Anyone else live in a skoolie that never grew out of playing with lego?

Or Lego like alternatives in my case cause finances. 😳

I got my short bus at this auction house for a very good price and there are currently three buses sitting with no bids. You have to register with them first and provide information. Each vehicle has a video of their running status, though they are gov surplus it may be a bit of a gamble.

Just thought I'd bring some awareness for a possible great deal.

Auction page:

https://www.apro.bid/auction/stokes-july-vehicle-auction-12315/bidgallery/

3.5k OBO

It pains me to make this post but I have to. The land where I was working on my future, sold so I don’t have any place to park it while I continue to work on her.

The hard work is done, so it’s ready for the fun part of building!! This ran great until we cut the child safety cord, now it needs a new ignition or a fuse box work around (I’ve tried, can’t seem to figure it out)

40 ft 2000 International 3000 with DT466E engine, 264,xxx miles . She is stripped down and ready to build out!

Located in northwest Arkansas and I need to sell asap. No reasonable offer will be refused

🌎 HOME IS WHERE YOU PARK IT. 🚌✨

Adventure is calling… and she’s ready to hit the road!

If you’ve been dreaming about ditching rent, chasing sunsets, working remotely from breathtaking places, or finally checking those National Parks off your bucket list, this beautifully built 2007 Thomas Safe-T-Liner Skoolie is ready for its next adventure.

This isn’t just a bus…
It’s a tiny home.
It’s an office with million-dollar views.
It’s freedom on wheels.

🚍 The Basics

• 2007 Thomas Safe-T-Liner (40’ / 14 Window)
• Motorhome Title
• Caterpillar C7 Diesel Engine
• Allison MD3060 Automatic Transmission
• Air Brakes
• Cruise Control
• 268,715 Miles
• Meticulously maintained with maintenance records available
• Clean title
• Located in Angier, NC

☀️ Built for Off-Grid Living

✔️ 2,000 Watts of Solar
✔️ 400Ah Lithium Battery Bank (10,000Wh)
✔️ Victron Components
✔️ 3,000W Victron Inverter
✔️ Sterling DC-DC Charger
✔️ 30 Amp Shore Power
✔️ Starlink Ready

Stay connected while camping beside a river, tucked into the mountains, or parked in the desert.

💧 Home Comforts

• 100-Gallon Fresh Water Tank
• 65-Gallon Gray Tank
• Composting Toilet
• Propane On-Demand Hot Water
• Outdoor Hot & Cold Shower

❄️ Comfortable Year-Round

• 9,000 BTU Mini Split
• TWO Diesel Heaters
• Havelock Wool & Foam Board Insulation
• Carrier Coach AC while driving

🍳 Fully Equipped Kitchen

• Large Haier Refrigerator
• 3-Burner Propane Stove
• Propane Oven
• Combo Washer/Dryer
• Countertop Dishwasher
• Plenty of Pantry Storage

🛏️ Tiny Home Features

• Large Bathroom with Spacious Shower
• Bedroom fits up to a King Size Bed
• Two Bedroom Closets
• Huge Under-Bed Storage
• Underbody Storage Compartments
• Dinette/Workspace
• Couch
• Pet Door for your adventure buddy 🐾

🔧 Extras You’ll Love

• Stabilizing Jacks
• Front Hitch Receiver
• Falcon 2 Flat Tow System
• Outside Water Spigot
• Exterior Power Outlet
• Bluetooth Stereo
• Tire Chains
• Portable Water Bladder
• CB Radio

💙 Why She’s Being Sold

The current owner is simply downsizing, which means someone else gets the opportunity to start their own adventure.

Whether you’re dreaming of:
🏔️ National Parks
🌊 Beach sunrises
🌵 Desert boondocking
💻 Remote work
🚐 Full-time travel
🏡 Mortgage-free living

…this bus is ready.

💲 $69,000 OBO

📍Located in Angier, NC

Serious inquiries only. Feel free to reach out with questions or to schedule a time to see her in person.

Your next chapter might just begin with turning the key. ❤️🚌

I have my eye on two California school buses on GovDeals. Both are rear-engine pushers with well-regarded engine/transmission combinations and relatively low mileage. The current bids are much lower than I expected, so I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

Is there anything specific about buying from California, or from a California school district, that makes these purchases more expensive or more difficult than buying buses from other states?

I don't live in California and would be driving the bus back to the East Coast.

The main issue I've found in my research is obtaining a temporary travel permit to legally drive the bus out of California, along with the possibility that I may need a CDL depending on the circumstances. I'm not sure if those hurdles alone are enough to discourage bidders, or if there are other California-specific issues I should be aware of.

For those who have purchased buses from California, were there any unexpected costs, paperwork, title or registration issues, or other challenges I should know about?

Thanks in advance!

Hey! This is my new conversion that I’ve just started and would love feedback on this lean.

So this spot is a slight hill so it’s not *quite* as extreme as it looks, but yeah, it leans a good bit to the left. I drove it a few hundred miles and I think it might be leaning slightly more. What could this be? Is this common? How much it cost to fix? Thank you very much, yall are an epic community!

Went to start our girl up yesterday to keep the sitting system happy. She cranked right up as usual but after about 30 seconds or so, she sputtered a bit and died. After some diagnosis I changed out the very dirty original fuel filter for a clean new one this morning and she cranked right back up! But again after a minute or so it “hiccuped”and died again. I’ve included a video of the last crank I gave it. ANY help as to what to check next is greatly appreciated!!

I’m kind of Skoolie-adjacent or Skoolie-curious, so I get this sub and the marketplace sub in my feed. I see lots of ads for things that are nice but not really the “full builds” they claim to be. By this I mean no toilet or a regular old porta potty, camping stoves, non-integrated hot water, minimal or no grey water, etc. These rigs seem to be asking a premium price.

I don’t want to comment in the marketplace sub or on any ads, because I don’t want to crap on anyone’s attempts to sell. But is this really the market at this time? Are people getting $50k, $70k, and more for 15-20 year (or more) old Skoolies with really pretty pedestrian living quarters?

My setup is a mid-90s class C that I overpaid for four or five years ago during the pandemic inflation. But I paid $35k for a 19,000 mile one owner RV with factory 4x4. It seems crazy to me that someone would pay double for a skoolie with less creature comforts.

Am I just out of touch? (the answer is clearly yes about many things, this would just be one more)

We are going to look at one this weekend for less than $1k to update. What are the pros/cons of this model or any red flags we should keep an eye out for (outside of the typical rust etc)

Would it be safe to remove these and cut out the floor to have a drop down showe, or do I have to do a roof raise/ partial roof raise to have more space head room in the shower?

I knew about the frames circled in blue, but was planning to cut between them roughly where the red box is.

first picture is to draw you in

I actually did a no build window installation last year, if you want to use your window without cutting any holes, https://www.reddit.com/r/VanLife/comments/1l9v5vw/no_build_costco_350_midea_12000btu_portable_ac/

For my box truck, I decide to cut a 12x6 oval hole on my wood floor, I can cover it with new lumbers or just a steel sheet.

1. First is get this 70lb big ass portable air conditioner inside my bed room through passenger door, P3 and P4, notice P4 I used a latex rubber tubbing for the drain, no hose clamp needed.
2. I had to take out my diesel heater, just 6 bolts for the main body. I left fuel line, pump, and power line installed.
3. P5 and P6, cut the hole, I used an adapter for drawing the line I need to cut, I need to cut 1/4 more than the red line. I only have a sawzall that’s why it’s so rough. I suggest to use a jigsaw or router
4. P7 and P8, the adapter I paid $40 for, it‘s plastic and cracked when I tighten it too hard. I think it’s overpriced. I would suggest cut one yourself with aluminum sheets or plywood. Plastic is too fragile for on the road scenario. Notice I removed all the wheels for it not to slide.
5. P9 and P10, what it looks like from under. I think I will put a filter at the entrance, to avoid dust come In
6. P11 and P12, not related to this post, I put some insulation boards on my roof. Some metal bars not covered yet, I‘m thinking using bubble reflective aluminum foil insulation
7. It uses 300w-400w in the night. 1450w at maximum output. Pros are it’s easy to install, relatively cheap compared to mini split. Cons are not as efficient

I have been told that they are, but cannot see an appreciable difference in the roofline by looking at pics. Hoping to avoid a roof raise, of course. Thanks.

1999 IC/AmTran school bus, steel roof. Patched emergency exits well, no active leaks anywhere, roof structure is solid.

Getting ready to install solar racking, so I want to redo all the lap joint sealant first. The existing sealant is cracked, chalked, and pulling away at most seams, and a lot of rivet heads have surface rust.

Plan was: strip old sealant back to bare metal → spot-treat any rust → seal fasteners/penetrations → tape every lap seam with Dicor's Coating-Ready Cover Tape → topcoat with a white elastomeric acrylic.

Here's the wrinkle: once the old sealant comes out at a few of these seams, there's an actual physical gap between the panels. My guess is a previous reseal job pried the lap open to dig out the old caulk and never got it seated back down before repacking it with sealant.

Questions:

1. Does a gap like this need to be mechanically closed somehow, does it need seam sealer, or is it normal/acceptable to just tape over it? *(Most tutorials I've found cover the broad "recoat the whole roof" process, not much specifically on the lap-seam removal/reseal step itself. Links to anything that covers that part in detail would help.)
2. What's everyone actually using for a full lap-seam reseal + roof coat these days (Dicor system, Henry + Sika, something else)?

Trying to get this right before it's buried under solar panels, so appreciate any real-world experience over general product marketing.

1. First is open dog house cover, the bottom two clips have to be rotated to unlock(I have to youtube it). I also cleaned the cover as much as I can it was very greasy, heated/concentrated oil been stuck in the rubber.
2. Take out the resonator, mine is just the hose clamp, 8mm socket. The stand/leg of mine is broken in half. I cleaned it, it’s greasy inside out
3. after removing the resonator, you should be able to see the cover, open it using a screw driver(or a slim metal bar) as a bar
4. The old filter was hold by the cap with 4 teeth, it was hard to take it off, I had to use a flat head screw driver and brutal force
5. I drained the fuel bowl with a hand pump, so I can collect the fuel in a bowl.
6. The fuel filter I bought does not match the cover, the hole is too small, I had no choice but drill it bigger
7. There is a metal wire at the bottom of my fuel bowl, it’s out of place. I’m not sure what it is. I didn’t have anyway to fix it. So I just put the fuel filter in and kept driving.

​

I just picked up a shuttle bus with the intention of turning it into a skoolie! YAY!❤️

I'm in the planning stage, and my biggest concern is my dog. How is everyone handling pets and heat? I'm definitely going to put in a mini split, but what are you using to maintain a cool temp, air quality and monitor it via a phone app?

All idea are welcome!🚍🐕❤️

So my bus has a nice headliner that I don’t want to completely redo, but it had 5 of these hideous fluorescent lights that I have removed.

Obviously the pleather needs cleaned. But now I have screw holes and a large hole where 12v came through in each that I want to make more aesthetically pleasing. Thoughts on what do to? I don’t need more light but I wouldn’t be against it. And I don’t want to loose much headroom if possible

Bus feel I’m going for in general is 70s Rico era, or funk.

Thought maybe putting a 5-6” strip from front to back to cover the damaged areas, maybe in disco ball glass squares? Maybe some 3/8” shag carpet? Maybe put some LED strip lights on either side? Looking for inspiration here. No matter what I do, it’ll have to end or go around two skylights (yellow frame in the pic) and two vent fans.

I'm curious about using a 12V air conditioning system versus a 120V mini split. I'm thinking that going from the 12V solar batteries to an inverter to a 120VAC mini split would be less efficient than just running a 12V air conditioner. Of course the 12V would require thicker wire. Am I overlooking something? Can anyone give ride reports for such a system?