Idea (possibly a bad one) that occurred to me

[CHEESE_WAGON]

The pre-emissions supply problem for skoolies is one of many reasons I'm looking hard at an MCI or other coach chassis for my next build.

Oh, you REALLY want a headache, don't you? LOL

 

[kazetsukai]

Oh, you REALLY want a headache, don't you? LOL

Headache? With a Detroit Series 60?

 

[Booyah45828]

Not likely with the series 60, but I know some of those mci's had a multiplex system for doors and such, and that was integrated with the engine and abs systems, and thsoe can be a pain to get/keep in operation.

There are also other little quirks to the operation of an mci that isn't like a standard bus or class 8 truck.

They seem great for storage space and full time conversions though.

 

[CHEESE_WAGON]

The pre-emissions supply problem for skoolies is one of many reasons I'm looking hard at an MCI or other coach chassis for my next build.

Oh, you REALLY want a headache, don't you? LOL

Headache? With a Detroit Series 60?

I was thinking along the lines of everything else being proprietary. You won't find much for one of those at a chain parts store, and I wonder what kind of premium a truck repair shop charges.

 

[ABBus]

I kinda like the consultant idea. I wonder how much of a fee would be excessive, and how much I would need to make it worth my time. s2mikon and I are having a private conversation that has given me some ideas that could potentially be worth pursuing, but I would need a good reliable mechanic that really knows their way around these things that is willing to work off commission, at least for the time being.

Isn't this idea at the opposite of the goal of this forum, which is giving free advices to the other members? How will you deal with that aspect? No more advices from you when a newbie asks questions about a future purchase? Or you'll send him an invoice?
Don't take this comment wrong, I (and a lot of us, I guess) like the idea.

Edit: I see more and more paid services proposed on the forum (advices, boondocking space, etc.) and I wonder if it is how the community will evolve. No judgement here.

 

[BeNimble]

The 'bad decision' is buying an old school bus to make into a motorhome.
Anything short of saying 'don't do it', like helping to buy a 'less-bad' one is just not useful, and for sure the forum is here for people that bother to do the research, they are not going to pay someone when they can just ask on the forum and get more opinions than just one person.

If you want to capitalize off people mistakes, provide them a place to move their bus after the code enforcement gives them 14 days to move it..
Cheesy, no luck delivering buses? Sure seemed demand for that service here.

Personally, I'm fixing up a vintage motorhome, lots of profit in that right now, which is why no progress on the Nautibus.

 

[peterbylt]

Along this same line, a couple years ago we were talking about a business idea.

Getting Buses doing the demo work, then building it up to where the tanks, some of the plumbing, insulation, plywood walls and ceiling, Basic electrical, A bus shell ready for the interior to be built out, the fun part.

Maybe even a roof raise.

Then selling that, not sure if there would be a demand for such a thing, I know there were times in my build where I wished for such a thing.

But that’s as far as we got Talking about it………….

Peter

 

[Rucker]

I think there is a small market for high quality, conversion ready buses. If you already have acreage and a big shop, and a pretty good setup for tools, and decent experience with mechanical work, and a prior track record of converting buses, and some dedicated time, and the cash to tie up in probably up to a half dozen buses at a time, and some marketing experience, and the patience of Job entertaining newbies and wannabes, it would be a snap.

:-')

 

[BeNimble]

If you swap the newer 2004+ diesel buses with a gas motor that would not violate federal laws. The new 7.3 gas motor is only $8500, so take a $4k, swap it for $10k, and resell it with new engine for $12k, and you'd only loose $2k each sale. Make it up in volume of maybe 20 sales, and only lose $40k.

The better plan is to swap in the gas motors and sell them back to the schools for $40k, less than half of a new school bus.

 

[Live.Klaff.Love]

The "consultant" idea would work out great I would say. Coming from the prospective of looking for my first bus currently. I know I want to invest in a solid foundation, and its hard to find. I would be happy to pay someone a "commission" if you to help me find the right bus.

 

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Isn't this idea at the opposite of the goal of this forum, which is giving free advices to the other members? How will you deal with that aspect? No more advices from you when a newbie asks questions about a future purchase? Or you'll send him an invoice?
Don't take this comment wrong, I (and a lot of us, I guess) like the idea.

Edit: I see more and more paid services proposed on the forum (advices, boondocking space, etc.) and I wonder if it is how the community will evolve. No judgement here.

Maybe so, but health issues negate any other type of work, and you really only have one thing to sell -- what you know. Since so many seem to blindly justify outrageous prices for buses as of late, what's wrong with making a few bucks advising? Besides, I've already had my knuckles rapped for calling out a scammer trying to unload their ill-informed purchase on others so less informed. Which, of course, makes me that much less likely to even contribute at all. But then, I am not likely to be a true member of the community (skoolie owner) again, so perhaps I should be rethinking my presence here... Certainly seems so.

 

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Cheesy, no luck delivering buses? Sure seemed demand for that service here.

Talk is cheap, and apparently my safety wasn't worth paying for to most. I can't compete with the overconfidence of new owners and rookie truckers running at cost just to get a load home.

If you swap the newer 2004+ diesel buses with a gas motor that would not violate federal laws. The new 7.3 gas motor is only $8500, so take a $4k, swap it for $10k, and resell it with new engine for $12k, and you'd only loose $2k each sale. Make it up in volume of maybe 20 sales, and only lose $40k.

The better plan is to swap in the gas motors and sell them back to the schools for $40k, less than half of a new school bus.

The schools likely won't touch them once they've been dumped. Very few districts will buy even a slightly used bus for liability reasons. And with so many apparently clamoring to layaway a POS MaxxFarce for $20k with BGA sales, I am quite confident that $10-$15k would be a reasonable asking price for a bus swapped for more reliable mechanicals, especially with the possibility of scavenged RV goodies packaged in. And, I might add, there are far cheaper ways to get such mechanicals than crate engine packages.

BN, I gotta be honest. You have been so vocal and hard-driven against the idea of a bus conversion in so many of your posts, so it begs the question of why, exactly, you are here?

 

[mmoore6856]

between the aftertreatment junk required by the government, campgrounds that do not let us in, zoning laws, city parking laws and the fact the government will outright try to ban diesels we are going to be the last of our kind.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

"School buses" are going to be less and less available as online schooling gets it's bugs worked out etc. (dont start on the quality of education online. That's a whole nuther topic)

What is the age group of the majority of first time buyers of a school bus for conversion? My guess is about 18-30. Not enough life experience at that age to understand the value of experience. The majority will forgo the small cost of consulting experience as the cost of ink and body jewelry are priority.

Back in the days of the various gold rushes, more millionaires were made selling wares to the prospectors than the prospectors made panning. Another is "you can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink". As the title of this thread states "Idea (possibly and bad one) that occurred to me." The purpose seems to be to gather perspectives from others about an idea. Perhaps a few of the viewpoints toward the idea are differing from the authors scope, but they are viewpoints none the less. I think it's great to want to see new first time owners have a positive experience, rather than a negative one, but every culture, be it skoolies, box trucks, class 8 HDTs, factory built rv, etc., will have certain parameters fire walled, and others open to discussion. Some things people just have to learn from their own mistakes. Gawd knows I have made a ton of costly mistakes. Most of them I was offered the experience from those much more wise than I, but my youth demanded that I go forward anyway.
If Cheese Wagon can make this idea work somehow, I certainly support it. But as the topic was put up for open forum discussion, I had to offer my opinions.

 

[kazetsukai]

Maybe so, but health issues negate any other type of work, and you really only have one thing to sell -- what you know. Since so many seem to blindly justify outrageous prices for buses as of late, what's wrong with making a few bucks advising?

The "outrageous prices" are not so outrageous if they were buying known, good product. Something vetted by someone who knows their stuff rather than just looking to unload.

Besides, I've already had my knuckles rapped for calling out a scammer trying to unload their ill-informed purchase on others so less informed. Which, of course, makes me that much less likely to even contribute at all.

Some people have your back on that, you know...

BN, I gotta be honest. You have been so vocal and hard-driven against the idea of a bus conversion in so many of your posts, so it begs the question of why, exactly, you are here?

I think BN does some pretty thankless, darned good work honestly. A lot of people get this rose-colored vision of skoolie life that is wholly inaccurate, financially and otherwise. and many of us have seen those people crash and burn hard. I got exactly what I wanted with this, but it cost me. Most people looking from the outside do not know those costs.

 

[Booyah45828]

A lot of people get this rose-colored vision of skoolie life that is wholly inaccurate, financially and otherwise. and many of us have seen those people crash and burn hard. I got exactly what I wanted with this, but it cost me. Most people looking from the outside do not know those costs.

That's an understatement. OR they buy it, and come to the hard realization that it's a lot of work and sweat to get it done. I feel a lot of people think it's so easy, and then balk at the labor involved in just the demolition phase, and then try and bail.

My issue is so much media/facebook/instagram/reddit/bloggers paint the skoolie life as some perfect and beautiful environment, when the reality is far from it. Too many people fall on hard times, blow the little savings they have on a bus thinking it's their way out, and then end up worse off financially when the thing breaks down on them.

 

[HighNoone]

BN, I gotta be honest. You have been so vocal and hard-driven against the idea of a bus conversion in so many of your posts, so it begs the question of why, exactly, you are here?

Hahaha, I've thought the same thing. Kinda like a vegan hanging out at a butcher shop. Think for fun on Friday and Saturday night he stands outside the local bar and tells people about the evils of alcohol?

 

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Besides, I've already had my knuckles rapped for calling out a scammer trying to unload their ill-informed purchase on others so less informed. Which, of course, makes me that much less likely to even contribute at all. But then, I am not likely to be a true member of the community (skoolie owner) again, so perhaps I should be rethinking my presence here... Certainly seems so.

Some people have your back on that, you know...

Yeah, but they're not the ones that determine my account status here.

 

[BeNimble]

Hahaha, I've thought the same thing. Kinda like a vegan hanging out at a butcher shop. Think for fun on Friday and Saturday night he stands outside the local bar and tells people about the evils of alcohol?

lol, Well someone has to do it...it is a thankless job, everyone loves a cheerleader for their poor decisions

I like this forum because its all DIY and low-budget oriented, unlike that "other" forum. And notice I do recommend Shuttle Buses, which are discussed here, and I have one. And I need distractions from doing actual hard work.
Just trying to help like everyone else here. No effect on me if someone spends their life savings to buy a rusty old school bus they can't keep running.


The electric conversion business takes old diesel buses and converts to electric and sells them back to schools, so no reason they can't buy back gas-engine swaps too.

Another business idea is producing an insulated fiberglass roof-raise swap kit, as 'everyone' wants a roof raise, it would be so much better to make it fiberglass instead of adding yet more weight on top of a school bus already prone to tipping over from high COG. Just cut-off the roof and windows and install the new one...and shed 3,000 lbs off the bus, get insulation.

 

[CHEESE_WAGON]

The electric conversion business takes old diesel buses and converts to electric and sells them back to schools, so no reason they can't buy back gas-engine swaps too.

One little difference. Electric conversions are all-new mechanicals. What I am suggesting is not.