: ! COMING SOON ! :

THE ECO BUS
ecological adventure skoolie 

designed and built by christopher ives

a hand-crafted skoolie made with durable, ecologically-friendly materials, featuring custom acacia hardwood counters and eco-ply cabinetry, massive lithium battery system, with seating and sleeping for 4.

 

Base Vehicle Specs:

  • 2001 Ford F-450 Super Duty Chassis

  • Bluebird Microbird 5-Window Aluminum Bus Body

  • Automatic transmission with overdrive

  • 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel / International T444e/3800 Engine

  • 230,000 Miles (industrial engine rated for 500k-1M miles)
    (That’s an average of less than 10k miles a year)

  • Factory F-550 Rear dually axle

  • Front and rear sway bars, handles great!

  • 13,800 GVW, empty is ~9,500

  • ~20,000 lbs tow capacity - Currently has 6,000 lbs hitch

  • Roof access door doubles as vent and built in fan.

  • External diesel-fired engine preheater for super easy cold starts. Set up on a timer. Needs to be cleaned and serviced.

  • DARK tinted rear windows

  • Driver airbag

  • Four wheel disc brakes w/ ABS

  • Titled and insured as an RV in Oregon

  • Clean Title and full records/carfax from new. Owned by professionals, diligently maintained, and regularly used.

  • 10 mpg city, 15mpg highway, 13mpg mixed

  • Fit's in a single parking space! Same rough dimensions as an 8' bed dually double cab pickup.

  • 6' 3" standing hieght inside and over 7ft wide. Bus body is 14' long behind the driver's door, 20ft long overall.

  • NO LEAKS - NO RUST — Former Denver school bus then primarily used in the desert southwest, so there is no rust of any kind. The bus body is aluminum and fiberglass, and therefore rustproof.

  • School buses, and specifically in Denver County are designed, engineered, and then regularly maintained to be highly durable and safe because of laws about carrying children — this vehicle has a built in roll cage and is made with heavy gauge metal, far exceeding the quality of any RV.

  • Original bus rubber flooring intact for waterproof durability.

BUILD HIGHLIGHTS: 

  • Eco-Plywood Cabinets were over-engineered using 2x3 frames and furniture-grade 1/2” and 3/4” Eco-plywood made without formeldahyde using soy-based adhesives.

  • Custom acacia hardwood countertops with mountain backsplash

  • Large 95 liter fridge and freezer and up to 28 gallons of easily removable, changable and cleanable water storage system.

  • Easily-serviceable, uncomplicated plumbing and electrical.

  • 600Ah of Renogy Lithium, 3000w 110v Inverter, 50A Dual Alternator and Solar Charging with dead battery protection to keep the bus’s starter batteries safely charged.

  • Touch screen wall-mounted energy monitor with bluetooth

  • Appropriately-sized, marine grade electrical cables and couplings with 12v and 110v outlets and fuse panels throughout.

  • Has enough power to run an induction stove (no propane or fumes!)

  • 12v Diesel Interior Heater/Furnace

  • Camper is anti-obsolescent, serviceable, and repairable without professional-level skills.

  • Artfully created using ecological design principles to maximize space and comfort.

  • Prioritized non-toxic, eco-friendly materials while maintaining all-season, all-terrain durablity.

Vehicle Restoration:

  • NEW High Pressure Oil Pump HPOP and injector lines ($5k job)

  • NEW Radiator

  • NEW Alternator

  • NEW Vacuum Pump

  • NEW Serpentine Belt

  • NEW front sway bar and bushings

  • NEW Radius Arm Bushings

  • NEW Drag link

  • NEW Steering Stabilizer shock

  • NEW Rear wheel studs

  • NEW Front hubs/bearings

  • NEW HD Bilstien Shocks

  • NEW Brake Pads, Rotors, Calipers

  • NEW Windshield & Wipers

  • NEW headlight, turn, and marker housings and LED bulbs

  • NEW Custom LED rear brake/turn/reverse assembly

  • NEW 10” Apple Carplay / Android Auto Touch Screen Stereo

  • NEW towing wiring and connector

  • NEW bluetooth-controlled under-bus lighting

  • Transmission, Diff, and Engine fluids and filters changed obsessively.

  • Batteries cleaned and serviced + factory kill switch works

  • Upgraded Captain's Chair

Body restoration:

  • Body was sanded, primed, and 4+ coats of self-cleaning non-toxic, repairable exterior paint was applied with oiled cedar accents and sound-absorbing bed liner lower body protection.

  • The roof has been sealed and recoated.

  • Underside of hood and engine bay repainted with oil and temperature resistant enamel.

  • Wiper arms and plastic trim have all been coated with durable enamel.

  • Bluebird Logo and strips recoated with bed liner

  • Wheels repainted with hammer-textured gunmetal enamel coating.

  • Frame was coated with rust inhibitor and painted with enamel

  • Original roof hatch joints have been fiberglass reinforced

  • Fender bus mirrors and radio antenna removed and fenders patched/shaved.

  • Interior ceiling cleaned, sealed, and re-insulated and paneled.