Why a SCHOOL BUS?

Regardless of how large or small your budget is, how many windows your bus has, how elaborate your interior is, or how large your solar array may be, you will undoubtedly enjoy your skoolie. It promises an adventurous life in a comfortable home that's also a reliable vehicle.

living the SKOOLIE LIFE

HOW CAN I begin to explain how exciting and inspiring it is to own your own home that is unlike any other? A home that can be relocated with ease while maintaining a comfortable setup with just a small carbon footprint? Tiny living opens up an entire new perspective on the American dream, whether it's in an RV, tiny house, van, or skoolie. I grew up in a time where "living in a van down by the river" was laughed at, but now that idea actually sounds like a great life!

LIFESTYLE CHANGES that come with owning a skoolie are abundant, such as not having to pay for a motel room if you decide to venture out for a weekend. And while tent camping is great, it's not something you can do year-round. Living in a skoolie will force you to be outdoors more often, adapting to the weather, getting plenty of vitamin D from the sunshine, and just living an overall more active life.

EVENTS that will make your skoolie shine range from music festivals to family gatherings. Anytime you have an overnight adventure planned, your skoolie awaits! Be prepared for lots of attention at festivals; everyone will be jealous of your setup. Being able to stay in my own skoolie during family reunions is one of my favorite benefits.

ENTERTAINMENT on board your skoolie can be as simple as a deck of cards or as complex as a projector screen and surround-sound system. A laptop or tablet with an Internet connection is all you really need for those rainy days, but there are fancier options. Flat-screen TVs are lightweight and energy efficient, and pico projectors can connect to your smartphone and provide a large screen. You can literally have a wall-size image in your bus for a few hundred bucks or less.

MAKE MONEY from your skoolie when you're not using it! The community of people who use Airbnb and other travel accommodation apps are on the prowl for unique places to stay. If you allow paying guests on your bus for two weekends out of the month, you could easily cover a couple monthly bills.

PEOPLE YOU MEET in the skoolie community are some of the most genuine folks you will ever encounter. Being a part of that community alone is worth the effort of building a skoolie. Instagram is a great place to connect, share ideas, and solve problems with other skoolie owners. Be warned: you will have to get used to doing impromptu "bus tours" for curious people you meet on your travels. You might be amazed at how many folks are intrigued by a skoolie.

why A SCHOOL BUS MAKES A GREAT HOME

WHEN YOU THINK of a school bus, you might not consider it as a potential dwelling. That's understandable. We are familiar with pull-behind campers, motor homes, conversion vans, and tiny houses, so why consider a bus instead? There are four very good reasons.

1

OWNING A SKOOLIE IS A WONDERFUL LIFESTYLE. It gives you the freedom to roam. "Home is where you park it" is just one phrase that summarizes life in a skoolie. Unlike most dwellings, your skoolie will be unique and customized to your needs and preferences. When you embark on a road trip and reach your destination, your home will always stand out rather than blend in, making it feel even more special. Also, you will make skoolie friends! When you meet a fellow skoolie owner, there is a connection like none other. You will speak the same skoolie language, share the same experiences, and, most important, have a similar view of how to live alternatively.

2

A SCHOOL BUS IS EXTREMELY DURABLE. A vehicle designed to transport 72 young lives is built with safety and sturdiness in mind. School buses are constructed on heavy-duty commercial truck frames by bus manufacturers such as Blue Bird and Thomas. The school bus body itself is framed with steel tubing and covered with steel paneling. On the exterior, there are additional thin sections of corrugated steel: known as rub rails, these are designed to minimize body damage from sideswiping and add to the structural integrity of the bus.

On top of a school bus, you will find a steel-framed, rounded metal roof designed to withstand extreme pressure from a rollover accident. Inside, light-gauge steel panels on the walls and ceiling are most commonly attached with rivets but sometimes (especially in older buses) they are attached with regular screws. Under the hood, nearly all school buses feature diesel engines, which are known for their commercial-grade durability and power. Needless to say, a school bus is built tough! By contrast, regular campers and RVs are constructed with affordability and weight in mind. A quick Internet search of "RV accidents" will give you an idea of what happens to them in a wreck. RVs are largely constructed with lightweight wood and fiberglass for the walls and roof. The roofs are flat, making them prone to water damage if they are not sealed and kept under cover regularly.

Tiny homes are solidly built and typically feature the same materials and construction as regular-size homes, but they are designed more for a permanent location rather than frequent travel. Tiny homes typically are mounted on trailers as a way to avoid building code restrictions and to make them technically movable (as in nonpermanent dwellings). They're not really designed to be routinely out and about on the highway.

3

SCHOOL BUSES ARE WELL MAINTAINED. School systems maintain their buses as a fleet. The phrase "fleet maintained" seen in ad listings is a good thing! Each bus gets routine oil changes and thorough inspections, and repair and maintenance costs are prebudgeted, so issues are quickly taken care of. By contrast, if you're shopping for an affordable used RV, it's possible the previous owner neglected to repair an issue in a timely fashion, which could lead to more wear and tear on other parts as well as a compromised overall mechanical function — problems you will have to face as the new owner.

4

SCHOOL BUSES ARE AFFORDABLE. Most school systems retire some buses each year based on age or mileage. I have found that most buses are kept in service for up to 10 years or 250,000 miles. Retired buses are usually auctioned off or sold in bulk to a dealer. A typical school bus may be auctioned for roughly a tenth of the cost of a used motor home or tiny house.

Used RVs and tiny homes...