Okay here is what I am planning on doing (contigent on positive responses here.)
I want to take an engine forward school bus and turn it into an recreational vehicle type thing. I plan on installing a rooftop airconditioner and making living space for 5 or 6 people, a place for a microwave, some sort of refridgerator, and band equipment. It will be a full length bus. I don’t have an interest in installing any plumbing type stuff. I am pretty mechanically proficient. Is this going to be too much trouble?
My band and I are looking at touring possibly next year. I can pick up a school bus for a few thousand tops at a wholesale auction through my brother. Is it going to cost more than just getting a used R.V. and pulling a trailer?
Thanks guys and gals.
Any time you’re dealing with vehicles, the rule of thumb is that it’s always going to cost twice as much and take twice as long as you planned. My advice would be to check around and compare prices, you might be able to pick up an RV for about the same price as a school bus, and given the way my school maintained their buses (or rather didn’t) you might find that an RV is the better way to go. I’d cerainly look into maintence, since most RVs use fairly common parts, and I’ve no idea what your average bus uses (also, if the bus is set up to run on propane or LNG, as many are, finding a refueling station could be a bit of a problem).
In Ontario hunters often group together to make a moose bus – fitting out an old school bus with bunks, a small kitchen,and lots of space for gear. (It is called a mose bus because they remove the body from the back few feet of the bus and put a platform in place upon which to lay down the dead moose).
This has always been one of my secret dreams. ( and I blame the Partridge family.)
The chances of it happening are nil, but I think that you are not being realistic for the cost of the bus up front.
And remember, no school district gets rid of a bus that runs too well. One would think, however, that if the bus is diesel ( aren’t they all?) you could convert over to biodiesel to save $. (about $2-3 k initial start up.) I know that Mr. Bus Guy is a bus guy for a school district somewhere. He would probably be the doper to talk too.
Check around on Ebay, I see these kinda things pop up on a regular basis.
You could rip out all the seats and resell them on ebay (other schools need replacement seats) and put in some old comfy furniture or even just a bunch of lazyboys for your dining and sleeping comfort.
When I win the lottery, I’m buying a new school bus and kitting it out like a hippie mobile.
This guy’s site is THE site for bus conversions. Unfortunately, he’s on a medical leave right now, but hopes to be back running the site in June. It still has links to get his books, though.
Shirley, you gotta check out Crazy Hill’s hippie bus site.
Generally, if you want to make it into a nice RV like thing, it’s going to end up costing you about what an RV does. If you just want to strip out the seats and throw a few mattresses on the floor and store your stuff in milk crates, it’s pretty cheap.
This guy is slowly converting a bus to a coach. Looks cool to me. Loads of work, though.
Ooooh…hippie bus link…I love it! (Too bad Mr. Ujest would just shake his head at such nonsense.)
A friend of mine in Ohio did this sort of stuff. It took lots of time, mechanical skills and money. Those things are damned expensive. And they don’t exactly sip gas.
Have another friend who works for a big bus company up in Georgia. I’ll shoot him a note asking about this and any recos he’d have. He used to be a hippie band dude and is now a father of three who works for a bus company in the middle of Georgia. 
Please feel free to use this prototype I photographed last year in Kentucky.
VCNJ~
Not exactly. My brother is a car dealer and in the Dallas area, companies tend to dump them when the school’s lease is up if they get to ratted out on the inside. Most have International staight 6 engines, which are fairly common. They run these dudes through a dealers auction about every once in a quarter.
Most of them need tires, is why they are getting sold.
They have about 0 residual value, because of the 18 million miles on most.
I don’t want to make it super nice, just bunks, a microwave, storage storage storage. Some sort of refridgerator, strapped down to avoid beer spillage.
Loved the links!
I haven’t seen Mr. Bus Guy on in a while. He been doing okay? Thanks for all the help guys! I may be able to get the shaggin wagon built.
I want to thank Whynot and transulcent daydream for starting this thread, because of her links, I read this and am now a better person for it.
Back on topic: How much do bus tires cost?
I guess my one caveat is that I’ve never been on a school bus that was actually comfortable (actually, tolerable) for more than a ten minute ride. The suspensions seem designed to amplify every imperfection in the road. So a cross country trip in a school bus would be my version of hell.