You tube Fulltimers getting squeezed

Rick Jay wrote:
My niece's daughter just got into the whole "Skoolie" thing... And our rig has dual pane windows and OK insulation. Their bus has neither... if you buy one of these conversions, you have NO IDEA how anything was wired, plumbed, constructed and if it was done with any regards at all to safety. Let alone the engine and drivetrain components. ~Rick

I did the skoolie thing. It's what I'm currently living in. My background was residential construction and in 2010-2013 I put $10K into a $1500 1986 Blue Bird FE All American former school bus (mine spent a few years transporting white water rafters). My Blue Bird had fiberglass insulation in it already but we kept the interior skin in place and added another layer of insulation. I made interior storm windows for all the windows we kept (we remodeled old houses so I knew all about interior storm windows). I had bought the codes for RVs that the RVIA uses. It's a joke. We did the LP to marine standards. We did the electrical to our standards. The RV standards is much closer to "National Building Code" standards and I wouldn't build a dog house to those low standards. The big deal is getting the lousy thing titled as a motorhome and getting insured. There is basically only one outfit that will insure a skoolie. A few others will but they often get the policies cancelled at some point (usually at the worst time).

I do not encourage people to do a skoolie conversion. As a matter of fact, when I replace my bus with another camper (toyhauler fiver), the bus will go to the crushers after I strip out what I want (ie: residential LP fireplace with the 1926 mantle, 30" residential LP range which bakes bread so nicely, 13cf freezer, 1950's rock maple table, late 1800's rocking chair, the big cedar lined chest that my late husband made as my wedding present, the LP generator that I rarely use). The bus is a very personal thing. I'm not "sharing" it so I will remove my special items and crush it.

I do tell people that they are better off with a pull behind rather than a motorized home. Especially if they are going to invest in a lot of customizing. If the motor goes out in a motorized unit, it has to have the motor replaced or scrap it. If the motor goes out in a pull behind, then it is just easier to buy another vehicle to pull it.

As for long term winter parking, try mobile home parks. And a lot of private campgrounds/rv/mh parks do not want a skoolie in their parks for long term stays.