Not sure where to post this, but hello :)

[VagabondTaylors]

Me and my fiance are currently saving up for our own bus conversion project!
I found this website/forum from reading an article about someone else's bus conversion project.
And boy am I ever glad I found this site! There seems to be a TON of information here about how to go about our project!
We were specifically wondering about what KIND of bus to buy, so hopefully there is something about that here

Anyhow, it is very nice to meet you all, and I hope that I can contribute some useful
information myself once our project gets off the ground!

- Kimmi

 

[Crazy]

Welcome to the looney bin.

 

[Diesel Dan]

Welcome! There have been many conversations about the best type of bus to buy, and the answer always boils down to your own preferences and uses for the bus. Just read as many posts as you can, and I'm sure you will come across those conversations.

 

[Redbear]

Welcome!

Each bus is a reflection of the personalities of the owners who build and use them. These are just some examples of the personal choices each skoolie must make which determine the size and complexity of the conversion project:

How will a bus be used?
- Just tailgating at sporting events or NASCAR
- Weekend getaways
- Vacation trips transporting only people
- Vacation trips transporting special sporting equipment or motorized 'toys'
- Extended trips or stays
- Full-time residence

It seems from the blog you intend to full-time, which brings up the question, how often will you move?
Not just from the Walmart to the school and back, but off to the great beyond:
- will you stay at the school 9 months, move to one summer location and stay for 3, and then return?
- do you eventually intend expeditions to explore the country every weekend, or on every break?

How far will you go? This and the frequency of your travel may determine if fuel economy is an issue:
- staying in the city and moving from 'camp' site to 'camp' site?
- recreational camping trips of less than 100 miles each way - a cheap 6 mpg gas engine may be OK for either of these shorter distance choices
- within 500 miles of home base - maybe you want to get a 10 mpg diesel with standard gearing
- cross - country trips of 1000-6000 miles round-trip - the extra cost of a diesel with highway gears may pay off in fuel savings

How many people will be on board - this will determine what a comfortable size is:
- Just the two of us
- We're planning to have a family and will still have the bus then
- We would like to make trips with friends along - how many?

Like the old saying, "You pays your money and you makes your choice."

Good luck, and good bus hunting.

 

[VagabondTaylors]

Thank you for the welcomes!

Redbear ~
Thanks for all of the questions, definitely some things there we can look at to determine what kind of bus we want.
We are hoping to use it as a full time residence until later on when we can buy a house.
We will probably be having children in a few years so we will also need room for them as well!
And we plan on traveling a LOT after college.
If our bus is livable while still in school, which is likely, we will be going to school 2/3 of the year and traveling 1/3 of the year.
After that, we will be traveling all the time, as I plan on going to craft shows and festivals all over the country.
We will probably stay in one place for a month or two at a time.

 

[nat_ster]

Welcome.

Be sure to post pics when you get your bus.

Well wrote post RedBear.

Nat

 

[gbstewart]

lots to read on this site welcome
now go get a bus
gbstewart

 

[Locutus]

If you can get down to California to shop for your bus, consider buying a Crown from one of the school districts. Crown Coach made (what some here claim to be) the finest school buses ever built. Built to last many decades, not just years. Sadly, because of State of California emissions incentives, nearly every school district-owned Crown bus is scheduled to be crushed by the end of this year. Time is running out and I would encourage anyone interested to seriously consider making the effort to contact California school districts to see if any would be willing to sell, rather than crush, one of these fine buses.