All American RE
A 1999 Blue Bird All American RE — 40 feet of retired school bus being converted into a full-time live-aboard. Rear engine layout gives a flat floor throughout. The build prioritises off-grid capability: solar, lithium bank, composting head, and a proper workshop bay at the rear.
- Engine
- Cummins ISC 8.3L
- Transmission
- Allison B300
- Colour
- To Be Determined
- Chassis
- RE (Rear Engine)
Acquisition & First Assessment
Bought at a school district auction in Sacramento. 187k miles on the Cummins — oil analysis looks clean. Allison shifts smoothly through all ranges. Interior is stripped school bus: 72 seats, rubber floor, and a lot of cleaning ahead.
Demo Day — Seat Removal
Pulled all 72 seats and the floor-mounted seat tracks. Rubber flooring came up in sections — subfloor is solid plywood with no soft spots. Marked out the rough floor plan: galley forward, lounge mid-ship, sleeping quarters aft, workshop bay at the rear above the engine.
Roof Raise Planning
Standing headroom in a standard RE is 76 inches — workable but tight. Researching a 10-inch raised roof section using 14-gauge steel. Contacted two fabricators for quotes. Will document the full cut and weld process once a contractor is confirmed.
Electrical Planning & Solar Sizing
Sized the system at 1200W of roof solar feeding a 400Ah lithium bank (Battle Born). Inverter/charger will be a Victron Multiplus 3000. Shore power inlet on the driver side. Ran preliminary cable routes — main trunk will run under the raised floor along the passenger side.