Shao the Shorty
Bus Life
The bus started out as a classic yellow school bus. I gutted the whole thing down to the aluminum exterior. I even took out the windows. That was my blank canvas.
The most notable experience during the entire build was when I accidentally removed the Transmission Lockout Loop circuit - along with 50 lbs of other wire. Most of it was unnecessary wire - except for that one little circuit. At the time I had no idea how to fix it. Panic started to set in. Without that wire completing the circuit, the bus was stuck in park.
I called a few mechanics to see if I could get some help. The fun thing about school buses is they are very niche and very few people know how to work on them, let alone be willing to come to you to work on them. Needless to say, I couldn't find a mechanic. It looked like I was on my own for this one.
I had the electrical schematics, so I wasn't in the dark, but it pretty much looked like alien writing to me. I had no other option than to learn how to read it. After a day of studying what it meant, it finally started to make sense. Once I understood it, it only took 15 minutes to locate and fix the problem.
Boom. It was drivable again.
That was one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. It taught me most problems can be solved with enough determination and persistence.
The Finished Product
2001 Ford E-350 school bus conversion with a diesel 7.3L Powerstroke engine.
Features:
400 watts of solar
300 Ah AGM battery bank
Victron DC/DC 12v charger
Renogy 40amp MPPT solar charger
Overhead LED puck lighting (w/ multiple switches)
Custom inlaid wood cabinetry
RGB cabinet under-glow lighting
Chinese diesel heater (uninstalled)
Spray foam insulation3 burner
Wedgewood stove
Camplux 5L tankless water heater
ICECO 60L 12v refrigerator
Custom steel roof rack / solar mount
30lb propane (stove and water heater)
Sirrocco Gimbal fan
Shurflo water pump
30 gal watertank
Outdoor LED lighting around entire bus
Brand new LED brake, tail reverse and head lights
Custom couch cushions
Custom curtains
Fold out couch into guest-bed
Lots of storage
