In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How many windows does a school bus have? We will explain how to remove school bus windows for a conversion, and discuss other important criteria for school bus dimensions such as length and width.

How many windows does a school bus have?

A school bus can have between 4 to 14 windows, depending on the bus size:

A short Bus has 4 to 6 windows
A mid-length bus has 8-10 windows
A long bus has 12 windows
A full size bus has 14 windows.

The width of a school bus window has a minimum of 28” and a maximum of 35”. The windows are usually made from laminated glass (two layers of glass that surround a layer of plastic).

Why do you need to know how many windows a school bus has?

Knowing how many windows a school bus has will come in handy if you need to calculate the interior width of the bus.

Generally, the interior of a Skoolie is 7.5 feet wide. In the United States and Canada, bus bodies are restricted to a maximum width of 102 inches (2.59 m) and a maximum length of 45 feet (13.7 m).

Still, because there are several types of school buses, it is best to always use a simple equation to find how wide your Skoolie is:

[number of windows] x 2.5 x 7.5 = X sq ft

For example, if a bus has 7 windows: 7 x 2.2 x 7.5 = 115.5 sq ft.

How do you measure the height of your Skoolie?

There are two and sometimes three Skoolie heights that you will need to be concerned about.

The first height to be taken into account is the interior height of the Skoolie. Find this height by measuring the inside of the Skoolie from floor to ceiling.

You will also need to take some outside measurements. The main exterior measurement to consider is the height of the Skoolie, including the ceiling, mounted air conditioning units.

The next exterior measurement you can take is the exterior height without the roof-mounted air conditioning units.

How long is a school bus?

The length of a school bus will depend on the type and overall size of your Skoolie. See the table below for more details:

Bus type	Length	Width	Height
Mini Skoolies	20 to 25 feet long	93 inches	9.1 ft t0 10.3 ft
Midsize Skoolie	25-42 feet long	93-96 inches	9.9-10.4 ft
Full-size Skoolie	42 to 45 feet long	93-96 inches	9.9-10.4 ft

How to measure the length of a school bus?

Usually, the length of a school bus should be mentioned in the vehicle’s logbook or by the dealer/seller in the ad. However, it can happen that some data such as the length, width and height on your school bus may be missing. What to do in this case?

A few rules of thumb could help you get an idea of your school bus’s length if the seller isn’t telling you exactly how long it is. The best way to measure the length of a school bus is by looking at the windows: so for every window on the side of the bus, not including the driver’s window, you can add 28 inches – and that’s also taking into account the space between the windows.

For as accurate measurements as possible, you must know what kind of bus it is in terms of engine placement: is it a hooded dog nose or a flat nose school bus?

If it’s a dog nose like a regular truck, you’re gonna add 10 feet to whatever measurement you got from looking at the windows.
If it’s a flat nose then you’ll add about 6 feet to the initial measurement.

Next, there are other things to consider. One of those things – probably the most major thing is the handicap door. In this case, we recommend measuring from the very back of our last regular window to the very back of the bus. So essentially measuring the entire handicap area (which is around 6 feet to add on the length of most buses).

Of course, this method is not perfect and the first issue you may be facing is that not all of the windows are the same size. The first window and the last window of a bus are fairly long while the other windows are different sizes. Also, the emergency exit windows are different sizes as well.

Still, if you follow the above rules, you can kind of get an idea of where you’re at and how long your school bus is!

Can you remove the windows on a school bus?

During a Skoolie conversion you may need to remove the windows of your bus, so we are going to cover this process in the following section.

The removal and reinstall of the windows on a school bus should be done only after the floors are finished, sealed and painted.

Removing the windows it’s a pretty straightforward process. There are four screws holding on each side of the window that you just need to pull out and then cut the old ceiling off and pull the windows out.

If the old windows are in good conditions you can reuse them, they are easy to seal back up. If you want to discard them, you can wall up the space and paint over to make a completely new room.

Does the size of a school bus matter?

No matter the size of the school bus you are choosing, to transform such a heavy vehicle into a motorhome, for personal use, it must have enough space for the following amenities:

A kitchen including stove, refrigerator, counter, sink and table.
A place to sleep including a sofa bed or a bed.
A complete bathroom including a permanent shower and toilet connected to a drainage network.
An electric power supply system independent of the vehicle engine. A propane gas supply system with compliant installation certification.
A drinking water tank. A tank for wastewater.
A water heater. A heating system independent of the vehicle engine system.
A minimum of two seats with seatbelts. A number of seats with safety belts greater than or equivalent to the number of sleeping places (maximum of nine).

The dimensions of the Skoolie also involve the height of the vehicle, affecting also the amount of headroom – an element to take into account for adults, but also while on the road. Think of bridges, tunnel entrances and tolls!

Final thoughts

When choosing a bus to convert it to a Skoolie, you must consider how many people are going to live in it, what amenities you want to add (kitchen, bathroom, beds, etc), but also you must consider how wide the bus is. A bigger bus is not always the best choice, as it can be more expensive and very hard to find a spot to park it.

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments on the content.

FAQ on How many windows does a school bus have?

How is a bus measured?

The weight of passenger trucks and buses is measured by a measuring instrument known as a scale. In many places, it is used to control the weight of vehicles such as passenger trucks and buses in order to ensure safety on the journey.

How wide is the inside of a Skoolie?

Generally, the interior of a Skoolie is 7.5 feet wide. In the United States and Canada, bus bodies are restricted to a maximum width of 102 inches (2.59 m) and a maximum length of 45 feet (13.7 m).

What is the longest school bus?

The longest school bus is the coach bus. It is 42 to 45 feet long and can carry between 25,000 and 35,000 lbs, or up to 97 passengers!

References

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