Technical Specs:

Brienne the Bus is a 1997 International 3400 short bus with a T444e engine and an AT545 transmission. She's pretty tall and powerful.

Expenses (so far...)

For transparency's sake for anyone looking to embark on a similar journey (and for our own record-keeping). None of these links are to promote a product or say that's what you need to buy, it's just what we bought and what we thought was right for our particular use case.

• $5900 - bus

• $900 (75/mo) - Tinkermill makerspace membership (otherwise we'd be renting space to store and work on the bus, and renting or buying all the tools that we can borrow from Tinkermill)

• $480 - registration and emissions testing

• $20 - license plate mount

• Mechanical

  • $2,252 - trips to the mechanic

  • $410 - 3 new 950 cold cranking amps truck batteries

  • $300 - labor and parts to fix the leaking fuel pump

  • $800 - replaced leaf springs

• $100 - garage sale tools (jack stands, car jack, halogen work light, creeper, wire brush drill attachments, long extension cord)

• $700ish (so far) spent on miscellaneous things at Home Depot/Lowes/ Ace Hardware: WD-40, drill bits, funnel, mechanic rags, angle grinder wheels, caulk and caulk gun, wood glue, tape, loctite, Bondo, epoxy, rust converter, sandpaper, primer, work gloves, masks, paint rollers and paint brushes, screws, bolts, washers, and nuts

• $350/free - 2" galvanized steel pipes and fittings for roof rack, nuts and bolts (gifted to us by our very generous family)

• Insulation/temperature control

  • $75 - heat/sound insulation for firewall and engine bay (GuteAuto and Siless)

  • $30 - carpet and cargo mat for driver floor

  • $65 - reflective/insulating roof coating

  • $192 - solid foam board insulation, framing, and OSB for subfloor

  • $600 - spray-foam insulation

  • $60 - cork insulation for emergency doors and back windows

  • $120 - MaxxFan Deluxe (model 6401k), bought lightly used from a sprinter conversion, plus butyl tape, hardware, and lap sealant

  • $89 - diesel heater

  • $30 - water pump for diesel heater

  • $135 - curtain fabric, insulation, straps and snaps

• $130 - new driver's seat and passenger seat

• $95 - paint for the main body of the bus (Sherwin Williams SherCryl - color name)

• $50 - 4x4, 2x6's, 1x3's, and hardware for bed

• $24 - paint for walls, cabinets

• $30 - metal stair nosing

• $100 - deadbolts for emergency doors

• Kitchen

  • $200 - 2 slabs of Honey locust for the countertop

  • $30 - epoxy for countertop

  • $130 - sink Kingsman Hardware 19x20 undermount

  • $98 - faucet (Kraus pull-down faucet)

  • $50 - poplar for cabinet face frame and drawer fronts

  • $299.99 - fridge 12v 38qt from Bodega Coolers

  • $86 - 6 pairs of soft-close drawer slides from Lontan

  • $23 - accumulator tank from Seaflo

  • $119 - stove top Camp Chef Ranger II

• Ceiling

  • $200 - 5 sheets of 1/2" Sande plywood

  • $26 - Conditioner for plywood

  • $26 - Behr water-based stain and poly (color - Mission Oak)

• Solar/Electrical System

  • $403 - LiPO4 batteries

  • $145 - solar charge controller

  • $26 - battery management system

  • $65 - battery charger

  • $27 - DC to DC step-down converter

  • $12 - buck converter

  • $260 - 2 used 290W solar panels

  • $115 - pure sine wave inverter

• FREE (FB marketplace and Craigslist are your friends):

  • filing cabinets and metal doors for storage boxes

  • rust-oleum rust preventative spray paints (various colors)

  • caulk and lap sealant

  • metal L brackets and hinges

  • assorted wood for cutting board, outdoor table, accents, and random projects

• PRICELESS - parental help and patience for use of their driveway and tools and garage space, help from friends

Total: $16,028

Profit: $400 - from selling the wheelchair lift

Total Net: $15,628