Penn State College Student Ready for Bus Life!

[N0ah]

Hey all,

My name is Noah Riffe I am a student at Penn State studying photojournalism and political science. When I was in middle school I found out about Bus conversions and have dreamed about having my own one day.

That brings us to now, as my schooling is wrapping up and "real life" is beginning I am looking to build a mid-sized bus to travel around in. My work as a photojournalist already has be driving thousands of miles from place to place so living in a bus full time sounds pretty sweet to me.

I am super new to everything, I have no experience in carpentry or mechanics other than doing small projects. I am ready to learn and def need some help finding what bus would be right for me.

Excited to be a part of this community!

[o1marc]

Now you are also a student at Skoolie Tech. Start reading everything you can here, it'll take weeks, but all your answers are here. Welcome to the madness.

[Bert06840]

I agree with Marc. Everything you need to know is on here. Spend a few weeks scraping the tens of thousands of posts.

And welcome!

[musigenesis]

Welcome! First advice: go home to buy a bus, don't buy one from PA.

[N0ah]

Heard this from a few video I have watched. Considering the beating my car takes I can't imagine buying a bus out here. That thing would be a rust bucket.

[joeblack5]

Are you staying around in state college during the summer?

[N0ah]

Ill be here until June 10th ish. Working a summer job up in Maine after that but will be back in August.

[N0ah]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

Are you staying around in state college during the summer?

I'll be here until June 10th ish. Working a summer job up in Maine after that but will be back in August.

[joeblack5]

Ok, if you want to talk.. I will be at the Panera downtown for coffee around 9.30am ..outside patio with our gsd.
Johan

[N0ah]

Originally Posted by joeblack5

Ok, if you want to talk.. I will be at the Panera downtown for coffee around 9.30am ..outside patio with our gsd.
Johan

Would love to chat at some point. I have my second Vaccine appointment tomorrow around then so maybe another day? I can message you.

[Rivetboy]

If you want to buy a bus you have to have a place to park it. Does the place you have to park it have electricitty and a bathroom close buy or are you going to have to run a generator and depend on battery powered tools and a 5 gallon bucket toilet.. Are you working on a concrete slab or are you working in the mud. are you working under cover or are you working in the rain. HMMMM?

These are the important questions, the actuallity of the bus is inconsciquential...

[rabidgeek]

We are... PENN STATE!!! '08 here.

I just bought a school bus, but I'm currently in northern California. Maybe consider buying a bus on the west coast and bringing it back east?

[peteg59]

Welcome to the site.

Please consider the following before you start, (not in any way trying to discourage you, only trying to get you to consider things before getting in too deep):
Instead of jumping into the hobby without knowing for certain if it will work for you after you go through the sometimes arduous process of converting a school bus to a livable space that goes down the road, I'd suggest renting a RV for 30 days and seeing if the lifestyle is right for you and your work plans?

It would really suck to invest thousands in buying a bus, along with thousands more in converting it, only to find it wasn't the "right" choice.
Especially if you have any college loans to repay!

Then you must consider the issues and further potential hoops to jump through, as the member calls out in post# 11.

Good luck, and post your conversion pics if you jump in...

[rgjarrell]

Where and how to do conversion? Where to buy the bus? Where to live?

Contingency money is very important.

Renting a house or apartment means a contractual obligations in the landlord to provide you shelter that works.

Owning a home requires your own maintenance and repairs for accidents and wear and tear.

Typical employer reimbursement for travel does not cover a converted school bus.

A good budget is $45,000. $5 for purchase, $12 for build out, and $3k for getting setup on insurance, registration, and odds and ends paperwork issues to last the first year.

Then $25k to spend on maintenance, and unexpected expenses.

[LargeMargeInBaja]

Originally Posted by N0ah

...studying photojournalism and political science...I am super new to everything, I have no experience in carpentry or mechanics other than doing small projects...

.
My Suggestion:
.
With all my humble sincerity, please consider dropping the utterly useless political classes.
Please, consider not acquiring the utterly useless university degree in politics.
Why?
Prospective employers might hold that sort of behavior in low regard.
.
Quietly counseling my nieces and nephews in the shop while we fabricate a trailer-hitch or re-build a transmission, I often see the 'light-bulbs' going bright over their heads.
Somehow, by osmosis maybe, they realize the ability to fix stuff carries more weight than the ability to administer/manage or be a bumblebrat in the administration and management of federal emergencies (aka 'F.E.M.A.').
.
Please, consider hands-on shop classes at a junior college.
See if you can get into welding, plumbing, electrician, farming, farrier, anything useful...
.
...in case the picture-taking gig goes toes-up.
.
You can still do your picture-taking as a hobby.
Here is an idea:
* mount your pictures around your front counter in your repair shop
That way, folks can admire them after they receive a repaired gadget only your hands-on experience could fix.
.
.
My hx:
I owned a restaurant business for ten years.
If an applicant had a degree in politics, I would expect that individual to be political.
I needed my cow-orkers to be restaurant people, not politicians.

[paulijennifer]

Originally Posted by N0ah

Hey all,

My name is Noah Riffe I am a student at Penn State studying photojournalism and political science. When I was in middle school I found out about Bus conversions and have dreamed about having my own one day.
I am super new to everything, I have no experience in carpentry or mechanics other than doing small projects. I only worked a little in educational institutions, you can learn more. I am ready to learn and def need some help finding what bus would be right for me.

Excited to be a part of this community!

I'm new here too, maybe we can be helpful to each other.