What To Look For Before Purchasing A Bus For A Skoolie Conversion

There are many things to consider before making a purchase on your next home. A good foundation is always a great start. A place that will keep you secure while riding down the road is a must. I will explain the 5 most important things to look out for in purchasing a School Bus for a Schoolie Conversion

CORROSION

Corrosion is the process of deterioration of materials as a result of chemical, electrochemical or other reactions. In other words extreme rust. If a bus has extreme rust stay clear away. It is important to check underneath the bus for Corrosion and also around any hatches or windows inside of the bus that can be prone to leaking. Some surface rust is normal and can be treated.

THE LOCATION OF A BUS

You would think that the place that you purchase your bus is irrelevant but knowing the place is very important in the questions you ask the seller before you make the trip to see the bus. Northern State busses are known for having more rust because of the salt applied to the roads that can cause rust underneath busses. You can definitely buy a bus in cold climates but just take extra precautions when it comes to rust.

AGE OF THE BUS

When deciding on a bus that is right for you, age is always important. The newer isn’t necessarily always better. It will depend on how much you will will work on your bus when needing to be repaired vs a mechanic. Newer busses 2004 and up are nicer and there will be less rust and most likely less mileage which is great. The thing about these newer busses are the newer you go the harder it is to fix any mechanical issues yourself. They are more electronic so more electronic tools are needed to fix them. If you were to break down this is where a mechanic usually will need to step in. 1990 to 2003 can have more rust and mileage but there are for sure great things about them. This year range is less electronic so its is able to be mechanically fixed by your average person that will do the research without having to worry about certain specific electric tools. 1989 and older can have a more unique vintage look to them which can make them appealing, but this would for sure come with a cost to your wallet and also your time. This year range is not electronic but there will be many things that will need to be considered. Corrosion and high mileage can be almost certain for busses in this year range unless it has been stored indoors and hasn’t been driven much.

DIESEL VS GAS

Diesel Motors are highly coveted in a Skoolie. They are more fuel effecient and will last for longer mileage. 12 Valve Cummins and DT466 are great motors to come by.

TIRES

A good set of tires on a school bus is something to look for. Good grip, no cracks or dry rot is very important because a new set of tires will run you at least $1000.

There are many things to consider in buying a school bus to convert into your new home, but these are just some of the things that are very important to consider in choosing the perfect bus that you will not regret. I want you to have the best Skoolie experience as possible. Happy traveling.❤

How To Choose Your School Bus Home. Should You Build Your Skoolie?

School busses come in many different forms. There are long ones, short ones, flat nose, stubby nose and dog nose. There are handicap busses with taller ceilings that can get up to 6’4. There are some that sit right over 5 and a half feet. The options are limitless. Believe it or not you can even do a roof raise and have a ceiling that is over 10 feet tall! You may think to yourself “.I don’t know how to build a school bus home.” I will l just let you know. There are options. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

BUILD YOUR OWN SKOOLIE

The Skoolie movement only became popular a few years ago but there are many YouTube videos with great resources out there. You will have to do some searching and planning. You will need saws, grinders, drills, screws staple guns and much more. You can buy these things and still have a nice bus built for $10,000 or less. I know this to be true from experience.

The kitchen in our Skoolie The Ark. (Almost finished)

GET A CONTRACTOR

There are people out there that build Skoolies for a living. They do beautiful work that can be worth it for people that don’t have the time or ability to build their own Skoolie. You can get your bus custom built with your own layout. If you go this route you are going to come out of pocket alot more. The Skoolies can range from $30,000 to $80,000 depending on the contractor and the cost of materials.

BUYING A USED ALREADY CONVERTED SKOOLIE

If you dont have the most money to spend and also don’t have the time to build your own Schoolie this is a great option for you. These already done Skoolies can cost anywhere from $60,000 to as little as $10,000. People build them and end up moving on to a different home or no longer want to travel and sell their already built Skoolies.

PARTIALLY BUILT SKOOLIES

There are many unfinished Skoolies for sale that are cheaper in price. Some have roof raises, some are almost done and some have just been gutted out. These are great to purchase because the grunt of a Skoolie build is removing the seats. If that’s done already you should consider yourself lucky.

RESOURCES

The best resource for looking into getting a Skoolie at any stage would be Facebook groups. People are always sharing their progress and asking questions at all stages. Get plugged into a few Facebook groups and start your journey to Skoolie living today!

Why A Skoolie?

Hi my name is Gabby and My husband’s name is Ramsey. We have two dogs, a mini pig and 16 chickens and we are proud owners of a 1997, 37 footer Thomas Vista that we live in fulltime. You may wonder to yourself. “Why would someone live in a School Bus ment for transportation of children when there are plenty of houses and apartments to live in?” Well I will discuss the reasons we left our rent home in Lafayette, Louisiana to live a mobile life.

MORE FAMILY TIME

You are probably thinking “yes of course you are in a smaller space so obviously you will have to spend more time together. The answer is yes but that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about my husband coming home to me every night. He travels often but we don’t have to spend those weeks apart anymore because we bring our home with us.

LESS LIVING EXPENSES

When we were renting at our old home we we paying close to $800 a month plus electricity, water and gas. Which was about $1000 every month. Living in our Skoolie only costs us on average $350 a month to rent a piece of land which includes all of our utilities. We only pay about a third of what we use to and the great thing is that we always have a place to lay our heads that we own out right.

SECURITY

As a woman I want security to feel safe and taken care of. I’ve rented at different places but I’ve never felt the security that I feel now that I have a place to lay my head that is payed for out right. A bank can’t take my home away from me for any reason and that makes me feel secure.

FLEXIBILITY AND OPTIONS

Have bad neighbors? Move to the other side of the yard or Just move to another city. Hurricane is coming? Just drive somewhere else and pickup your friends on the way out. Need to make a quick move to a new job? Just leave and don’t worry about renting a U Haul because you have everything already. We have done many of these ourselves and we love the flexibility of our Mobile home.

FREEDOM

Building a Skoolie is one of the most freeing things we have done. Unlike some other tiny homes. Busses are ment to move and carry weight they are ment to travel distances. They can take us on exciting adventures to different places all without worrying about paying high hotel prices and leaving our beloved pets at home. They were made for missionaries and ministers that are constantly on the road. Also musicians and public speakers. Children and spouses won’t be left behind any longer. They are made for family vacations and visits. Didn’t book the hotel in time? Just pull up to the nearest RV park or search for lots for rent on Facebook. We travel with my husband’s work. Every couple of months we move to a new city. We aren’t limited in our freedom to go.

BOUJEE ON A BUDGET.

There are so many things that I could say about living in a Skoolie. There are limitless options on designing your own bus. Buy that expensive floor. Get those cool wall panels. Get those light fixtures that you always wanted because the price of your Skoolie will be only a fraction of the cost of a regular home.

If you haven’t been convinced yet to convert over to the Skoolie life I’m going to have to ask you to check your temperature. There is a limitless life out there waiting for you and your Skoolie to explore.