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Old 04-15-2020, 01:01 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Need some opinions on pricing to sell

Hey Wonderful Skoolie Community!

I have been happily living in my skoolie for almost two years a now and I think that if I sell it I have saved up enough money to buy a chunk of land (...that I might hopefully put a new tiny home on eventually!)

However, I'm trying to be careful about this and wanted some advice on what. a fair asking price for my conversion might be. For context, I'm in Bozeman, Montana and so fully converted skoolies are a little further and fewer between than on some of the coasts.

I've got a 1998 BlueBird Handybus with a Cummins Diesel engine and an everyone's favorite AT545. 87,000 miles. It's a flatnose that measures 25' from nose to tail. Full set of brand new tires last spring. I had the Cummin's place in Boise, Idaho check out my engine and they said it would need some new connection hoses eventually because there are some minor air leaks but that everything otherwise looks tip-top. The title has been fully transformed into a Motorhome in the state of Montana.

It's built to be entirely off-grid. 400w solar power system with 4 deep cycle batteries that have never been run below 80%, and both AC/DC accommodations. Because I'm in a very cold part of the country I have a wood fired stove, a 2kw diesel heater (needs minor maintenance) and two electric heaters if plugged into shore power.

It has functioning sink and shower/bathtub with a 45 gallon freshwater tank and a 30 gallon grey water tank. Composting toilet with urine diverter to the gray water tank.

Additionally the fun story side of it—everything has been finished with 200 year old barn wood (of a barn i helped take down^_^ ) and copper. I milled most of the wood myself.


For those of you more experienced here than my 2.5 year adventure in this community, what would you say a fair asking price is? High end and low end.

I'm in no rush to sell it so I want to sell it well and to a good skoolie home.
Attached Thumbnails
Doodlebus back to front.jpg   Doodlebus front to back.jpg   Doodlebus kitchen:livingspace.jpg   doodlebus shower.jpg   Doodlebus Driver Side.jpg  


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Old 04-15-2020, 01:12 PM   #2
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Fraser Valley British Columbia
Posts: 1,043
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: C7 Cat
I am not experienced enough to offer an opinion on price but that is a very nice looking skoolie. Nice paint job and very nice looking interior and workmanship.
Good luck with your sale.
Stay safe and healthy
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Old 04-15-2020, 01:22 PM   #3
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
I'd say anywhere from $8500-$18500. Depends on the buyer and the market.
Looking at RIDICULOUSLY overpriced dreamers trying to sell buses for 30 grand or so... and newbs come in all the time asking "is it still available".
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Old 04-15-2020, 01:23 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
I am not experienced enough to offer an opinion on price but that is a very nice looking skoolie. Nice paint job and very nice looking interior and workmanship.
Good luck with your sale.
Stay safe and healthy
Thank you!
I had never done anything like it before. Incredibly rewarding. Hoping it finds a good home.
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Old 04-15-2020, 01:25 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
I'd say anywhere from $8500-$18500. Depends on the buyer and the market.
Looking at RIDICULOUSLY overpriced dreamers trying to sell buses for 30 grand or so... and newbs come in all the time asking "is it still available".

Awesome, thank you for the response! This is helpful information
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Old 04-15-2020, 01:27 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
If you post that on Facebook with "tiny house" "off grid" and "sustainable" as the tags you'll likely sell it quickly.
Ask $25k and see what happens?

It looks very nice and presentable. Cozy interior, tasteful paint on the exterior. Folks LOVE those little TC1000's.
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Old 04-15-2020, 01:54 PM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
If you post that on Facebook with "tiny house" "off grid" and "sustainable" as the tags you'll likely sell it quickly.
Ask $25k and see what happens?

It looks very nice and presentable. Cozy interior, tasteful paint on the exterior. Folks LOVE those little TC1000's.
Thank you for your kind words

And great beta! I will try that out. I live very close to a super high end ski-resort town where people have 2nd and 3rd homes and more money than they know what to do with so hopefully that works in my favor.
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Old 04-15-2020, 04:45 PM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Grayson County, VA
Posts: 1,428
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 65
Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB View Post
If you post that on Facebook with "tiny house" "off grid" and "sustainable" as the tags you'll likely sell it quickly.
Ask $25k and see what happens?

It looks very nice and presentable. Cozy interior, tasteful paint on the exterior. Folks LOVE those little TC1000's.
Yeah, 100% this. It's a nice looking bus and there's always people looking for finished skoolies and willing to pay for the convenience of not having had to do the conversion themselves.
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Old 04-15-2020, 04:58 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew Bru View Post
Yeah, 100% this. It's a nice looking bus and there's always people looking for finished skoolies and willing to pay for the convenience of not having had to do the conversion themselves.
Great! Thanks for the feedback!

Do you also think 25kish is a good asking price?
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Old 04-15-2020, 05:36 PM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
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Join Date: May 2016
Location: Grayson County, VA
Posts: 1,428
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466
Rated Cap: 65
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dagnythedoodle View Post
Great! Thanks for the feedback!

Do you also think 25kish is a good asking price?
Sounds like a good starting point, it totally depends on the buyer. You could always say 25k or best offer. People have listed their buses here for more than that. We were looking in that price range before we decided to build ourselves. We probably have 25-30k in our build so it's not unreasonable for the right bus.
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Old 04-15-2020, 06:40 PM   #11
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew Bru View Post
Sounds like a good starting point, it totally depends on the buyer. You could always say 25k or best offer. People have listed their buses here for more than that. We were looking in that price range before we decided to build ourselves. We probably have 25-30k in our build so it's not unreasonable for the right bus.
Awesome, super helpful. Thank you!
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Old 04-23-2020, 07:10 AM   #12
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Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 4
Pricing to Sell

Hey! Skoolie looks great.

My girlfriend/partner and I are looking to enter the skoolie life and, admittedly, we would be one of the couples looking to purchase a built-out bus, especially one with this much character.

We'd love to talk about maybe buying it if you move forward with selling it!

Email us at bdwilliamson1@catamount.wcu.edu if you want to talk further.

Regardless, congrats on such an amazing vehicle!

Best,

Ben and Hayette
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:08 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by veganroaming View Post
Hey! Skoolie looks great.

My girlfriend/partner and I are looking to enter the skoolie life and, admittedly, we would be one of the couples looking to purchase a built-out bus, especially one with this much character.

We'd love to talk about maybe buying it if you move forward with selling it!

Email us at bdwilliamson1@catamount.wcu.edu if you want to talk further.

Regardless, congrats on such an amazing vehicle!

Best,

Ben and Hayette

Rad, just now saw this. Shot you guys an email. Cheers!
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:44 PM   #14
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Fraser Valley British Columbia
Posts: 1,043
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: C7 Cat
FYI Just noticed your description of the urine tank going in to the grey water tank, I'm pretty sure you just made that a black water tank? Dumping that to the ground or not in an approved sani-dump may be a problem.
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Old 04-27-2020, 09:52 PM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Bozeman, Montana
Posts: 55
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: 1998 TC/1000 Bluebird Handybus
Engine: 6BTA 5.9 Cummins Diesel AT545
Rated Cap: 25 ft
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oscar1 View Post
FYI Just noticed your description of the urine tank going in to the grey water tank, I'm pretty sure you just made that a black water tank? Dumping that to the ground or not in an approved sani-dump may be a problem.
Urine diverter can be easily disconnected. There is also a large plug installed on the graywater tank so that when it's fully dropped it can be cleaned out and sanitized if new users dont intend to always dump in a sani-dump area.

Regulations are very loose where I am so it's never really been an issue for me but I tried to build it with those things in mind if they ever needed to be more strict.
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Old 05-07-2020, 10:50 AM   #16
New Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dagnythedoodle View Post
Hey Wonderful Skoolie Community!

I have been happily living in my skoolie for almost two years a now and I think that if I sell it I have saved up enough money to buy a chunk of land (...that I might hopefully put a new tiny home on eventually!)

However, I'm trying to be careful about this and wanted some advice on what. a fair asking price for my conversion might be. For context, I'm in Bozeman, Montana and so fully converted skoolies are a little further and fewer between than on some of the coasts.

I've got a 1998 BlueBird Handybus with a Cummins Diesel engine and an everyone's favorite AT545. 87,000 miles. It's a flatnose that measures 25' from nose to tail. Full set of brand new tires last spring. I had the Cummin's place in Boise, Idaho check out my engine and they said it would need some new connection hoses eventually because there are some minor air leaks but that everything otherwise looks tip-top. The title has been fully transformed into a Motorhome in the state of Montana.

It's built to be entirely off-grid. 400w solar power system with 4 deep cycle batteries that have never been run below 80%, and both AC/DC accommodations. Because I'm in a very cold part of the country I have a wood fired stove, a 2kw diesel heater (needs minor maintenance) and two electric heaters if plugged into shore power.

It has functioning sink and shower/bathtub with a 45 gallon freshwater tank and a 30 gallon grey water tank. Composting toilet with urine diverter to the gray water tank.

Additionally the fun story side of it—everything has been finished with 200 year old barn wood (of a barn i helped take down^_^ ) and copper. I milled most of the wood myself.


For those of you more experienced here than my 2.5 year adventure in this community, what would you say a fair asking price is? High end and low end.

I'm in no rush to sell it so I want to sell it well and to a good skoolie home.
Hi - I may be interested in your bus, just my size.

Does it have air conditioning? I live where it is cold, also, but want to travel the deep South.

Also, I wasn't sure from the pix -- is that bed across the width of the bus in the back? I'd want to switch to bunks along the side.
Thanks!
Cat M
UtahKitty@gmail.com
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Old 05-08-2020, 01:47 AM   #17
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,856
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
I am so glad this thread has produced prospective buyers for you!


Keep us posted as to the progress of the sale. When you do sell it, let us know the sale price (if you want) so others can get an idea like you did with this thread.
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