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Anyone ever build an RV out of an old bus?

badwrench
Got any tips? I've got a brilliant idea.

Living space in front, work shop in the back. Like a reverse mullet. I'm sure I could do everything but the plumbing and the non-chassis electrical.

I want it to be able to hook up at RV parks, etc, but be stand-alone capable. Also thinking of photovoltaic arrays on the roof to keep the batteries topped up.

This has got me hummin'! Not just inspiration, gentlemen, I'm feeling motivated! I am liking this more and more.

PS, I want to use a conventional (with a hood/"snout"), preferably with a gas engine (I can work on those) and a wheelchair lift at the rear. I can modify it to lift bikes and roll them inside.

The electrical will have to be heavy-duty enough to run a compressor and small wire-feed welder. Unless I have stand-alone gas-powered units and "hard-wired" them.
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Comments

13 comments

Date Votes
  • tomahawk
    i like it. an ark on wheels
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  • Marc1301
    Nope,........I'm not a hippie![:D][8D]
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  • spryor
    I have considered something similar many times. If wanting "stand alone"
    I'd also have the generator, for when sunshine is scarce.

    I wouldn't think the plumbing part would be all that difficult. Just
    get the needed tanks and pumps, and go for it.
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  • dongizmo
    They make them already, their called toy haulers, go to a rv dealer at look at them, you might get some inspration, and IIRC, there are a couple big RV salvage yards in AZ, you don't need to reinvent the wheel, just make it fit your wagon.
    Don
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  • 1911a1-fan
    an old blue bird would give you more inside room without that nose
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  • zipperzap
    I'd tend to lean toward the diesel option.

    They've been popular in the West for decades.

    Here's the man to contact:
    http://www.vonslatt.com/bus-main.shtml
    [:D]
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  • tomahawk
    dam ! what a idea! now you got me looking for freaking used school buses.[:D]
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  • Aspen79se
    You're going to spend a lot on those solar panels. How big does the ark have to be for your needs?
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  • LesWVa
    Badwrench
    We had two converted 75 passenger buses for about 10 years from the mid 70's until around 1987 or 88.
    It was used for hunting trips, state/county fairs.

    Left the front two rows of seats in place for passengers. Behind the last row of seats was a closet on each side. Behind that was the kitchen/living space then the bed room/s with two sets of bunk beds that could sleep eight people with ease.

    Most of the windows were covered by sheet metal from the out side.

    2x2 "studing" with 2" of insulation. The 120V wiring was ran through the studs from a small 6 or 8 circuit breaker box with a drop cord that fed by either by a camp ground hook up or a generator. Had an on demand water pump that fed from a tank mounted under the bus behind the rear tires. I am thinking that one was made from a 50 gallon flat type boat fuel tank and the other was made of 1/4 aluminum. I forget where the waste water tanks came from.

    They also had a small propane cook stove made for a house trailer. I will not say exactly where inside of the buses that we mounted the tanks but it was in the general area of the rear door.

    One would be surprised at how much space a 75 passenger bus has once it has been striped inside.

    We had a ton of good times in those two ole buses named Mountain Mama and Mountain Papa.
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  • remington nut
    one of my hunting buddies has a *short bus* converted to the HUNTING POSSE wagon, stripped all the seats, installed gas stove, sink, running water, storage tank for water mounted underneath.... cabinets, table, cb radio, pa system, dc/ac converter, basically has more kitchen supplies on hand than most kitchens, when we go to the mts, we have everything neede on hand. it is a fairly cheap conversion and makes hunting or a week so much more nicer than really roughing it....
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  • Captplaid
    I know you're in AZ but JC Whintney comes to mind for RV parts. Aren't there a lot of RV outlet stores in Northern Indiana that sell surplus?
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  • 320090T
    A guy used to hang out at our club with a large bus converted over to a shooting wagon. The back door was refitted with an overhead door so as to shoot out of. He would back up to "prairie dog" town and open the door and start shooting. He had two benches along the sides, near the back to hold reloaders on and guns in. Lived up front, pretty slick.
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  • cmd66
    Hippie's used to do it all the time.
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