The vehicle itself — types, brands, top picks, where to buy
You’re looking at buses online, trying to figure out if you’ll actually be able to stand up inside one. Maybe you’re tall, maybe your partner is, and the last thing you want is to buy a bus and spend six months converting it only to bonk your head every time you walk to the kitchen. … Read more
You found a bus you like but the odometer has you second-guessing everything. That’s where most people get stuck, staring at a number and trying to figure out if it means the bus is a steal or a money pit. There’s no single number that’s “too many miles” for a school bus, but here’s what … Read more
You just built out this beautiful rolling home and something goes wrong mechanically. Now what? Who do you even call? Finding a mechanic for a converted school bus isn’t as hard as people think, but it does take some homework. The engine, transmission, brakes, and drivetrain on your bus are commercial truck components — the … Read more
You’re shopping for a bus and you’ve got a preference — or maybe just a question — about whether school buses ever came with a stick shift. Yes, manual transmission school buses exist, but they’re rare and getting rarer every year. Most school buses built after the mid-1990s came with automatic transmissions, almost always an … Read more
If you’ve ever seen a double decker bus rolling through a city and thought “that would make the coolest house on wheels,” you’re not alone. It’s one of those ideas that sounds incredible on paper, but raises about a hundred practical questions the second you start digging into it. Yes, you can absolutely convert a … Read more
When I first started looking into getting a skoolie, this was one of the first questions I had to figure out. I kept seeing forum posts where people were saying they found a bus for $1,500, and then other folks claiming they spent $8,000, and I couldn’t figure out where the middle ground actually was. … Read more
You’ve decided you want to convert a school bus into a home. That’s the easy part. Now you’re staring at listings with terms like “Type C,” “DT466,” “Allison transmission,” and “4.56 rear end” — and you have no idea what any of it means or why it matters. This guide walks you through every decision … Read more
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