Full-size schoolie vs. minibus

[Clueie]

I still don't have a bus, YET, but I do have a big decision to make. Big vs. small bus! It suddenly occurred to me while shopping around (actually, more like tormenting bus line owners and mechanics) for a bus that my yard is probably too small for a full size bus to fit into comfortably while the conversion goes ahead, and storage lots/yards will add to the overall cost of the project (not good!), so I've been looking at the smaller wheelchair type buses, 7.3 L Fords, auto., dual wheels. Does anyone have any pics or links to share to give me some idea what a conversion on one of these would look like? I'm planning on doing mostly weekend camping trips with the wife and two young children so I don't know if the small bus will be too small? Any thoughts?

[Steve]

Is this the size of bus you are thinking about, it is pretty small inside, really. I will be seeing a of buses from the Iowa Bus Gallery on Saturday if you let me know which is close to what you are looking at I can take some extra shots of the inside.

[EldoMike]

I had a 35' foot bus but decided it was too large for my needs...I like to drive my rig every day and that's a lot easier with a mini bus...I still haven't redone the inside but here is what mine looks like...works good for the wife and I and pulls a trailer like it's not even there...

http://www.classicguzzi.com/bus/newbusleftfrt.jpg

http://www.classicguzzi.com/bus/newbusleftrear.jpg

http://www.classicguzzi.com/bus/newbusrightrear.jpg

[Clueie]

That's exactly the type of buses I've been considering. I'd really appreciate a few interior photos (and exterior ones too!). The thing is is that I'd rather have a full size bus so I'd have lots of space and a washroom etc., so I'm trying to get a feel for how much I can realistically "pack" in to a minibus. I've been looking at floor plans for small motorhomes to get some ideas but I'd really like to see some actual conversions. I've even considered a cube van conversion or an ex-U haul conversion, but these rigs hold a fair bit of value, especially the diesel ones, since they aren't forced into "retirement" like schoolbuses.

[Steve]

I think you will find the cube vans to be much noisier and probably not in as good of shape especially if you get one from a rental company. The good thing about school buses is they are built very stong, safe, and are maintaned to government regulations.

[Firearm]

There are interior photos of my bus on one of the threads. It's identical to that one, less the nice paint. It's 10'8" x 7'7" inside the bus (excluding the driver's area and stairs). I bought mine to haul a stock car trailer and to double as a camper for the family. It's the perfect size for a "hard tent", so to speak. A place to sleep (four bunks) and a booth inside is all that will fit.

[Clueie]

I forgot about the service records. I've noticed that every bus I've looked at, the owner/seller offers to show me the complete service history of the thing. No doubt about it, the buses are well maintained.

The small minibus may be too small if I can't figure a way to include a toilet/shower arrangement. I've found floorplans which would suit me perfectly but are a little too long. Maybe if I could find a longer minibus, sort of like those airport shuttles, or like one I saw the other day at a senior citizens home (with a cool and no doubt EXPENSIVE fibreglass body). They're probably pretty scarce I'd imagine, like short wheelbase full size buses, at least they are in these parts.

One floorplan I ran across had a toilet and shower stall situated along the end of the bus, er, motorhome, the toilet in one corner facing toward the "aisle" and the shower in the opposite corner. It seemed like a good plan to me (in gif format!). I'd like to see a real one though. I'll soon start having to "cruise" the local RV dealers as well as the bus garages!

[Firearm]

Stay far, far away from the "fiberglass" sided buses. They are actually gel-coated plywood and we worked on one a couple years ago that was rotted up to the windows. Water gets under the gel-coat and soaks into the plywood like a sponge. It swells up and the coating starts to crack or fall off. when you start chipping away at a small blemish it turns into the entire side falling off in a heartbeat. Stay with a metal sided bus of some kind.

[lornaschinske]

Here are a couple of links to help you figure out a floor plan. They are set up for vans but with a little adjusting should work with a mini skoolie.

http://www.glen-l.com/campers/van-long.html and http://www.glen-l.com/campers/van-short.html

You can also just buy the plans from this outfit http://www.glen-l.com/campers/van-conversion.html as they say they are adapable for "bus-type conversion". You might want to look at the floor plans for their other campers to get some ideas.

[Clueie]

Thanks for the links. I've been sizing up some floor plans with bathrooms and I think you guys are right, they are pretty small. The kids won't have any room on the rainy days. The jury is still out on this one! I've got a long wheelbase minibus to look at later this week so I'll be better able to decide. Where to park a full size bus next to my house is the big problem. Along one side up on the lawn looks good to me, but my more rational thinking better half is not like minded. Oh the trials and tribulations of bus ownership! And I don't even have one yet!!

[lornaschinske]

Before you get your bus, you had better figure out if you would be allowed to park it in your yard. Seems some neighbourhoods dislike RV's (and buses in particular) being parked for long periods (and short ones too). If your neighbourhood is organized in some way you need to find out. Just because Jim-down-the-street and Jack-on-the-next-block have boats/RV's parked in their yard doesn't mean it's allowed, just that someone hasn't complained. And bus conversion seems to cause folks to complain...even when they are hidden completely from sight in an enclosed building. If your neighbourhood is a structured "development" then there may be some restrictions. It should all be on file with the city (if inside city limits) or county planning commission. If you live inside city limits then you have to also adhear to their zoning rules. Even though you are working on the bus, it can be considered "abandoned" by some ordinances. It would have to have current tags/insurance to prevent it from being "abandoned". But you would need to check with local authorities on this. And they can and will remove a vehicle from your property......

In 1980, we used to live (rent) in a zoned-to-death neighbourhood in Port St Lucie FL. There was a guy at the end of our block with an old car (1920's) sigh , up on 4 jacks with no tires, being restored, inside a LOCKED garage. He was turned in for having a junker and the city pulled up to his garage while he was at work (a neighbour called him). They broke into his garage (I saw the tore up door) and, when I was walking by, had his antique car drug out on the road (remember... no tires/rims) and he was screaming at them, the cops were pulling up and his wife was calling their lawyer. He found out that he could not keep his car there even in a locked garage. Last I knew he was sueing the city.

I'm always reading about folks who have bought a house only to find out that they can't park their RV or Bus in the yard. Or that the folks in their neighbourhood think travel trailers and Class A motorcoaches are okay but don't bring an old bus conversion into their neighborhood... not even to load (I remember the guy who lived in a park model trailer in a trailer park full of single wides. They pitched a fit because he pulled his nice bus conversion in front of his house to load it. It was in the rules!)

[soused moose]

If the setup’s only going to be for occasional campouts….
You might just think about getting a small Bus and tow a small travel trailer behind it.
That system would give you a place for your kids to hangout …plus you’d have a small rig that’s a lot easier to drive around narrow streets than a big Schoolie is.
You could set the small bus up with a simple kitchen & bathroom …and the trailer could contain the sleeping arrangements.

Say you get a bus like Firearm has…
He has a little over 10-1/2 feet of useable building space inside…then you buy a used 16-18 foot trailer (which will have around 12-1/2 –15-1/2 feet of interior space).
Now you’ve got approx. 23-26 feet of building/living space.
That’s a good bit of space for camping out…(My ‘big’ 66 passenger bus has only 27 feet of useable interior)
If you bought a used trailer (lots of little trailers for sale for very little out there)…you’d have all the RV stuff you could pull out and install in the bus …then you could set the trailer up with bunk beds or whatever.

If you like building stuff …and would rather make your own trailer instead of buying one , here’s a good forum to check out. They mostly build the little Teardrop trailers …but there are a few folks over there that build larger setups.

http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/index.php

Michael & Millie
Sitka Alaska
http://www.mobilehomestead.com

[Clueie]

I was out this morning sizing up a couple of minibuses, '88 and '89 Fords with Thomas bodies, 7.3's. The ones I looked at today however were a little longer, I think around 13' of usable space inside. These seem to be long enough to do the conversion I want with a small bathroom and all. The guy there had a couple of fiberglass mini-coaches that he had condemned, also Fords, but aside from the obvious body rot, they had the floor support cross members rusted out as well. That seems to a common problem on buses in these parts, especially on Bluebird bodies. Too bad because they had the tag axle setup, very cool conversion platform I would imagine, sort of like a mini-MCI type of thing. While I was chatting about conversions to the guy he said that he found on minibus conversions that the best set-up for bunk arrangement was fore and aft, I'm not sure of his reasoning because I figured across the back would be optimum. Any thoughts? What about a double bed at the rear offset to one side with a single or fold away double bunk over it. Possibly the lower bunk could be a fold down table arrangement. Lots of seating space then. But where to put the bathroom? HMMMMMM.....

[Firearm]

Another plus you'll find with these small buses is that the nose is a van so you can insure them as a van. My agent just ran mine as a GMC Vandura 1 ton and I got an excellent rate. I have it on comp for the winter so it was only $30 for three months and it saved me $50 on my car insurance for having a second vehicle so I'm $20 ahead!

[Steve]

Here are some shorties I ran into this weekend, not much of a conversion inside of them, I assume because there is not much room.

[Firearm]

Thanks for taking these pics. I appreciate seeing some of the mini conversions. We need more mini buses out there!

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by Firearm

Stay far, far away from the "fiberglass" sided buses. They are actually gel-coated plywood and we worked on one a couple years ago that was rotted up to the windows. Water gets under the gel-coat and soaks into the plywood like a sponge. It swells up and the coating starts to crack or fall off. when you start chipping away at a small blemish it turns into the entire side falling off in a heartbeat. Stay with a metal sided bus of some kind.

Not always. I drive fibreglass-body buses for a living. We have several that are 10+ years old & in good condition. Champions (General Coach) & Goshens (Supreme Truck Bodies) seem to hold up best.

Do not buy a Starcraft under any circumstances--we have 4 (2 2000's, 2 2001's), & all are 100% complete junk.