LA space to work

[Helios-]

Good evening all,

My girlfriend and I have decided to embark on building out a Skoolie together over the next year.

Our first hurdle is finding a location to work on it. We live in Los Angeles and our space doesn’t have a good spot to work on a 7 window bus.

Does anyone happen to have any suggestions or know of any spaces we may be able to work on it?

We’re new to this community and are both very excited for the adventure!

All the best,
Blake & Emma

 

[Hawker-SKO]

My buddy has a land in a Palmdale CA . It's just above the Los Angeles CA.
I'll ask him if you guys are okay to visit him and work on your bus.
I can't promise anything but I'll try .

 

[Helios-]

My buddy has a land in a Palmdale CA . It's just above the Los Angeles CA.
I'll ask him if you guys are okay to visit him and work on your bus.
I can't promise anything but I'll try .

Thank you so so much! I really appreciate you asking.

 

[Rucker]

Welcome to the forum-smart of you both to come here for insight and advice before leaping!

Finding space in LA is going to be difficult, and not having a space right in your back yard will drive up the cost and complexity of converting.

Use the search term 'Los Angeles' in this forum's search engine to see others who have asked similar questions. Here's one with some good suggestions: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/los-angeles-conversion-29140.html

No one wants to discourage your dream! Just be aware that bus parking/storage/space to work on is the single largest success factor in completing a conversion-even before money, time and skill.

Not having a secure, close and functional space for the conversion must rank high on the list of 'why I'm selling my partially converted bus'.

The most important takeaway here is don't buy the bus before making secure parking/storage arrangements.

Have you considered saving longer, and buying something partially built out, to limit the amount of time needed for conversion?

 

[DeMac]

More Liabilities than Assets

Welcome to the forum-smart of you both to come here for insight and advice before leaping!

(........)

No one wants to discourage your dream! Just be aware that bus parking/storage/space to work on is the single largest success factor in completing a conversion-even before money, time and skill.

Not having a secure, close and functional space for the conversion must rank high on the list of 'why I'm selling my partially converted bus'.

The most important takeaway here is don't buy the bus before making secure parking/storage arrangements.

Have you considered saving longer, and buying something partially built out, to limit the amount of time needed for conversion?

--------------------------------
worth reading twice

(backyard build-site)

Just like joining a far away gym or fitness membership. Will you suddenly change your routine and begin driving to this workspace and stick with it?
If so, pick a secure place with access to power, water, dumpster & lockable storage. Preferably with shaded parking and restrooms.

Most RV & boat storage facilities won't allow major vehicle repairs yet simultaneously can't totally prevent another member from hijacking your engine's ecu or a newly installed appliance. (Yeah, that happens)


It's peculiar that we spend money while trying to save money.

 

[cadillackid]

--------------------------------
worth reading twice

(backyard build-site)

Just like joining a far away gym or fitness membership. Will you suddenly change your routine and begin driving to this workspace and stick with it?
If so, pick a secure place with access to power, water, dumpster & lockable storage. Preferably with shaded parking and restrooms.

Most RV & boat storage facilities won't allow major vehicle repairs yet simultaneously can't totally prevent another member from hijacking your engine's ecu or a newly installed appliance. (Yeah, that happens)


It's peculiar that we spend money while trying to save money.

my busses are stored in a well camera'd facility with a gate... someone steals my computer or anything inside my bus im going to go after them..



definitely most storage units wont allow you to work on stuff.. at least not major-league. ive done transmission swaps and AC installs, radiator repair etc but each day when im done my tools and materials are cleared up in such a way that its a not a big mess around my spaces.. building a skoolie is different in that if you do major renovations it gets harder to clean up your materials each day..



working on my busses i drive my car back N forth if im in the middle of a major project.. (this spring may be a real test as to how much I can do in a storage unit as i may be rebuilding the engine on one of my busses if my coolant aeration issue turns out to be a head gasket)..

 

[cadillackid]

Welcome to the forum-smart of you both to come here for insight and advice before leaping!

Finding space in LA is going to be difficult, and not having a space right in your back yard will drive up the cost and complexity of converting.

Use the search term 'Los Angeles' in this forum's search engine to see others who have asked similar questions. Here's one with some good suggestions: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/los-angeles-conversion-29140.html

No one wants to discourage your dream! Just be aware that bus parking/storage/space to work on is the single largest success factor in completing a conversion-even before money, time and skill.

Not having a secure, close and functional space for the conversion must rank high on the list of 'why I'm selling my partially converted bus'.

The most important takeaway here is don't buy the bus before making secure parking/storage arrangements.

Have you considered saving longer, and buying something partially built out, to limit the amount of time needed for conversion?

the type of build also is important.. you can get away with working in many storage units if you arent tearing things apart completely.. a roof raise or skinning over windows and the like is probably going to raise attention.. but a bus being built with its original exterior and structure and just being built interior and underneath (tanks, electrical, etc) is going to be less of an issue at a storage place..

 

[kromboy]

Rucker's right, if you have to drive out an hour and pack stuff to go build out your bus, it'll be a slog and if it were me, I'd give up halfway through.

What keeps me still going on my bus build is that it's parked in the backyard and I can get all my supplies ordered via Amazon, when it comes in, I just walk out the back during lunch or after work and knock it out an hour or two at a time, not to mention how many times I forget something so I have to walk back to the garage, back and forth multiple times a day, I would not get anything done if I had to pack everything up every time I wanted to work on the bus.

Demo is a pain, insulation is also a pain, no glory in either of those things and if roof raise is something you're interested in doing, finding an incomplete bus that's already had those done is going to be cheaper because people are selling those buses at a loss in many cases.

Wanderlust Waypoint may work for you guys if you're willing to dedicate each weekend to knocking out your project, looks like they have a location in Dunlap CA about 4hrs away from LA.

 

[Rucker]

I love taking my rig out to camp, it's life-altering; and I encourage anyone to tackle the challenge.

The disclaimer is my bus conversion was an Instagram-worthy project where all the planets had aligned.

I got a really sweet deal on a shuttle bus in great condition with low miles, so the size of the effort and the amount of mechanical work to get to square one was much less than what I see on this forum.

During the build, the bus was in my back yard, right in front of the garage/workshop full of every tool known to man, in the shade, with easy access to coffee, beer and a bathroom, and three dogs roving the perimeter of the property for security. Ace hardware was a four minute drive; Home Depot a ten minute drive and most things I bought off Amazon showed up on my doorstep the next day. I had three curated five-hour playlists of music I could blast over the back yard.

I had an adequate budget and more than enough automotive, electrical, plumbing and other skills. The only limitation I had was time, because I work full time and have a life outside of work besides.

It was a two year effort that took up all my spare time (and more), and almost all of it fun. Except for installing the gray water tanks, which I never want to repeat. And cleaning mice poop from the crotch of the V10, which involved a pressure washer, two wet vacs and much cursing with disgust, and which I did have to repeat this past summer in the metalworking shed.

But no situation where this sh*t's gotten real and I have to seriously rethink my choices. I didn't have any unexpected challenges to test my soul and make me a better person in the struggle. I should be the last person you listen to. Your mileage WILL vary. And THAT's what you need to ponder before plunking down the cash.

With all that in mind...take my advice: plunk down the cash and get yer life happenin'!!!

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

what RUCKER?
you have a life outside of work and still finished a bus?
my life outside of work is more work.
right now i get the weekends to do something was finishing my wifes but insurance company wouldnt renew my homeowners insurance if i kept my 20 year old metal shed so had to build another to move all my tools and crap to and before i could finish building shelves and a work bench i found a leak in my kitchen that had messed up the pressboard cabinets and floor and into the wall so now i am in the middle of renovating the kitchen and of course my wife never liked the upper cabinets and i couldnt get the bar top style counter top apart i did 10 years ago without destroying it which is my fault.
my wife always says i overbuild things.
maybe i can back to her bus after the first of the year still have solar and A/C to do.

 

[Rucker]

what RUCKER?
you have a life outside of work and still finished a bus?
my life outside of work is more work.
right now i get the weekends to do something was finishing my wifes but insurance company wouldnt renew my homeowners insurance if i kept my 20 year old metal shed so had to build another to move all my tools and crap to and before i could finish building shelves and a work bench i found a leak in my kitchen that had messed up the pressboard cabinets and floor and into the wall so now i am in the middle of renovating the kitchen and of course my wife never liked the upper cabinets and i couldnt get the bar top style counter top apart i did 10 years ago without destroying it which is my fault.
my wife always says i overbuild things.
maybe i can back to her bus after the first of the year still have solar and A/C to do.

Zactly. I call that bus conversion moonwalking.

You illustrate one more key principle at play in this conversion business. A few years ago I was watching a video about a painter who explained that the most important act in working in his studio was cleaning up completely at the end of the day. He said 'if you can't walk in and pick up a paintbrush and start painting without first cleaning up and moving things out of the way your output will never be what you want it to be.'

So to the degree that you cannot just wake up on a Saturday morning, walk out your back door and start drilling on your bus without first moving a mountain of sh*t to get to the work, or driving even five minutes to a different location, or finding those tools you need for the planned job, or cleaning out that area of the garage because you are so darned inefficient with stuff not organized your output will never match your intended target and you will experience eroding confidence you should have ever taken on the project.

 

[Hawker-SKO]

Okay , so my buddy told me that it is totally fine to work on your project at his property .

He just want some "donations " of whatever you think it's fair with him . Talk with him about that before you do anything .

He'll give you "Very" reasonable price for you about Donation. :wink1: :wink1: .

If you are sincere to him he'll be sincere to you .

Just tell him " I " from the Family of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese sent you . Lmfao


He is an mechanic and working there all day so if you need something done mechanical issues he can work with you also.


The issue is it has limited usage of power there. So you do need to have an generator or come up something to power your tools.

Also bring tank full of drinking water . You need it.
Set up a pop up tent with heavy weights on each legs. so you can get a shade there. That is also important.

Also , the place is wellknown for theft and robberies . It's a wild wild west desert out there. LoL

There is ferocious dogs protecting its property but My buddy can't really protect you for anything or promise of your safety or do anything to you wrongfully but someone might comes at night and try to steal your equipments so you gatta watch out while you are working there . After each job you do you gatta lock it all up and if anything happens it's all on you . So make sure .

After the project is completed in a end, you make sure clean everything on ground . Also anything happened to you such as injuries, incident, accident, damages , it's all on you and can't blame anything , nothing happens to the property owner . who is my buddy for long time .

There is an 24 hour ( operation ) fitness gym in town .so you can take shower / sauna there.

You can camp out there also so you can work on your project as long as you wishes to finish your project .

He might gonna give you a super discount if you put him on your gym membership as piggy bag member of yours so he can work out at gym . Out there nothing better than hot shower and eating and drinking cool beverages so talk to him . Lmfao

Good luck on your project and plz put my buddy on Some of your videos and teach him how the custom built bus is all about !!

Happy Holiday season greetings to you and to your families:wink1:

 

[Iceni John]

I'm behind the Orange Curtain, just south of that strange place to the north where most OCites fear to tread. For the last sixteen years I've had my bus in a storage yard where I've done everything in situ, and after that yard recently went ****-up I've found another yard that will also let me work on it. Yeah! One thing I'm fastidious about is ALWAYS sweeping up outside after making any mess such as metal shavings or paint peelings, being thoughtful about my neighbours, and not advertising any more than necessary what I'm doing to the bus. If the yard has security guards I maintain a cordial relationship with them, however annoying they sometimes may be! So far so good.

John

 

[Hawker-SKO]

I'm behind the Orange Curtain, just south of that strange place to the north where most OCites fear to tread. For the last sixteen years I've had my bus in a storage yard where I've done everything in situ, and after that yard recently went ****-up I've found another yard that will also let me work on it. Yeah! One thing I'm fastidious about is ALWAYS sweeping up outside after making any mess such as metal shavings or paint peelings, being thoughtful about my neighbours, and not advertising any more than necessary what I'm doing to the bus. If the yard has security guards I maintain a cordial relationship with them, however annoying they sometimes may be! So far so good.

John

My buddy would totally accept you at his place for fractions of cost that you paying for your spot now. But, it's really up to you . He just have a open space in a desert . Maybe for you it's much convenient where your bus is at . LoL

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

Suggestions:
...acquire a suitable candidate (such as a seven-window bus)
... toss in some car-camping gear
...go have fun.
Allow the conversion to evolve organically.