Anyone converted a bus, school bus to RV?

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by w00fster

It's not a school bus, found this out in the desert. They tried farming for a while and lived in this bus. From the looks of things it didn't work out for them.

Reminds me of the story of The Rosa Park Bus,,, that was found to be using as a storage shed,,, until The Henry Ford restored it !!!

[Santini]

Some campgrounds will not accept Bus campers.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by Santini

Some campgrounds will not accept Bus campers.

That seems rather discriminatory to me.....

Isn't a Prevost a Bus? I think so. Most every Greyhound is a Prevost...

How about a Bluebird WanderLodge? Isn't a Bluebird a school bus in it's other life...

I realize campgrounds are private enterprises but I be a nice lawsuit would change their attitudes.

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by w00fster

It's not a school bus, found this out in the desert. They tried farming for a while and lived in this bus. From the looks of things it didn't work out for them.

It didn't work out too well for Christopher McCandless either...

Tim

[prof_fate]

it seems it would be more of a anti-establishment move than an economic one. Do you want what you want, something 'different' or 'interesting' or what everyone else has?

I've always walked to the beat of a different drummer...

There is something to be said for the structure and drive train of a bus vs a 'stick and staple' TT or 5vr or class C..well, most class C.s

[f5moab]

School bus conversion like this that I have spotted last year and took a photo, and this spring and didn't take a photo? (Sign on the side was some plea for money to purchase fuel to make it home to Montana.)
Wally world parking lot, and he is in Chubbuck side of the parking lot, not the Pocatello side.


And for viewing pleasure...a blowup....


Some stickers on the back of the bus, which you cannot read unless enlarged from the original, are not nice.

[prof_fate]

that's way to ma and pa kettle for me.

This is worse...


this looks more like an rv - door change, rv a/c on roof, etc.


work in progress - raised roof, rv window...

now you'd never get your money back out of this...



I'm envisioning something more like this- the paint hides the origin very well, has an RV awning, etc.

[Santini]

Some years ago a school bus conversion caught on fire in a campground in Guntersville, Al. and burned three other rigs along with it. The county abollished any rig that wasn't manufatured as a camper and any that were refurbished must have been certified by plumbers and electricians before allowed.
I found a number of CG's that limit the rig when we were looking for places to stay recently. Can't recall names because that has been a few months.

[SidecarFlip]

Originally Posted by prof_fate

that's way to ma and pa kettle for me.

This is worse...


this looks more like an rv - door change, rv a/c on roof, etc.


work in progress - raised roof, rv window...

now you'd never get your money back out of this...



I'm envisioning something more like this- the paint hides the origin very well, has an RV awning, etc.

Ni hiding the origin on the last one, thats a WanderLodge, aka: Bluebird and most came with a V8 Caterpillar and an 8 speed Allison, IOW, it would eat your modern motorhome for lunch on the road. All air suspension too.

[mowingman]

I have been a school bus driver for 8 years, and I can't think of any good reason to turn a school bus into an RV.
Cheap/inexpensive does not apply, no matter what the upfront cost is. School bus service is extremely hard on engines, drive line, brakes, and transmissions. A bus with 150,000 miles is comparable to a car or pickup with 500,000 miles in wear and tear.
Wiring and computers on most all school buses built since about 2000 or so, are very complex, and very prone to repeated failures. School buses have plywood floors, and most often the floors are rotten by the time a school district disposes of them. School buses are usually equipped with the smallest engine that can move them down the road, in hopes of getting some type of fair fuel mileage. Do not plan on driving a school bus at posted highway speeds very often, especially with a headwind, or up a fair grade.
Well, I could go on and on, but my advice is, "Don't do it."

[Santini]

No different than building codes. Campgrounds look at it as a safety issue.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by Santini

Some years ago a school bus conversion caught on fire in a campground in Guntersville, Al. and burned three other rigs along with it. The county abollished any rig that wasn't manufatured as a camper and any that were refurbished must have been certified by plumbers and electricians before allowed.
I found a number of CG's that limit the rig when we were looking for places to stay recently. Can't recall names because that has been a few months.

That's an absurd policy. How can a local government or any government enforce such a regulation? I'd say its more of a thing to keep out older rigs and the riff raff than any type of safety concern . The plumbing and electrical in your new rig is supposedly certified by the RVIA......what a joke that is. Do a search on here for electrical issues and plumbing leaks

[Santini]

Did you understand that i said the unit that caught on fire was a school bus conversion? The conversion was not inspected and certified for use as an rv.
I agree with those policies that may protect my family and our investment. It isn't too much to ask that the wiring in a backyard project be done properly.
You mentioned riff raff as if the people that own older riggs are somehow not quite as good as the guy with a new expensive unit. I hope you didn't mean it that way. Florida has a number of places with limitations on the age and type of rigs allowed.

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by Santini

Did you understand that i said the unit that caught on fire was a school bus conversion? The conversion was not inspected and certified for use as an rv.
I agree with those policies that may protect my family and our investment. It isn't too much to ask that the wiring in a backyard project be done properly.
You mentioned riff raff as if the people that own older riggs are somehow not quite as good as the guy with a new expensive unit. I hope you didn't mean it that way. Florida has a number of places with limitations on the age and type of rigs allowed.

I fully understood it was a converted school bus that caught fire. RV's catch fire all the time. So do cars and pick ups. If I have a converted school bus and want to camp in Guntersville, who do I get to inspect and certify my converted school bus? The local building inspector? The campground management? Thats nothing more than a BS ordinance and a good example of government run amok. What's the difference if I buy a new RV, turn around the next day and buy a Progressive Industries hardwired EMS and install it myself? Since I'm not "certified" as you put it I guess its illegal to camp in Guntersville?

The only entity I know of who provides any type of certification on an RV electrically is the RVIA, and its an absolute joke when you look at some of the things that come out of the factories. I don't think its too much to ask to have a new RV wired properly, but many are not. My 2017 had every single 110 volt conductor lug overtightend in the ground and neutral bars along with the breakers themselves to the point that the conductors would break at the slightest movement. The heads on the lugs themselves were all stripped, requiring new screws / bars and breakers to correct the condition. I have since corrected 3 other trailers owned by others for the same issues. All 4 of those left Indiana "certified" electrically.

There are plenty of private RV parks and campgrounds who limit the age and type of RV's they permit. Its most certainly to keep out the "riff raff". Its not I that "mean it that way", its the facility owners who mean it that way.

[Sierra360PDEK]

Lake Guntersville Campground is in a state Park, how does the city or county have any say in what they do.

[ependydad]

Regardless of the nitpicking over details of one particular park- it's common for RV parks to say what can and cannot camp there. Be it "motorcoaches only" or "no tents" or "minimum length" or "10 years old" or what. Like it or not- "RV type" is not a protected category and campgrounds can make whatever rules they choose. Personally, I think the bigger travesty is the "no alcohol" rule at campgrounds- how else am I supposed to like my kids?!

[Santini]

The county has campgrounds too. Not every cg belongs to the state.

[mdstudey]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

There are plenty of private RV parks and campgrounds who limit the age and type of RV's they permit. Its most certainly to keep out the "riff raff". Its not I that "mean it that way", its the facility owners who mean it that way.

That's why this riff raft choose to avoid RV parks for the most part.

[SidecarFlip]

Why I prefer to camp in the woods...with my new unit....