I have been working up this idea for a year or more about turning a school bus into an RV and taking the family on vacation. We are a family of 8 with kids ranging from 2-14. We love going on vacation, but as you can imagine with a large family it can get very expensive. As the family has grown we have tried everything from tents to a class A motorhome. Each one has had its own challenges. I grew up with RV's and have always been drawn to them. There were 2 main things that led me to do a skoolie. First is that we want each kid to have their own bed and that is not an option in commercially available units. The second and main reason is that any motorhome that we could afford is a death trap in an accident. Growing up my father would repair wrecked cars and rv's to help support our large family. Because of this I know rv construction inside and out. People would be shocked if they knew how unsafe they are. Busses are designed to roll over and remain intact unlike a motorhome.
After looking at countless buses we finally purchased one in Whitestown, IN at Midwest Transit.
Our bus is a 2003 IC RE
Here are the features that made this the perfect bus for us. It was oraginally ordered to be used as a sports bus. Because of this there were tons of options on the bus.
-69 passenger (84 passenger chassis)
-Tall ceiling (now I don't have to raise the roof)
-Carrier AC
-Webasto heater
-Cruise control that works
-100 gallon fuel tank
-Basement storage that goes all the way across
-DT530 (pre emissions) with only 76k miles!!
-Allison MD 3060 transmission with highway gears
All this for the low low price of $8500
The plan:
Starting in the rear of the bus will be a queen bed master bedroom.
Forward of that will be six bunks with three on each side.
Next will be a closet and washer/dryer on one side of the hall and the bath on the other.
The kitchen will be forward of that and a living room in the front.
We really wanted an original design but we realized that there is a reason they are all the same.
Now it's time to get to work!!