places where converted skoolies are allowed, and where not?

[travelinLight]

Hi folks.
I'm considering a bus conversion as a "tiny house" for myself, alone.


My intent is not for RV-style travel, but rather to enable me to live a somewhat 'normal' life, while having the possibility of re-location from time to time to suit my business needs.


My plan is to build something using a flat-front city-bus style school bus that when completed will have a low-key appearance that isn't visually identifiable as a (converted) school bus.

That will include skirts for the wheels, replacing the bi-fold door, eliminating the side windows and/or covering them with exterior panels etc.



I am planning the conversion to be self-sustained for a limited period, but primarily to be connected to water, power, and septic most of the time.





I know that many RV parks will not allow converted school buses.
There are of course mobile-home parks, but do many of them allow converted buses?What are other possibilities in various regions around the U.S. ?


Thank you for your time and attention.

 

[Mountain Gnome]

My plan is to build something using a flat-front city-bus style school bus that when completed will have a low-key appearance that isn't visually identifiable as a (converted) school bus.

That will include skirts for the wheels, replacing the bi-fold door, eliminating the side windows and/or covering them with exterior panels etc.

Seems counter-intuitive to me. If you do those mods, it will look like a conversion.


I kept my bi-fold door and windows. The windows are factory tinted. I hang black curtains in the windows, and it looks like no one's home, especially at night. The vehicle overall looks like it could just be an empty private tour-bus parked on the street for the night, especially if I park in front of a hotel.



If you make your school bus look like an RV, it will look like a school bus converted into an RV. I don't think there is any getting away from that. But maybe I'm not visualizing what you are.

 

[Mountain Gnome]

PS. hey travelinLight.....you a WSP fan?


travelin' light is the only way to fly....fly fly fly!

 

[travelinLight]

Seems counter-intuitive to me. If you do those mods, it will look like a conversion.


I kept my bi-fold door and windows. The windows are factory tinted. I hang black curtains in the windows, and it looks like no one's home, especially at night. The vehicle overall looks like it could just be an empty private tour-bus parked on the street for the night, especially if I park in front of a hotel.



If you make your school bus look like an RV, it will look like a school bus converted into an RV. I don't think there is any getting away from that. But maybe I'm not visualizing what you are.

Thanks anyway for the reply.
I appreciate it.

 

[travelinLight]

PS. hey travelinLight.....you a WSP fan?


travelin' light is the only way to fly....fly fly fly!

WSP?
I don't know the reference.

 

[DoubleO7]

I am in Florida.
Kingdom of mobile home parks.
Some parks still have mobile homes built 60+ years ago.
But none I have ever seen allow any sort of bus.
Many RV parks set up for snowbirds that allow factory made RV's to be on the lot 24/7/365.
But most of those do not allow conversions of any sort either. Not even overnight but then there are others that will allow you to stay a few days only.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

I got my first rejection in California at an RV park. I couldn’t believe it. The place down the road tough, actually nicer, doesn’t care

 

[Mountain Gnome]

WSP?
I don't know the reference.

One of my favorite bands, and one of my all time favorite songs. The current guitarist (Jimmy Herring) is a virtuoso. A technical master, capable of imitating other virtuosos, but still has his own masterfulness.

 

[travelinLight]

Ha!
That's a cover of the original JJ Cale tune.... which was the inspiration for my user-name.


I'd never heard that WSP covered that. I like it!


I see they also covered a couple of other Cale tunes along the way.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=widespread+panic+jj+cale+covers

The original:

 

[dictum-SKO]

I chose a shuttle bus for this reason, it adds a degree of stealth and looks like a commercial shuttle bus. Not that it's a free pass anywhere but I think it increases the odds.

 

[travelinLight]

I chose a shuttle bus for this reason, it adds a degree of stealth and looks like a commercial shuttle bus. Not that it's a free pass anywhere but I think it increases the odds.

That's a different slant on the matter.
What is the size?

 

[s2mikon]

Some of the insurance carriers that insure RV parks won't cover you if the rv is not RVIA certified. Their reasoning is fire and electrocution hazards. It was in my policy as an exclusion. If it had the little tag on the rv it was okay. Some of the horse trailers with living quarters didn't have the RVIA sticker on them. Just another racket.

 

[dictum-SKO]

That's a different slant on the matter.
What is the size?

 

[travelinLight]

Some of the insurance carriers that insure RV parks won't cover you if the rv is not RVIA certified. Their reasoning is fire and electrocution hazards. It was in my policy as an exclusion. If it had the little tag on the rv it was okay. Some of the horse trailers with living quarters didn't have the RVIA sticker on them. Just another racket.

Insurance and liability..
That puts another perspective on the matter altogether.


Thanks for that.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

I got my first rejection in California at an RV park. I couldn’t believe it. The place down the road tough, actually nicer, doesn’t care

Seeing this thread come back around made me think of the RV park ridiculous 10 year rule and how this place would handle the RVIA badge rule for a vehicle manufactured by a reputable manufacturer before RVIA. For the example I chose an early 70s Winnebago.

So I called them up and asked just that. The answer was that it wasn’t a problem. Then we got
To talking about my bus. I described it and having all the amenities of an RV and no longer being yellow, having all the attributes to qualify as an RV in the state and by my insurance.

The lady I spoke with was nice and said she would talk to the owner. She called me back later on and said that they would still consider my bus and to send them photos.

So at least in this case they are using the RVIA rule as a way to weed out the riff raff. It goes to show that friendly conversation can go a long way

 

[s2mikon]

If this keeps up, RVIA badges will be like vaccine cards. It may even support a new cottage industry.

 

[travelinLight]

If this keeps up, RVIA badges will be like vaccine cards. It may even support a new cottage industry.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

Seeing this thread come back around made me think of the RV park ridiculous 10 year rule and how this place would handle the RVIA badge rule for a vehicle manufactured by a reputable manufacturer before RVIA. For the example I chose an early 70s Winnebago.

So I called them up and asked just that. The answer was that it wasn’t a problem. Then we got
To talking about my bus. I described it and having all the amenities of an RV and no longer being yellow, having all the attributes to qualify as an RV in the state and by my insurance.

The lady I spoke with was nice and said she would talk to the owner. She called me back later on and said that they would still consider my bus and to send them photos.

So at least in this case they are using the RVIA rule as a way to weed out the riff raff. It goes to show that friendly conversation can go a long way

Rejected AGAIN!

 

[travelinLight]

Prior to joining here at skoolie.net and opening this discussion, I wasn't even aware of the RVIA certification.


Good thing I did come here before buying a bus.
As I don't own property and I'm not looking to do the RV thing, I don't see how I can make a converted bus work for me.


My goal is (or was) to have a portable "tiny house" with the option to be in one place for maybe a year or two at a time to pursue certain business interests.


As I'm learning more here in this discussion, I wouldn't have confidence of finding a place to park it. I had assumed that at least a typical "trailer park" would rent space.

 

[s2mikon]

In some jurisdictions a "mobile home park" is not the same as an "RV park". Mobile home parks are for permanent living spaces. RV parks are for temporary living. Mobile homes are not RVIA certified. Mobile homes are HUD certified. Here in NM some mobile home parks got variances to accept RV's to cater to the oil field help. I think they all ignored the RVIA certification. I saw bus conversions, wells cargo trailers converted, units that were 25+ years old and horse trailers with living quarters all parked living in peaceful co-existence with factory built RV's. I have been refused once due to being over 10 years old.