Due to life circumstances we’re
Sale price: US $12,000.00 Make an Offer
| Used |
| “ Vehicle runs well, took it to California from Florida and back over the rockies. ” |
| Type: | School Bus | Fuel Type: | Diesel |
| Model Year: | 1996 | Make: | Thomas |
Pensacola, Florida, United States
Vehicle description
Due to life circumstances we’re having to sell our school bus. The bus drives; we drove it from Florida, through the rockies in Colorado to California, and back. It has been an extraordinarily successful Airbnb. If you buy it before July, it could make a few thousand in July alone. We’ve had to move away for a job and it’s time to find another home for our ol’ Bernie. The good: The bus is a 1996 International, T444E engine. Allison 545. It runs great and was a trusty steed on our most treacherous journeys. A tile + seashell staircase, works great as a shower (we would use a 10-gallon solar bag to take showers) Full-size memory-foam bed on elevated frame that provides lots of storage space A wood panel slides out between the two couches to form a giant, king-size-like bed that sleeps 3 if needed if you get one more foam cushion. There’s a 400 watt solar system with modern, super-thin, flexible, impact-proof monocrystalline panels. There’s a sink+faucet, hooked up to a 30 gallon tank near the rear of the bus There’s a hitch+scooter carrier in the rear There’s a 2-bike bike-rack custom welded on to the front of the bus. There’s something like a 3.5 cubic gallon fridge underneath the sink counter. Classified as a camper. 25 foot length, very manageable to drive, and a bit easier to park compared to a full-size. The bus is wired to be easily hooked up with an extension cord. One can easily switch the outlets from “shore-power” to the solar batteries. New starter batteries. Tires haven’t had many miles on them. The previous owner was a school-bus driver on his fourth Skoolie. The bus was well maintained. The bad: Slightly over 200,000 miles on the bus, which isn"t bad for a diesel. The bus has sat in the shade for over a year and it seems the batteries for the solar panels have probably died. A new charge controller was put in, and we still measure power coming off the panels. The batteries are 4, 100 Amp-hour deep cycle batteries and you might be able to charge them back up. The water pump for the sink relies on the batteries from the solar, so that won’t work until the solar does unless you hook it up to the bus"s wiring. The valve in the faucet broke pretty early on, so when you turn the faucet handle it doesn’t properly release the pressure, so the water pump doesn’t turn on. Someone who’s handy could probably fix this. Otherwise the faucet would need to be replaced. The sink drains straight out of the bottom of the bus. This was never an issue for us on the road. Others may not like that. A few shells have fallen off the walls of the staircase. We’ve kept many of them and most could easily be glued back on if desired. The bus hasn’t traveled much in over a year except for being moved around in the backyard. You’ll likely have to replace a fuel filter early on if you travel far. The outside of the bus has accumulated some dirt and could use a good power-wash. The tires are old. You’re technically supposed to replace them, but we had no issues driving to California and back on them because the bus wasn’t going over 55 anyway so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for them to overheat and pop. The bus rarely goes over 55, unless traveling in nice cold weather. We’ve gotten it up to 65 in those cases, even going uphill. I’m listing the negatives to be as upfront and honest as I can be and to minimize questions. As an extra guest-house or AirBnB, the bus provides incredible value, and kids love to stay in it. Obviously some work needs to be done to get all the amenities properly functioning again. Includes a window-unit AC. Price is negotiable. If you want to see some pictures/videos of the bus in action, its instagram is @BernieTheBus