What Is A Skoolie? A Full Explanation

Traditional ways of living have been changing in the last several years. There are many that have started to sell their homes and find non-traditional jobs to start a life in a tiny home, RV, Bus, Van, Truck and even some Cars. 

After a lot of research on RVs and Travel Trailers, my wife and I came across some other recreational vehicles and interesting ways to live in a motorhome.

So, what is a skoolie? A skoolie is a pre-owned (or new) school bus that has been converted into a motorcoach or tiny home on wheels. A skoolie can come in many sizes busses can range anywhere from 17- 45 feet long and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to get into one. Skoolies can be as simple as loading a bunch of furniture and appliances on a bus and throwing a little electrical in to get it to work out. Or, you can do a massive overhaul that can involve raising the roof, adding insulation, framing, and custom furniture builds to give it a real home feel.

How Do You Start Converting A Skoolie?

Well, I guess It is worth saying that not all skoolie conversions will be the same or to the magnitude as others. But here is a general idea of how you could convert a bus into a skoolie.

1. Demolition Time:

 In order to get things into your bus you will have to take the seats off the bus so that would be the first step in demolition. Next, you may or may not opt to tear down the walls, ceiling, and floor. This will completely depend on how far you want to take your conversion process. My suggestion is to do what you know you can handle, and hire out the rest.

2. Will, You Raise The Roof?: 

 If you are like me and over 6’ tall, it will be a good idea to raise the roof. Raising the roof will do 2 things for you, it will give you the headroom you need and it will create more cubic feet throughout the cabin of the bus for more storage and great airflow. Also during this process, you will want to figure out your wiring and your hookups for water and waste. Another thing to consider is your floor plan so that you can run water hosing and electric wire efficiently. Also, are you removing any of the windows for privacy and energy efficiency? 

3. Tape Out And Measure For Floor Plan Layout:

 You will see on most YouTube videos that skoolie people will go ahead and measure for the layout of the bus. It is good to do this before you insulate the bus so that if there is ever an issue it won’t be as hard to go back and correct it. 

4. Insulation: 

if you want to put in spray foam or foam board insulation to get better heat and air efficiency. Most busses dohave  batted insulation that comes with it but it is just enough to meet the vehicles original purposed standards. Most skoolie owners that replace insulation are using spray foam to insulate the walls and ceiling. I have seen some that have done foam on the undercarriage of the bus and then sealing the foam with an undercoating that protects against weather. Another option is ¾” foam board, however, you will probably not get the “R” value that you will get from  foam board that you can get from using spray foam. I have seen a few setups that will use both, foam board on the floor and spray foam on the walls and ceiling. We are doing both in our bus.

5. Wiring and Water Hookup and Heater:

 Some people may opt to do their electrical wiring before they spray the foam in, this could be a mistake if you wired your bus wrong or if you need to go back later and replace wires or make adjustments. If you have a kitchen and bathroom that will be running a sink or shower water you will need a fresh water tank and a gray water tank. There is some plumbing required to complete this process but it is all pretty simple with a few YouTube tutorials.

6. AC/Heating Unit:

 There are several types of units to pick from when you are considering your hearing and air options for a skoolie. Some decisions may be made depending on the size of your bus or how technical you want to get with your build.There are 4 common a/c units that are used on a bus conversion: A window unit can be plugged into the wall and provide cool air for a small space, I personally would only use this option if you are going to be on a 17’ bus or smaller. You also have mini splits, these units are great and will provide heat and a/c, you will have to plan a space to mount the exterior fan unit, but this is a great option for air control on a mid sized bus.T cool and heat a larger bus you can pickup a non-ducted a/c unit that mounts to the roof and blows lots of cool air, most of these can range between 9k-16k btu’s. If you choose a unit that is ducted you are able to control multiple areas of your bus that get air. Most ducted air units will be between 15k-18k btu’s. 

7. Install Appliances and Frame Out Bed and Bathrooms: 
8. Composting Toilet or Normal Toilet?: 

A composting toilet is not a bad option if you don’t mind changing it out every few days, a composting toilet separates urine and feces for 2 reasons: the first reason is the smell and the second reason is it is easily disposable. You can take the poop and bag it up like dog poop and toss it in a trash can. And the urine can be poured into a drain. A normal toilet will need some extra pipes to run the waste down to your gray water tank. Then you will have the same setup as a traditional RV or travel trailer. Either option is good it is all a matter of personal preference, either way, you will have to dispose of this waste if you plan on having a skoolie.

9. Will You Paint The Bus?:

 I have seen many people that just leave their bus yellow and don’t paint it at all. If you are going to paint your bus, be prepared to spend some money on paint. You will want to sand, acid wash, paint, and clear coat. 

10. What Energy Will Your Bus Be Using: 

You will need to wire your bus with lighting and outlets to run appliances and charge cell phones and computers, but there is a decision you will want to make here. Shore Power, Solar, or Generator. You can use all 3 and that would prepare you for any situation you may encounter. Solar is a good choice if you plan on boondocking and not paying a bunch of money at costly campsites, sure power is plugging in somewhere and being able to run everything, usually if you use shore power you will have a generator for the times when you need to use your appliance, but can’t be plugged into power. Solar is my favorite option even though you will invest a good chunk of money upfront you will save that money spent on your electricity from then on. 

These are most of the things you will want to consider when you are deciding on how to convert your bus into a skoolie!

*Shore Power is a 30 or 50 amp direct plugged in connection to a power grid.

Where Can I Save Money When Building A Skoolie?

Purchasing your bus should not be something where you find the lowest price for a bus and just get it. 

Be sure that the bus runs well and that if it has issues you either know how to fix it or you understand what it will cost to get the bus running optimally, and that the layout of the wheel wells and where the engine sits will all be a factor in layout. Make sure the tires are in good shape, with no dry rot and plenty of tread.

 Purchase lasting materials that can withstand extreme weather. Don’t put real hardwood floors in your bus, laminate floors are great and most people that are building out a bus conversion are using laminate flooring to help withstand issues with moisture. You may also be traveling to places or live in places that have extreme weather. 

Shop at the Restore. Habitat For Humanity is a good place to look for general home building items. You can find some great deals on some lightly used items and it won’t break the bank.

 Make a checklist of all the items you plan to purchase to build out your skoolie, this will require some extensive research but it will give you an idea of what you will be spending or need to save. 

Do most of the work yourself. The cost to have someone else build your bus conversion will be a lot more, but there are many how to videos on YouTube that can help with the building process. Most of the build truly can be diy.

 Slow down, this process will take time and if rushed from anticipation or stress can make it where you make costly mistakes on things that you may have thought were minute.

Seat Removal Savings: If you strip down all the seats and recycle the steel you can avoid a costly dump run. In fact recycling places will pay you in most cases for your steel and aluminum that you bring to them. If you don’t want to put in the extra work stripping the seats down you can try to find someone that wants the seats, but otherwise you will be paying to dump the seats. You can save if you repurpose or reuse the seats as well.  

Can I Purchase A Skoolie That Has Already Been Converted?

Yes, you can! In fact, there are several places that offer these services now and more popping up all around America.

 A simple google search will get you pointed in the right direction. There are also forums of people that are selling their bus https://skoolie.net is a good one to start with.

 In this forum, most people have built a skoolie or are in the process of converting a skoolie and can give you some great tips on mistakes to avoid that they have learned and great ideas they’ve come across along their bus conversions.

Why Choose A Skoolie Over An RV? 

My wife and I have been talking for years about living in a travel trailer or an RV as we looked around, we found a lot of things that we think could work for us, however, some of these things were either too big for us to tow with our current vehicle that we own or far too expensive to purchase. We ended up hanging the idea up for a while.

So, why an old school bus?

•  Cost: I mean this is so cool you get to pick up a 38’ bus for between $3000-$7000 dollars, I have not found anything out there that is that economical for something that big.
• Customization: Now you get to be the one calling the shots. Don’t like the layouts that are available to purchase? You can retrofit a bus that will accommodate your lifestyle! 
• Long-Lasting Engine: if you go with a diesel option the bus will usually last longer. (before you purchase a bus please drive it, have it checked by a mechanic, just ensure you are purchasing quality).

 Summary

Skoolies are more than just a used bus that has been converted. Some are calling this lifestyle “ the skoolie movement”…  With more opportunities to work remote many people have sold their homes left their apartments or just retired and have started their skoolie movement. Whether it was to free up the time spent at work, or for a cheaper alternative way of living. My wife and I have prices it out done our research driven some busses and getting ready to convert our own. I hope this article was helpful and good luck, maybe we will see you on the road.