FAQs
Our most frequently asked questions
What kind of Bus do you have?
We have a 2003, 40-foot Thomas Built Pusher with a CAT 3126 engine and an Allison Transmission.
Why did you choose the bus you did?
Choosing the right bus for your conversion depends a lot on how you plan to live and use the bus. For us, after a lot of research, we chose the 40 ft pusher bus for the style, length, engine and transmission. Oh, and it was mechanically sound and a good price.
Where did you find your bus?
We called around our local school districts asking where they sell their retired busses. We then called the salvage yards they were sold too and well… the rest is history.
How long did it take you to convert the bus into a home?
It took us one full year of part time building to convert our bus into a home. We started our bus conversion on September 20, 2020, and finished, coincidentally, on September 20 of 2022 (we laugh that a bus conversion is never really finished). We both maintained full time work (on top of playing with two kids, managing a home, and continuing to go on adventures).
How long have you lived in your bus?
At this time of posting, we have lived in our bus for 1 year and 4 months.
How much did your bus conversion cost?
$21,055.
Did you convert the bus, or did you hire help?
We converted our whole bus to home together with the help of some amazing family, Â friends, and the talented people on Youtube.
Why did you choose your layout?
We went back and forth for a LONG time on the perfect layout for our family of 4 and we chose the layout we did so we could have it feel more like a home with “separate” living areas.
Do you tow a vehicle?
We do not tow our extra vehicle currently. We hope to have a tow on the bus in the future but right now we drive the car behind the bus.
Do you have a special license to drive your Skoolie?
NOPE! This might vary state to state (check your respective state laws). Our bus is registered as a motorhome and weighs less than 26,000 pounds (the cutoff for a class B noncommercial license) therefore there was no special licensing required.
Where do you park the bus? How do you find places to park?
We stay in RV parks, on Bureau of public land management land (BLM), and we use apps like Campendium, Ioverlander, Freeroam, Hipcamp, Harvest Host, and Google maps to find places to park. Â
What kind of gas mileage do you get?
Approximately 6-9 MPG.
What do you do for work while on the road?
Nicole works as a travel nurse allowing us to slow travel throughout each state we contract in and Bo is a stay at home Dad.
What do your kids do for schooling on the road?
We currently homeschool our two children utilizing a few different resources and a blend of different curriculums tailored to each of our childs learning styles.Â
Did we forget something?
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