$50,000 skoolies?!

[wanderingturtl]

I keep seeing skoolies for sale for $25,000, $35,000, $40,000... Are they really selling for that much? Do people really have that much to spend on skoolies?

[Danjo]

The ones that come on this site that are blatantly overpriced receive a lot of ridicule. Infrastructure is expensive. If all it has is carpentry, Jerry can water and a boat toilet it can’t be priced too high, but if there’s 10K in parts on a bus around the same amount, with good workmanship, then what’s that worth? That being said, I doubt many are making wages.

[Drew Bru]

Considering many of us have 30-35K (or more) invested in our builds? And that's just material costs, not to mention the work involved in building the bus. Also, considering what people pay for shoddy motorhomes (upwards of 100k). Yes...people really have that much to spend on skoolies.

[WIbluebird]

Originally Posted by Drew Bru

Considering many of us have 30-35K (or more) invested in our builds? And that's just material costs, not to mention the work involved in building the bus. Also, considering what people pay for shoddy motorhomes (upwards of 100k). Yes...people really have that much to spend on skoolies.

This. It costs money and time to correctly gut a school bus and build it back up. Then you have all the costs associated with properly maintaining the vehicle and keeping it roadworthy. Sometimes these things make boat ownership look affordable

It's the half assed builds where they retain original floor and ceiling yet ask 5 figures or more that get my scorn. Or the ones where they choose a terrible drivetrain and/or low spec rusted out bus bodies and yet expect the moon for their creations when they go to sell. Very common in my area.

[Mr4btTahoe]

My old boss gave nearly 375k for his luxury coach. 50k is a drop in the bucket for some.


"Skoolies" are becoming main stream... so prices go through the roof.


Also have to consider that quite a few want to live in them. 50k for a well furnished tiny house on wheels isn't bad. Just depends on how you look at it I guess.


Would I give 50k for a skoolie? Negative.

[ISAF2009]

By the time I am done with mine I would charge at least that much… and mine is a tiny not very complicated bus.

[peteg59]

Originally Posted by Mr4btTahoe

My old boss gave nearly 375k for his luxury coach. 50k is a drop in the bucket for some.
Would I give 50k for a skoolie? Negative.

Right now, in my financial state, I wouldn't either.

Now if we had your bosses money???

[ISAF2009]

Think about it, my dickinson marine ac unit is almost 2 grand, my power battery and inverter setup is like $3500, the natures head is a grand the maxxfan is $400 my marine stove isn't cheap, nor is the suburban propane heater those combined are like another 1500 bucks. My alpicool is like 400 bucks thats $10,000 right there if you didn’t scrounge, salvage, and craigslist like I did. Plus another 10k for a good solid reliable not yellow bus. After that you have all the wood, odds and ends, and the occasional tool. That is before you have taken anyone’s labor into consideration. I expect to be in to my bus for 15k+ and I haven’t paid more than 40% of retail for anything and the only labor Ive paid anyone was the transmission rebuilder and the painter. Even if you calculated my labor at minimum wage here in CA I would be taking a loss until around the 40k mark conservatively. Should anyone pay that for a skoolie? Dunno, I wouldn’t.

[Mountain Gnome]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

It costs money and time to correctly gut a school bus and build it back up. Then you have all the costs associated with properly maintaining the vehicle and keeping it roadworthy. Sometimes these things make boat ownership look affordable

Officers said the boat is the driver’s home. The driver was warned about the hazards of towing the boat from the trunk, police said.

How expensive is boat ownership? I always wanted to travel around the world in a boat; that is until I got on a boat in the ocean

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

Originally Posted by Drew Bru

Considering many of us have 30-35K (or more) invested in our builds? And that's just material costs, not to mention the work involved in building the bus. Also, considering what people pay for shoddy motorhomes (upwards of 100k). Yes...people really have that much to spend on skoolies.

As others have said - this is the answer. We are keeping track of our build down to the screw and chip brush ( as best we can ). On a reasonable budget we're in 20k on everything going IN the bus (materials, appliances, electric, etc). Then throw on the amount of time I've spent building the thing and you've got yourself a 35k sale on the low end.

That being said - Skoolie build / life seems to be a labor of love, not for those who want a cheap RV. The beauty and value of our bus is the amount of work we have put into it, every screw feels more valuable because I placed it myself.
If I paid 50k for someone else's build I may not be as satisfied and there is always room for buyer's remorse because you don't know how they built it, or what materials they used.
When we're done driving the bus I don't plan to sell - we're going to put her up on blocks on some property somewhere

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Mountain Gnome

How expensive is boat ownership? I always wanted to travel around the world in a boat; that is until I got on a boat in the ocean

Ha ha same thing happened to me except I couldn't even handle a 15-foot sailboat on a small lake on a calm day. Had to jump into the water and let the boat tow me back to shore. Apparently Horatio Nelson suffered from seasickness too, so I don't feel like my career as an admiral is going to suffer.

[Bus'n it]

I am at 40k with cost of bus so far in my build. You all have seen what stage it is still in ;). It is all what someone puts into it in terms of build quality and materials acquisition. No free handouts for me so I have to buy everything. I have done everything except the wheels and tires. That added another 5k.

[HamSkoolie]

We're building for full time and chose a skoolie (any bus that fit our criteria would have been fine) because of the shoddy state of commercial RV's that cost far more than they're worth and the safety of the bus compared to an RV in a crash (when built out properly).


We're looking at 30-35K plus the cost of the bus and that's without updating all the prices that have gone up substantially in the last year due to government policies.


A well built rig designed for full time and off grid capable for up to 30 days has a lot of expensive materials go into it and there is NOTHING on the motorhome market that can touch it with an asking price of $50,000 or more......IF ITS DONE RIGHT



5300 Bus
3000 Plus shipping for batteries
2000 Solar panels
2500 Spray foam
1700 OR MORE for tankage - Fresh, grey, black, reclaimed
1600 Splendide washer/drier combo

1600 Two 9000 BTU mini split AC sets
1200 Wood - flooring, walls, framing
1284 Victron inverter/converter/transfer switch
1000 Fridge
1000 Metals - sheet for windows, solar panel rails, etc.
900 Shower
850 Solar charge controllers
600 Paint and paint prep supplies
600 Toilet

600 10,000 pound tow hitch
500 New gas range with stove
500 Screws and fastners
475 ASME 29.3 gallon propane tank
400 Two water heaters (fresh and reclaimed system)
300 Microwave/convection/oven 300 Queen bed, frame, and lift mechanism
_____
28,209



And there's LOT's not listed like floor insulation, pipes, electrical wiring, power distribution, lights, sinks, faucets, plumbing distribution, and the list goes on. Let's not even get started on labor.

[jackdebear]

I bought a 2007 GMC Handi bus from Sharp Bus Lines for $1500 CDN. I've been dicking around with it for a year now and really haven't started into the interior. I totalled the bills so far = $5000 ++. My lithium array cost more than half that. I imagine by the time I roll it out for certification I'll have $10,000 ++ in it. Cheap hobby. Keeps me out of the pool hall.

[rydawg3000]

Yes, we intend to sell our converted skoolie for 30-50k. The time and money we have already put into it is probably close to 20k and 1,500-2,000 hours of work/research. It’s all about finding the right buyer and patience will be key. For now though, we are just enjoying living in it full time

[shaymcquaid]

I'm @ 3 years and $100k in materials and tools. I don't know how that happened.

Somebody mentioned it being a labor of love. I'll have to agree.

Also, it might be a fools errand.

Time will tell...

[MilesOriginal]

You've just got to look around. Here's 2 starting at $500, today at 5pm. Located in Tacoma, Washington.
https://cyberauctions.com/ItemShow.p...160&order=date
https://cyberauctions.com/ItemShow.p...160&order=date

[peteg59]

Originally Posted by MilesOriginal

You've just got to look around. Here's 2 starting at $500, today at 5pm. Located in Tacoma, Washington.
https://cyberauctions.com/ItemShow.p...160&order=date
https://cyberauctions.com/ItemShow.p...160&order=date

Those are likely going to stay on the cheap side, due to the 6.0 power plants they sport.
Too bad, as the bodies are likely in above average condition due to lack of rust/rot.

Bottom line though, as always:
BUYER BEWARE!!!

[AdamKnox]

My two bits? $50k seems like a lot when you look at it from the builder perspective (not a full-time builder, but a shadetree mechanic builder). I'm learning more and more as I go, and I get to collect a few more tools as I go. $35000 is the low end, and it can only go up from there. $50k for a fully completed bus is likely a fair price for a complete / solid bus. Of course, if you drive it around for a year, youtube the whole thing, and then sell it you'll be in the green either way. Ready for that adventure?

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by shaymcquaid

I'm @ 3 years and $100k in materials and tools. I don't know how that happened.

Somebody mentioned it being a labor of love. I'll have to agree.

Also, it might be a fools errand.

Time will tell...

Your bus looks like money well spent ;)

I'm at 44k and it is at steel stage. I've done everything but the wheels and tires so far.