Wow, grew up in Texas, and I can tell you the only A/C our School Busses ever had waa the window opening...

as a 18yr vet schoolbus driver, before they are retired, heres my take, the reason your bus is in fantastic shape, and i trully mean that. i noticed a couple things1},that bus has air ride rear suspension, better ride and cheaper to fix over leaf springs. 2}it's a wheelchair bus, the ones that my company has in fleet do not get as many miles racked up because they are held back for specific runs,i.e. limited charter work, wheelchair runs tend to be shorter , so less mileage piled up, the 03/04 International buses with the D444 motor stand up great, we have some still that will not die, they are aged out of schoolboard use but are to good to scrap 3} the I.C./Bluebird body stand up better imo than others. you have a real gem that bus with last you years, good luck with your travels

Something I would like to add here, if you have the funds to do it there is also a two speed rear differential available, throw a switch on the shifter or on the dashboard and you can switch the differential between a low gear ratio for climbing for a highway ratio for good mileage and faster top speed on the highway. If you are not mechanically inclined any good bus or truck service center could hook you up with one of these

That's a great over view when looking for a bus to convert. A lot of good points especially on tires which can cost thousands if they're skinned. I've been working in a school bus fleet for 24 years and can tell you some things to consider when looking for a used bus. Rust is a factor as mentioned in the video. The rear panels and rear door (along the bottom edge) is a place to check on conventional buses including the body frame. It's not a huge concern.... only when there are rusted through areas.... which will not pass an inspection due to the possibility of exhaust fumes entering the bus. Underside body crossmembers are another area to look at. I have never seen a problem with the frame and that's on all makes. Rear engine pusher buses have more issues with rust than conventionals. I always look for grease at the steering linkage and driveline. If it's oozing that's a sure sign and a good one... it's been maintained! Service records are a bonus to check out maintenance and repairs. We have log books that we record all services and repairs from day one. So with that in mind I would buy from a school district that ran a PM program. They will most likely provide service records. After dealing with emissions since 2007 I would suggest you look for a school bus 2006 or older. Anything newer you will need a laptop and software (or a good mechanic that has the full set up) to properly repair the diesel engine. A big block gas engine (gas costs?) is an option but the diesel will deliver a lot more bottom end torque and endurance. Which diesel engine to choose? If you found an original International DT 466 non electronic you've discovered gold. They are the best medium diesel engine I have ever experienced. Even if a rebuild was required they can be easily in-framed for much less than today's diesel engine. The cylinders are replaceable and that's why they are called wet sleeves. There's no machining …. the sleeves slide in to the block with new pistons. This is all done in the frame … engine removal not required. Time and money saved. I would also recommend the Cummins as a very close #2 choice. Keep in mind the mileage and the maintenance history. Which diesel engine not to choose. I hate to disrespect online but I want to save you some grief. Don't buy the International inline 6 MaxxForce Dt and MaxxForce 7 V8 diesels. I wouldn't recommend any V8 diesels period. Unfortunately Navistar made the mistake of staying with EGR and not going the same route as Cummins with SCR (addition of diesel exhaust fluid). These are diesel engines that were designed in the late 2000 era but the emission system eventually failed to meet EPA standards in 2012. So if you do find a gem of a school bus that's 2007 or newer and it has a Cummins ISB you hit the jackpot. But still.... do your research.

Detailed and essential info in looking for a bus. Thank you, Michael

Thanks for helping JAX with his new build!! I know you will make it into an awsome build!!

We’re looking to downsize and/or travel, and starting as total noobs we need videos like this! Thanks for sharing.

Great info on what to look for a bus! A lot of it was things I'd never thought of, so thanks

Saw someone the other day at the gas station filling up a bus that was just purchased used, he had NY Transport Plates. It was late 90's, International w Blue Bird body. I think it was DT466, I was jealous, it must have been from a good School, this bus was nice. At the age it must be going to be a Skoolie. Alot of times I see brand new busses being delivered on NY highways since the Blue Bird's come from Canada. I would love to have that delivery job

Great information Michael. I think you have one of the most put together buses out there. Hope to meet you when i get mine.

Ok, have to say I’ve watched a TON of videos and yours are one of the only ones I don’t have to jack the playback speed way up on. Direct information, annunciation, voice is pleasant but keeps the attention... Thank you for the great information that I can actually listen to. 😅

This was extremely helpful. Subscribed!

Looking forward to more vids from you. Have a GREAT day!

Thanks for this video and the information you've shared. Much useful.

Thank you . This is a very well put together video young man .

You are awesome. Perfect video informative and to the point. No none else does this! bravo

This video is awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this information! 😊

Absolutely in love with your videos!❤️

Cool thank you for the informative video. Cheers man!!!

Brilliant info, gonna need a lot of suggestions from you

THANK YOU, you are like the only guy on UKposts to do a video on this

Wow... You really know your stuff! I know nothing about buses and got some great tips from you.

Ty for all this valuable information!!

Good advice for people afraid of mechanical work. For a guy like me, even if the engine won't turn over, as long as it won't fall out of the frame, I can repair, rebuild, purchase and replace every single panel, beam, hose, engine, whatever. It's not as difficult or expensive as most people think it might be. In the end, the bus that's right for you will be the one that you want to put the work in to make it right for you. If you don't plan on living in the parks that have length limits, don't buy your home on wheels based on something you can visit with a cheap rental car. All of those places with length restrictions are far too touristy for me, so personally, they're not worth giving up the extra room for. Also after having been an OTR truck driver, I try to avoid vehicles with air systems. I won't go into my personal reasons because I don't want to scare anyone from the bus life (it's freaking AMAZING), but I will never own a vehicle with an air system. You can get an air seat with its own small air system if you're wanting it for the seat, same thing for the air horns. Never again will I fool with that. I also have a preference for disc brakes all around and don't really like drum brakes. The bus I have now, which doesn't have an air system, has discs all around. When I was a truck driver and on every bus I've owned that has an air system, the back breaks were drums. Again, just a personal preference, and what I'm familiar with. While drum breaks are technically easier to work with, I'm just so familiar with disc systems and unfamiliar with drum systems. The downside of disc breaks is that even though the back brakes don't really stop your forward movement, the help and can dissipate heat a bit easier the discs. Just be smart about it and you'll have no overheating issues. However, if you're the type that's heavy on the brakes (and you will learn to not be after the first few times your "secured" items all go flying when you make your first few stops), you should probably stick with drum brakes on the back. As far as rust and blow by, I am the opposite. I prefer buses with those issues. For one, they're a lot cheaper (my bus I'm in now, a 2000 Freightliner with the CAT 3126b was purchased for $900, which I jumped on because I knew the blowby wasn't mechanical, though I enjoy doing rebuilds). My particular engine has its share of know issues, but I know the engine well. So easy to fix. Since I pretty much always do a rebuild, the state of the engine doesn't matter to me at all. Every bus engine will eventually have blow by. I prefer dealing with it before I hit the road rather than afterwards. This is true for rust. Every bus will eventually start to rust. Nothing you do will completely stop it. However, if you have to deal with the rust from the start, you'll hit the road on a refreshed frame and body. I usually do metal repairs with aluminum (it's never so bad that it's structural), I rivet rather than weld where I can (overheated metals will rust faster), and instead of undercoat spray, I literally spray truck bed liner along the entire bottom of the bus. It does add some weight (taking out the seats more than offsets that), and it actually strengthens it if you use fiberglass mesh in the process. Truckbed liner won't rust and will seal waterproof (clean and prime first). So again, with rust, I prefer to have to deal with it from the start. My only deal breaker with rust is the steps... if those are rusted out, that tends to be an indicator that the bus wasn't at all taken care of when the rust is that bad. Oddly enough, the bottom of the steps should be the last thing that rusts on a bus. I also check the exhaust; 9 times out of 10, I'll replace it even if it's in good shape because most exhaust leaks come from hairline cracks that you can't see (and holes in the floor from removed seats). Even if the bus doesn't have cruise (if built after 2000), it probably does. You just have to install the switch and run the wires to the right port or plug on the computer. Same for most cars (never pay hundreds extra for cruise when you can buy the factor switch for about $30 and it's usually plug and play for the most part, no aftermarket stuff needed). Also, i will say for CAT, make sure the "starter" issue you're having is actually a starter issue. I tend to get buses with CAT engines for cheap that won't start because of what's diagnosed as a starter issue but is (so far 100% of the time) actually just an issue with the key itself. They wear out and, though it'll put you in accessory mode, it won't activate the tumbler to start the bus. It'll seem like something clicked but has the engine locked up when it's actually just a worn out key. You can get a CAT engine bus cheap from someone that doesn't quite know how to diagnose issues if you can look for that on a bus that, otherwise, hasn't been tampered with too much. This is also a common issue for Subaru vehicles, which are commonly diagnosed as far bigger engine issues, just to put that out there. It's a $5.00 fix with a new key you can get cut almost anywhere.

Thanks for the info!!!!!!!! Much appreciated...

Glad I watched this,not what I need at all!!

Very informative mate. Cheers!

Well said Michael! Selflessly sharing thousands of dollars worth of "hard knocks" knowledge, quite admirable Sir! Thank you. No wonder you are in such demand as an expert public speaker on the subject of skoolies. Personally, skoolie "PROJECTS" are what "drive me" to search YT for more data. The "BUILDS" are the "nuts and bolts", the "brass tacks", "the tie that binds" and sets apart the skoolie community from the "store bought" RV community (love them too). Anyone can visit new destinations, but only a few can do it in a skoolie. Godspeed y'all.

Wow! Great point about the difference in gear ratios. Yet another important criteria in choosing the "right" bus. Thank you very much.

Thanks for this information.

This is really helpful .thank you !

I liked how your video was straight to the point, you talked quickly and I got the information I needed without a lot of fluff conversation in the middle. Thanks for the tips!

Man I’m so happy I found this channel!

Great information and nice and quick video!

Thank you for the info. Thinking of finding a mid sized bus.

Great tips. Thank you!!!

I am sharing this video and your channel on how to buy and convert a school bus. I ALWAYS adore your channel. The bus behind you at least in the beginning is an IC bus which is strictly International. IC took over from AmTran and AmTran took over from Ward. When I was your age, AmTran was about ready to take over Ward. My friend may be wanting to buy a 1962 International Ward bus with a 4-speed compound transmission. The bus I see has brooms at the bottom of the door. That is really great for if the bus someone wants to buy has an "inward/outward" door and wants to leave it the way it is.

Glad to have run across your video. It was rapid, to the point, and not filled with empty, wasted time as many UKposts vids are. As a Schoolie novice, I learned quite s bit about what to look for in a potential buy, particularly the highway/mountain differences I hadn't heard of previously. Looking forward to a further education from your posts. One question that may be obvious to the more "schooled" viewer: Do all buses run on diesel? And if so, why is that? The particulates diesel puts in the air would be more harmful for the students to inhale. Thanks!

Thanks Brother very helpful !

Excellent advice, thank you 👍

Awesome bro. Solid. Thanks : )

I'm a diesel Mechanic I can fix your bus if you ever in new castle Delaware ... you got international body with a 6.2 liter diesel motor.

What a great video! Full of "must know" information. Like many commenters here, we too are doing a conversion. I'm in Australia where school buses are owned by bus companies rather than schools, although some private schools have nice coaches for carting the kids to sports and special events. Our school buses make for great motorhomes for some. 40 footers with flat floors, economical 6 cylinder diesel motors that are not only easy to fix, but cheap with plentiful parts. The downsides are that, unlike long distance coaches they don't have air suspension, luggage bins or enough grunt to tow a normal size car or SUV. They go OK at 100km/h (62mph), but start to run out of puff with the slightest incline. At the end of the day it depends on whether you want to travel a lot or stay put and not do much driving around. We have a 40ft. three axle coach with a huge bulbar (essential if driving in rural parts of Australia), airbag suspension and the floor line is about 8 feet off the ground. Fuel economy is...well it's not spoken about. Regardless of whether others buy a coach or school bus, your video is a goldmine of essential information. Best wishes from Australia!

Those length restrictions are extremely useful to know thanks

Very helpful advice. Thanks.

Great info! I enjoy watching bus conversion videos. I’m not currently thinking about buying a bus but maybe down the road. :)

Thank you! Very useful information. Especially Highway vs Mountain. I'm looking to move towards one of these I'm thinking. Very well laid out & explained.

Awesome thanks Michael 👍😎🚌

The reason tires cost a lot, they are expensive! Absolutely profound...

Can’t wait to get started on my new Shorty!

I subscribed to you due to that you and several others that have converted their school buses are great in sharing some dos and don'ts in converting a school bus. I may be old due to that I am 58, but there are some buses I grew up around that are really worth saving from the scrap yard and worth converting into an RV. In the 1950s and up to about 1985, school buses sometimes came with what is called a compound transmission which is where 1st is really called the "deep under" gear. If you use it, it makes a lot of racket. I rode a Carpenter Vistaramic school bus that was built in 1962. It was a 36-passenger. The Vistaramics and the Wayne Superamic buses had the wrap-around windshield. I think Ward built some and so did Superior. The plus side to an inward-outward door is when you close it, you get a good vertical seal. The downside to an Inward-outward door is that you get a draft from the bottom step. But keep it up. Your videos rock!

Thank you for this video! Very helpful!!!

Impressive presentation. Good luck on the conversion.

Hell yeah you told a lot of good info your cool man thanks

This was great information! Thank you

Awesome information thanks

Excellent tips

Wow, thank you!

This is a nice video especially for me looking into staying at the national parks. I got a lifetime disability pass that let's me into any federal national park, I've been carrying it around since I was 10.

You are the real deal Human🙂

Thank you. More things to consider in my bus purchase

I like the one right behind you because it has a lift for my wheelchair

Great video, Thank you.

Great video!! Thank you for all the great information :)

Honestly I HATE repetative videos with same titles...... What bus to buy etc...out of allll those titles ..most bids are the same BUT this video is the BEST video IVE EVER SEEN with this title..... ..broken down 100% detailed for everyone to understand. .....FINALLY PERFECT THANK YOU

Thanks a lot dude

I just Subscribed. Good video, keep up the good work 👍

Very well done.

Any friend of Jax’s is a friend of mine. I just subbed. Take care man!

Great bus video. Thanks.

GREAT INFO THANKU!

Great content! A cut above...👍

Good information Michael. Great job

I really enjoyed this video.

Why didn't I watch you first I just got one think I got screwed and be my 4th bus I had help but I wish ide listen to you found my bus but I need someone smarter with rear engine flat noes busses im running small kids fishing group travel to give away baits to special kids in every state I drive thru. Wish I was younger and watched this and could work on it my self or attest walk better and get up from the ground. Thanks bro. God bless

He is right, rust is BAD. living in New Mexico, rust generally isn't an issue. I was lucky to find a bus with the highest speed rear axle that could go in it, but the AT545 transmission isn't too good in the mountains. it doesn't lock up in 4th gear, so on long hills it slipped. I removed that transmission and converted to a 5 speed manual. I now get 13 mpg at 55 mph with the Cummins 5.9 turbodiesel.

I got my school bus from a private school through a Craigslist ad for $9500. It’s a 2007 10-row seating Thomas with only 30,000 miles. No rust anywhere. BUT! Thomas uses plastic passenger window frames that are literally falling apart. I’m blocking out 10 of the 20 windows with 16-gauge galvanized steel. The remaining 10 windows are being replaced with mobile home windows which are not the best but a good cost/quality compromise

Thanks lots of excellent facts!

Thank you!!!!

Something else to check as I found out the hard way on my Dailey driver pickup. Had alot of miles on it when I bought it and front end was bad from bad roads over years. I didn't check this as truck was in good shape and ran well. turned out to be a very cost!y repair.

It's cool coming back watching Michaels vids seeing jaxs buss before it got renovated on.

Some good info

Holy auctioneer thanks for the info it's awesome

thank you so much for this

new subscriber - saw you on Daydream About Nice Things!!!

great video

Micheal very well done 👍 welcome to you tube 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

I want to buy bus in Dubai but i've got good info from your video .. thanx

Good video, very informative. Thanks. Oh btw have you heard of Colorado Conversion? They're a company in Co that lets out space and tools so you can work on your bus. As well as advice.

Thank you very much!

Thank you

Great job explaining! I’ve worked a many of them until I retired.

Hi Michael Great Tips sir thank you for doing it Really informative

Just getting my thought process starting, what’s the best for myself and two elderly dogs. So much to consider, and so much I want in my future travels, researching family history. Spending sometime (lots time in libraries daytime, by night boondocking, campgrounds, and or parking lot). Then bam realizing I’m in a great state, sightseeing, pull a small car, dogs etc. After viewing this very informative video, can I see myself in a conversion bus,as a home/office/hangout/fishing and just smelling, and hearing the sounds of nature. One thing I don’t want is a gray headed women behind the wheel of a motorhome. It will be Grammy with grayish hair driving a hip hop …… my dilemma.

Thanks for the info, I walked to school was never in a schoolie before. My friend offered me a short schoolie if I'd do some reno's on his house but I don't know what the height is [its in another province next door but they don't use salt there] I kinda like the life style but don't want an RV. I can do most of the conversion except the electrical but I have friends that can do that for me. You've got me thinking about the height thing as I'm 6'2'' so I'm going to look further into this posssible project. Thanks for you very valuable insight into this idea.

Thanks for the tips! I’m planning to celebrate my friends birthday when he’s 16 by turning a school bus into a battle bus! Well, there’s still years to come because were 12

Wow -- if there's a "Mr. School Bus" out there, he's the man.

best. advice. ever!

My Stepfather owned a school bus company in Howard County MD, he was the largest school bus contractor in the county, he had 34 school buses, everything from short to long, handicapped buses, Gas and Diesel engines, so I know a lot about School buses. I've not only ridden on them, but I've also worked on them, and we've converted gas engines over to Diesel engines. You know, I should have done this when my Mother was still married to him, they got divorced in 1997, but then she remarried him in 2002 a year before he passed away from bone cancer. He used to sell buses to churches and other people, because a school bus has to be sold after 10-12 years of age, that's if I'm not mistaken, but I believe that's the time frame.

The emergency door rust first around the tail lights and over head state lights flashed was a mechanic in the northern city