TLDR; Would you book a float in the back of a skoolie, provided that it was a nice, clean tank on a nice bus?

Hi, nice to meet you. I'm nearly 2 months into building out my 2002 Bluebird skoolie in Oklahoma (full time).

I've raised the roof 16", got it nearly prepped for paint, gutted, and 3 inches of XPS on the chassis savered floor pan. It's time for me to commit to a layout and move forward.

I'm trying to plan for a life on the road with my family, which needs to include some way of supporting ourselves once we get out there, so we can stay out there - by which time building the bus will have depleted my savings.

I have an unusual idea that I've been on the fence about for weeks and the response to this post may very well determine its fate. I'm considering building a commercial quality float tank (isolation tank) into the back of my bus, accessible through the rear door. Filtration, sanitation, ventilation, and temperature regulation would be on par with what a brick and mortar float center would offer.

I've got most of the harder logistical issues worked out, but its going to require compromises in living space that I don't want to make, not to mention time and money that I don't want to spend if no one is going to be using this thing but me.

If it works out, I'll be offering some other complimentary services like red light therapy, etc. Things I use myself anyway, a win-win if there's interest from the community.

Building a mobile float center has been a dream of mine long before the skoolie. I'm confident that the idea itself has merit. The problem is combining the two visions creates a cramped version of the float tank experience that could probably only be appreciated by other skoolie people. Regular size tank, but not more than a couple of feet of standing room around it.

If the skoolie community doesn't want a float tank, what are we missing? Maybe I'll build it and drive it out to the next meetup.

There will be a meet up on September 9 to 12 2026. It will be at Ranger Creek Campground about 30 miles east of Enumclaw Washington on highway 410. It is a US forest service primitive campground it does have pit toilets and picnic tables. It is a first come first served facility. Charge per night is five dollars. There is no organized events at this time. I am a retired mechanic and can discuss maintenance, repair, electrical and solar.

So I have an I CE 200. And ive had trouble with the parking break since i got it. Meaning a lot of times it won’t release and therefore i cant get going. I had to look up the manual at first and follow the instructions exactly on starting and releasing the parking brake. However, sometimes this works and other times it doesn’t. Anyone else run into this problem? Any solutions?

So I was just running my 1999 Bluebird TC/2000 5.9L Cummins Diesel Engine this afternoon to refill my air brake reservoir and it just suddenly stopped.

Now it cranks but just isn't catching. So I started started just charging the batteries while also did 4 key rotations and have done tried to crank it twice every day since Friday the 28th when it just stopped running.

I have hooked up the batteries to a charger that is always running of one of my generators that is powering my AC, the Transmission/ Oil/ and Coolant are all topped off and good. I have looked in my electrical panel for the Vehicle itself and don't see any fuses (that I can tell) that have been tripped.

Will answer any questions / take pictures of any things that is suggested etc.

Does anyone have a battery kill switch in their skoolie? I took mine to a shop and it came back with a short. My bus is now draining my batteries, I called the shop and they said the bus was fine while it was there. At first I thought it was bad batteries so I got new ones and those drained too. The shop recommended I pay for a new diagnostic to figure out what’s draining the batteries. I asked if they would be able to install a battery kill switch instead. They said sure but that I should buy it and take it in. I feel like I’m not going to go back to them but I still need to figure out how to stop the batteries from draining. Does anyone have a switch they recommend? I’ve look online but a lot of them have mixed reviews 😕.

I been looking at a few ways to hang a freshwater tank under my cutaway skoolie and this is what I came up with. Final install will be tucked up above the side skirt but do you guys see any major concerns? I have square washers in the top and used two jam nuts, 1/2" all thread, framing is 1/8" thick and treated for corrosion zinc primer under high temp paint), the plating is aluminum riveted in (I will be reworking them with longer rivets), and I have a tank heater pad on the bottom of the tank.

Thanks, pops.

@2007internationalce200 with a VT365

After discovering that the fuel system needed to be primed electronically, filling her with diesel and priming the engine correctly...​

After removing the excess oil that had been overfilled by about 2 gallons…

She roared to a start, and a little rainbow appeared right over the hood (image 1).

And as quickly as she came alive, about three to four minutes in, she died again.

Spent all afternoon trying to figure it out when I noticed I wasn’t hearing a fuel pump on the driver side…

So there I am. A rollercoaster of emotions. I recall a pop occurring on the driver side as we started her.

Well? I check it and lo and behold the 30 amp fuse had blown. So I replace it.

We try starting her again. She roars to life. I dance a jig. It pops again. She dies.

Now the million dollar (okay more like forty dollar question for you):

If it is not a short, does this mean the fuel pump is dead inside? 💀

I hear these things have a fuel/power steering pump, is this AI nonsense or is it accurate?

Thanks for your patience, your assistance and your advice to step away slowly…

It’s a 2 hour drive from me and seller isn’t offering more photos to show the rust. Im wondering if the pic shown is enough evidence for a seasoned Skoolie to know if that this thing is likely rusted badly? It is located by the ocean so that doesn’t help. It’s a 2005 short bus with 168k miles

I have downloaded the entire service manual for my bus but I see nothing about the grid heater. Where is the relay/solenoid for the grid heater on a Cummins 5.9 in a Blue Bird dog nose bus?

I thought it was this next to the engine but now I think that might be for the starter.

Cross posting this from my Facebook plea

New skoolie here. I've been on and off vanlifing for the past six years and just acquired a bus. It's not technically a school bus. It's a 15 passenger handicapped lift equipped shuttle bus.

I have seen quite a few different custom builds that replace the doors with a single swing hinged door. I would like to do the same, but I am wondering.

Do you just build a frame "like a house door" but I would assume with metal since wood will just rot?

Where do you get the door from? I would like it to have some sort of window in it, what kind of glass do I need so it doesn't shatter going down the road?

I am working with a $300-$700 budget on this particular part and it doesn't need to be "perfect" I am open for suggestions, I do not have any junk yards close by where I could possibly take out an RV door, but I have access to self build pretty much whatever.

Main priorities.

#1 locks from inside and out.

#2 Doesn't let water in.

#3 Visibility for merging.

#4 Temperature normalization.

#5 Road noise.

Hey yall I drive a ‘98 Chevy P30 with a 6.5L non turbo diesel engine. I recently started hearing this loud clicking noise. It clicks as I drive and accelerate but not when I hit the brakes. It seems to have trouble accelerating. Any idea what could be going on?

The company I've been through for years can't quite figure out how to deal with a bus (rv) that's not privately owned. My bus is owned and registered by my Montana LLC. What companies or agencies that you folks using for insurance? The title is clear so full coverage is not required.

Hi there, Looking for some feedback on my layout ideas.
These aren't super detailed, but I hope you get the idea. This is an Australian bus, so drivers is front right, and door front left.

The Kitchen has to go on that side of the bus, the other side has storage boxes under so I can't run water or gas lines.
The Bathroom has to go in that position for Layout 1 for the same reason, or I could flip layout 1.

I still have a lot of free space to be taken up by storage or increasing sizes, or other amenities. I know it will fill up fast.

Would really appreciate some feedback!

During heavy rain the gaskets on the rear and lift door let some rain in. I'm hoping to get the gasket types identified and named as well as recommendations to source replacements. Any tips to remove the old gaskets apply the replacements would also be appreciated. 1996 Thomas International 3800 DT466

As the title suggests: I’m replacing the CPS on my 2002 International 3800 T444E 7.3 Powerstroke Skoolie. Got the old one out. Cleaned the hole. Got the new one in, but I have ZERO room for leverage to push the sensor in past the O ring so it “clicks” into place. Access is VERY limited and despite my grunts and strongest attempts, I’m now looking for help with what, otherwise, should have been a 20 minute replacement. lol

Any advice or suggestions are welcome and I’m happy to clarify anything you may have questions about. Thanks ahead of time!

How expensive and difficult are air brakes to fix? 92 school bus...

Lifetime nomad, only house i lived more than 6 months in was a squat for 2 years in West Philly.

This would be my first vehicle ever, first thing I ever owned really

I know this question is pretty broad but I am looking at a fully converted ford aerotech, it a 2003 gas engine. They spent a lot of time converting and the build quality and amenities looks solid, ideal really. But the mileage is super high…168k

They are asking for 20k, I’m pretty certain I can get that lower but am I being dumb for considering this?

They obviously used it quite a bit so it hasn’t just been sitting there…

I’ve lived in motorhome all my life but shuttle bus conversions are very new to me.

Thank you so much!

I have chronic back/neck pain, and regular couches just hurt. A lot. No couches seem to have neck support, or any lumbar support. Is there anyone who has a decent couch solution for their bus? TIA

I'm trying to help my brother build out this skoolie, but we've been delayed so many times due to rainy evenings and other homestead/farming tasks that we have to prioritize as they come up. We need this bus finished by the end of next month, and we are stuck on plumbing and electrical. I'm asking around if anyone is or knows someone in the Carolinas who can help us finish this build and we'll pay of course. Everything has been custom fittings and sizes we can't find at the hardware stores. We don't want to hire a broad plumber/electriction because everything here is so specific to the custom build. Since we're in a rural area, it's been hard looking for people in the same lifestyle (I've met people who know people who have skoolies here, but it seems they didn't build it themselves?!)

My brother is the main and only carpenter in the project, and I'm just tagging along to learn and contribute funds, but there's only so much the both of us can do. We need to install an outdoor auxiliary shower head attached to a water tank that'll be located under the sideways bed that's at the back of the bus. The water will run along the driver side wall/windows of the bus to the sink area. The ceiling has two fans we're trying to figure out how to hook up-- we also have a complete solar power kit sold to us that we are trying to learn too. We have plans for a minisplit AC on top the roof of the windshield. We're going to use both solar power and shore power hookups. The bus won't be moving where it's parked on the land.

Currently I have about $25k saved up for a skoolie or Van. The goals is to get something that I can eventually drive to Alaska.

I dont know were to look for something outside of FB Marketplace.

Is what I have saved up enough? Should I be saving up more?

Currently I do not have a place to park a bus to work on it, so turn key would be ideal.

I didn’t know this before I paid for the bus because the inside had a poorly installed subfloor over the top. As I was removing the subfloor, I realize that whoever initially started the build removed the original floor, then put a tarp down as a cover to a makeshift weatherproof floor with wood. I can’t see if there’s any metal in there or if it’s all wood. It’s very solid and I can walk on it but, I’m really at a loss here. Can I work with this?? I did not plan for a floor rebuild in my budget.

Edit: apparently some older fiberglass buses did use plywood as a floor base, but I don’t know if that’s the case of mine because there’s just like a tarp at the bottom? How can I prevent wood rot?

I have driven x country many times but doing it in a bus with a top speed of 55mph is a different experience. I did extensive preperation and still broke down twice, and was in the shop on two seperate occasions. I met some lovely people and ultimately if I never had had any problems ( and victories ) would seeing the pacific ocean been as sweet? I don't think so.

7.3l idi ( 81k miles )

Allison at545 ( with a cooler, fan and synth fluid )

Issue 1) Starter solonoid large lug nut became loose and upon startup would fry my ignition cylander..took me a while to figure that one out in the heat of memphis.

Issue2) Gut told me to pull over...on grade in the middle of mojave desert, noticed I had JUST blown a cooler line...dumping fluid but since it just happened the block stayed cool...wow I felt lucky!

Blew some shocks, and a calliper got stuck. All can be fixed. Feelin grateful we made it! Safe travels yall