What’s A Skoolie?

More and more people try to escape the rat race by exploring alternative housing solutions. Resulting in the tiny-house movement and a not so tiny Skoolie. A Skoolie is a small portable home that once was a classic, all-American yellow school bus.

DIY School Bus Conversion Into A Not So Tiny Home

If you’re thinking about saving a bunch of cash on your RV purchase you might consider to trick out an old yellow school bus. If you have the at least some basic building skills you should not have a problem to convert and old bus into a mobile home with all the conveniences you can want.

Yes you did read this right, currently there are people across the country converting retired school busses like the ones you maybe rode to school, into custom motor-homes. And they call those RV’s “SKOOLIES”.

What are the start up Costs?

Granted that prices vary by location and condition of the bus, retired school buses are relatively inexpensive to buy. And if you have access to car auctions you should be able to buy a standard 34-foot bus for about $2,500 – 3,000. And once you cleared the 70-seater out you should have about 200 square feet to trick out into living space.

A partially tricked out Camper Bus will start at about $10,000 and comes without a kitchen or bath or neither.

You might not be interested in a DIY option. Therefore, you could by a fully transitioned Skoolie for an approximately $60,000 Dollar price tag. However you would be ready to roll.

Don’t worry too much about high mileage, they likely auction of at 1500 000 miles or better. However, they are solid build and with a proper upkeep will easily take you past the million mile marker. You need to remember that they are made for schools (Government) so their Diesel Engine and Bus body as well as the frame are better build than any commercial line.

You should however make yourself familiar with size diesel engines and various transmission types

What does the transition into a home cost?

It goes without saying that the cost to DIY a Skoolie, greatly depends on the amount of luxury and conveniences you install. Based on the requirements for a home with a functional kitchen and bath, the cost start probably around $7,000 and can easily go up to $40,000 or more.

However, with enough elbow-grease and some frugal configurations you should be able to keep your conversion cost in a very manageable range. As for the materials, I suggest to stick to regular standard building materials as much as you can. And for the plumbing and electrical supplies turn to Camping / Camper Supplier or Booting Equipment since they are more compact and are made for your use.

How long should it take to convert a Bus into a Skoolie?

First you need to find one close to home for a full inspection and a low cost transport. After that it will depend on what size bus you go for, and what you all want to do to it.

I have seen statements where the full transition of a large 40-foot bus took 2 years. Now remember, that is also 2 years of time to store the 40-foot monster somewhere. And if you don’t have the space you need to rent a suitable storage. Plus you will need tools, water, and electricity to make the transition happening.

You might think that 2 years seem too long and you do it faster, but what if you also work a full time job? And let’s be honest, this is not like working in your home. Everything will be custom made. Each countertop, seat, bed, and sofa will have to be custom fit and anchored.

Why not just decorate a Skoolie

You could cut the time short by buying a partial converted bus. Sometimes you can find those sold as camper-bus. They are labeled as Camper because they either lack the kitchen, bathroom or both. However, all the seat benches are gone and that cuts down on much hard demo labor. So you only need to update the kitchen / bath situation and start decorating.

However, you still need to carefully inspect all aspects of it. Body, Engine, und Transmission type. Is all the electrical good and why is it not fully transitioned? Because that would come with a price tag of around $60,000 Plus such partial converted 30-foot bus will cost you around $10,000 without even batting an eye.

To me that is not by far the best solution. I think I could use of the extra $7000 plus the scrap metal from the seat-benches to complete my whole transition. And I could splurge a little for something nice instead.

Where can I get Conversion Ideas or Plans?

There are plenty of online sources to search for bus conversion building plans, tutorials, and tips. Here are a few to get you started:

Here is a short Kitchen Counter Top Sample Tutorial:

To build the countertops in the school bus, Dana used Kee Clamp fittings and pipe to support the countertops. It took Dana a few nights of coming up with different design possibilities before settling on the current design.

To create the counter tops, Dana used plywood for the tops. The plywood tops were then attached to the “wall” using metal Dana bought at a local home improvement store.

Pipe legs were then attached to the floor using the Railing Flange.

Flange

You can get these supplies at either a local hardware store or at your plumbing supplier

“Ordering online was simple and fast. Then, we went down to a local metal supply shop and got the aluminum pipe we needed (cut to length).”

After you mount the flanges to the bottom of your Countertop, take this countertop into your bus lay it up-site-down (like now) on the floor where you plan to install it. And take a measurement to determine the length of your legs. Stay about a 1-1/2 Inch below the window seal.

You can also take 3 measurements in that area and subtract 5 Inches from below the seal to the floor. If you use a ¾ inch plywood and a 2×4 like illustrated. The brackets should have 1/2” thick plates.

I recommend you cut only 2 legs and test the install. Because if the length is not good you don’t waste all pipe. Plus now you can mark the holes to anchor your Bottom plates. If the legs work well cut the reminder of the legs.

Overall, Dana has been pleased with the design and look of the countertops.

“We like the industrial look of the Kee Clamps and their ease of assembly. We also like that, unlike using wood legs, we can easily modify and add onto this build in the future. During assembly and painting we had to remove the counters more than once. Kee Klamp fittings made this super easy.”

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Another bonus to using Kee Clamp fittings for the design is that the fittings themselves are adjustable. This made leveling the structures easier when putting every together:

“They (Kee Clamp fittings) are also adjustable, which is useful when converting a school bus. Not everything in there is square and level.”

However, don’t take my word for it, In Dana’s Skoolie site. Dana’s challenges and adventures are documented.

Enjoy the 5 Skoolie Builds Video For Your Inspiration

How High are the operating Costs?

Even though the Skoolie lifestyle can save up to 80% of the big city life expenses (if parked)

The total expected cost of ownership plus fuel and campsite fees still average between $800 and $1800 compared to about $60/day and person if renting a home.

Diesel Fuel average $300/ month

Insurance; $64/month

Renter insurance $10/ month

Laundry $15 / month

Monthly Road Costs are about $800 if you include $400 for food.

I would also suggest you enroll in an AAA w/RV towing plan for peace of mind.

And save up for maintenance (oil-change $200, tires $250 each, break-service $300)

Get more details

Can I park in RV-Parks?

To be clear in some you can in others you cannot. So if you plan your route you better check a head to have a place to rest. There are also different fees for RV campgrounds then for Skoolie Camp Sites.

Learn 15 Things You Should Know Before Building A Skoolie School Bus Conversion from the Video

How to Shop For A Bus or Skoolie?

Keep in mind that there is a reason to why schools replace their buses. Many of them are at the end of their useful life. There is most likely something wrong with them in one way or another.

Know your transportation cost & conversion budget.

Tires are very expensive. A bus with good rubber could cost $500 more than the same bus with bad tires and be still a steal.

Traveling Speed. You are not going anywhere fast in Skoolies.

Front or rear engine don’t really matter. However, a front engine bus is noisier and hotter for the driver. That will wear you out faster. A front engine bus is easier to repair and rear engine busses perform better in the mountains.

Gas or Diesel? Short or long? You need to know that short buses have extra costs to repairing them. Especially if they are van front. Plus many mechanics will tell you: “No thank you,” or charge an arm or a leg for repairs. Just read this story! Long Buses are harder to maneuver and have a huge turn radius.

Long Buses are harder to maneuver and have a huge turn radius. Corrosion — Every bus has rust. From snowy states, to the ocean fronts, your bus will rust. Try to keep it at a minimum when buying one

GET UNDER THE BUS with a bright light & check the underbody! Flooring and framing can have rust as long as it is sound and you can’t just jam a screwdriver through it.

What you should do before you buy a non/partial converted bus

You better find out beforehand how fussy your state/provincial Motor Vehicle Agency is going to be to flip the title and registration. If you converse yourself.

Check to see if your state has a one-way-trip or temporary tag.

You also need to keep in mind that on Auctions, once a vehicle is sold you have only limited time to pick the thing up.

Also you need to get the cash and the VIN Number ready for the insurance company to pre-plan insurance.

“You might be better off to find a carrier before you buy your bus. Especially if you want to DIY and the bus is road ready but not fully or partially converted. Once done just call it an RV as long as it has the requirements like a bath, kitchen, water and bed. Otherwise try to insure for a Commercial Tag”

SEAT BELT LAWS: You need to know the seatbelt laws for your and any state you visit. Here are the Sources.

Where Can I Buy A Bus Or Skoolie?

There are a few places to look for buying a used school bus:

Bus dealerships: One of the largest Online in the U.S. is Midwest Transit Equipment.

Auctions: Public Surplus and eBay have listings.

Public Surplus and eBay have listings. Local Classifieds: Craigslist online might be a good place to start.

Craigslist online might be a good place to start. Trader – Magazine available at any Gas-Station

available at any Gas-Station Google

Tiny House Listings

Motor-Home Finds

Conclusion

Here I want to turn it over to you — Why a Skoolie? How would you justify your lifestyle?

Okay, let me first say that you do not really NEED to justify our lifestyle and choices to anyone on here. However, I feel like this could be a good conversation starter with critics and skeptics. And I look really forward to read some of your comments below.

So, what are your reasons to live in a Skoolie? Do you have reasonable arguments against a truck and trailer?

And as always thank you for reading and sharing JK 🙂