My bus has two batteries and I was just wondering if I can use the battery that is not in the engine compartment to wire to my electrical system? I feel like that’s gonna be much easier than trying to go through the engine, and more accessible.
Curious - is it better to have one 400w panel or two 200w panels. Does one have any advantages over the other? Thanks in advance for any help
I have driven x country many times but doing it in a bus with a top speed of 55mph is a different experience. I did extensive preperation and still broke down twice, and was in the shop on two seperate occasions. I met some lovely people and ultimately if I never had had any problems ( and victories ) would seeing the pacific ocean been as sweet? I don't think so.
7.3l idi ( 81k miles )
Allison at545 ( with a cooler, fan and synth fluid )
Issue 1) Starter solonoid large lug nut became loose and upon startup would fry my ignition cylander..took me a while to figure that one out in the heat of memphis.
Issue2) Gut told me to pull over...on grade in the middle of mojave desert, noticed I had JUST blown a cooler line...dumping fluid but since it just happened the block stayed cool...wow I felt lucky!
Blew some shocks, and a calliper got stuck. All can be fixed. Feelin grateful we made it! Safe travels yall
Due to some unforeseen circumstances I am needing to sell my partial converted school bus that has a 20” roof raise. I can get better pictures next week, just the ones I had on my phone. Located in Fargo North Dakota
The bus runs and drives and I have full maintenance history of it with no major flaws. However it is not currently road worthy but very close. Unfortunately I just do not have enough time to complete.
Asking for 4,000 obo, but willing to sell a lot cheaper to someone finishing it for themselves.just want it in someone’s hands and not the junkyard like I am worried I am going to have to do.
Bus / drivetrain:
* 2005, 35’ Thomas Freightliner school bus
* Caterpillar C7 diesel
* CAT engine serial: KAL21218
* CAT arrangement: 2371764
* Allison automatic transmission
* 240,000 miles
* Engine runs strong
* 20” roof raise already completed
* Front-nose style bus
* Significant rust removal already completed
* automatic Transmission
*Tires in Decent Shape
Conversion work already started:
* 20” roof raise completed
* New exterior panels/work started
* Interior conversion work underway
* Steel required to finish the roof raise/exterior work is included with the bus
* A lot of the difficult fabrication work has already been started
Don’t be afraid to dm if you are interested, I’ll do the best I can to make it work.
Hello everyone,
I recently purchased a 2004 GMC 3500 4 window short bus. Mechanicaly it is in excellent shape so I want to move forward with the next major step of exterior painting, exteriorly there are some obvious rust spots, but no actual panel damage. Everything should be sandable and then primered.
My main questions are, I got a quick quote from a local guy and they said $7500~, that is wayyyyyyy outside my budget. Is that remotely accurate?
I have watched a decent amount of YouTube videos on this subject but so many of them are the streamer types with what feels like unlimited budgets, which is not me, I have a fully remote job, but right now I am working on my bus paycheck to paycheck with a lot of elbow grease involved.
Does anyone have a good step by step low budget guide/video they have seen?
From everything I have read and watched, I can take some 220 grit and scuff everything up then roller paint, but how shoddy looking is that and how long would that last?
What is the application process? From what I understand, I sand first, then wash down with degreaser, then???? Rust coat>primer>paint layerx2???
When doing the painting, I can't afford new windows, so the stock bus windows will still be there, but I would like to re-caulk all the edges, should I paint first, then strip out the old caulk and redo or should I do that in reverse, strip>caulk>paint?
Once I am actually full time living inside I will be able to budget more accordingly, but for right now I am just trying to make it look presentable and be livable for the first year.
Again, thank you for any input, this has been a dream of mine for a very long time, been stuck in my current location for over 25 years and it is getting to late in life.
Hi all - we’re looking at a 2006 34’ Freightliner with a 5.9 L Cummins engine and Allison transmission. I have read conflicting information about the power of this engine and I was wondering if someone could tell me if the 5.9 is strong enough to haul this bus long-term? It has 140K miles on it. Thanks in advance for any help!
Hey everybody! We just bought our first bus last week. I’m so excited! We’ve been talking about this for years and when we saw it we jumped. Little background, I was told it was an Air Force band bus for the DC area. It’s a 2006 Bluebird with a Cat engine (just over 100k miles). It runs no problem. There are a few minor things that I need to learn if things are normal and just overall operation and maintenance. Would love if anyone had any of the Air Force manuals for it. Oh, and still thinking of a name.
We just picked up our 1999 Blue Bird 8.3 cummins 3066 Alison trans with 112k miles on it for $3,000. She runs and drives great and we just started the process off gutting it too prep it for a bare bones trip in a few weeks. I'm debating between roof mount ACs, Mini Splits, and window unit. I don't want too add anymore length too the bus as it's already 40ft long. We will not be living in it full time but plan on going on trips in it every other month. I plan on running it off solar when I get the time but if it's not prepared by October we will be using a generator! Any tips and suggestions are welcome, thank you!
I need to build more shelves for more movies!
my fan knob is cracking and needs a suitable replacement. this fan is from fb marketplace years ago so i dont have a model # or even a company. i haven’t found any significant results searching the company found on the sticker and google image searching hasnt yielded anything useful either. im truly at a loss and am considering resigning myself to using a pair of pliers for eternity
Hadn’t met my father for the first 30 years of my life. So there he and I are, on my birthday this year, meeting by almost happenstance. He says, “Do you want a school bus?”
I had always, and I mean always, dreamed of owning and renovating my own school bus. He was kind of a nomad weirdo so I chalked it up to maybe he was just high and saying things on purpose first meet to make up for a thirty year absence.
Well, lo and behold, he passes away last month: and I mourn the loss; both of the lifetime in which I could have known him and the few months in which I did.
Anyhow, that’s how I obtained -
A 2007 IC CE200
- and I’m going to need help getting her started. I just downloaded the manual(s) and got two G21 batteries to run in parallel for her.
I’m posting a few photos for your review and approval of the engine.
To start - anything I should look out for? Anything to check? From what I understand she needs batteries and there was something going on with the air brake pressure - as in they kept needing a generator to build pressure. Anyone has any experience with this would you please chime in?
After years of lurking, im finally buying/building.
Came across an e350 cutaway shuttle conversion. Has the 5.4 triton in it. However, my insurance guy is fussing about the weight which has now made me skeptical about weight. Not sure if the ford placard gvwr of 10700 is enough to carry a full conversion safely…and my insurance guy is saying no plus it’s a fiberglass shell. Any experts in here that are familiar with this body? It’s already fully spray insulated, 700 watts of solar and a massive victron set up with 500ah of batteries. Mini split, everything..It’s nearly done. But…am I risking the weight and approaching dangerous territory here?
My option B is a 27ft pug nose vista with a 7.3, 300k miles but needs everything the above option doesn’t…but weight is a non issue .
I’ll be carrying previous cargo (my pups), and I want to make sure my insurance guy stops bitching.
Thoughts?
idk why it's sooo hard to even put air into the outer tires. the innies are just impossible. anyone have any recs? i've heard longer ones for the innies help, and u-shaped ones on the outies. i have steel rims, LT 225/75/R16 E tires. a 2008 Chevy Express G3500 6.6 Diesel. haven't found a truck shop that knows what sizes are good for me bus! even the dealer said my bus doesnt have TPMS on it so they have no idea. so i'm resorting to chat and reddit now haha! i found this kit that is for the same model bus i have but its crazy pricey compared to fleet pride. they don't have many options on there for .453" rim holes that are longer than an inch. are 6" long valves necessary for easier tire filling or do you guys have shorter? and are u-shaped ones much easier for the outies? not sure about buying extenders instead as i've heard those leak
2019 ford transit bus, used to be a handydart. Just curious what the front most vent looking thing is. It looks like a speaker on the inside (I can get a pic of that too if needed). I know the middle one is an escape hatch and the rear one is a flettner.
2012 26’ ARBOC w Chevy/6.6L Duramax Diesel (Chevy Chassis) Camper Van/Food Truck build w/powered wheelchair ramp…”Spirit of Mobility” model.
$13500 OBO
Currently in Big Rapids, MI, but I'm willing to deliver anywhere in Continental USA (depending on negotiation, additional charge may apply).
ARBOC Spirit of Mobility low-floor shuttle bus built on a heavy-duty Chevrolet chassis. If you are looking to build a custom off-grid tiny home, skoolie, or adventure rig, this is hands-down one of the best foundation vehicles on the market. The title has already been converted to reflect that it's an RV, not a bus, so NO special licensing required.
This was a city/fleet maintained bus, out of Washington State, with excellent maintenance, etc. This bus is solid, runs terrific, all systems in good working order. Bus is built out with a powered wheelchair ramp, and the bus is equipped with hydraulic “step-down” capability (so still has good clearance, but able to lower itself when deploying the wheelchair ramp).
After buying via auction, was driven from Washington State to Texas, and then from Texas to Michigan. Has been stored in pole barn. I am also including 17’ extruded alum roof railing kit for securing Solar panels to roof.
The interior seats have been removed and an insulated sub-floor installed. It's ready for you to start whatever build out you wish!
The wheelchair ramp area makes for an easy mudroom and/or shower room without worrying about water damage, etc.
Other Key Conversion Advantages:
* Demo Work Already Done: Interior passenger seats have already been removed!
* Subfloor Ready: Insulated Subfloor is already installed and ready for your final flooring (vinyl plank, waterproof laminate, or rubber tile).
* Massive Interior Space: High ceilings (6'7" to 7' standing headroom) and ultra-wide 97" interior body width allow for double-sided cabinetry, full beds, and standing room without feeling cramped.
* Blank Canvas: No demo headaches—start building your dream layout immediately.
* Heavy-Duty Chevy Foundation: Dependable Chevrolet chassis with dual batteries and commercial-grade components built for high mileage and easy servicing nationwide.
* Huge Roof Real Estate: Flat roof section ideal for mounting large solar arrays (800W+), mini-split A/C condensers, and skylights. I will also provide pre-fabricated Solar Panel track for roof-installation.
* Pan-Panoramic Windows: Massive glass coverage provides natural lighting and views that standard cargo vans cannot match.
Vehicle Details:
* Year/Make/Model: 2012 26’ ARBOC Spirit of Mobility Bus Conversion; Model TK
* Chassis: Chevrolet 6.6L Duramax V8 Turbo-Diesel engine.
w/approx 222,000
* Floor Plan: Low-floor chassis with integrated power ramp and air kneeling feature
* Condition: Great condition, road ready. Sold As-Is, clean title in hand; Already titled as RV conversion.
Ideal For: Skoolie builders, off-grid campers, mobile studios, toy haulers, or overland rigs. This would also make for an easy Food Truck conversion.
Contact me via DM with questions , or to schedule a time to come take a look. Serious inquiries only. VIN provided upon request.
Anyone have any success stories overnight camping in Colorado? I ideally don’t want to go to an RV park and I know some RV parks in Colorado don’t allow bus conversions. My wife and I have been on iOverlander, but I wanna hear from you all.
Currently bidding on a 7 window c2 & recently learned that handicapped busses do not have wheelwells-
Obv the benefits are major but are there any downsizes? Do they get away with this by using a smaller radius wheel/ smaller sidewall tire?
(Photo of a random 7 window c2 I saw not the one I’m potentially buying)
Thankyou! Excited to move up after 10 years of Vanlife (:
I drove this all over the country before I moved away and haven't been back home in years and am tired of paying for storage fees. I'd like to get it sold quickly so I'm offering it as is for cheap.
It's legally an RV. I did some wood work but obviously from the photos it isn't finished. The ceiling has a lot of insulation and is real wood. There's also a big solar panel set with batteries and a power control system, a sink, etc. Several beds, lots of storage etc. It's a pretty good base for someone who wants to finish my project. There are tools in there too.
It has been sitting for a few years so it will need fluids at least. The key is missing so you need to get that replaced. I lost the title but can send all the paperwork for having that replaced.
My one request is that if you find a care bears blanket inside that you mail that to me. It is from my mother who died.