Plans For The Future

[axe8148]

Hello to anyone and everyone who is reading this!

For the past couple months my girlfriend and I have been talking about getting our own bus and converting it into a place for us to travel the country and do some work from. We do not plan on buying a bus yet because we are still in our planning stage and we want to get a bus that can fit our needs but still be affordable. I plan on doing most of the work on the bus myself or with a couple of friends. We are open to any and all suggestions as we figure out what we will be needing.

we are wanting a short diesel bus so we can pull a small vehicle for city and off-road use, we want enough room for everything a person will need to live in the bus like shower, toilet, sink, bed, fridge, and a place to wash clothing. We are also looking at getting/making a miniature wood stove to heat our bus.

thank you to anyone who makes suggestions and if you have any questions I will be happy to answer them.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

Start collecting the dimensions of the things you want to put in it and see how it works out. Don’t forget storage and space for utilities. Sounds a little bigger than a shorty. You’ll find people and their buses on YouTube to give you an idea. Watch a few hours of that and you’ll have an idea.

 

[o1marc]

Nows the time to check with you're insurance company to see if they cover wood burning stoves, it's a stickler to some.

 

[axe8148]

I didn't even think about insurance, thank you very much for mentioning it!

 

[PNW_Steve]

My insurance company won't write a policy on a bus or RV, in Washington, if it has a wood burning appliance.

 

[o1marc]

I didn't even think about insurance, thank you very much for mentioning it!

They frown upon decks also, so check that out if it's in the plans.

 

[axe8148]

They frown upon decks also, so check that out if it's in the plans.

Decks? like just an flat table?

 

[o1marc]

Decks? like just an flat table?

Especially if it's a flat table that drunks can fall off due to no railing, yes. Too much liability having people on the roof of a bus partying.

 

[axe8148]

Especially if it's a flat table that drunks can fall off due to no railing, yes. Too much liability having people on the roof of a bus partying.

Oh, I kept reading desk not deck, my bad. I can see why they wouldn't want those. thank you again for the heads up!

 

[peteg59]

Travelling long distance with 2 people aboard with all of the amenities you desire will be extremely "crowded" on a short bus.

If you can live without a dedicated bathroom/shower onboard, it might be more doable but it will still be tight space wise.
Go mid size at a bare minimum, if a bath/shower is a "must have"...

 

[axe8148]

Travelling long distance with 2 people aboard with all of the amenities you desire will be extremely "crowded" on a short bus.

If you can live without a dedicated bathroom/shower onboard, it might be more doable but it will still be tight space wise.
Go mid size at a bare minimum, if a bath/shower is a "must have"...

What size would you suggest for a mid size bus? My worry is about driving a vehicle that is long when trying to drive from place to place and about parking in a reasonable location.

 

[peteg59]

What size would you suggest for a mid size bus? My worry is about driving a vehicle that is long when trying to drive from place to place and about parking in a reasonable location.

25~30 foot bumper to bumper, maybe?
The bus parking issue is real but it's something you and/or your G/F, whoever is the designated driver, will have to wrap your head around and embrace if you go forward with your plan/dream.
RV's and schoolie conversions are all "oversized" when compared to cars. Obviously some are bigger than others, and you'll have to figure out what will work for you. Finances will also definitely come into play, as the bigger the vehicle, the more $$ it'll be to buy and maintain.
Having a reasonable amount of mechanical aptitude/ability is a bonus, but not 100% necessary in piloting a schoolie across the country.

My suggestion is go to a used RV dealer and check out the different sized/classes of offerings on their lot.
That will give you an idea of what overall length might work best. It should also give you an idea of the types and quality of interior furnishings that can be fitted into small, mid sized, and full sized RV's or ultimately, school busses.

They might even allow a test drive, if you ask nicely and can convince them you are a serious customer and not simply a tire kicker/waste of time for the salesperson?
Good luck!

 

[axe8148]

25~30 foot bumper to bumper, maybe?
The bus parking issue is real but it's something you and/or your G/F, whoever is the designated driver, will have to wrap your head around and embrace if you go forward with your plan/dream.
RV's and schoolie conversions are all "oversized" when compared to cars. Obviously some are bigger than others, and you'll have to figure out what will work for you. Finances will also definitely come into play, as the bigger the vehicle, the more $$ it'll be to buy and maintain.
Having a reasonable amount of mechanical aptitude/ability is a bonus, but not 100% necessary in piloting a schoolie across the country.

My suggestion is go to a used RV dealer and check out the different sized/classes of offerings on their lot.
That will give you an idea of what overall length might work best. It should also give you an idea of the types and quality of interior furnishings that can be fitted into small, mid sized, and full sized RV's or ultimately, school busses.

They might even allow a test drive, if you ask nicely and can convince them you are a serious customer and not simply a tire kicker/waste of time for the salesperson?
Good luck!

thank you very much for this advice! I'll probably be the one driving most the time. I don't have to much mechanical aptitude but I plan on putting in the hours to learn how to do the work so if there's any issues on the road I will be able to troubleshoot the problem w/o having to rely on a mechanic.

 

[musigenesis]

Travelling long distance with 2 people aboard with all of the amenities you desire will be extremely "crowded" on a short bus.

If you can live without a dedicated bathroom/shower onboard, it might be more doable but it will still be tight space wise.
Go mid size at a bare minimum, if a bath/shower is a "must have"...

As the possessor of a well-aged bladder, I don't see how life in a bathroom-less vehicle is possible.

 

[o1marc]

As the possessor of a well-aged bladder, I don't see how life in a bathroom-less vehicle is possible.

One solution- This is what was in the TC2000 I bought, don't know how he lived like this.

 

[musigenesis]

One solution- This is what was in the TC2000 I bought, don't know how he lived like this.

Yeesh. As hard as it is to understand someone living like that, it's even harder to understand them leaving that behind for you. Did the prior owner die or something?

 

[o1marc]

Yeesh. As hard as it is to understand someone living like that, it's even harder to understand them leaving that behind for you. Did the prior owner die or something?

Bus was impounded for no insurance in Ga. Owner was in Va. and didn't have the tow fees to get it out. First thing I asked him was wear his "bathroom" was in the bus. It had dark curtains all around so I couldn't see jack. He said it was in the back and that he normally cleans it out on Sunday and hadn't gotten to it before it was impounded. The bucket was under the head of his bed. Bathroom duties hadn't been cleaned out in months.

 

[M1031A1]

axe;

Also have someone as a dedicated "spotter" for those tight spaces and difficult turns. Create a system of signaling that works best for you and your significant other. Practice with a regular vehicle before going large scale. This way any "miscommunications" won't turn into "catastrophic" lessons..... Don't forget to ALWAYS be able to see the spotter in your mirrors, thus the spotter is moving as you are moving in tight spots to stay in your line of sight and make sound judgment calls. It takes some time to get really good at doing this, but the effort is so worth while! My wife knows exactly where I want to be and how I want to get there because we practice every time an opportunity presents itself. We walk the area, talk about how I want to cover blind spots, and how she will walk and spot me in my blind areas.

Hope this helps!

M :biggrin: