Finding Joy (part 3 of 3)

WHAT FITS ME BEST?

I pondered this question for months. What size bus? I decided to go for a mid-size bus. These are usually 24-30 feet long.

The short buses fit into lots of places easily but with a wheelchair I felt cramped inside.

The long buses (35-40 feet) are hard to park and have fewer campground options. These negatives make the additional interior space not worth it to me.

Next I needed to find a bus with a wheelchair lift door. I don’t care about the lift just want the door. Ideally I wanted the lift door to be near the front entrance so I could put the bed in the back (some lift doors are in the back corner).

The big question became a balancing act of money versus level of conversion. The prices are all over the place. One seller had a bus with just the seats removed and wanted $7,000. Another seller with the same level of conversion wanted $4,000.  When other factors such as electrical, plumbing and solar systems get added in the price ranges went from $15,000 - 70,000.

I wanted a bus that had the seats already removed and if possible, some good insulation on the floor, walls and ceiling. School buses are basically metal cans. For full-time living, good insulation is necessary.

When I found the right bus for me it had the seats removed and insulation in the floor and walls, a wheelchair lift door near the front of the bus, a ‘flat face’ design (think city buses), and a strong engine and transmission combination.

The bus is purchased and I am arranging to get it transported to me. I found a great place for building the conversion - an outdoor storage place with rain protection that also has a wood shop and metal shop.

I am interviewing experienced skoolie builders to find someone to work with me to implement my design.

I invite you to follow along on my adventure to Building Joy.

Finding Joy - Buses (part 2 of 3)

WHAT ABOUT A BUS?

School bus conversions have come a long way since they were moveable hippie communes following rock bands.

School districts sell off thousands of buses every year. With prices ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand, they are a great base for building a custom home.

For my purposes, school buses provide a very strong base. Unlike RV trailers that often have a top weight limit of 6,000 lbs a school bus top weight limit is often over 25,000. No matter how many wheelchairs I put into the bus, their weight will not be a problem.

Converted school buses are called “skoolies”. Over the past 20 years people documented their designs and builds so that information is widely available.

Since every conversion is unique, there are innumerable variations. From short buses which are less than 20 feet long to full size buses at 40 feet long, every type of person can find a bus and design that works for them.

There are very few wheelchair folks living in either RVs or school buses.. Most “wheelchair friendly” RV or skoolie designs presume the disabled person is not cooking or driving. Neither are they cleaning, showering, or toileting without assistance. Many don’t have options for the disabled person to get in and out of the RV by themself.

The good news: dream up a design.
The bad news: figure it out yourself

Luckily I’m connected to some disabled and nondisabled designers, builders, and dreamers. Their support and guidance emboldens me to move forward.

RESOURCES FOR BUS SEARCHING
SKOOLIE.NET functions as a clubhouse for modifying and selling skoolies (school buses converted to tiny homes). You can find everything from electrical schematics to tire recommendations. This is where the smartest skoolie folks hang out and share their knowledge. CRAIGSLIST is the most common place to find converted school buses for sale. Many (maybe the majority) of folks who buy and start to convert a bus stop after the grueling work of taking out the seats, sanding out the rust and putting in some insulation. Since Craigslist is everywhere, many folks turn to it as the first place they advertise the bus.

OTHER - Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Tiny House and Bus Life have a much smaller selection for sale and they tend to be finished conversions.