Bus Details:
2000 Ford E450 Powerstroke 7.3 turbo diesel motor 20ft school bus
Where and when did you buy the bus?
I bought the bus on Craigslist in March of 2022. The person I bought the bus from was going to do a skoolie conversion themselves but stated “plans have changed”.
How much did the bus cost? Did you have to drive it back to Tucson, AZ?
I bought the bus for $5,600 in Phoenix, AZ. Yes, the bus had to be driven back to Tucson, AZ and it did fine the whole way. No problems at all.
About how much money have you put into it since buying it?
Tires were one of the biggest purchases for the bus costing around $2,000 for all. Including the tires, I have put in about $5,000-$6,000. If we were to include the cost of the bus, the total would be around $11,000.
How long did it take to convert the school bus into a mobile shop?
Doing the conversion on my own took me about 11 months. I took 1 month “off” to do a mural job and wasn’t able to work on the bus during that time. Everything you see inside of the bus was built by me and I did the paint job on the outside as well. I am not 100% finished with the build but now I am at the point where I can work on it and use it as a mobile shop at the same time.
Why did you buy the school bus?
My art business was doing great until the pandemic. It was a VERY hard time for my business. I figured, I could give up or I could take this time to rebrand and figure out a creative solution. The decision: I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream yet. Fast forward to today, I have improved so many parts of my business like having all my products ready to ship, better product photography, improving the quality of all art shirts, and the big one… buying a school bus that is now a mobile shop!
I also bought the bus to provide a stable income for my business and I. As many entrepreneurs know and experience, work isn’t steady all the time. Sometimes you don’t know when your next job/project is coming and when your next “pay day” will be. Since doing events with the bus I have seen a major improvement in sales and I am so happy I took this risk.
Where is the bus? Does it have a permanent location?
The bus does not have a permanent location at this time but I would love to explore that option soon! Right now, I drive the bus to different local events and sell my items. Customers can walk inside the bus and shop.
If you are hosting a local event or know of one happening, be sure to invite the bus! I am always looking to fill my schedule with events I can take the bus to. Thank you in advance!
Photography credit to: https://imagesbylaila.com/