Destination Unknown

Tag: skoolie conversion

  • Installing Car Seat Mounting Brackets in our Skoolie

    Installing Car Seat Mounting Brackets in our Skoolie

    In this blog, we share our process for installing car seat mounting brackets in our skoolie, including a diagram of our school bus conversion car seat latch system.

    Disclaimer: We are not professionals and, therefore, are not imparting any professional-level knowledge from the manufacturer to you. We are only sharing what we did. Please do your own research.

    How we installed our car seat mounting brackets in our school bus conversion

    We built a custom couch in our living room that was attached to the steel frame of the bus. 

    We decided to have three points of latch contact like a passenger vehicle’s car seat latch system. 

    Diagram showing the car seat latch system in our school bus conversion.

    Skoolie Car Seat Installation Tips

    Overall, the installation is simple. As with most projects, measure twice and cut once. We also installed the same brand car seat for each of our children, so there was no variation in how we would attach our latch points.

    Plan the attachment points

    Plan to attach the mounts to the steel ribs of the school bus. Since we had to accommodate 3 car seats, we first made sure every car seat would align along a rib of the bus.

    Drill the top tether mount

    To install the top tether eye bolt, Eric drilled through a rib of the bus to the exterior, between the windows. Install the top tether mounting bracket closer to the base of the couch, so the center of gravity on the mounts stay low. Drilling between the windows requires some steadiness, since a slip may cause the glass to break.

    He purchased these wall mounting eye nuts.

    Drill the two batch latch mounts

    To install the base latch mounting brackets, Eric drilled through the wood in our couch. He installed 2 base square brackets per car seat. He made 2 holes per mounting bracket, for a total of 4 holes.

    He purchased these square u bolts.

    What hardware quality did we use?

    Purchase bolts with a high shear rating (for example: Grade 8 bolts), so they are less likely to break in a collision.

    Man installing car seat to mounting brackets in school bus conversion.
    Car seat attached to mounting brackets in school bus conversion.
    Car seat attached to mounting brackets in school bus conversion.
    Car seat latched to mounting brackets in school bus conversion.

    Side-facing instead of forward-facing or rear-facing

    Due to the design of our couch, we had to install our car seats facing sideways instead of rear- or forward-facing.

    Car seats installed in Skoolie | 12 Hacks for Living in a Skoolie
    Three kids riding in a school bus conversion in car seats.

    The likelihood that car seat placement would affect the outcome of a crash is lessened given the construction of a school bus compared to a passenger vehicle. Most school buses do not have car seats, so our opinion is that a car seat facing any direction is better than none at all.

    We have 3 children who would otherwise be in car seats that are: 

    • 2 forward-facing 
    • 1 rear-facing

    Because of the size and construction of the bus, compared to that of a passenger vehicle, we do not feel that the issue of forward-, rear- or side-facing is as significant of a concern as it would be in that of a normal passenger vehicle. 

    • 2 at the base
    • 1 at the back, commonly called the “top tether strap”

    Car seat recommendation for Skoolie

    We purchased the Graco 4Ever DLX 4 in 1 from Amazon. We like how their base latches have a quick release feature with the press of a button, rather than depressing a lever.

    How to store a car seat in an RV when not in use

    We unclip the seats from the couch and store the three car seats in the shower and close the curtain. We then replace the couch cushions to have additional seating in our living room. Those couch cushions are typically stored under the rear bed when the car seats are installed, so they are also out of the way when not in use.

    Disclaimer

    We do not recommend traveling with any unsecured passenger in any moving vehicle, and we feel that this is the best and safest solution for our family since we do not tow another vehicle with us or drive separately anymore. Our suggestions do not follow the manufacturer guidelines. Please do your own due diligence.

    As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. The majority or all links are affiliate links. We thank you for shopping with them as a small commission may be paid to us if you purchase.

    Thanks for following along with our journey! – The HildeFam

  • It’s a Skoolie Wrap with Media 1

    It’s a Skoolie Wrap with Media 1

    In mid-June 2021, we spent 3 days in the Orlando area with Media 1 Wrap This as they wrapped our skoolie, lovingly called the “Hildebus,” with the most epic wrap.

    Earlier in April, Eric reconnected with Rick Ream, one of the owners of Media 1, at a skydiver reunion in Zephyrhills. It was at that reunion that the idea of wrapping our school bus became a reality. 

    Don’t tempt skydivers with a good time!

    After some back and forth with Jason, their in-house marketing guru, we settled on a large-scale design that spans both sides of our bus with some real estate on the front and back. 

    Truly, these guys knocked this wrap out of the park.

    Watch the Vlog!

    The Before

    We document the wrap going onto the bus and a tour of their facility in this vlog.

    In addition to showing our on-going bus wrap, I also show a supercar they were working on and the sign fabrication area, where they make signs for businesses, varying in size from small to large to massive.

    It really is fascinating to see what they do.

    Do we love the wrap?

    Yes! Driving a school bus is a conversation starter in and of itself; driving a school bus WITH a beautiful wrap makes us approachable, which we enjoy. 

    We have so many positive interactions with people when they see our skoolie go by. We meet a lot of people that are genuinely interested in our goal of traveling the United States for a year AND that Eric built the interior of the himself, in large part to YouTube videos. This interaction is made even better because we can stay in touch with people that we meet easily through our YouTube channel, referenced on the bus.

    The goal of the wrap is foremost to push people to our YouTube channel, where we certainly have increased our subscriber base since its installation.

    Will it last?

    Based on conversations with Dale Salamacha, the founder at Media 1, this product can go for many years without issue. 

    Media 1 definitely knows this product best since they are one of the leading users of 3M products in the southeast – they wrap over 70 vehicles a month: super cars, buses, trucks, etc. During the wrap, they gave us a tour of the facility and it really is astounding what they can create with the wrap materials.

    The wrap is a 3M product with HP print technology & a laminated finish, so it is durable in all weather situations we will encounter on the road. The finish quality is outstanding – crisp, bright and long-lasting.

    Contact Media 1

    If you want to reach Media 1 for your own wrap or sign design, installation, fabrication, etc, their information is linked below:

    • Email: sales@media1signs.com
    • Phone: 407-331-6161
    • Website: https://media1signs.com
    • Address: 501 Cornwall Road Sanford, FL 32773
  • Why we bought a retired school bus

    Why we bought a retired school bus

    In this blog, we discuss the major reasons why we bought a retired school bus to convert into our dream tiny home on wheels for our family of five during a global pandemic.

    Table of Contents

    This blog talks about what first got us hooked on the idea of doing a school bus conversion. If you want to see the end result of 7 months of work and how much we put into the HildeBus, then read this blog.

    Comprehensive Answers to Common Skoolie Myths

    We aim to bust the common myths you read about school bus conversions by providing solid resources and research from the skoolie community.

    Skoolie parked in a sunflower field in Pitts, Georgia

    Deciding against buying an RV

    In September 2020, my husband and I sat in the parking lot of a used RV lot to discuss the pros & cons of the dated RV that we toured. This RV offered state-of-the-art technology and finishes from 2005, and formerly retailed at the hefty price tag of $200,000. Now, 15 years older and 1 foreclosure sale later, the salesman was trying to pass this “land yacht” on to us for only $20,000. What a steal, right? We were crazy not to take it, right?


    As we sat in the car, checkbook laid out beside us, I did an online search for how to safely secure children into an RV while moving. As it turns out, there are sadly few passenger & child safety restraints required for RVs.

    Many states require children to be secured while driving a passenger vehicle; however, what are the rules for an RV?

    1. What are the seatbelts secured to in an RV? The comparatively (to a school bus) lesser strength vehicle frame.
    2. Are child seat latches built into RVs? They usually must be retrofitted if you need more than one car seat.
    3. How many seatbelts are available [we have 3 kids in carseats], or are any seatbelts available? Usually no additional passenger seat belts other than the captain chair, accompanying passenger and (optional) jump seat.
    4. Are RVs crash-rated? If you’ve ever seen RV crashes compared to school bus crashes, it’s easy to see which one fares much better in an accident.

    The answers we found didn’t make us feel confident about our family’s safety while driving in a traditional RV.

    Why we converted a school bus

    Later that night, my husband woke me up to tell me hear him out. At 2am in the morning, that’s the last thing I intended to do, but he sounded so hopeful.

    Why don’t we buy a school bus and convert it into an RV? They are made for transporting children and made of steel.

    Eric Hildebrand

    We researched and it turns out that purchasing a retired school bus “was a thing.” There is an entire sect of the tiny home community that own converted school buses — lovingly called “Skoolies.” Once we went down the rabbit hole of safety, costs, and ease of construction. We were hooked on building a school bus conversion.

    School buses are safe and solid construction

    School buses are made for protecting children in case of impact. School buses are made of metal: typically, a steel frame & ribs, aluminum sheet metal body. A “traditional” RV or other motorhome is usually constructed on a steel frame, framed with wood and wrapped with a fiberglass shell.

    As such, the quality of construction of a school bus is far superior to that of a Class A RV. A simple google search will show you which vehicle or motorhome fares better in an accident.

    A motorhome is not recommended to carry passengers while driving, besides those passengers found in the cockpit (driver & passenger seats with seatbelts).

    Bidding on a retired school bus

    Fast forward to one week later , we were bidding on our first school bus at government auction.

    We purchased our bus for about $4,250. We estimated the renovation will cost $25,000 in repairs and vehicle maintenance over a six month period. We will install solar panels on the roof, and a composting toilet.

    My husband will do the work predominantly on his own. He has no construction background. YouTube will be his teacher. I will help out when I can.

    Update: We spent between $45,000 to $50,000 on our renovation and repairs. Check at the breakdown of our skoolie features and upgrades in this blog.

    Moving through the pandemic

    2020 took a toll on all of us, but made us stronger as a family because we were forced to be around each other all the time. With job security and other factors being a concern in this strange world, what better way to stay close to your loved ones (literally in 280 sq.ft.), save money, and see the world?

    We’re going to change our lives for the better in 2021 and document the entire journey.

    THIS JOURNEY is our life by design.

    You can find our YouTube Channel “Destination Unknown” below. Thanks for watching & reading why we bought a school bus. – Ingrid & the HildeFam