HOT TIP: if your bus gets too hot in the summer, maybe think about not painting it black.

I don't know whats driving me so deep into this community, but I'm not gonna stop till I have a skoolie of my own

Skoolies matter, just say no to Skoolie shaming. 😂😂😂

We actually bought a school bus to use as our daily vehicle for our large family (much safer than a passenger van, and much cheaper-we didn’t want to get into a huge debt for a dangerous vehicle that will last only a few years!). We watch skoolie videos because there is still a lot of info we can use as we have to paint it, change some seats out, remove the stop sign, etc to get it registered. However getting it insured in our case wasn’t so bad. The big companies wouldn’t do it but they all told us to go local. First local we called they insured it no problem-and it’s full coverage not just liability. Oh and it’s far cheaper than the insurance we have on our mini van-they said because the bus is safer. It’s not the same as an rv, but maybe best luck going local.

Adam I am a Vietnam vet.and I have seen all of your vlogs several times and as far as I am concerned you are serving your country very well. And I am proud of you and some day I hope to meet you.If I don't croke first I am 75 years old and live in Kentucky and still ride.

I'm new to this whole skoolie thing, but so far I've got a feeling that people have some kind of mental blocks against insulating windows. They will pull them out, raise the roof, put them back in, weld them over, anything... except insulate them.

There's something you don't expect to hear while CAMPING...."sorry, that isn't classy enough." .....like, wtf ?

Five very good points. Doing that with a schoolie is definitely something for the person who is willing to put in the work and the time to make it work. Keep em coming my man. Hope all is well with Scooter and the lovely Miss Ashley. Thanks.

That was a great info video. The licensing and insurance is a big one. Thanks for sharing your experience/expertise with us. Rubber side down and let the miles roll on.

The speed was literally what I was worried about lol 😂 thanks for this

Your honesty and transparency in those review videos is remarkable. Wish other people could talk honest about whatever they own like you talk about your vehicles and stuff. Great vid, keep it up, Adam!

Another downside worth mentioning is that school buses don't have under storage bays. Although some buses have maybe one or two but it’s not like a coach bus or standard rv where the the whole bottom side is storage bays

When looking for a bus get a school activity bus instead of a plan school bus

One thing with a vehicle this large you don't want to go faster than 65 mph because you loose 20 to 30% of your fuel mileage.

Advantages of snooty, snooty campgrounds, ... showers, running water, electricity , probably some wifi, and a lot of nosey neighbors, not very far away, that's right hear everything. Outback sounds much better to me anyways.

Why would anyone be driving a house on wheels faster than 65mph?

My skoolie goes 80, designed to take kids to sports game

Your build and what you do for others has been an inspiration for me and my build! Keep on truckin!👍😎

I truly appreciate these informative tips man, because I have really been wanting to do this since I was young. But I really want something that I can insulate so I love the Van conversion idea too it's just a lot smaller. Only drawback to camper van's, no indoor shower.

Thanks for sharing man, love the content!

Thank you for this video! Love it

Not as scary as I thought. I was worried to watch this. But those are all things that are good helpful things. I’m about to buy a bus. Seeking support to build a skoolie. DREAM UNTIL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! 🥰

I've been turned down at RV parks because my Gulf Stream Sun Stream Hi Rise Class A motorcoach is over 10 years old. Yes, it's much older than 10, it's a 1988 making it 31 year's old now. However it looks as if I just drove it off the show room floor. It has a brand new fresh full body custom paint job on it. I have found sending a photo will sometimes help. Other say sorry, rules are rules and still won't consider letting in an older RV. But it never hurts to ask. All they can do is say no!

I have one in the UK. Campsites and insurance not a big issue and I have kept the stop sign and yellow color . Ride is rough and insulation poor. Mine is ECM limited to 55mph, but that's not an issue. Biggest issue is miles per gallon on fuel!

Thank you for the info! Trying to decide if I should get an RV or a Skoolie conversation. Never even thought about insurance and licensing. Btw you have a very soothing voice.

I would have never thought that a camp ground wouldn’t allow you to stay because of what you drive. That’s probably something not a lot of people know, very helpful.

He covered everything I was going to say! Especially the camp ground rules not just them but if you should have to store your bus I found many of the storage lots won't let in any type of bus I had a 1948 Flxible Clipper that was originally an airport bus. And many places wouldn't let it in. The reason for no schoolie's I camp grounds goes back to the hippie days. They band the busses or what they called Hippie Wagons based off of the type of people they assumed would be in it. I think some places have relaxed now but not all. The last I heard correct or not. Your not pulling into any KOA park.

There's plenty of campgrounds across the country that don't even allow a regular RVs that are older than 10 years no matter how nice they are they could even be vintage and completely remodeled like an Airstream travel trailer and they still won't allow them because they're over 10 years old

All good stuff thanks for the info!

Loved the video Adam, thank you!!!

Thank you for information 💁‍♀️ looking forward to buy one.

Great video Adam. Good advise.

Thanks for clear, concise info.

I have a 2003 Bluebird FE 29 foot bus with air brakes and a kneeling feature. My #1 problem is leveling. When the air eventually starts going down the bus rocks forward and mangles the leveling device (we have tried several different types at this point). I can relate to your list and have had to deal with all of those along the way, but leveling has been my biggest unexpected headache to date.

Be aware if you change your gearing OR go to bigger tires, it will throw off your mechanical speedometer. You will be able to use your GPS to see your actual speed depending on your signal, but the speedometer in your dash will read lower than your actual speed. Try telling that to the officer. Then you will also get a ticket for having defective equipment.

Thank you Adam for the information

Those are some five great tips / things to watch out for thank you so much for sharing. We're currently in the middle of our bus conversion and insulation is one of the things that we're going to have to do, because of how crappily insulated the bus is.

Good job brother! Next time you get threw Clearwater, MN stop in at Blaine Brothers an say hello. Tell'um Willie sent ya!!! ( Big truck parts, service, an towing). Lol, Papa Greg here👊😎👊🇺🇸

Well made. Good advice

Good job! I like this guy. Thanks for the information this Vietnam Vet finds very usable.

Great information to know🤘🏻👍🇺🇸

I love your Igor and want one, thanks for sharing.

Eye sore! 😡. How dare them think that. S'coolies awesome! I know they're not perfect, but they look cool and the options are endless. I see the 97k. Subscribers. Wow Adam you sure have grown the channel since I started watching. It's because your the real deal you make us proud young man. Keep it up bro.👍

High Society camping LOL.they can keep it Igor is ready for anything. 😎

thank you. very helpful

A better alternative to larger tires would be a lower ratio rear gearset. I dropped mine from 4.63 factory to 3.42 for only $250 from Vanderhaag’s. Same wheels and tires with better top speed and fuel economy.

Thank you for the video

Thank you, you have Literally answered my questions

I've learned, even if you have a 04 year bus and it's newer than half their long term residences campers are you still could be rejected even when they look like a stock bus with no missing paint or damage. What's insurance for? LOL. It's not tough in some states to get the title work done, like TN.

Very nice and informative thank you brother... Dream till your dreams come true 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

For me, pulling a trailer half the time, I enjoy being the slowest thing on the road. It's a total stress relief, no strategy, no fuss, pedal all the way to the floor, sit in the right lane and take in the sights. I can go 2500 miles and only have pass another vehicle 3 or 4 times. When I wanna go fast I get the chopper a.k.a. The Grocery Getter, outta the trailer. I'm seven years into my current bus, two and half now full-time.

When they say you can't have a school bus in the camp ground so you show up in a prison bus

Mines not licensed as an RV. It’s registered as a station wagon I only pay $28/month

Great review! 🇺🇸✌🇺🇸

Around 20 years ago I bought a shuttle bus, 27 passenger with a wheel chair lift. I was a residential house painter and we restored old shutters so I figured this is the rig. I called my local police and they said to call the state police. I live in Massachusetts and the state police are our registry police. They told me as long as only 5 people can sit on the bus all with seat belts i could register it as a cargo van. The local and state police both had to come and check it out to sign off on it. The whole process took about two weeks. I also after a while asked how to register it as an RV if I built a camper. They said its the same process.

I had a 1954 GMC Skoolie with an Overdrive. This was a common feature of the era in rural areas. My bus had a 215 cubic inch six and a 3 speed manual. You won't find them today.

80 mph idk if I could do that in a bus. More info on the super single tires would be great!

Great video adam.my only consern is driving a school bus at 80 mi per hour lol.they are not designed to travel that fast. I drove a garbage truck for many years and I know for my own safety consciousness that heavy trucks are more dangerous with more speed. I suppose out in Arizona with no traffic open it up so I take part of that. Back.Those old heavy duty rear ends optimize the weight that it has to push and it's definitely not for Speed.and the ride quality is a given. I will take that heavy-duty suspension over and air suspension with all of its problems any day as long as my back can take it LOL.nice truck.

Adam, Those are 5 great points.

Just found you. This vid is great.

1. They were made for short trips and many stops. Low gearing for sure. 2. They were made for use with engine on where you get easy heat. If engine if off, install insulation and extra heater.

You can also change all the windows to triple pane RV windows. You can also install air ride suspension..Also if your bus is a puller and you have a dog house then engine noise and heat will be a factor in the drivers compartment. I like to insulate the hell out of the engine compartment and the doghouse for both heat and sound. If you dont mind the work and you want allot more insulation in your bus then raise the roof and in doing so weld additional thicker ribs on the ceiling so you can install thicker insulation. you can do the same thing on the walls. Although if your doing the walls I would weld the ribs on the outside then insulate between the ribs and re=sheet metal the outside of the bus. This will also eliminate all the school bus body ribs which I never liked. By doing wall insulation externally you avoid loosing any living space inside the bus

I got a mini skoolie 1988 Ford Eco 350 goes 79-80 a hr it’s all good it was in excellent condition and mine runs like a Lincoln Town Car I couldn’t be more happy with it and it came with brand new ac unit and wheelchair lift which I am going to sell to do my bus up! I paid with tag title all paperwork smog and full coverage insurance as a RV and AAA for 3,500 out the door in Burbank California my insurance cast me 49 bucks a month that’s right 49 a moth

As a trucker a schoolie is no problem but what's driving me to get into it is the costs of rent now days

Not too bad but a great heads up for someone who’s looking to invest in one. Parking even outside of camp grounds may also be an issue as well

Perception! It can go on the good list AND the bad list. We are asked everywhere we go by people if they can look inside because it’s just so cool. Honestly, sometimes that is a detriment because we have been late because of folks wanting to look inside, lol. I still say it’s a positive- it IS cool, and I don’t blame them 😂. It’s just mot always a good time for tours. On the other hand, you have people that will turn their noses up and assume you are beneath them for driving around in a skoolie. It’s so crazy 😆

Hey I just subbed man cheers from canada

for licensing check your local DMV in CO, in some places, it is a short form and all that is needed is a 110V plug in through the wall to make it a motor home

Thank you

The title switch is easy in Florida, you apply at the tag office and they do it.

The Good, the Bad, and the Schoolee…, Good or bad; you got to love them!!!"

With 2022 gas prices, I bet that a lot of these are mothballed.

I'm curious. Just how effective was it changing out the tires? And was there additional mechanical work to do that in the gearing? Was it worth your time, effort and money? I'm seriously considering buying a bluebird and never own one before

My truck maxes out at 70mph/just likes to go at that speed but I only travel at 65-69mph. Has anyone else used a swamp cooler in these things? Do they work pretty well?

Lol, love the name of his bus, haha, Igor!

Do you have further info on retro-fitting the super singles? I want to do that on my Thomas....

What about cruise control? I think, you said most don't have it at one point in some video. Good to know info for sure!

My idea is to change out the running gear with one from an over the road semi truck. Tandem duals with split gear rearends or the single wheels either one. And if your really ambitious use the entire running gear, engine, transmission and rear ends from semi. Semi trucks are geared for highway speeds and have plenty of power to pull a loaded bus. You can get an older used semi for a donor. Another idea is to add air ride system from a semi. That would help reduce the rough ride. It would be a lot of work but the difference would be huge. I have a plan for one of these I hope to complete in the near future.

NH doesn't require insurance. I did obtain a 5 yr $100,000 bond that cost $100. Registered as a seasonal motorhome. I keep telling young people that in 1970 about half the states didn't require insurance. Most Driver License didn't have photos. There is no reason not to return to those days.

Can you give us some perspective on the troubling issue of getting insurance? I am at that stage now with my 80 crown bus school Lee of trying to achieve insurance so I can be all proper and legal and I find nothing but dead ends I'm sure I am NOT trying hard enough but are you able to detail your struggle to get insurance and all the hoops and criteria that we need to go through? Thanks

There is another reason some campgrounds do not allow these. While this other reason may be a generalization, but there is a statistical reason in that many owners of schoolie RVs are not allowed. Unfortunately some leave trash, are loud into late hours, and think rules apply to others. This is similar to rules against pit bull dogs. While most owners are responsible and most are not aggressive, statistically, there is still a significant number that are

That’s an awesome bus. I like it. How much would you say you have put into a bus like that? 30k?

I like the super single idea.

Lic and insurance varies by state do your homework some states will be super easy like here in N.C all you have to do is remove the seats and signage. Progressive and good sam offer really cheap r/v insurance (mine is 95 dollars a year) (yours will vary depending on usage estimate). The gearing is tricky, putting bigger tires on it will increase your max speed but will also throw the speedo off, so you will want to use A gps to find out how much, Or have the speedo re-calibrated. For around 1500 bucks you can have the rear end re-geared and keep the stock size tires. Buses made after 2000 will have A governed speed and engine management which can be changed, Again for A fee you can have the max speed/rpm/fuel pressure turned up to regain lost performance from the change in gear ratio. Even older mechanical diesels can have the fuel pump shimmed to regain performance. As far as the rough ride do not ever lower tire pressures below what the tire says, doing so can cause unsafe handling and blow out's. Removing A leaf in the springs or if you have air ride lowering the air bag pressure will soften the ride considerably. Most camps now a days have A website and will tell you if they do not allow skoolies, But even those mostly will allow them if they are well done or diesel pushers (like mine) I call ahead and say " hey let me send A photo of my r/v" and ask for consideration. NEVER say "I have A school bus" can I stay there.

The schoolee reminds me of Woodstock

I am new to this and wondering, has anyone considered adding an UNDER/OVERDRIVE unit to the transmission?? Also, what mileage should be expected with these beasts??

I am having an issue getting insurance in Texas.

i have a 1980 thomas mighty mite I am working on. at some point someone converted it into a shitty camper and its titled as a GMC Van (its build on a gmc p-30 van chassis) i have it plated as an antique car her in FL and insured as such.

That video was shot in Oklahoma? Are you from Oklahoma? Really could use some guidance. Already have my bus insured and tagged, in the conversion process right now.

Does it guzzle a lot of gas?

Hey we got the same bus 89 3800 what years that one?

On your back wheel conversion did you have to replace hub? My single rim isn’t covering over drum is this ok?

Could you pull a leaf or two from the springs to improve the ride?

Where did you get insurance?

6:02 "...and they can keep their high society camp grounds to themselves..." Boom. Instant sub

I love the taller commercial tires!

HEY SIR ? WHAT WAS INSIDE THOSE TWO BLACK JUGS ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR BUS ? IS THAT YOUR CLEAN WATER FILL UP ?

ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO 👍 HAVE EXTRA HEATERS

Damn I really wanted to keep the stop sign on my future school bus, but I guess I wont be able to, if you painted it to be something else would they still make you take it off? probably but for future purposes I wanna know!

If you want to live somewhere full time convert a bus. It will feel more like a home and systems can be made more reliable if you are smart. If you want to holiday get an RV because it is much easier.