New Family looking to start the Skoolie Journey

[Dizio]

Hi All!

My wife and I have been looking into buying and building a skoolie. It seems like the first big step is finding the right bus. From what I've seen so far our tentative intentions include:

• 40'
• Rear Engine
• Roof Raise (I'm 6'2)

I have full use of a shop and thankfully my father was a welder/engineer who has home built 2 trikes, so I'm hoping that'll help.

Would love any input on busses that'd fit that criteria and any advice on preparation/budgeting

 

[kromboy]

You'll probably be looking at a blue bird all american or thomas safe-t-liner.

You can get'em in 6'5" variant but at your height a roof raise will likely be needed anyway. Maybe you can save some money going specifically for low roof buses.

I'd expect to spend about $5k on the bus itself, 2-3k for the roof raise materials, hopefully not much on the mechanical aspect of it but you should budget for some surprises.

Where are you based out of?

 

[DeMac]

IC RE300 for Size

Hi All!

My wife and I have been looking into buying and building a skoolie. It seems like the first big step is finding the right bus. From what I've seen so far our tentative intentions include:

• 40'
• Rear Engine
• Roof Raise (I'm 6'2)

I have full use of a shop and thankfully my father was a welder/engineer who has home built 2 trikes, so I'm hoping that'll help.

Would love any input on busses that'd fit that criteria and any advice on preparation/budgeting

---------

I'm a fan of the Integrated Coach (IC)

The advantage with the RE300 is that you may be able to skip the time and expense of a raise as the roof is 6'7".

IC offers the RE300 in a longer 42'2" bus with a 303" wheelbase, too. Longer than any other school bus chassis. Not available through Thomas or Bluebird.

A side hall is an option with 20ft between the wheel wells. One full size restroom.

6'3" below the 2x4 above my head in this photo.

count the windows between the wheels, compare that to the rest, you'll understand when your layout leaves your bathroom over a wheel well &/or cross the hall to move from toilet to shower. Not on my bus.

my son on the wheel well

I forgot to mention, IC claims to have the widest entryway in the industry. 36" wide doors by 8ft tall. (Fridge, couch, matresses, prefab shower stall....)

 

[Dizio]

You'll probably be looking at a blue bird all american or thomas safe-t-liner.

You can get'em in 6'5" variant but at your height a roof raise will likely be needed anyway. Maybe you can save some money going specifically for low roof buses.

I'd expect to spend about $5k on the bus itself, 2-3k for the roof raise materials, hopefully not much on the mechanical aspect of it but you should budget for some surprises.

Where are you based out of?

Thanks so much for the insight! I'l l have to look into these options. That's about what I was expecting for at least the initial purchase so I'm glad to hear I'm not too far off on my estimates.

***Oh, and I'm based out of Mid-Missouri

 

[Dizio]

---------

I'm a fan of the Integrated Coach (IC)

The advantage with the RE300 is that you may be able to skip the time and expense of a raise as the roof is 6'7".



IC offers the RE300 in a longer 42'2" bus with a 303" wheelbase, too. Longer than any other school bus chassis. Not available through Thomas or Bluebird.

A side hall is an option with 20ft between the wheel wells. One full size restroom.


count the windows between the wheels, compare that to the rest, you'll understand when your layout leaves your bathroom over a wheel well &/or cross the hall to move from toilet to shower. Not on my bus.[/i]

Wow, That's helpful! I was looking into the IC options and love the pics and your progress!

 

[nikitis]

Demacs bus has more windows between his wheel wells than I do in my entire bus. I can fit my bus between them.

I can't wait to see it next to his new Mighty Mite.

 

[DeMac]

Noah & Freddy D

Demacs bus has more windows between his wheel wells than I do in my entire bus. I can fit my bus between them.

I can't wait to see it next to his new Mighty Mite.

--------

Lol. I am absolutely looking forward to that photo shoot. Freddy's all cleaned up, too. My friends at Buck & Doe soft-washed the four years of Oak pollen. (Only $100!) (Photos taken on July 4, 2024)

The size comparison will be funny. Noah, at 17ft could be Freddy's toad.

--------------

My apologies Dizio.
Please tell us what area in which you are bus shopping. We have a lot of Canadian & US members, but also some from several other countries, too.

Also, for what will you use the bus? Weekend camper, toy hauler, tiny home, food truck...

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

... It seems like the first big step is finding the right bus...

.
I think the first step is getting any suitable candidate.
I think the second step is using it, discovering your abilities to adapt to living in something other than a stand-still house.
.
The 'right' vehicle?
2003, we built our rig...
... and with over two decades full-time live-aboard, it is continuingly evolving.
It is almost there.
Maybe sometime in the next two decades, it might be 'right'.
.
Until then, we keep plugging along.

 

[More2See-SKO]

Ic re

Hi All!

My wife and I have been looking into buying and building a skoolie. It seems like the first big step is finding the right bus. From what I've seen so far our tentative intentions include:

• 40'
• Rear Engine
• Roof Raise (I'm 6'2)

I have full use of a shop and thankfully my father was a welder/engineer who has home built 2 trikes, so I'm hoping that'll help.

Would love any input on busses that'd fit that criteria and any advice on preparation/budgeting

I had the same thoughts as DeMac with the IC buses. Overall length, door accessibility and interior height.

We bought a 2007 IC RE 300. I figure my build out will result in a center roof height of 6'2" after 2" rigid foam, 3/4" OSB and 1/4" vinyl on the floor along with 2" finish ceiling thickness.

I did not want to do a roof raise as obtaining insurance seems to be a growing issue.

 

[#1FordFan]

The school I work for found out the hard way that 20 yr old Thomas (freightliner) buses have mechanical oil pressure gauges. Which is good, right?,……. Well we found out the life of the gauge is a tiny bit shorter than the life of the main oil pump. The metal gears in the gauge just wore out.
Tha gauge showed 10ths at an idle rosé slightly with rpm but the engine a Cat 7.0L had so little pressure in reality it spun a bearing.

SO check any older bus with a known good mechanical pressure gauge to be sure.
And when a cat has about 180K miles or 10000 hours
It is about due for an oil pump.

 

[DeMac]

The school I work for found out the hard way that 20 yr old Thomas (freightliner) buses have mechanical oil pressure gauges. Which is good, right?,……. Well we found out the life of the gauge is a tiny bit shorter than the life of the main oil pump. The metal gears in the gauge just wore out.
Tha gauge showed 10ths at an idle rosé slightly with rpm but the engine a Cat 7.0L had so little pressure in reality it spun a bearing.

SO check any older bus with a known good mechanical pressure gauge to be sure.
And when a cat has about 180K miles or 10000 hours
It is about due for an oil pump.

------------------

Noah has a mechanical oil pressure guage right above the gas pedal. When it failed, the oil escaped onto my shoe.

Good Times

 

[nikitis]

Lol, mine leaked on my head when I dis-loged my mechanical oil gauge to fix my gauge cluster originally.