Upgrading to a bus.

[SgtGeezer]

My wife and I have been talking about selling the house and hitting the road. She was the one who brought up the idea of converting a bus. Went to an local auction that had 3 buses just to see what they would sell for. My left arm raised up and I got me a bus. For $700.

It's a 1994 14 window flat nose, front engine, with a navistar dt466e and Allison mt463 tranny. Drove it from the auction site 70 miles to the shop I work at. Runs fine.

Got the seats out. Floor comes out next.

 

[bullfrog]

Before you spend any more make sure you can insure it and what is needed to make it an RV in your state of residence where you will license it. Tires will most likely be your biggest expense. Drive train is in my opinion the best you can get. You should get 10 to 13 MPG. Which body builder made the bus and for which state? Some states like Kentucky require twice as many "hoops" for body structure which is good to know. I was able to remove interior roof sheet metal by drilling out rivets and use those to cover openings where I removed the windows. Also some states require the bus stop sign, exterior lighting and color be changed to be legal for private use. Looks like you got a great buy if you can get it on the road legally.

 

[SgtGeezer]

It's a international genesis chassis. It came out of Spokane,WA. The ceiling panels are perforated so no using them for outside skins. To change the title to rv, I need four of the following: potable water supply/w sink, wired for110v power, propane cooking , refrigerator, self contained sewer.

Panels are riveted. That will probably be the most labor intensive.

 

[Dgorila1]

About a year ago I contacted my long time agent (Farm Bureau Insurance) asking about insuring a bus. He could find no underwriters that would insure a former school bus in VA, and the DMV won't retitle a vehicle as an RV like other states will. The other day I emailed AIS Insurance because they specialize in insuring buses, rv's and other vehicles. Below is part of the response I got regarding insuring buses:


[font=arial, sans-serif]You were very smart to research the insurance for your school bus prior to purchasing the vehicle. There are very few insurance options available to you in the marketplace, so I will try to give you some insights here so you know the obstacles involved with the one carrier we have available.[/font]


[font=arial, sans-serif]"       School Bus Conversions can apply for liability coverages only - photos and approval are required upfront.[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]o       The risk will be sent to underwriting for approval once the quote has been submitted.[/font]
[font=arial, sans-serif]o       Exterior/Interior photos are required up front to show acceptable conversion of the vehicle.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]"       For the state of VA, our carrier will not accept incomplete conversions nor conversions that are not professionally done. There would be some latitude with the "professionally done" part, which is why we ask for the photos to try and get approval for you.[/font]

[font=arial, sans-serif]I've given up the dream of converting a bus, at least while I live in VA. Sigh! [/font]

 

[bullfrog]

Just so you know the front door step well area is the most likely to get bent as it has the least ground clearance if you hit a high curb or go into the ditch while turning around. This will warp the door frame and make closing the door difficult if not impossible, don't ask me how I know. Really be sure about your insurance and what they cover if your gonna spend money on your build. Your ceiling panels are made like that to cut down on noise, a lot of ceilings are light blue as they thought the color would have a calming affect and tinted windows helped prevent students affected by bright flashes of light. I believe that bus came with air leveling rear suspension as well.

 

[Zardor]

Congratulations. I'm sure you'll get the insurance bit worked out. I think bus conversions are so sexy and have so many design options to choose from. This is one of my favorite conversions on YouTube: