Hi all!

[Tworusticroots]

Hello! We are Mike and Robin. We’re in the process of purchasing a shorter, formally handicapped, version of a bus from Robin’s sister.

The bus has been living in Michigan, untouched (though started periodically) for about four years. Her sister drove it up from NC, where we all live, to place it on family land until the conversion project was to be completed. The bus has lived its driven life in NC. Here’s the information I’ve received about it:

1996 international
111,840 miles
Model 3800
Diesel engine

Attached are a couple pictures of it.

Once we get it back down here we’ll have it properly inspected and registered (I’m being told it’s already classed as an RV).

Assuming that process goes smoothly, it’s decision time regarding the conversion into our home. Here’s my major question: given the fact neither of us are overly handy, should we simply research reliable companies that would do the work for us, or should we try to DIY it? Obviously, it’s cheaper to DIY, but we just don’t have much confidence in our abilities not to screw this up.

Great to join the group and look forward to any and all comments or recommendations.

 

[nocoasty]

Hi Mike & Robin! Congrats on your new-to-you bus. I personally love a nice white bus and from the looks of it, you've got a good bus to start the build in.

I convert vans and buses professionally, but started out knowing absolutely nothing (on my own rig) and absolutely fell in love with the process along the way. All that to say, I'm a huge advocate for DIY, but it is not an easy undertaking, like med school where a few start and far fewer graduate.

If you've got plenty of time and patience to learn and do it right, I'd definitely suggest doing it yourself. This forum is a wealth of knowledge and you've got experts in almost every facet of a build, or the bus itself. If you've got plenty of money and just want a finished bus in a few months, go the route of a bus converter or conversion company.

Either way, the end result is to have something you're stoked on and proud of. Welcome to the skoolie madness!

 

[Tworusticroots]

Thanks for the information. We planned on getting quotes from several companies and deciding from there. Time is on our side as we have a lease on our apartment until the end of November, which would allow for a DIY build.

Can you tell me, roughly, what a build from your company would cost? Obviously there are a ton of variables. I could email or phone/text on the side if you wanted.

 

[nocoasty]

Absolutely! There are a lot of potential variables in price that we typically sort out from a wish-list and then a non-negotiable and then mix and mingle components somewhere between both of those if budgets allow. We have built rigs at $45,000 and we've built rigs at $90k+. All of those include components and labor.

Most definitely get quotes if you end up leaning toward fully commissioning a company. You might also look into partial builds if there are aspects you truly don't want to try to tackle, but other parts of the conversion that you think you can handle yourselves.

You can absolutely send a PM my way and I can help give insight as much as possible. We're in middle Tennessee and I'm pretty sure there are quite a few good builders out your way in North Carolina.

 

[fj40dave-SKO]

Hi Mike & Robin....
Nice looking Bus ya got there.
Only thing I'd add to what "NOCOASTY" has already mentioned is more encouragement for your adventure in the build.
While I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, I have zero experience in building a "RV" Skoolie........but ambition and seeking solutions such as the wealth of knowledge on this site and other places makes the task quite dooable!

In my opinion however, with your fast approaching November deadline, I'd consider some basic platform help (such as teardown/framing-insulation/plumbing/wiring etc etc) [and anything others' might suggest] since these builds can be a lot longer process than originally thought! {what I'm saying is sort of...get the basics done with help/professional and do the finish work yourself even if it's while you're occupying it}

I plan on a slow build over probably 12-18 months, without a looming deadline.

Have a ton of fun with the adventure either way....like my kids always say...YOLO!

 

[Rucker]

Great bus! Like others here, I'd recommend developing the skills and acquiring the tools to do as much of the work yourself as possible.

It will help when you get to portions of work you choose to sub out-you'll be much more comfortable with specifying what you want, and evaluating their work.

 

[nikitis]

You'll love your Bus ever more so if you DIY.

I'm in my first bus build and I have mechanical and Suspension issues with mine which is slowing my build process (VPM is bad on mine). Your bus has one of these as well. 1994-1997 3800's had them. Your bus is a 3box computer system (3 computers that talk to each other over a CAN Bus system.) When these go bad your bus can sometimes function but in Limp Mode. But if I remove these mechanical issues, demolition took me maybe 1 week, and I could do it faster next time. Never done it before.

Building may take you 2-3 weeks if you spent 2-3 hours a day on it, and had the funds/tools. This is optimistic, but trying to give you an idea for how fast you CAN build a bus up if you are dedicating a lot of time to it.

Anytime you have a question about something, just create a post here on these forums, and within a day you'll have all the answers you need to move forward when you get stuck.

My bus also needed front suspension work, and air brake chamber replacements, (King pin replacements) as these buses are getting older, and isn't something you want to ignore if it needs to be fixed.

These things seem daunting, but they really are not on these buses. (Maybe the computer issues are daunting) but if yours are working then no worries, everything else is easily fixable by you. You have a solid bus, and becoming a rarer bus to be able to obtain so congrats on that.

It's also important to decide to fix things yourself for a couple of reasons. Buses are older, and will break down as you use them. Knowing the quirks can mean the difference between paying a large towing bill vs paying nothing or little for a part you can insert yourself. You need to be willing to get dirty to fix things in this lifestyle. Plus understanding what your bus needs to be maintained will keep it running longer and you'll get more use out of it.

 

[nocoasty]

You'll love your Bus ever more so if you DIY.

I agree with this statement, ten fold.