Gustavo The 4x4 School Bus

Campfinder

New member
As of last January I purchased a 1994 Ford E350 school bus. I know, it was the craziest thing I have ever done - It never even crossed my mind that I would be the proud owner of a school bus. It sat on craigslist for quite a while, and every time i was browsing and came across it, i slowly came to the realization of how much it made sense. My mind was filled with ideas for the most versatile setup ever - something that was able to haul gear, bikes, people, rafts, tow trailers, camp out of, whatever I could throw at it. So after a couple weeks of debate I drove several hours south to Montrose to meet my new project. The interior was mostly empty, And I felt like it had a lot of potential. It has a 7.3 IDI diesel, with just around 110k, maintained by the school and was running great. So I decided to go for it...

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Right after I brought the bus home, I began working on the interior. I came up with a bed design that folds up against the back of the bus, but will still fit bikes and other toys beneath it. I installed cabinets to run along the sides above the windows. I reorganized the interior seats to face one another and put a table in, and I came across a free bench seat out of a ford van that I installed sideways. To cut down on sound and condensation inside, I carpeted the ceiling. I wanted to keep the design simple, functional, and easy to clean.

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Over the summer, the bus got a fair amount of use on bike trips, river trips, weddings, and any excuse to drive a school bus around.

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Around the middle of August, I decided that I wanted to tackle the overwhelming endeavor of converting the bus to 4x4. I talked with Chris at U-Joint, and after a lot of questions and a ton of research, I placed my order for a 4" conversion. I got an axle and a transfer case, along with a couple other parts from a junkyard and rebuilt the axle while I waited for my kit. As a lot of you on here have done the conversion, I am not going to go in depth on the process, but after a couple months of cutting, drilling, and money, the bus has become four wheel drive. I just got it back from the tranny shop, and it is running great!

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Now that I have completed the conversion, I can get back to working on the interior. I am in the market for some Ford Transit passenger seats to make the ride a little more comfortable and safe for everyone, along with building some cabinets for the kitchen. As for the exterior, I was going to paint it, but the school bus yellow is growing on me!
 

Oldcarnut

Adventurer
Nice lookin bus you have there. I have an 02 E450 Thomas that I put the 6 inch version under. What a beast.
Looking forwards to your work and build.
Where are you located?
 

Campfinder

New member
Nice lookin bus you have there. I have an 02 E450 Thomas that I put the 6 inch version under. What a beast.
Looking forwards to your work and build.
Where are you located?

Thanks! I am up in Carbondale, CO. Do you have a feed for your build, I would be curious to see it!
 

Factoid

Three criminal heroes
Well done!

Nothing better than taking the short bus to camp. I think you are going to end up with a ************ camper.
 

Oldcarnut

Adventurer
Thanks! I am up in Carbondale, CO. Do you have a feed for your build, I would be curious to see it!
No, no build feed as finances are uber tight after the conversion n my Cheif of Finances won't allow any more modifications until savings account balance improves.
 

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