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Old 10-02-2018, 05:23 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Mt. Tremper, NY
Posts: 17
Some very general questions from a dreamer

Hi all. I am still in the dreaming/brainstorming/planning phase of my future skoolie project. I have been going down the rabbit hole on everything from electrical to living space design and everything in between. MyPros and Cons of Bus Size current question has to do with choosing the proper sized bus.
My significant other and I are planning a skoolie build that we can live in full time. We currently live in an apartment just under 400ft^2. Now obviously, we will need to pare down on our space needs and creative uses of space will maximize our living area. Obviously, both of us want as much space as possible for comfortable living aboard our bus. That being said, I have seen people make the argument for the versatility of smaller buses in that you can go more places, park more places etc. I'm curious to hear from people that have the larger buses (closer to 40' than 20') and what their experiences have been. What kind of places have you found that you couldn't go? What road conditions and intersections cause the most problems? If doing it over again, would you still choose such a large bus?
I would really like to do a roof raise for similar reasons as above, in that I would like to make the bus as comfortable as possible to live on full time. With a roof raise, obviously you increase the space available for cabinets and the like, but it also give a feeling of seeming larger and spacier with a higher ceiling. I have heard people saying that a raised roof can cause "issues" with gas stations. I would be really curious to hear from people that have raised their roofs and what kind of experiences they have had with not only gas stations, but bridges, powerlines, tree branches, etc.
The last question that I have for now concerns the style of bus. I thought that I had read somewhere that a traditional "dog nose" style bus is better on "backroads" than a flat nose bus. I can't remember for sure where I saw or read that but I thought it had to do with ground clearance?
I obviously have a billion other questions on just choosing a bus alone, but I think these big picture questions are my main concern at the moment as I start to hone in on what buses I'm looking at and what I'm looking for.
Thank you all so much for any help that you may be able to offer. I'm sure these questions have been addressed before in one form or another so I beg your patience. I only wish I had this idea 5 years ago and was currently living aboard my bus

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Old 10-03-2018, 07:13 AM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: The West
Posts: 1,210
Year: 1998
Coachwork: MCI
Chassis: 102 EL3
Engine: DD 60
I currently live in a 45' coach. Lived in a 40' RV before that and had a 34' RV before that. There is absolutely no doubt that the number of options decrease the larger you go. That is not to say that there is no where to park a 45' coach or that it cannot be taken off the beaten path. I take my coach into places that many people with a 28' RV would not consider. Thus; the off-road bit can be a bit subjective.
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Old 10-03-2018, 11:07 AM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Mt. Tremper, NY
Posts: 17
That makes sense. I went to college in the middle of the Shawnee National Forest, and definitely have a love for public land and want to be able to boondock in areas like that where the roads may only be like a dirt or gravel forest service road. Maybe I'll just stick a heavy duty wench on the front of the bus to pull myself out when I inevitably will get myself stuck in the mud.
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