Where do I even start..

[giaa]

Hi everyone, im Gia
Currently a college freshman living at home in the wonderful state of New Jersey. I've always been interested in bus conversions/living on the road and with my life flying by, I finally decided to finally act on it. Obviously there are a lot of complications, I am broke and alone haha! However... Im sure my passion and desire to live on the road will help me get through this process. Where should I start? Is there a certain website/state/company people typically go to buy buses? Ideally I'd like a full sized one that wont break the budget. Is just under 20k too little for a bus AND renovations? I have so many questions but the main one I wanted to address was how did you start?
Sorry if this has already been answered in a thread Im trying to figure out how to use this website as I joined 10 mins ago.

Appreciate everyones advice
Hoping I can find a sense of direction soon

[CHEESE_WAGON]

The threads linked in my sig at the bottom of my post should get you started. There are other threads I have posted on that will help as well. If you want to see what else a member has posted on the site, you can click on their member name, select "Find more posts by", or "View public profile", then "Statistics", then "Find all threads by" or "Find all posts by", and voila -- you'll see everything that member has said. And there are quite a few knowledgeable folks here.

Your budget could be a concern, but it's not undoable by any means if you're not afraid to do a lot of the work yourself and aren't too good to freesource or repurpose secondhand / cheap materials.

Some people have $20k-$40k in one before they're finished, but it all depends on your must-have list versus your nice-to-have list, how nice you want to make, it, what you're willing to do to make it happen, and, of course whether you get a good egg on which to build. And IMHO, used buses are completely overpriced in this day and age, and certain 'dealers' (aka Fast-Eddie-style flippers) are taking full advantage. Not to mention, not all buses are created equal.

Lots of good info on this site if you know how to find it. It really is best to ask questions before you take the plunge -- it is all too easy to get in over your head quickly, and even the simplest mistakes can be very costly to fix with a bus. Good luck, and welcome to the community.

[Rwnielsen]

Hi Gia
Lots of people have done just what you want to do. Cheese is right though, you want be careful buying a bus that has been retired from service. Some get too old and others are no longer cost effective to keep running. There are lots of sources for alternative busses, bookmobiles, blood banks, activities busses etc. Ask questions and know what you're getting into before you lunge in and snag a bus. There's a couple over on Facebook that have been stranded all weekend just trying to get their 'new' bus home. Try not to be like that

[Sehnsucht]

In terms of where to start - research! Read up, learn as much as you can and ask as many questions as you can before you pull the trigger on the wrong bus that could end up sinking your budget before you even get started. Are you sensing a common theme yet? LOL Anyone who's been on this forum more than a minute has seen people who jumped in prematurely and either paid the price or abandoned their build project. Researching what makes a good bus versus a money pit doesn't cost you anything but time right now but once you buy something it's going to cost you time and money and aggravation.

This forum is a great place to start. There are decades of archives of questions answered, do's and don'ts, mistakes made and mistakes avoided. As you learn what you want and don't want, feel free to post questions specific to your intended needs. Many here are much more willing to answer "why should I choose X over Y" than "I jumped into buying X but I want it to be Y"

At the same time as you as learning what you want or what to avoid, you can also be saving up towards your eventual purchase and build project because it's not going to be cheap. From the day you buy it you'll be looking at a constant expense - it is after all a vehicle and a large one at that. Purchase price is just the start as you have fuel, registration, insurance, maintenance (on an older vehicle no less) and depending on your situation even storage costs just to own and maintain the vehicle while you contemplate or begin your build. There will be disposal costs as you gut the interior and material costs as you rebuild the inside. No doubt you'll want to tackle as much of the labor yourself as possible but for things beyond your skill level you'll be faced with paying contractors for certain things both in terms of the build or even the continued vehicle maintenance. These are not costs you want to be trying to cover on a shoestring budget so a well-funded budget is a major early indicator of success or failure.

If you spend the next year or so researching and learning what you want and comparison shopping and planning for success then I have no doubt you can achieve it. If however your notion is that you can buy the first bus you see for sale (because aren't they all basically the same?) and spend a few bucks and a couple weekends a month to have a livable cruiser by summer then well hopefully your time on this forum will put you off that delusional notion before you waste your time and money. And if you end up losing interest in the idea before you have invested too much time and money then count yourself lucky because as many here can attest there is no advantage to jumping in too early or uninformed. We've watched a number of people jump on the bandwagon spurred by their interest in tiny living or living off the grid or whatever but then get lost along the way or lose their passion halfway. I myself spent 10 years in the prepurchase phase mostly because I kept hoping the notion would pass and save me from the aggravation but alas it would but subside so I finally pulled the trigger. Now I get aggravated with myself every weekend I'm not out there working on it because it's never going to get done at this rate.

I hope this helps you weigh your passion and expectations for such an undertaking and this forum is willing to provide you as much feedback and support as you need. Good luck!

[musigenesis]

$20K is pretty slim. I'm approaching that just with the cost of the bus and its repairs and maintenance, not counting any of the conversion costs. If you get into building a skoolie and you don't have a significant cash reserve on hand for major mechanical problems, you're one major mechanical problem away from not having a home suddenly.

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by giaa

Hi everyone, im Gia
Currently a college freshman ..... with my life flying by, .....


I am broke and alone haha! ..... Is just under 20k too little for a bus AND renovations? I have so many questions but the main one I wanted to address was how did you start?

you think your life is flying by now? HA! just wait till you get beyond your 30s like me!


I got a bus for $2285. I doubt I have more than $10k in it now.
Replaced/fixed (prices are approx by memory):
$350 batteries (3 - 2 for starter, one extra now in use as a "house" battery)

$100 new air-brake treadle valve
$100 new water pump

$200 heater hoses
$400 tranny cooler hoses (I actually replaced mine with aluminum tube, but most people would use the original style hoses, and they ain't cheap to have custom made)
$1000 replaced all A/C hoses and driers/filters for twin systems (includes $300 in shop fees to "evacuate" and "refill" the A/C refrigerant)

$150 rebuild the alternator (did it myself - or pay $400-$600)
$350 rebuilt air-compressor for air-brakes
$450 new power steering pump (did not need it actually, now have an extra)


Of course there is a lot of other little things that cost me my time, but not much $$$. I did all the work myself. If you pay someone else, prices skyrocket.


As far as conversions, that is all you, and what you want. I am going minimal for now at least. I framed the interior stuff with "mild steel". It was cheap, but then big-man T fired up those import taxes. I covered the framework with "fairly" cheap plywood, but the pandemic has wood prices skyrocketing now. I really doubt I have $2000 in steel and wood in my interior, more likely closer to $1000, but I never kept tabs. But my "conversion" in minimal: I kept my ceiling and walls, and only covered one wall below the window line with Pink Panther foam insulation and crappy "oak plywood" which is really ONE layer of cheap pulpwood with a super-thin veneer of oak on either side ("plywood"? HA!). I originally used cheap pine plywood and the "paperboard paneling" found at the big-box home improvement stores, but the paperboard turned moldy and ruined ALL the wood in the bus, and it all had to be removed and replaced, then it molded again (since the bus was now spored, and we had record rains in a normally humid climate with typically the highest mold problem in the country), and I had to remove and treat with bleach. With all that, the cost was still not over my head.


How did I start?


Four months on craigslist.org, govdeals.com, & publicsurplus.com.


I found the type of bus I wanted. Then I drove from GA to OR to see it, but the owner would not let me test drive it. NO DEAL. Then the same bus came up in Tuscon, AZ on auction, ending before I could get there to check it. I bid low, and got it. I figured I could replace a motor or tranny and still be in a good price range, and would have a new part for maybe only $1000 more than the other buses I saw (priced from $5000 - $7000).


I drove out to Tucson, and got my bus. That trip cost over $5000, because I had to stay in hotels every night, due to a nasty skin condition that flared up, that required a daily shower (was going to sleep in my minivan). THAT was my big expense..... a vacation tour around the U.S.!


Good luck!


Aloha!

[DeMac]

A solid slice of earth, to keep your skoolie, may make all the difference for a long term build.

If your 'home' is down with it, start leveling a patch of ground (10' x 40'ish). Some owners pour concrete or compact limerock and even trench in power & electric. When you bring home a bus, everyone there will have accepted your commitment & may be supportive of your longterm project.

It will:
- cost more
- take more time
- break down more frequently
...than one could conceive, without having previous personal experience.

Not being pressured by finances or a calendar can dramatically alter ones experience with any construction or restoration project. A secure (figuratively & literally) build/store site ought to be achieved before one bids on a bus.

[Simplicity]

Whew, after reading all those posts I feel very fortunate.

Cost:
To date, I'm estimating $5.5k for purchase, upgrade, maintenance and repair of my bus.
My friend, this site and YouTube gave me good advice. And except for the rear end upgrade I've done 98% of the work myself.

The actual conversion has been similar in effort. The amount of research to do it well the first time and my lack of time is why it's been three years since buying the bus. So far

While 95% functional, it's got a bit more to be completed (ceiling, paint, roof sealant, final flooring, solar and batteries). I estimate $2,000 already spent and another $3-$4k (mostly solar) to go.

So, about $12k estimated total.

Parking:
My bus barely fits on my side and main driveways, but sticks out like a sore thumb in the main driveway. So, to keep neighbors happy, I keep it on the side unless doing mechanical work. Point is, having a place to work on the bus is important.

Skills:
The men are willing to help and give advice, yet there are a lot of women to tap into for learning skills. I'd suggest finding a local group of tradeswomen and connect with them.

Learning building techniques and how to use power tools is a must.

Same with mechanical knowledge. Knowing the basics of how an engine and transmission works, especially in your bus, is vital so you don't break anything.

Buying:
In your situation, make sure you have a mechanic inspect the entire bus for overall condition and operation.

The money you spend for inspection is an investment and somewhat insurance to avoid any high repair bills.


Best of luck.