new to this group! not sure of the future!

[throwdiscs12]

Hey everyone! my name is Paul and i'm from ohio! I've been looking at different options for an rv/skoolie for a year or so now. Not sure if I actually want to get one or not yet. Definitely don't want to impulse buy. I definitely like the uniqueness of a skoolie and being able to make it how I want vs a typical rv. Also not sure if my plan would be to live in it full time or just take road trips more. Thoughts on what decision you all made and why is welcomed!

[bp1791-unleashed]

Welcome!

I'm planning to full time in my bus conversion, and home-base it on the farm we bought last year. Depending on circumstances, I might have to find a place in delaware to live in it full time for a while. The future is still very fluid right now. Regardless, once converted, I'll at least have a home.

Whether you just want a metal tent on wheels or a tiny house on wheels, or something in between, you'll find nearly everything you can imagine in this forum.

Good luck,
Jim

[tlzimmerman]

I bought my skoolie and am converting it because we want to do long road trips as the kids get older.....we love going to the lake......and we drive to NFL games often.

And rv would have done all of that but class A rigs that actually have rollover protection are pricey if nice and reliable.....and I love the idea of building something together that we can have forever. If done right my grandkids should get to enjoy this thing too.

Plus it gives me stuff to work on to teach my kids how things work.

[o1marc]

Learn where to look for buses, Ohio is way down the list of desirable places for buses. It pays to travel for the right bus. Mine is just for travel when I want. Have no plans to live in it.

[peteg59]

Welcome to the site Paul.

The best advice I can give you is do plenty of research on the many bus types and sizes, as well as the powerplants, (to include both engine and transmission), that busses typically come with.

There are some busses that should immediately cause you to look at another unit due mainly to reliability issues in the diesel emissions, mandated by EPA on 2004>up busses.

As o1marc is alluding to above, where a bus has spent its life transporting kids is also a critical issue that can lead you down a virtual rabbit hole, if the bus you choose is rusted to the point of being unsafe for road travel.

Insurance is another sticky issue. Some have had success with an insurer for their conversion, while others have been rejected for coverage by the same ins. companies!

Take your time reading as much as you can tolerate on here, and don't be afraid to ask questions to the membership at large if you have anything that needs clarification in your mind.

Good luck, and post pics if you actually decide a skoolie is right for you...

[o1marc]

An important issue when it comes to rust is that many buses, even from rust belts may not have much visible rust, the worst will always be under the wood flooring. There have been very few buses I've seen from any area that didn't have some rust on the floor. So it's smart to just start by not looking in areas that are known for salt on the roads in the winter to minimize any potential extra repairs upfront. I believe Musigenesis is a prime example, thought he'd bought a fairly rust free bus, till he removed the wood to find most of the floor missing.

[cadillackid]

pretty much dont buy busses here if you dont want rust.. however busses can and do drive here from other places easily.. so go elsewhere, buy it, and drive it home!..


I just like driving a bus so i do... I put more milesw on my busses than i do my cars!