RVs and Motorhomes
Bus Conversion and Skoolie Repair
In short: A converted bus is a vehicle nobody manufactured, so nearly every part is discontinued or was never a part, which makes fabrication the normal answer rather than the exception.
- Typical range
- $2,000 to $150,000+
- Labor hours
- 10 to 800+ hours
- Updated
A bus conversion is a vehicle that nobody manufactured. It started as a school bus, transit bus or coach, somebody cut it apart, and what exists now is a one-off.
That single fact governs everything about repairing one. There is no parts catalogue for it. Much of what is on the vehicle was fabricated rather than bought. The structure has been modified, frequently substantially, and the quality of those modifications varies enormously.
Fabrication is the normal answer
On a conventional coach, fabrication is what we do when a part is discontinued. On a conversion it is the default.
Panels that were cut and reshaped. Window openings that were filled or created. Roof raises. Storage bays added into the original structure. Bumpers, racks and mounting for equipment that has no factory provision.
Repairing any of it means reproducing work that was one-off in the first place, which is a fabrication and welding job with a body repair at the end rather than the reverse.
Roof raises
A roof raise is the most consequential modification made to conversions and the one whose quality varies most.
It involves cutting every vertical structural member, lifting the roof, and rejoining the members with inserted sections. Done properly, with correct joint design, adequate splice length and full penetration welds, the structure is sound. Done quickly, it is a row of butt welds at the same height around the vehicle, which is a stress concentration running right around the structure.
We inspect roof raise joints on any conversion that comes in for any reason, because a poor raise will not announce itself until something loads it, and by then the failure is structural.
Vintage restoration
Restoring a vintage coach is a different discipline from repairing a modern one.
Body panels have not been manufactured for decades, so they are moulded or formed here. Trim and fixtures are sourced, reproduced or fabricated. Structure is rebuilt to current standard while retaining the original appearance. Systems are brought up to date invisibly behind period-correct finishes.
It is slow because restoration cannot be parallelised the way replacement can, and it is some of the most satisfying work in the shop.
Systems on a conversion
Conversion electrical is where we find the most safety problems, because it is frequently the work of the converter rather than an electrician.
Undersized cable, unfused branches, connections made with wire nuts in a vehicle that vibrates, high current runs routed against sharp structure, and battery banks installed without isolation or ventilation. Any of it is a fire risk in a vehicle people sleep in.
We inspect and correct rather than working around it, and an open wall during body work is the cheapest moment in the vehicle's life to fix it. See electrical system repair and solar and lithium.
Typical costs
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Body and panel work | $2,000 to $12,000 |
| Structural repair | $6,000 to $40,000 |
| Roof raise correction | $8,000 to $30,000 |
| Full repaint | $12,000 to $35,000 |
| Complete conversion build-out | $40,000 to $150,000+ |
| Vintage restoration | Quoted after assessment |
Full posted rates on the pricing page.
Buying a conversion someone else built
A large share of conversions change hands, and the buyer is frequently taking on somebody else's decisions without knowing what they were.
The recurring problems we find in bought conversions: roof raise joints done quickly rather than properly; structure cut for windows, doors and bays without restoring the load path; electrical assembled without fusing, correct cable sizing or isolation; water systems plumbed with fittings not rated for vibration; propane installed by somebody who was not certified; and equipment mounted to floors rather than to structure.
None of that is visible on a walk-through and all of it is expensive after purchase. A pre-purchase inspection on a conversion is one of the highest-value few hundred dollars available in this category, and it is either a reason to walk or a substantial negotiating position.
Getting a conversion here from Cypress
We are at 23281 La Palma Ave in Yorba Linda, roughly 25 minutes from Cypress on the 91, with the bay height and yard space that a full-size bus needs. Height is worth checking before you set off if the vehicle has a roof raise, since a raised skoolie is frequently taller than its original clearance sticker suggests and the route matters.
If it is not drivable, call before arranging recovery. A converted bus is heavier than the original, the weight distribution has changed, and a recovery operator who is expecting a school bus will be surprised by it.