The humble retired school bus is one of the most versatile vehicles you can buy. You can turn an old school bus into a farm truck, a car hauler, or just a giant rolling storage unit. One of the greatest uses for an old bus is turning it into an RV. Buying an old bus that’s converted into an RV can get you something unique that you won’t find from any manufacturer. That’s what you’re getting with this 1992 Blue Bird TC/2000. It’s an old bus, but a couple turned it into an RV that looks better than many new, more expensive motorhomes.
I’ve said it before, but one of my favorite kinds of RVs is the custom-built. I love seeing what kind of creativity is out there and how crafty individuals might have solved some of the problems that you might find in a factory-built RV. The school bus is a classic choice for a custom motorhome build. These things are often dirt-cheap in surplus auctions and are built on simple, dependable platforms with bodies meant to last for decades. If these buses are good enough to carry kids for a couple of decades, they’re probably just fine for you to lay your head under.
This bus was commissioned by Jason and Jennifer, who run travel social media accounts, The Unhustle Bustle. The couple and their kids lived in this bus for a few years while they traveled around North America. Now, as the family has moved into a home, the skoolie build is being passed on to a new traveler. This one is a pretty neat rig!
Carting Kids Around For A Century
The Blue Bird TC/2000 underpinning this bus build is a school bus legend. If you see a so-called “flat face” bus driving around, there’s a pretty good chance that bus is an All American or a TC/2000. If that bus is old enough, like this one is, you might also be stoked to find one of the greatest truck engines of all time housed in the rear end.
Blue Bird has been around for a whole century. In 1925, Albert Luce, Sr. was the owner of two Ford dealerships and was approached by Penn Dixie Cement, which ordered a bus to transport its workers. Luce sourced a wooden body from North Carolina and then plopped that onto a Ford Model T chassis. This first bus proved not to be sturdy enough to survive the rough roads of Georgia, and reportedly, Luce even worried that the bus wasn’t going to last long enough for Penn Dixie Cement to even finish paying it off.
Luce improved his design two years later by adding metal framing. The Blue Bird Body Company was founded and incorporated in 1932, and today it remains one of the largest bus manufacturers in America.
As Curbside Classic notes, in 1948, Albert Luce found himself at an exhibition in Paris, where he saw a transit-style bus on a GMC chassis. He liked it so much that he brought one back home and then used that bus as a template to create his own flat-front bus. The first All-American was born. While the All American was not the first-ever transit-style school bus, it has endured as the longest-produced bus nameplate in American history. School districts still buy new ones today!
This 1992 Blue Bird TC/2000
This bus comes from the All American’s value-oriented sibling, the TC/2000, which launched in 1986 as a more affordable option for cash-strapped school districts. While the TC/2000 shared several components from the All American, including its body, Blue Bird introduced some aggressive cost-cutting, including halving the headlight count and giving buyers only two engine options: a Cummins 5.9-liter diesel and a Chevrolet 7.0-liter gasoline V8.
This bus has a desirable configuration. It’s a rear-engine model, and under the body sits a Cummins B5.9 straight-six diesel. This engine is the iconic 12-valve unit that classic truck fans adore so much. One amusing note is that even though this is a rear-engine bus, it has a sort of dummy front grille. This is because the TC/2000 was originally a front-engine bus before a rear-engine option was added in 1991. Blue Bird never deleted the grille on the rear-engine TC/2000 like it was on the All American.
Depending on the exact configuration and year, the Cummins 5.9 here is making 190 HP to 230 HP and at least 500 lb-ft of torque. That’s backed by an Allison MT-643 four-speed automatic transmission. In my experience, these buses will have no problem holding 70 mph all day long without any struggle. However, one of the more vivid memories I’ve had driving one of these old Blue Birds was a suspension rough enough to shoot my head toward the ceiling after I hit a Chicago bump.
According to the couple’s social media account, they purchased the bus in May 2021, pre-gutted and with the roof already raised by one foot. They hired Epic Skoolies to convert the bus to their sketched-out design. This was supposed to take until November 2021, but the family didn’t take possession of the bus in July 2022.
Checking out some of the photos, it looks like Epic Skoolies had some solid ideas for the bus. The body glistens like a new car, and unlike many skoolie builds, the exterior of this bus looks like it could have started life as a motorhome. Clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks this way. A tiny house influencer toured this bus and called it a Wanderlodge, which was Blue Bird’s own line of factory-built motorhomes.
This is not a Wanderlodge, but it might actually be better. Just open the door, walk into the coach, and see what I mean:
Jennifer lists out what you’re looking at here:
Washer/dryer.
Furrion oven/stove.
Huge kitchen sink.
Storage under sofa and under dining table.
Apartment-size fridge.
Separate bunk space for children with desk.
3 sliding doors for privacy.
Queen bed.
Mini split.
4 bookshelves.
Built in vacuum.
Custom cabinetry.
Dimming lights throughout.
Air ride chair.
2 skylights.
Tiled shower.
Custom blinds.
TV and surround sound inside and out.
What you see here is pretty much what you’ll get in a typical motorhome nowadays. But, it comes without all of the smart tech and apps that RV manufacturers and appliance makers love putting into equipment today. I’m loving the turquoise cabinetry and the warm lighting. I’m also a huge fan of the white walls and skylights.
A lot of skoolies end up with only a few tiny windows, and this build is no different. Normally, this results in a coach that feels a little bit like a dungeon. However, the bright colors and the skylights do seem to help this bus feel airy, at least in photos, anyway.
I also like how Epic Skoolies filled the bus with real RV equipment, including an RV stove and RV windows. That stove is also integrated well into the cabinetry, just like you would see in a motorhome built in a factory.
I’m also a fan of the bedding situation. There’s a queen bed in the very rear of a nice primary bedroom for adults. Ahead of that is a smaller room with bunk beds in it for the kids. The bathroom actually sits in the middle of these two rooms so that both the kids and the adults can have some privacy, which is great. It really does seem like everyone thought of actually having to live in this bus, which makes sense because that’s exactly what the family did. Here’s a neat tour video:
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Of course, you’re probably wondering about the nuts and bolts, and Jenner has those details, too:
75 gallons fresh and grey.
1200 watts solar.
800 Ah lithium batteries.
3000-watt inverter.
30 amp shoreline.
Outdoor shower.
DC charger.
Diesel heater.
15-foot awning.
RV windows.
Roof top deck- 20 feet.
Something that isn’t clear in the listing is what kind of toilet is in the rig. There’s no mention of a black tank and the toilet in the motorhome looks like it could be a cassette toilet. I would be bummed if the toilet is a cassette unit, but otherwise I do love this build.
I do have to give a word of caution. Epic Skoolies is no longer in business, and allegedly not for a good reason. In 2023, Spokane, Washington’s The Spokesman-Review published a story alleging that Epic Skoolies took money from a different customer, took their bus, and then disappeared, never returning the money or the bus. Interestingly, the bus in my post here is also featured in that bombshell report. Jennifer is quoted in the story, alleging that not long after delivery, the battery box under the primary bedroom caught fire and that she and her partner had to spend $7,000 on maintenance. However, that was three years ago, and Jennifer now says, “We loved her.” So, before exchanging money, I would definitely put the bus under a microscope and confirm that the issues from three years ago were fixed.
Unfortunately, that’s the catch I mention in the lede.
Now comes the hard part. Jennifer wants $99,000 for this bus. On one hand, that’s a ton of money to spend on a vehicle that, at its heart, is a 33-year-old school bus. On the other hand, if Jennifer and her partner fixed the issues with the bus, this does look much better than many new Class A motorhomes and comes in at a cheaper price. But that is a big if.
All of that being said, I love to see style like this in custom builds. In theory, this bus looks like something you can drive across the country tomorrow. It’s based on a reliable platform, doesn’t have fancy slides or anything like that to fail or leak on you, and is something a bit different than the typical motorhome. If that sounds like a great idea to you and you happen to be sitting on that kind of dough, your new adventure will begin after you pick up this Blue Bird in Evansville, Indiana. Just make sure to check that work.
In something this size, painted all black? I take it that means there is only one AC unit, which seems like a bad idea in something this size and color.
Between that and the probable shitcase I can’t imagine spending that kind of dough on this. Very strange choices made here.
Whenever I see a build like this, be it van or bus, I always wonder where the family sits during travel? I see a couch and several beds, but no seats with seat-belts. I know buses and coaches generally don’t have seat-belts, but that’s not gonna fly for any vehicle I purchase to drive around my family.
Luckily most pick and pull yards have loads of seat belts at very cheap prices with only one downside, no pre-tensioner. Most seats are sideways in RV’s anyways so maybe the lap belt is doing most of the work though.
If it weren’t for the graphics on the side, I’d assume this was an ICE “mobile detention unit” on the way to snatch up some college kids.
It’s nice but seems too expensive for a conversion. I’ll assume it’s a durable vehicle, but I’d image you could get a used actual RV with slide outs and such for less money.
Almost 100K takes the value proposition out of this. IMO these things only make sense if you can do the work yourself.
$99,000 is way too much of an asking price. A more appropriate price would be $60,000 considering the next owner will want to add larger windows and paint it a better color than prison bus black. Other interior improvements will be needed. A bus/camper of this size should have a proper bathroom.
Agreed. The price is a bit nutty, and I think your $60k suggestion is pretty spot-on.
The sharp, injury intensifying corners on the cabinetry and clothing hooks for drawer pulls are especially very poor choices for the tight confines of this RV. Looks fairly easy to keep clean though.
The 70s looking kitchen and possible shitcase toilet turn me off. Otherwise nice build.
Is it just me, or would you not want to paint an RV black unless you do your camping up in the Yukon or something and want the thing to soak up as much heat as possible.
There is a YouTuber named President Chay that did a great school bus conversion. These things are neat.
Building an RV out of a bus is a great idea, because most RVs that aren’t are complete and utter hot garbage. But not a school bus. As Mercedes hinted at, the problem is that they are *awful* to ride in and drive. They are designed for relatively low-speed, short-distance, stop and go usage. And to be CHEAP (relatively speaking). Conventionals are just medium-duty trucks with a windowed box on them. These rear-engine ones are a little more sophisticated, but both are just an entirely different animal from a coach bus that is designed to ride smoothly while running down the highway at speed day in and day out for a million miles. And that wee little Cummins is going to be rather underpowered for this thing compared to a real HD truck engine as used in a coach. More expensive all-around, but far more fit for purpose. I drove buses 30-odd years ago, there is just no comparing school buses to coaches. Different horses for very different courses.
I have to think that unless converted to air-suspension, a leaf-sprung school bus is just going to shake that gorgeous interior to pieces in short order if you drive it very much. And I give these folks credit, they did a fabulous job on the interior. Neither overdone gin palace like the high-end but ridiculous coach conversions, nor Grandma’s House like the typical RV. Clean and simple.
I once looked at a house that was on the river, it had all a single guy could want. The one issue that prevented the purchase was the seller insisted that it was worth more because it had custom cabinets. I insisted that since he and not I picked out the cabinets they were no longer custom just the cabinets you get with the purchase. There were other things but I refused to pay him for his choice that wasn’t mine. On the bright side I found a better deal that allowed me to live in a better place and when my job was eliminated I made $40k on the sale after owning it for 15 months
Not a fan of the all black.
Very well done. I’ve seen some very strange ones that have used some not so smart platforms like the max force and the Merc. I can’t imagine it being cheap to build might not be a terrible deal. Especially if you don’t want to source and build one yourself.
Well done for one of these builds.
They usually look like a bunch of homemade work benches and roadside furniture finds thrown in an empty bus.
I wish Bluebird would get back into RVs. A modern Wanderlodge wouldn’t be cheap, but it would probably be less expensive than a Prevost and hopefully better built than a conventional Class A. I respect the looks and apparent build quality but don’t want a six figure monster that can’t carry mountain bikes and kayaks easily. I have done that with a long bed pickup and a rented trailer.
Love this build. I followed their build while doing my own and got some ideas for mine. I hope they can sell it, converted buses tend to be hard to sell
I don’t even have a slide out pantry like that at home! Very nice
Needs more glass. As if an allergy to sunlight is in play. Why not a big window where the kitchen sink/stove are? I don’t understand the porthole windows.
You have to wonder how you started with windows all around the bus and end up blacking them all out
That will happen if you want to have enough cabinetry for enough storage for a family. Something has to give… and that thing is windows
You want sunlight? Go outside!!
The primary advantage of a bus conversion is that it doesn’t need to share the standard hideous designs applied to almost every production RV.
While this is nice, may I suggest a 1995 to 2005 Foretravel as a better value?
My 97 U320 is a beast, built like a tank, rides like a Greyhound, and has the lovely Cummins M11.
I’d like to see you explore the brand. I think you’ll be pleased.
Please list all of the 95-05 Foretravels for sale. Yeah that’s why this works
Well after a quick check, I can tell you there are zero of them in Canada and 83 of them for sale in the USA.
https://www.rvtrader.com/Foretravel/rvs-for-sale?make=Foretravel%7C2262132&zip=90210&radius=nationwide
And man… the new ones are EXPENSIVE. Over a million bucks.
But they also depreciate FAST. I saw a couple of 2022 “presidential villa” versions that probably went for over a million new, to having an asking price of $750K to $800K… at least $250K in depreciation over 3 years!
But the one I find interesting is this one for just $2900.
It’s not running, but if it has a decent interior, then even with the cost of a new engine/transmission combo, it might be a good deal.
Or this one for for $28K
It runs, has a Cummins diesel and looks to be in decent shape. It doesn’t have the latest modern amenities. But that’s easily fixable. If I were to have one of these, it’s to travel and see places… not stay cooped up inside.