 03-21-2017, 11:02 AM   #11
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No I don't plan on putting a garage in the back. I'll tow a car on a trailer that's big enough to fit to motor bike as well but that's about it. Well maybe a bicycle.

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Old 03-21-2017, 11:15 AM   #12
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I've panned on using the back area to store a quad or at least a dual sport. Problem is quads are wider than the chair lift so the chair lift has got to go and be replaced by a ramp.

I'm going with the theory of keeping the outside of the bus looking relatively smooth and untouched. I plan a rather nondescript paint job. I don't want to pull a trailer most of the time. I'm trying to stick with that KISS theory. Then again plans have a way of changing.
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Old 03-21-2017, 11:43 AM   #13
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Yea that is understandable. Right now I don't plan on hauling a trailer unless I'm gonna be in a situation where there isn't someone else with me that had a separate vehicle to run to the store while at a festival.

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Old 03-21-2017, 12:13 PM   #14
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I don't plan on hauling a trailer unless I buy something big that won't fit in the bus. There is so much cool stuff you find on the backroads.

I'm thinking the dual sport will do my errand running and exploration trips while I'm away from home. I'll probably have to give up on my quad since it's largely impractical compared to a dual sport bike.

I'm still glad to see you've got so much of this worked out already. I'm interested to see your build commence, with the help of Toto and the cats.

Litter box in the bus? Not for me.
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Old 09-26-2021, 10:29 PM   #15
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I just realized that I have not been on this forum in a long time. Of course my bus plans kind of went to the wayside. I am now back as I have just purchased a bus. So time to start lurking again and get back to planning.
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