The vehicle itself — types, brands, top picks, where to buy
You want a bus, you’ve got some cash saved up, and you’re ready to pull the trigger. But walking into this blind is how people end up with a rusted-out money pit sitting in their driveway. Let’s walk through the whole process so you buy smart and don’t learn expensive lessons the hard way. Buying … Read more
You’ve decided to build a skoolie. Now you’re staring at listings for Blue Birds, Thomas Safeliners, IC buses, flat-nose pushers, short buses, and something called a “Type D transit” — and you have no idea which one is right for your build. Let’s fix that. There are nine types of buses that work well for … Read more
You’ve found a couple of buses you like, but one’s gas and one’s diesel. The diesel costs more. Is it worth the extra cash, or is gas good enough for a conversion? Go diesel if you can afford it. Diesel school bus engines last 300,000-500,000 miles versus 150,000-250,000 for gas. They get better fuel economy … Read more
I went back and forth on this for weeks and almost drove myself crazy. Every time I’d watch a tour of a full-size build on YouTube I’d think “yeah, that’s what I need, all that space.” Then I’d try to parallel park my friend’s truck downtown and remember that a school bus is literally twice … Read more
When I was bus shopping, the mileage numbers freaked me out at first. I’m used to cars where 150,000 miles means you’re basically driving on borrowed time. So when I saw buses listed at 180,000, 200,000 miles, my gut reaction was to keep scrolling. Turns out that was completely wrong, and I almost missed out … Read more
When I first started looking for a bus, I made the mistake of going to AutoTrader and typing in “school bus.” You can imagine how that went. Turns out school buses don’t get sold like normal vehicles, they move through completely different channels and once you know where to look it actually gets a lot … Read more
I remember the first time I sat behind the wheel of a bus and looked down the hood, or I guess the lack of a hood since it’s a flat nose. My brain kept telling me this thing was way too big for me to be driving. But I’d already bought it, so backing out … Read more
This is the question everyone asks before they buy a bus, and honestly, the answer might scare you a little. But it’s better to know upfront than to find out at the pump. Most converted school buses get between 6 and 12 miles per gallon, depending on the engine, bus size, weight of the build, … Read more