Mike's School Bus Conversion

This is a page I created to chronicle the joy and heartbreak I will encounter converting my third school bus into an RV. ***Always Under Construction***

This page last updated on: May 8, 2002

I have always loved traveling and camping in one of my converted school busses. I have owned two of them previously and the week of March 18, 2001 I picked up my third. There are advantages and disadvantages to converting a school bus to an RV. Among the advantages: Lots of room and you get to place furniture and appliances where YOU like them, not where a manufacturer's survey says you would like them. The disadvantages include poor gas mileage, extremely inefficient heating and cooling and a constant battle with bureaucracy in order to meet safety and construction quality considerations. But when you are done you can say "I built this."

Update for 4/1/2001: Well, the bus is "home" now. I started removing the 104 bolts that keep the seats attached but they are steadfast. I tried wrenching, chiesling and grinding. Small-yield thermo-nuclear devices are next.

Visits since April 1, 2001

Update for 3/27/2001: Jeff Baker from Laidlaw Transportation in Salem, NH says that I can take ownership of bus #393 on Friday the 30th. Hopefully, enough snow will have melted from my driveway to allow me to park it there.

Previous updates:

Update for 3/29/2001: Well, tomorrow is the big day. I am taking the afternoon off from work, getting a check from the Credit Union, obtaining a Temporary Registration from the DMV and then picking up the bus. Of course the weather calls for downpours...

Update for 4/29/2001: OK,OK, it's been 20 days. I found rust between the inside and tside walls and I have been tearing out the inside walls. What a job. I will have supports sistered to the bad members. Good News: The mechanics say all is well.

Update for 4/4/2001: David brought over a portable, hand-held, band saw and it did the trick. I got the 13 passenger side seats out in about 4 hours. I still have little stems sticking up from the floor but they can be ground down. Took pics, will post them tomorrow. Will install BusCam tomorrow, also.

Bus Trivia: Bus Number: 393 School Dist.: Windham, NH Length: 40 feet Width: 7 feet 9 inches Inside Headroom: 6 feet 5 in. Number of seats: 26 Bolts securing seats: 156 Total of change found stuck in the seats: $0.52 Seats with gum stuck on the bottom: 4 Number of marbles found: 2 (One clear, one cat's eye) Other items found: Shoelace, seashells (3), love note, moldy orange of uncertain vintage.

Update for 4/6/2001: All the seats are out. What a task. David's saw really helped. Saturd I will be shopping for flooring and isulation for the sides. Have a simple layout planned, will try to post in documents. Will install BusCam tomorrow, also. Really.

Update for 7/30/2001: OK, 4 months this time. But the BUScam has shown the progress. Letsee... A sofabed, bookcase and table in the livingroom, carpeting and linoleum throughout, a stove and oven, microwave cart, cabinets, countertop, sink, fridge, toilet and Queen sized bed. Then there is the paneling througout and insulation on the covered windows.

Update for 10/7/2001: So I am not that great at keeping the site up-to-date. Sorry. I've been kinda busy what with working out the separation, getting the kid settled at college (BU), selling the house and moving into the bus. Oh, yeah, put paying off all my debts on the list, too! As far as the bus goes, I am living in it now at the Natural High Resort in Lebanon, Maine. The bus is registered with a license plate that says: MYHOWS. Think about it. Recent changes include installation of DishTV, raising the Queen-sized bed for more storage, Closets, storage racks, reading lights over the bed, a new Ham radio with automatic antenna tuner, an office, microwave and cart, detachable dining room table.

Update for 5/8/2002: On October 21st, the owners of the park told me that, despite promises to stay open, they were closing for the season. Scrambling, I found a room in Concord, NH and put the bus in storage. Summer is here and it is finally time to get on with the painting. I put the webcam back up. If you view it this weekend you should see lots of painting activity, weather permitting.