/diy/ - Do It Yourself

What area do you live in? Can you find a cheap house to buy? A lot of cheaper places will need work, but you'll end up spending less per month on a mortgage than you would on renting a place, and you'll end up owning it eventually.

Oh and as to the converting a school bus, if you don't have any welding/fab experience I'd skip that until you do. It would be a lot of work and you don't want to do shoddy work that will fall apart the first time you take it down the road.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzV2uljPvyAcwIad4RmPAZRgdQNBWHDPp

Sounds like a good way to get you stuck with something you can't fix.
Let's just say I know someone who works at the local transit authority. From what I've gotten, the buses are in a perpetual state of being broken in some way, be it leaks or something else.
And with how government agencies run, they aren't surplussing them until they REALLY have to, and might swap bad parts out into them prior to have some better parts in existing vehicles.

>>1743058
I live in central NC. There are some cheaper houses to buy out in the country but I work a gig economy job and would have a hard time getting anyone to give me a mortgage. Ideally I'd like to save up enough money to put down a large chunk of cash on some property or buy it outright.

>>1743059
I think I can do a decent job building the other parts (furniture, shower, etc) but any metalwork is outside my wheelhouse. Raising the roof is also not a dealbreaker for me, but definitely would be nice.

>>1743051
This is peak stupid.

Consider the cost of acquiring an old school bus, then the shop time and materials to convert it.

vs.

buying a old motor home / RV, or a pickup with a Fifth Wheel camper.

On my local Craigslist there's 80's and 90's motorhomes for under $10K. Checks yours.

>>1743065
There are zero old motorhomes for sale around where I live. For me, I don't mind the time and materials since it would be a cool project. Getting some funky ass used up camper to live in sounds just as bad as overpaying for a slummy apartment.

>>1743068
>used up camper: bad
>broken down bus that's floor is probably biohazardous because children are fucking subhuman animals and I hacked the top off with an angle grinder and made into a house: nice

>>1743070
>the floor won't be repeatedly cleaned and then covered over

Also why would you want to buy a used motorhome with someone's BO baked into it

>>1743051

You are going to spend 5 years worth of rent to make something that isn't a total piece of shit.

>>1743051
Dirty hippy.

>>1743051
>My alternative is eventually going to be finding overpriced rental housing with an unknown roommate once my current lease runs out, which sounds pretty grim to me.

You have other vehicle alternatives. School buses are fuel and maintenance hogs with poor space for the weight and size. I had a shop bus and never again. I'm a skilled mechanic of many years experience. Part of that experience was a bus. Motorhomes and buses are money toilets because you have to keep up that expensive, old as fuck drivetrain. You also have to pay for it in the first place, yet it's only useful for moves.

I'd get a travel trailer and truck instead. That way you can switch vehicles when the truck is down for maintenance. Anything you can do to your dream bus you can do more easily to a trailer. There are travel trailers in NC. I lived there. You must be willing to drive for a deal. Boomers sell off their toys and there's no shortage. Experienced mobile tradesmen like weldors prefer trailers for good reason. They can pull them with their rig truck, the tax and registration are cheap, and they are low maintenance.

Study varieties of trailer. Cargo trailers are (much) easier to convert than a bus.

Fuck how a travel trailer "sounds". I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, your concerns are absurd if you inspect before buying and that's not a problem. Don't buy garbage because fixing trash costs more than getting a decent unit. A trailer need only house you for long enough to turn a profit. A truck to pull said trailer is also transport to work etc and if you must, you can rent a truck in an emergency. Truck can transport the stuff you'll want to renovate and maintain your living vehicle.

Alternate option:
I understand you really want a bus and for someone to tell you to buy a bus. OK, buy a bus. You need to learn this on your own because while you admit you don't know, you really imagine you do and you're excited by dreaming bus dreams.

>>1743051
Here's my 2c OP. Building out a bus is a lot like building out a shipping container, which is also a bad idea. You need to frame it out inside to install insulation and electrical and whatnot. The upside is that it is fully custom and you can use quality materials of your choosing. This is a huge advantage over motorhomes and campers which are messes of glued together plastic, siding, particle board and proprietary/RV-specific parts. You will essentially frame and finish a 300 sq ft home inside a metal shell.

Livability wise this isn't a bad idea, there's lots of ways to mitigate the issues of living in a metal box, mostly insulation and condensation. The real issue is that at the end of the day, your platform is a still a school bus, probably a used one, with terrible fuel economy and poor maneuverability. While you might be enamored with #vanlifers who can get away with parking their blacked out vans in walmart lots, you won't be able to park your 40 foot long eyesore anywhere without having to move it everyday. And so you'll need to rent a space to park it which won't be cheap either.

tl;dr unless you own land where you can park your bus or plan on traveling A LOT a bus is a shit choice for permanent housing.

>>1743188
Agreed on bus which have far less space and are terrible when it comes to loading and unloading unless you cut off the ass end.

A shipping container can EASILY be made comfy but NOT esthetic and many people are triggered by steel. Thousands of military and industrial living quarters are done in containers and that's easy to copy. I have two 40" High Cube shipping containers welded together as a shop, another as a motorcycle workshop and one for storage. I wouldn't hesitate to live in one but I already have lots of experience including helping my bros build their container workshops. They are off topic to this thread because OP needs mobility and that means something different since moving containers can get expensive.

One question noobs NEVER ask themselves is what happens when your "home" breaks down on the road. When your bus shits the bed or loses a tire (unless ya brought a spare and tools) you have a very expensive wrecker bill. When your RV does the same, you have a very expensive wrecker bill. Your tires are expensive too.

If your pickup truck shits the bed you can rent or borrow another truck, recover your trailer, then recover your truck or pay a less expensive wrecker bill. Buses and larger RVs require a medium duty wrecker (or a light duty wrecker driver with experience and large testicles) to rescue. Pickup trucks can be snatched with a light duty wrecker and most light duty drivers have trailer adapters to drag those too. Mobility that must include a vehicle recovery strategy before you need one.

>>1743207
I do totally agree on the high cost of breaking down when it comes to buses and larger vehicles, that's mostly what has me on the fence. Having the supplies to change some tires wouldn't be out of the question but you're right - if something serious broke it would be a costly fix. I guess plan A.2 would be to build the bus out and then find land to park it on for cheap, and avoid using it as the primary vehicle for long trips.

>>1743154
How much for you to come talk to my kids and the greenhorns at work. We have a 19 year old that is looking for a house with a four car garage so he can put a paintbooth, lift, dyno, sex dungeon, machine shop, body shop, stargate, and his xbox in it.

I pointed out that he doesn't even have a tool box but his stupid was armed with too much rhetoric and bus dreams.

>>1743051
idk op. say your travelling or just moving from one city to the next for your job. is your bus breaks down, its basically your house, stranded on the side of the road somewhere

making your house = your car and be one in the same one thing does not seem like the best idea.

I have great suspicions that alot of people on YT that make a channel out of posing as "vandwellers" actually have some type of home base somewhere, like a house they own or a parents house they have free access to , whatever

Anons are correct

School buses are fun/cool and a pain to convert and your $7,000 bus can suddenly have a $8,000 tranny repair bill. Cops often assume you are a deadbeat and a druggie.

Used motor homes are often filled with mold inside the walls, and if they are on a big truck chassis can have a $8,000 tranny repair bill.

Used travel trailers are often filled with mold inside the walls. However, an old Airstream would probably worth fixing up.

Cargo Trailers can be made stealthy. Easier to customize than a bus. No engine or tranny to die. Park it and drive vehicle to the store. Cheaper to buy and maintain, cheaper tag, no insurance.

>>1743068
If only there were companies or people with the means to transport vehicles.

>>1743614
Wouldn't you want to inspect a used vehicle before you buy it?

>>1743602
>>1743604
I have seen a couple really nice looking cargo trailer conversions, and I totally agree with the mold and $8000 bill comments. I guess the thing that's more attractive to me personally about a bus is the size - I'm 6'2" so I need a bit of room and a ~38' bus has enough space to fit a nice sized sitting area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom without having to have a loft or half kitchen or whatever transformer shit people do. I have seen long cargo trailers or car transport trailers but they're rare and usually list for like $5000.

>>1743584
>making your house = your car and be one in the same one thing does not seem like the best idea.
Definitely agree. Does this boil down to building a tiny house that can be pulled by another vehicle?

>>1743699
>Does this boil down to building a tiny house that can be pulled by another vehicle?
or tow a small car behind your house/bus

or just being well prepared and able to make necessary repairs or otherwise deal proficiently with breakdowns, etc, (have good insurance, AAA roadside assistance coverage, money inna bank to pay for roadside rescue or emergency repairs, whatever it takes to make sure your not completely stranded and SOL)

>>1743712
Towing a car is an option I've considered - I don't think I'd be comfortable having just the bus/whatever as a primary vehicle. Ideally I'd be saving hundreds of dollars every month by not paying rent, which could be put towards the repair fund.

>>1743719
yes. i think it's entirely doable even on a conservative budget. just a matter of being smart about things., taking good care of your vehicle will save you 99% of problems most people end up dealing with because of their carelessness and lack of foresight

simple things like keeping up on oil changes, keeping the antifreeze/coolant in good shape. knowing that the cooling system, i.e., radiator, heater hoses, belts, fan, etc, are all in good shape
making sure the brakes, wheels, tires are good.

its all bascius vehicle maintenance stuff, elevated to a greater importance and impact.

also planning according to the seasonal weather, climate and road conditions and terrain you are traveling through.

for example, if you're not 100% certain your cooling system is tip-top, i would forgo travelling to anyplace hot, try driving up and over a mountain pass in the summer when your engine is prone to overheat because weak cooling system, bad radiator, whatever. you could be in a world of hurt

>>1743699
Anti-bus Anon here and I would consider a cargo trailer conversion better than a tiny house because the goal of most tinyhousefags is an externally cute toy while personnel trailers exist to do the job simply and without fuss.

I would use a dual axle trailer because if you lose one tire you can limp in and if you lose two you can cannibalize one from the "good" side. (Mechanics and wrecker drivers know this but others often don't think of it.)

A kitchen (food production area) can be extremely minimalist. All you need is a sink and a microwave with a bit of storage which can be racks and tubs (what is sealed doesn't attract ants etc). A bathroom can be a toilet inside a shower stall (makes cleanup and drainage and plumbing simple too). I'd look at stainless steel prison toilets since everything industrial is better than otherwise. 3M 5200 adhesive sealant is your friend. I use it on my shipping container shop because it makes "caulks" look like shit by comparison. It's a through-hull sealant with excellent "wetting". A Honda 2000i etc is sufficient power.

I'd choose a hammock instead of a bulky conventional bed. Hammocks differ greatly. Check out hammock forums before forming an opinion. My back is destroyed and I love my hammocks. I sleep in one on a hammock stand and would mount eyebolts if I use my trailer for camping. (I bring another stand for truck camping since I don't need my cargo trailer for that.) Hammocks are easy to clean and effortless to store. I use two underquilts and a sleeping bag for outdoor camping. I flip the underquilts aside if the temp rises but they hang in place.

I'm also 6'2" but many deployments (the easy Air Force variety) taught me to be comfy in small space. One good chair and a computer stand instead of a desk is ample. I use a lot of RAM mounts in my trucks, shops and indoors and since I prefer dual monitors I hang those off monitor stands.

>>1743078
Imagine the smell

>>1743913
Continued:
The more you store off the floor and in the corners of the ceiling the better (also works with shipping containers) because those corners are mostly dead space. Shelving, not cabinets, is what I'd use (and do in my shop). For your use case I'd use plastic tubs in simple racks.

I would have minimal windows and use something other than curtains to cover them completely from the inside. Opaque plastic panels would be my likely choice. Never have any "tells" which might draw thieves. I'd want a plain white anonymous trailer.

I use and love Bulldog hitch mounts on my welding and car trailers. Example: https://www.etrailer.com/Adjustable-Trailer-Coupler/Bulldog/BD028390.html Besides being awesome I can unbolt the coupler (I also anti-seize the bolts) and drive off with it making my trailer harder to conveniently steal from a job site.

Study travel trailer equipment to learn about water, plumbing and waste tankage. It's easy to learn but you have some serious reading to do for best results.

Don't forget a smoke detector and fire extinguisher.

Most trailers spent their life sitting so inspect tires for dry rot, and repack the wheel bearings since you'll expose them for preventive maintenance anyway. Most cargo trailer damage is on the door and ramp and frame areas.

>>1743914
Depends on the motor home and smell removal if needed isn't difficult. Shelve your "imagination" and if you haven't considerable personal experience heed those who do that ye may learn useful things. /diy/ is here to help.

"Smudging" (after a good cleaning) works great on rental properties and would of course be effective on their wheeled analogs. Ignore all the hippy shit then buy a large bag of sage and smudge the fuck out of your target room (after removing the smoke detector). Disappear for a day, ventilate thoroughly, repeat if needed. I use a stainless bowl to hold the sage.

Short diesel bus would be best for mpg and ease of movement. I’ve seen them mildly used under 150k miles for 4-5k. You may need air brake endorsements on your license.

>>1743051
The roof is easy as hell to raise but even with some insulation you should be fine. Get rid of most or all of the side windows. In a metal tank with all that glass you'll never heat and cool it no matter how much you insulate it. Windows are aids and metal isnt much better but busses are a lot sturdier than shitty campers. Personally I'd spend 5k on a car trailer and cuckshead. Drive under 55mph and drag it wherever you want.

Purplewave government auctions have late 90s school bisses with proper maintenance done at like $3,500 all day long.

Go to truck driving school and then bounce the day you get your cdl. They'll pay for everything but food. Youll owe $3,000 but if you don't care about credit or can pay for it later do it. DO NOT just jump in a fucking school bus automatic or not. It's loads different then a normal car. For example if you go down a decently steep hill, not even a big one, and push the brakes like a car you WILL 100% smoke your brakes and likely hurt/kill youself and anyone in the way.

DO NOT let the faggot mega carrier cocksuckers talk you into going out with a trainer or buying a truck on a 3rd party lease. It's aids. They lie their asses off and tell you not to listen to the guys bitching at the drivers lounge. Everything they say bad about the mega carriers is true.

But, with a cdl and GVRW sticker you can go anywhere in the country you can afford fuel to. You may be able to even get on some trucker facebook groups and websites and haul a couple motorcycles or a few pallets loads of shit for a buck or 2 a mile and make money on the way to where you are going. You'll never make an income like that but it's free travel.

I'm planning on doing this as a camper / guest house. Putting a bunch of solar on the roof and the entire passenger side will be solar that raises up into an awning. Maybe both sides eventually. With a large battery storage and shower pumps and tanks trailer. I can hop in and drag it to any spot.

>>1743063
Just make a buddy that does weld. Buy a $300 crackle box stick welder or better $800 mig and get some friends. Brace it up with roof jacks or whatever you can safely. Even welding pipe to the floor if need be. Snip all the window joints and around the rest. Get jacks in under it. Cut the braces. Put som jacks snug with the jacks or reweld braces. Grt some square tubing on the inside and go nuts. Get some sheet metal and hold it up where the sheets on the buss is cut. Just trace the cuts on the bus and cut out the metal sheets to monkey it all back in.

It sounds like a lot of work but it van be a 1 day job if you have one single bodyshop / hotrod guy on the team.

>>1744354
Agreed on getting some experience because ya can't just jump in a bus like a car. With some state exceptions you don't need a CDL to drive an RV-registered bus (it's a loophole in the law) but there are very good reasons to get a CDL like money. I had my bus registered as an RV after removing enough seats. Each state DMV lists the rules.

However if I had a CDL (can't because heart attack) I still wouldn't do a bus unless it was stoopid cheap. I'd do a medium duty truck registered as an RV instead. Dry van bodies are easy to convert and have much more cubic footage than a bus for the length, so a short medium duty truck beats a bus in wheelbase and ease of modification. BTW I'd leave a liftgate in place if the truck had one even if you never expect to use it. Dry van bodies don't need window removal or roof raising. You can add windows where you wish quite easily.

Use sleepers can be bought reasonably and are a popular way to convert straight trucks into toy hauler RVs. Truckers have sleeper life down and many useful accessories are available. Living in a nice sleeper works great for tens of thousands of truckers. You can also mount them on large pickup truck chassis. No commercial registration required.

Since OP isn't looking for anything but cheap living space he/she/xir has many choices, but always remember if you don't need the engine you have that financial advantage. You can have a trailer towed to site cheaper than buying/insuring/registering/maintaining a vehicle.

>>1743699
6'5" here, cargo trailers work for me.

>>1743913
>>1743916
>>1744381
These anons have very good advice.

>>1744362
With modest fab skills and a MIG (ya can't be seriously suggest a transformer stick welder for autobody sheet metal unless it's connected to a suitcase wire feeder, but that combo worked great on my shipping container when I didn't feel like hauling my MIG to the roof) a bus is still inferior to a trailer since the same fab skills enhance trailers too. (I could have connected the feeder to my MIG but plenty of weldors run them off SA-200 Lincolns including the one I scored my feeder from so I tried it off my Miller 340 and like it well enough with 71T-11.)
Steel box tube and alloy (and composite panel) sheet is cheap enough building a trailer would be one way to go for someone with basic hand tools and a ~`180A MIG (can do FCAW neatly with the right wire but CO2 cylinders are cheap and plentiful if no desire to buy MIG mix). It would be stronger than a "tiny house" and could be based on a car trailer or flatbed to cut fab time and if OP wants an immediately available trailer to haul supplies. Bonus for steel box tube over lightweight commercial dry van trailer bodies is a stronger structure easier to hang accessories from.
Steel prices are low lately because of the trade war and autobody construction using different materials. I get three quotes from different suppliers for any expensive metal order (learned from my shop owner bro) and they vary wildly so don't skip that step if you like money.
Personnel doors are easy using a steel commercial door and angle for the frame. We did mine and my bros shipping container shops personnel doors that way. Place door on stands or saw horses, set clearance using shims and your door can't not fit the frame.
I use cheap spray oil for coolant on hole saws and jig saw blades. Recip saws are mostly for demo. For anyone new (weldors already know this) a 6" (not the litle 4-1/2") angle grinder and a box of 6" cutting discs will be your most versatile cutting/grinding/polishing tool.

>>1743051
Im converting a bus right now. 2001 Bluebird rear engine with 8.3 Cummins and Allison 3066 transmission.

Just finished painting, currently gutting the interior.

Used RVs are nasty as fuck, I owned 2 slide in campers but they’re impossible to keep clean and dry unless you’re a rich boomer with access to indoor storage

>>1744534
Slide-ins suck. Concur with never buying,

>>1744534
>>1744430
>>1744429
>>1744381
>>1744362
>>1744354
>>1743969
>>1743919
>>1743916
>>1743913
>>1743726

Thanks for the good info and replies. Building out a trailer by either converting a cargo trailer or car hauler does sound like a decent option but I'm not sure if I have the resources to do that and find a truck to pull it.

What would people recommend as a basic budget for building out a bus like >>1744534? $5000? $10,000? More?

>>1744572
all depends on the kind of bus you'd like. also heavily depends on the part of the country you're in.

desirable motors
>International DT466
>Cummins 5.9 or 8.3

ones to avoid at all costs
>Maxxforce 7/VT365/any International motor after 2007
>CAT C7 (runs great and lots of power but 3x the repair cost of Cummins or IC when they break)

T444E is ok in the shorter buses, avoid in the bigger ones as its a complete dog.

In general expect to pay around $3500 for a decent bus with a good powertrain and a non-rotted out body. Again this heavily depends on location and if you're willing to travel. I suggest checking out the auction sites (Gov Deals, Public Surplus, 422 Sales, Purple Wave like the one anon mentioned already)

>>1744570
I like how verstaile they are but I agree, they are a pain in the ass to load/unload off the truck and useless for camping with more than 2 people

Buy a 70s Travco. The combo mopar 413, 727 torqueflite, fiberglass shell and rock solid appliances makes a 50 year old RV a actual good buy. The achilles heel (besides the mopar tax) is brake parts, only one place has them and you'll pay like $350 for a wheel cylinder. Everything else is readily available and there are clean rust free ones well under $10k.

>>1744643
I'm in central NC, so there's a slight concern for salt damage but otherwise there seem to be some solid options. I do keep an eye on Public Surplus and I'm not against traveling to pick something up but I probably want to limit how far I would drive what would technically still be a school bus with a normal driver's license. Are Public Surplus auctions (and the like) easy to win? I often see vehicles listed for $500-2000 that get zero bids over a week or more, seems like someone should be able to scoop those up.

Also, anyone have recommendations as far as speed governors go? Remove it? Keep it?

>>1743051
From what I have gathered busses are cheap to get but hard to maintain. I like going with an industrial box truck. Easy to find parts, made to carry weight and made to be driven.

My friend got one at auction and spent 3k on one. He uses it to move furniture and makes money with it. You want a highway one, the city ones are less fuel efficient. You will have a lot of work to do, the reason school buses smell bad is because of the seats. You should look at tiny homes to see what you really want to build and also find a good reason to have one. A bus will likely be cheaper than renting though.

>>1744907
NC buses are geared really low so you wouldn’t gain any speed by removing the governor. But if you buy a regular school bus you can usually remove the governor at the dealer. Mine already does 75 mph which is plenty for a 23000 lb bus.

Most of the buses you see with no bids are junk or parts buses. Also most bidding usually takes place in the final minutes/hours of the auction.

Good states to buy from
>CO
>AZ
>UT

Bad states:
>any rust belt state
>FL
>most TX buses
>NC

>>1745536
>NC buses are geared really low
Why is this?

OK, say your on the road and find a safe place to park for the night. You go online and find a nice steakhouse in town but it's too far to walk or it's raining, so you have to bring your house with you.
You have a cocktail before dinner and a glass, or maybe a bottle of wine with your steak. You know you shouldn't drive so you plan to chill in the bus for a little while.
In some states you can be arrested for DWI just for being in a motor vehicle. And you have no constitutional expectation of privacy in a motor vehicle on a public street. Cops can knock on your door in the middle of the night just to see if everything is OK.

>>1745538
State law, not sure if it’s still in effect but NC keeps their buses for a realllly long time and only sell when there’s mechanical issues or they’ve gotten every bit of usability out of them.

Trip/activity buses may be different but I only ever see ones with blown Merc or Cat motors on the auction sites and nobody wants those.

>>1743051
>since I'd save like $8000 a year on rent

Truckerfag here. I hope you have done the math. Every morning ~$400 of fuel goes in my truck. Lets say you drove that thing 50 days a year. $20,000 It probably going to be more efficient than a truck but even if you halve that your still behind. Then there is registration, insurance and maintenance.

I wouldn't unless you making some serious money you can afford to pour into an asset you will never get it back from.

A relative of mine did this in a larger bus like that and the bus ended up parked in his parents back yard unregistered because he ran out of cash. He didn't even mod the roof.

Most people who live in buses in my country are in small buses like Toyota Coasters. Not sure if there is some burger equivalent.

OP should decide if the goal is saving money or just having a bus toy.

Then run the money numbers because financial facts don't care about feelings. OP asserts he wants a mobile house he can park to save money, not to tour the country. To focus the discussion to OPs use case, that means the ONLY thing he needs an engine for (no matter what that engine is attached to) is to move his house WHEN he wants to rent or buy a different lot. That's it and that is all.

OP, what do you REALLY want? If you have to put your savings into a repair fund, you lose that money either because it's not available for spending elsewhere or because repairs ate it. Why, PRECISELY do you want a bus? Answer in every detail to focus your thoughts. I don't think you really want to save money or you'd be asking how to save money, not how to get a bus because they are not the same thing.

The bus engine drivetrain, fuel and insurance expense is NOT cheaper than paying to move a trailer (in which case you don't even need a truck) every few years. The bus drivetrain does nothing for you when it is not moving your home. It does however require care, periodic starts etc.

Your tires don't stop aging when parked. Price check bus tires. Used buses have used tires. You must keep those aired up because if you permit them to go flat that's tough on the carcass. If your tires shed their carcass on the road, you spend more money on a tire truck to save your ass OR you devote money, precious space and equipment to being able to jack the bus and swap tires. Besides the jack you'll need chocks for safety, the correct lug wrench, and a long pipe for leverage.

Truckerfag is wise. BTW for road trips you can just pay for a fucking motel and leave when done. Unless you do enough road trips that the money numbers show a CLEAR advantage, there is no advantage. Don't pretend you'll do road trips because unless you already do and establish that motels are cheaper, you're just dreaming/jerking off.

>>1744534
The only used rvs worth buying are second hand are airstreams, scamps and any other low seam low leak designs (which tend to hold value.) Slide outs are a fucking scam.
My neighbor was smart with his though, he was going to build a home, so he built his work shop first. A cheap pole barn and parked a big ass 40 ft camper in it with slide outs that had leaked and had water damage. Got it for a song and just ignored the water damage and used it for a couple years while he built the house than gutted it turning it into a flatbed trailer. Sold off the appliances, we broke even with the cost of the trailer when he was done with it, plus a trailer to use.

>>1744996
You could do something similar and a lot cheaper if you get a 90s chevy (cheap to fix or rebuild) and remove the bed. Secure a dry cargo box from a cheaper and small trailer. You can get an 8 x 10 trailer used for 500 bucks second hand. Lots of space and easy to customize but also compared to your suggestion a lot better mpg.

>>1745575

Former TruckerFagBro.

THIS...

Will note that you can find trucker sites to haul bikes and shit toms of help.

>>1745619
another type of RV that holds up better than the average ones are the 2 piece fiberglass ones. They use similiar manufacturing techniques that the boat industry uses. The roof is effectively one gigantic fiberglass piece.

Brands include Bigfoot, Northern Lite and Scamp. They are about double the cost but hold up much better and are excellent in the wintertime.

>>1744766
swap in newer dana/spicer rear out of dodge 1ton ?
say an 8 bolt out of a 15 passenger 3500 ?

You could probably do that but the original rear end is pretty bombproof. Its all pretty bomb proof, these were the premier RVs for decades. Upgrade the engine with Holley intake injection and MSD ignition for under $2k and you've taken care of the two issues that could fuck you on the road: carb boil and ballast resistors and point issues. A used RV is generally a terrible idea but the Travcos are built like tanks and can get 10mpg on 87 octane and tow 7000 lbs with a good hitch. All the engine options like the 318 poly, 413 and 440 and legendary truck powerplants designed before diesel won the trucking wars and gas long haul trucks were common.

>>1745881
youd have to spend time and money renovating the 70s interior tho. those are fucking gross no matter what you have.

>>1743051
Just admit it , you’re window shopping and bothering a board for an idea you had while drunk with your friends or roommates , “yeah man I hate rent I want to like travel and not be tied down ,like in a bus bro “ this dumb fantasizing you do is what will eventually ruin your life. You won’t buy a bus or a trailer or motor home , your lease will expire and you’ll sign a new one citing some excuse about how it wasn’t meant to happen this time , if only the buses were better if only the apartment I got wasn’t such a good deal etc etc

>>1745667
I was just thinking my figures above don't even account for the fact I'm running empty about 40% of the time.

>>1745881
you couldn't pay me enough money to try and cross the country in a fucking 70s carb'd big block motorhome. not to mention the possiblity of dying in a fire due to 50 yr old wiring or leaks in the propane appliances or lines.

I'd trust a Dodge motorhome over a converted school bus any day and I've owned and built both. Most buses aren't designed to go 70mph all day and will eventually grenade, only the rear engine diesels are worth it.

>>1746479
most buses built this century can easily do 65 mph at a bare minimum and have the same transmissions that Class 6 straight trucks have. Literally a non issue.

>>1746525
2nd for this

>>1746448
Shit. In fuel alone it would be cheaper to ship it or rent a semi. Kek.

I'm planning a cross country trip in a 74 big block oldsmobile with 7 or 8 friends. Tulsa to VEGAS BABY!

>>1746095
Purplewave gubment auctions. 4k for a late 90s - early 2000s well maintained full sized school buss.

I'm putting a tag axle under 1 and making the other a a trailer. Fuck this tinyhome fagotry. 1 wide ass hallway the length of it and normal sized apliances. King sized bed in the back. Sort of like these but 1/10th of the price https://www.google.com/search?q=accordion+bus&client=ms-android-att-us&prmd=isvn&sxsrf=ACYBGNSbB1yW6No7TIFp5R10ChXD8Zu3nA:1578586330965&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjglYSs9PbmAhWTQs0KHTTECXoQ_AUoAXoECAsQAQ&biw=360&bih=560&dpr=3

And I'm not some filthy hippy faggot. It's going to be a camper. I already have a house

>>1745881
Can confirm. My firetruck turned dump truck i think has a 534? Ford in it. I think it's a 1978 but i can't remember. As soon as the lady I'm buying it from is available I have the rest to pay it off on me. I'll figure out why the fuck it keeps getting hot and then try and run it for enough to make it fuel injected and maybe even air ride

>>1747721

>>1749138
>>1747721
imagine the smell

>>1749392
Where I live we have taught women to bathe.

>>1750024

>>1744766
6 lugs

>>1750024
>dirty hippie broad living out of a van
>bathing

>>1751117
Is there a window in your mom's basement or do you never see daylight?

pg 10

>>1743614
Or one could simply buy a motor home that works, and then drive it back on it's own power. These are all options

>>1753986
>shorten the bus instead of a trailer. I fucking hate these people bit to each his own. Bobtail is easy way to travel

>>1750025
I used to use straps and pumps. Find tall as fuck tree out of the way and rope off around it for safety. Shoot a dull weighted arrow with paracord on it. Use that to tie up big ropes to a metal bracket i had strapped to the barrel. Hoist that bitch up 20 feet in the air and pump it until it overflow. Decent af water pressure for 10 minutes of work and babysitting pumps.

>>1744766
FUCK THAT.

Anon torch those axles out for some main stream shit. Bonus for air bags.

Skoolies are awesome. Used RVs are typically worn out plastic shells made with car parts, or cost as much as a house. Building a bus can be quite affordable if you do the work yourself, but unreasonable if you are hiring it out. You need to have some knowledge to pick a good platform, don't just buy the first bus you see... You can build a very nice off grid bus today will last a long time for under 10k.

>>1745575
>Every morning ~$400 of fuel goes in my truck
That is only because you hammered out 650 miles the day before.
Also a trucker here, but I live in a van in the off season. You dont drive an RV more than 2000 miles on a pretty long road trip . I never drive more than a few hours in a day and then I am at a place where I spend at least a few nights.
Once I get to beach camping I might not move for a month.
Living in an RV is just not anything like being a trucker . I do both

>>1743719
Another solution is a scooter on a rear ramp

>>1757716
That's what we do. 80 mpg in town with a 125cc vs 11mpg in the bus, and its light enough to not even notice when you drive.

Similar question: I have an RV, it's in good shape but has water damaged walls. I replaced the rotten studs but now need to replace the siding. It had vinyl siding but I want to replace it with metal if possible. What's the cheapest source for big sheets of flat metal online? All the local stores just have roof material, it's too deeply corrugated for RV walls.

vanlife related question here

I met a cute girl who lives in her van
now we are seeing each other
---im the type of guy to spend lots of time with my girl and definitly sleep in the same bed with each other every night---
i dont work, and she works 20hr/wk.
we are home a lot.

i live in a small apartment with 4 other people
i used to have friends over ~all the time~ but two roommates asked me to stop doing that.
i now have the biggest room in the house and they said its fine to have guests over as long as i keep them in my room and dont hog the common area.

well one of my roommates has been extremely hostile and rude and making my guest uncomfortable for about a week now, and today she asked if i could reduce the number of nights my gf spends here becuase it is a house of five people and already too crowded. and then started being that fake bullshit smile-nice to me immediately after.

my girl and I limit our cooking in the kitchen in the evenings to not be in the common space.
we get up around 8am and all the roommates are gone by then except the one roommate complaining about my gf... the only time she sees my girl is when she walks to the ~boys bathroom~ and back maybe once or twice in the morning.

she says the house already has five people in it and another person being in the house would invade her space and overcrowd the house. she has the whole house to herself from about 8am to 10am when everyone else has left to work. yet it still upsets her to see my gf walk to the bathroom in the morning. does that mean it also upsets roommate to have me walking around the house from 8-10am? she seemed okay with there being another person in the common space (me) when we used to sit in the kitchen and talk for two hours a day before work, but now that my gf is walking to and from the bathroom in the AM, it is not okay.

advice? what can i do to have my gf in my bed more often?

i understand she doesnt want me moving in my gf who lives in a van, and she may be trying to nip that in the bud. but i need to nip in the bud her trying to limit my sexy time in my room

im also considering asking my girl to put a bigger bed in her van.

>>1758927
>advice? what can i do to have my gf in my bed more often?
Get a job and rent your own place.

>>1758927
>she asked if
just say "no" lmao

>>1753986
I wonder how that thing drives on the highway with all that weight hanging that far out over the rear axle.

>>1758673
Find someone building a skoolie, ask for their ceiling metal when they pull it out.

>>1758927
They see it as you taking advantage. They all pay rent and are entitled to their share of the resources, your girlfriend doesn't and being there should be the exception not the rule. it's not fair to them even if her being there isn't a practical problem.

Spend more time with her in her van, and less time with her in your shared apartment.

>>1758953
Should drive great. Remember that every row (each window is 1 row) is designed to hold around 1000 pounds all day long in school bus duty. The back bumper is where the end of the bus was from the factory, so throwing a 5000 pound car up there is easy peasy.

>>1758927
i checked the lease and it just said i cannot have a guest over for more than 14 days in a row so they do not become tennant. nothing about personal roommate agreements in the contract. in fact it looks like we all individually rent tooms in the apartment and that is it.

i want to sublease to a friend which i think would be legal as long as he left the house 2+ nights a month and paid me under the table

>>1759528
Don't confuse what's in the lease agreement with what's fair. Your roommates are not being unreasonable. Ask them how many night per week they feel is acceptable and stop being autistic.

>>1743051 (OP)
>save like $8000 a year
>could travel a lot

That's funny. You're assuming gas/maintenance costs are way below 8000/year for some magically road ready mammoth.
Believe me, converting a school bus is a fun experience, as long as you don't expect to move it more than a dozen miles a month.

Also, hitting the road equals to getting rid of everything but the very bare essentials. Well, in the age of laptops, cellphones, gps, solar panels, that's definitely easier. Yet people falling in love for a school bus dream about taking their own possessions around the world - old books they love but they don't read anymore, furnishings, large quantities of food and dishes and pots, lots of robe, plants, ornaments and all sorts of knick-knacks including a giant-sized Xmas tree, etc.
Sorry to redpill you, bro, but there's a huge difference between converting a school bus into your cozy mini house and "traveling a lot" while "saving on rent".

>TLDR: you looked at too many school buses on 4chan captcha

>>1743051
Years ago I looked into doing just that. To insure it would cost a fortune. Insurers don't like modified school buses.

>>1759645
You should have looked deeper. We're paying less for our bus than we were for our car. it's true that you have to look around to find the right company, but we know the right company now.

>>1743068
You should build.it regardless of moving. See how it turns out and if you like it, stop paying rent. If not sell it off.

>>1759561
>Don't confuse what's in the lease agreement with what's fair. Your roommates are not being unreasonable. Ask them how many night per week they feel is acceptable and stop being autistic.
i talked to one of my male roommates and it seems like bitch girl is just trying to make life hard and be controlling
one other female roommate may care a bit
4th latest roommate dude is new here and seems chill and impartial

.
the roommate i talked too said he stopped hanging out in the common areas cuase the bitching roommate made him feel uncomfortable in his home about a year ago. he stopped inviting friends over becuase of this.
the guy in the room before me moved out cuase bitchgirl roommate was making him feel uncomfortable in his home.
girl roommate says the roommate is psycho but she is able to maintain peace with her.
.... looks like her rant that my girl is making her uncomfortable by walking to the bathroom and getting water from kitchen may backfire by the fact that she has made everyone else in the house extremely uncomfortable by stirring up tons of shit.

>>1755720
I don't fix what isn't broken. I have more faith in something which has worked for 50 years continuing to work then I do hacking in more modern stuff. I stand by my fanboy opinion that Travcos are the most rock solid RV ever built, they cost 3.5 Cadillac's when new because they were premium RVs. Fiberglass clamshell design, teak veneer cabinetry, marine grade plywood floors. Upgrade the carb with Holley intake fuel injection that works with the signal from the also upgraded electronic ignition MSD distributor and you've taken out the 60s/70s inferior tech with bolt on stuff. I read OPs post as "if i have a 10k budget is a converted school bus a good idea" and having been there and done that a few times, I've had less problems and spent much less money overall while having a vintage style RV thats great for winter camping. I appreciate the vintage stylings (I think 30's art deco long haul passenger airline cabins were peak aesthetic) while realizing updating the old interior lights with new LED fixtures is a cheap and easy thing to do and is worth it. Anyways to each their own, if OP wants to build a schoolie with 2x4 furniture thats what he'll do. if he does go that route find a RV junkyard or someone who junks them, getting cheap used appliances purpose built for RVs is the best move.

This guys blog gives a great cost/benefit analysis on restoring a 1969 Travco and theres several other blogs/forums/FB groups for more info.

oops forgot link, go to the Travco section.

https://www.bumfuzzle.com/adventure/

>>1759918
>all of those 120v AC outlets
You should really save those for things that actually need it, and use 12v DC for about 90% of your in vehicle devices and appliances. Inverters blow through a lot of power.

>>1760292
Travco has both power systems, 12v and 120ac. The 120 works wen the Onan is kicked on or you are plugged in at a campground or whatever. 12v system has 2 batteries and a switch that allows charging of either or both. When generator or grid power is available a transformer generates 12v that runs that system and also charges battery, again depending on setting of the switch it will charge on or the other battery or both. This lets you isolate the starter battery so you don't run it down by mistake.

>>1760330
I'm fully aware of the of the electrical equipment mentioned in your post. What I'm saying is that it's easier on the electrical system to use appliances that can run on 12v than it is to step up the voltage and invert.

I guess I don't understand what you are saying, the older RVs don't have a inverter at all they have a 12v system that runs lights, water pump and furnace blower. The 120v is a completely different set of wires, the 2 systems run independently of each other mostly. Adding a inverter to run 120v off the batteries would be trivial though, all the 12v wiring is 10 gauge so its got spare capacity. none of the appliances run on 120v except the AC its all 12v or propane, furnace needs both and the blower is probably the biggest 12v drain by far. 600w of solar panels has kept my RV running off grid for 6 months now with no problems or maintenance of any kind although I am considering getting a small inverter so I don't have to kick on the generator just to grind coffee beans.

>>1759427
>Remember that every row (each window is 1 row) is designed to hold around 1000 pounds all day long in school bus duty.
Based american school buses. How can any other civilian vehicle even compete?

The fact that one of your excuses for moving towards the school bus is that it's a "cool project" leads me to believe you're a fucking idiot.

If you are truly looking for an option, the other anons. Get a trailer meant for housing. Fix it up. Drag it. Leave it.

Or not and be the shithead that can't get a mortgage AND is fucking around with a school bus that you have no idea how to make habitable/affordable.

>>1760532
Not OP but this is not tough stuff to do. If you have basic carpentry skills you put in walls and cabinets pretty easily. Does not have to be instagram worthy to have a good time in it.
I went to a gathering in the desert in november and there were all sorts of people with not many resources having a great time in old school busses and vans.
No good reason to shit on anons ideas, its not a hard set of goals to achieve.
One thing I do notice about the younger generations is that you make everything out to be so hard to do .
No idea why

https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Tiny-homes-squeezed-into-busses-and-more-visit-Gainesville-567510011.html

Just left this show.

>>1761697
was the bearded guy interviewed a gay?

>>1745881
>10 mpg
Never

>>1743063
>I won't buy a house unless I have an un-acquirable amount of money given my current employment

I fucking hate these people. If you make a stable income year to year, there's absolutely no reason to not buy a cheap house where you make that stable income unless your town is entirely dependent on a small amount of employers.

The housing market is flat, if youre gonna stay where you are, it's retarded not to buy. You'll lose less money on fees buying and selling a house than what you'd dump into a bus.

A legit and comfy bus/rv/van conversion costs 6+ grand on top of the purchase of the vehicle

A 100-150k house should cost less than 4k to buy and the same to sell.

>>1761817
>A 100-150k house
Where in gods green flyover fuck do you live that you can buy a house for 150k?
Jesus fucking christ man, join the real world

>>1762119
makes you think

>>1762136
Makes me think that bus is fukken gay

>>1762214
It is really more of a hippy chick magnet, so it is pretty much hetero. Install a proper shower and it's all good!

I always liked the VW van as a cupola, I would want the safari front windshield that opens.

>>1762345
>hippy
>shower

>>1762423
Children are so clever these days, I would have never thought of that brilliant joke.

Have a (You), maybe it will bolster your self esteem.

>>1762474
imagine the smell

>>1762121
10/10.
Would paint white and resell

>>1762027
Literally anywhere more than 3 hours from a major city

>>1761817
>>1762543
This. It's actually part of the bullshit minimum wage uproar.

>I don't make enough to live in a big city
>NO I WONT MOVE

I fucking hate all the retards rolling around. My parents bought both of their first 2 houses for less than 35k total (given that's late 80s dollars)

I grew up 2 hours from 2 different major cities. And now, with Amazon and Walmart doing free 2-day delivery on everything everywhere, you can have the exact same quality of life anywhere in the US.

For sale in Iowa $5500

Has a 6.7l v10, heat/ac, 8" futon and 2 solar panels on top

>>1762543
What are you calling a major city?
I dont think are anywhere even close to correct
Do you live in the midwest?
Be honest

>>1762636
Not that anon, but you can find decent houses in decent neighborhoods or the woods for that price range if you look.
I guess an international airport is a good guide.

>>1762474
Asses are disgusting. Post tits.

>>1762657
Well, it is on topic....

>>1762636
Minneapolis and Des Moines

People who shit talk the Midwest are the same fuckers insulting their moms and hating their school lunch workers.

Without the Midwest, your cost of food and fuel would be a large percentage higher. We serve your meals, fuel your cars and are the moral cornerstones of the rest of the US.

Tread lightly when talking about the people that feed you.

>>1762748
Well there you go . That is some of the cheapest houseing in america .
You have to understand that many places cost 5 times as much.
Where I live, 150k will not buy you a teardown , in fact, not even close because the lot underneath is worth more than that.

>>1762777
Then move. Almost every state has houses for sale under $200k

Don't complain if you won't move

Nice trips though

>>1762654
Who is legitimately short enough to sleep on that bed??

I'm 6'4" and can barely fit on an 80" matt

>>1762945
the problem is that you get what you pay for
those 200k houses will never go up significantly in value and you are living in places that most people do not find interesting.
Supply and demand is not a meme

>>1763034
average american is 5'10 like me.
I can sleep just fine on my 72 inch futon so to answer your question ... half of american males and most females?

>>1763034
>>1763095
Most people don't need to raise the roof in a skoolie.

OPs bus. with a raised roof

>>1763104
oops

wrong pic

>>1763092
Depends if you study growth patterns. That's reason to buy in burbs or semi-rural areas with slow but modest growth. There are plenty of other ways to make money, and if you plan to retire in the house you don't need to sell it. Let your executor handle that.

I paid off my houses early. I retired young in a low tax area. I don't need an expensively appreciating home killing me with taxes. That's why my father had to retire out of state instead of enjoying his home. My overhead isn't shit and I'm quite comfy.

>>1743051
I have a old blue bird school bus. I use twice a year for a NASCAR race.
The biggest trouble I've had, besides maintenance. Is that the insurance company will not cover a school bus/motorhome conversion. I'm not sure of the reason. But it is a pain in the ass. I live in Michigan
Pic related

>>1763656
Do you have seating more more than 16 people including driver? If so you're going to fall under commercial rules.

Insurance for converted buses is more or less a solved problem. My agent is writing 10+ policies per day.

>>1764079
We removed all the seats, built bunks over the rear wheels. I looked into getting different insurance on the bus. The agent asked if it was a school bus. I told it was a bus, but it was converted into a camper.
A few agents told me they would not cover it.

>>1764863
Well I'm not gonna throw names around here but just ask on any of the forums or facebook groups and you'll get her info.

>>1763656
That fucking party deck though

>>1765024
Lol, there is a pipe railing that folds up. It keeps the drunks from falling off.
I have a 3" exhaust on it with a set of bullet race mufflers. A deaf person can hear this bus coming up the road.

>>1764892
I don't have a faceberg. But I appreciate the offer.

>>1761817
I don’t have a credit score and I make $11/hr until I get licensed so stop trying to sell me your real estate, Goldbergstein

>>1743051
Everyone gangsta, until it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and you have absolutely no means to fix it.

>>1765665
Just bring a fuckload of tools with you and tow a small car for getting parts

Bump

>>1743051
The hard part isn’t converting it the hard part is finding a place to park it.

>>1766812
Same can be said of ur moms ass
Yang 2020

>>1765235
>licensed
You need a special license to make more than 11 an hour?

>>1766397
Why small car and not a semi to simly tow your bus? I mean why going smol, when you can go tol?

>>1767166
Why would you want a semi?

>>1767198
To haul the bus once it breaks down, obviously.

>>1767221
I have a cdl
a school bus is waaaaaaaay easier to drive than that sleeper cab freight shaker

>>1743051
I have a neighbor who “converted” a bus into big piles of rusting shit in his yard.

>>1767296
kek, thats a popular conversion for sure
post pics?

>>1767246
The joke could hit you in the face and you wouldn't notice

>>1767384
i am a truck driver as I stated , if I were smarter I would not be here
what do you want from me

>>1743154
This guy sounds like he gets it.

>>1762423
Genius jfc

>>1743719
You aren't going to be saving much on rent unless you build it out very minimal and dont have shit gas mileage in your daily commuter.

I'm going to be getting a trailer and building it out for camping conditions.

>>1767296
Lold

I imagine that conversion is the most common with these busses

>>1762423
that had to hurt

>>1743154
The correct answer.

>>1768808
there is not just one answer
I camp in national forests and beaches 6 to 8 months a year.
i meet many people doing the same and they all have different rigs with different strengths and weaknesses.
no one rig fits all uses

>>1768817
>I camp in national forests and beaches 6 to 8 months a year.
How do you make a living? Internet business? Normal job for 4-6 months a year?

>>1769217
truck driver

bun[

Damn, thread still truckin'

>>1743051
No, but I'd suggest you watch enough videos on failed bus conversions and why they went sour. Then research which buses have engines that parts are still readily & cheaply available. (I'd suggest you look for something with a ford or a cummins under the hood, at least you can find parts for ford 7.3 and a cummins.) And don't forget to first check with what requirements your state has to get it titled & insured as an RV.

Having said that, you can probably score a working RV gasser with shag carpeting for around 3K. It's a lot cheaper, tho you won't get to customize it and all the prefab parts are made of trashy particle board.

>>1774204
>and all the prefab parts are made of trashy particle board.
Dont forget substandard plumbing a wiring.
You would be shocked to see the cheeseball temp connectors that are used all over the place

>>1743051
I welded/fabbed a generator storage container on the bottom of one for some chick ($300 cash)

>>1774528
Did you try to bang her?

>>1762474
Instagram=/= Real life

90% of hippy chicks are nasty, 95% of art hoes are pudgy

>>1743602
I was thinking of school buses for years, until I actually went to an RV fair when one came to town. Biggest lure of the skoolie was that with a big family, it's hard to find something in my budget range that has enough bunks and amenities for everyone.
I used to spend a lot of time on sailboats as a kid, and most campers and RVs are fitted up more like houses, so some sort of trailer with marine style carpentry and appliances would hit my sweet spot. Tiny houses don't appeal to me as much. If I want a *mobile* home, as in one that I can move around with me, even just for vacationing, I want something aerodynamic, that is constructed to withstand sustained stress from constant movement, hence my boat carpentry shelf in the bookshelf. Boats move all the time, and the really nice ones last for centuries.
Biggest impediment for picking my poison is that I don't have a sufficient tow rig for anything bigger than a meme trailer.

>>1774778
Aerodynamics are a meme. Copy success. Buy suitably stout cargo trailer (RV frames are shit) then outfit like you want.

If you wrench just buy an old F250/350 or equivalent gasser and mod that for a tow rig. Fuel mileage doesn't matter if the truck is cheap enough. My "F350" wrecker is an F100 cab (low insurance and lighter cabs aren't typically beat to death) on a 250 chassis with rear springs modded with leaves off a medium duty Chevy rollback. That sort of thing is very, very common and done right works fine.

>>1743051
You can buy property for 8000 then put a cuckshed that let's you pay by the month. Call duke power tell them you want a power line e run to you. Put power.inside cuck shed. Install septic with rain barrels. Put in shower. Finish the inside a week at a time with paychecks. In a year you will have property and a furnished studio apt. Ypu can resale that one day, a bus not so much. Ypu are too tall for a bus anyways

>>1775352
where can you buy property that cheap

Think I could do an LS swap on one of these bad boys?

>>1777331
Easy but why would you?

>>1778358
to make a youtube video

>>1780716
cozy

>>1781169
Yes, it is.