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Old 07-30-2015, 12:05 PM   #1
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 5
Year: 1984
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: International 345 5.7 v8
New to skoolies, also in NC!

Hey y'all, my love and I just bought a school bus to convert into our new tiny home! Its very exciting as we have been looking into tiny houses and this school bus just fell into our laps. For only $1000! Its a 1984 International with a Thomas body. I think its around 30 ft, 8 widows anyway. 345 5.7lt v8 auto trans. It was only used for field trips so its only got 111,000 on it. I know it wont be great on gas but we don't plan on moving it around often. Also the guy we bought it from already removed the seats, sold them, and installed insulation in the walls! Just wanted to introduce ourselves. We have found so much amazing info in the forums and love the community here! Thank you all in advance!
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Old 07-30-2015, 12:19 PM   #2
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Welcome...
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Old 07-30-2015, 12:23 PM   #3
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Statesville, North Carolina
Posts: 467
Year: 1993
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: International Navistar DT360
Rated Cap: 60
Welcome! I'm from NC too. We're having a lot of trouble getting insurance because of living in NC though so be aware that you may need to change your registration to somewhere like South Dakota unless you go for a commercial policy and a CDL. Looking forward to seeing your conversion!
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 07-30-2015, 03:05 PM   #4
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: North carolina
Posts: 651
Year: 1986
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford
Engine: Detroit 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
Welcome.
I live down south NC around the beaches (swansboro) and have never had an insurance issue. I have had nationwide for 20 years and 5 years ago they had no problem insuring a school bus knowing it is being changed to a camper/rv.
15$ a year plus inspection
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Old 07-30-2015, 04:54 PM   #5
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Year: 1984
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: International 345 5.7 v8
Thanks Jolly Roger! Its funny you replied because I have your thread open in my browser and I was planning on using it once I got to that. Thanks again =)
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Old 07-31-2015, 11:22 AM   #6
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Statesville, North Carolina
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Year: 1993
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: International Navistar DT360
Rated Cap: 60
Jolly Roger, which agency did you use? Any way I could contact them since they're used to the procedure? I've heard the only way to get through with Nationwide is if you've had a policy with them for a long time. I've love to avoid having to move my registration to SD because they charge $350 a year in registration fees!
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 07-31-2015, 01:59 PM   #7
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: North carolina
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Year: 1986
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Chassis: Ford
Engine: Detroit 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
Quote:
Originally Posted by onenationundergoat View Post
Jolly Roger, which agency did you use? Any way I could contact them since they're used to the procedure? I've heard the only way to get through with Nationwide is if you've had a policy with them for a long time. I've love to avoid having to move my registration to SD because they charge $350 a year in registration fees!
We use Beth Velthoven insurance out of swansboro.
The phone number is 910-326-3041.
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Old 08-04-2015, 09:23 AM   #8
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onenation....I'm in NC also, greensboro/burlington area and I just got mine insured, NO QUESTIONS ASKED through progressive. I filled all the information out online, insured it as a non-professional bus conversion. It's RV insurance includes comprehensive and collision and vacation insurance. Had to pay a down payment and then $32.99 a month or something like that
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Old 08-04-2015, 09:26 AM   #9
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By the way, Congrats on the purchase FreeRoad, awesome price seems like a steal. Welcome to the site.
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Old 08-04-2015, 09:28 AM   #10
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Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
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Originally Posted by bennettdg View Post
onenation....I'm in NC also, greensboro/burlington area and I just got mine insured, NO QUESTIONS ASKED through progressive. I filled all the information out online, insured it as a non-professional bus conversion. It's RV insurance includes comprehensive and collision and vacation insurance. Had to pay a down payment and then $32.99 a month or something like that
Watch for the cancellation notice.
Once Progressive finds out its converted at all they will have nothing to do with it. I think a few folks have gotten excited then let down by this recently.
Best of luck to you, maybe you slip through the cracks...

I'm pretty sure it says right on their website "we do NOT insure converted school buses". They should get their IT guys to take care of this as its not nice to tease.
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Old 08-04-2015, 10:13 AM   #11
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Statesville, North Carolina
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Year: 1993
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: International Navistar DT360
Rated Cap: 60
Yeah we had insurance through progressive for a few hours when they wrote us down as a converted "Toter International Truck" but I knew they would cancel it so I just called right back and got all the money back. I'm hoping Jolly Roger's Nationwide will help. Called yesterday and am waiting for a callback.
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 08-06-2015, 09:17 AM   #12
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Statesville, North Carolina
Posts: 467
Year: 1993
Chassis: Thomas
Engine: International Navistar DT360
Rated Cap: 60
Just got insurance in NC from Farm Bureau. No one at Allstate, Nationwide, National General, or anywhere else we called would do it. Farm Bureau spoke straight to the underwriters and was very transparent about it being a school bus conversion. They had to get it "seated" which apparently helps get insurance in high risk situations. It's insured as an RV, and our title says "House Car." $222 a year for 50/100/50 liability.
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:59 PM   #13
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Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Year: 1984
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: International
Engine: International 345 5.7 v8
Woohoo! Way to go!
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Old 08-19-2016, 08:56 AM   #14
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Johnston County, NC
Posts: 19
Year: 1990
Chassis: Blue Bird tc/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 L L6 diesel
Rated Cap: 48 (12 windows)
Hi from your area

Hi! I'm in Johnston County, NC (not too far from Raleigh) and am just starting my quest for a skoolie to live in full-time.

Did you have any trouble finding a place to keep your bus while you were working on it and/or living in it?

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Old 08-19-2016, 10:43 AM   #15
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Statesville, North Carolina
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Year: 1993
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Engine: International Navistar DT360
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My parents happen to have 20 acres and an airplane hangar, so I got to work/live on the bus rent free while I was building.
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My build thread:https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/build-thread-for-haulin-oats-and-goats-11237.html#post113500
A gal, a guy, three cats, two dogs, one rabbit, and one goat, traveling the country together.
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Old 08-19-2016, 10:50 AM   #16
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Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 8,462
Year: 1946
Coachwork: Chevrolet/Wayne
Chassis: 1- 1/2 ton
Engine: Cummins 4BT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by onenationundergoat View Post
My parents happen to have 20 acres and an airplane hangar, so I got to work/live on the bus rent free while I was building.

That sounds like every bus builders fantasy situation! Cool!
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Old 08-19-2016, 07:43 PM   #17
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Johnston County, NC
Posts: 19
Year: 1990
Chassis: Blue Bird tc/2000
Engine: Cummins 5.9 L L6 diesel
Rated Cap: 48 (12 windows)
Awesome! Wish I had that set-up. My first concern is where I can work on and live in a bus without having to buy land. Or if I do have to buy land, that there won't be restrictions against skoolies!
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Old 08-20-2016, 02:26 AM   #18
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Location: Asheville, NC.
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WNC here. Welcome!
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Old 08-20-2016, 08:26 AM   #19
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Engine: Cummins 5.9 L L6 diesel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x225x View Post
WNC here. Welcome!
Thank you for your welcome!

I moved here from WNC (Haywood County) just last year to be closer to my daughter's family. I miss the mountains!

Have you had any problems finding a place to keep your skoolie in the Asheville area?
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Old 08-20-2016, 04:02 PM   #20
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Thank you for your welcome!

I moved here from WNC (Haywood County) just last year to be closer to my daughter's family. I miss the mountains!

Have you had any problems finding a place to keep your skoolie in the Asheville area?
I haven't bought one yet. Still on the hunt. But I'm going to store it at my storage unit down the street from me.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Se...!4d-82.6254418
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