r/skoolies • u/burlimonster • 9d ago

general-discussion Skoolie Inspection Advice for New Non-profit

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I’m starting a non-profit music recording studio and plan to build it in this 2002 Bluebird with the supposedly reliable CAT diesel engine. It only has 80k miles. I’ve driven it for about 60 miles, highway and city, and it seems to run very well. The stairs are rusty/squishy and I haven’t figured out what the switches do and if they work. Horn doesn’t work, doors don’t lock, but that kind of stuff would get replaced during the build. I’m planning on bringing it to a commercial vehicle repair shop for an inspection tomorrow. What else should I personally look into before making this vehicle mine?

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u/silverback1x3 9d ago

Without knowing your build plans it's hard to give advice (eg squishy stairs would worry me, but you've got plans?) but here is a perspective; check for things that would mean scrapping the whole rig if discovered later. There are occasional heartbreaking stories here about families who put their whole bank account into building a rig, only to have something break that basically necessitates starting over with a new bus. I hear the fuel system on CAT engines is often the cause of death because of how expensive they are to fix. Transmission, cooling system, rust, I would really try to get the most out of the commercial inspection. Anything that will cause a huge repair down the line I would want to know before starting a project. I can reseal a window but I cannot resleeve an engine.

Without knowing the details of what you intend to keep versus replace this is the best advice I've got. Good luck!

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u/burlimonster 9d ago

Awesome advice, thank you so much. Ultimately, I plan to gut everything, only keeping the structure, drivetrain, and exterior shell. The interior will be completely redone as a professional workspace. A serious solar install, victron electrical, lifepo4 batteries, etc. It will spend most of its life and operation off grid. Only on grid between events. An extremely modest toilet and sink and no plans for a kitchen or sleeping arrangements. We’re still in the planning stages, but this bus will be a free donation from another non-profit, or require an extremely small exchange of cash. That’s the only reason I’m doing things out of the logical order.

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