In this blog post, we will answer the following question: What does a 72 passenger school bus weigh? We will explain the main differences between the types of school buses and discuss how much they weigh. We will also answer other frequently asked questions about Skoolie dimensions.

What does a 72 passenger school bus weigh?

A typical 72 passenger school bus weighs 30,000 lbs. As School Transportation News points out, buses range from Type A, the smallest that carries fewer passengers, to Type D, the largest bus, which carries the most passengers, as you will see in the table below.

School buses types and weigh

Class or type of school bus	Weight in LBS
*A1 –* A conversion or body built on a truck-type vehicle or on the front of a vehicle with the driver’s door on the left, designed to carry more than 10 people.	10,000 lbs
*A2 –* A conversion or body built on a truck-type vehicle or on the front of a vehicle with the driver’s door on the left, designed to carry more than 10 people.	14,000 lbs
*B –* A conversion or body built on a truck-type vehicle or on the front of a vehicle’s chassis or on the chassis only. Part of the engine is under or behind the windshield and next to the driver’s seat. The front door is behind the front wheels.	Between 14,000 lbs and 18,000 lbs
*C –* A body installed on a flatback hood chassis designed to carry more than 10 people. The engine is in front of the windshield and the front door is behind the front wheels.	Between 22,000 and 30,000 lbs
*D –* A body installed on a chassis with the engine mounted in the front, centre or rear designed to carry more than 10 people. The engine can go behind the windshield and next to the driver’s seat, at the rear of the bus behind the rear wheels, or in the centre, between the front and rear axles. The front door is in front of the front wheels.	Between 25,000 and 35,000 lbs

How to calculate the payload on a school bus?

The payload of a bus school is the actual total weight of passengers and baggage that the bus can carry. The payload is obtained by subtracting the mass in running order (tare) from the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

So to understand this concept well, we want to give you an example:

Tare: the tare is the empty vehicle without passengers and luggage and can also be called mass in running order;

Range: are passengers and luggage only and can also be called maximum payload.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: and the tare, in this case, the empty vehicle together with the capacity that is the passengers and luggage, together form the GVWR which is nothing more than the abbreviation of the term “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating”.

PS: in some cases, if the weight exceeds the transport capacity of the vehicle, it may be necessary to establish the maximum weight of the baggage accompanying passengers.

First, the maximum payload is determined, then the passengers and their total weight are counted. At this point, the maximum weight of the baggage is obtained by subtracting the total weight of the passengers from the maximum payload.

This is the calculation that the driver could make if he has the doubt that he is exceeding the admitted GVWR and clearly the baggage would be at the expense.

How long is a 72 passenger school bus?

Body length 23 ft (7 m).
Overall with front 28 ft (8.5 m).
Interior height 73 in (1.85 m).
8 rows of benches.

How wide is a 72 passenger school bus?

The average width of the inside of a large school bus is about 90 inches. Small school bus 72 to 92 inches wide. The width of a school bus aisle depends on the width of its seats (typically 18 to 45 inches) the wider the seats, the narrower the aisle.

What are the interior dimensions of a 72 passenger school bus?

Most school buses measure 7.5 feet wide on the inside. So, to quickly get an estimate of a square foot bus, use the equation [number of windows] x 2.5 x 7.5. For example, one bus that has five windows: so 5 x 2.5 x 7.5 = 93.75 square feet.

How many miles can a 72 passenger school bus travel on one tank of gasoline?

On average, a clean diesel school bus can travel about 510 miles on a diesel tank versus just 270 miles on gasoline, based on the same standard size gasoline tank.

How to convert a 72 passenger school bus to an RV?

Here are the simple steps to convert a 72 passenger school bus to an RV:

Step 1: Buy a bus.

Step 2: Get it home or to storage space.

Step 3: Find the requirements to convert the title to RV.

Step 4: Design your exterior.

Step 5: Remove the bus seats.

Step 6: Gut the bus (check our article on how to do it by yourself!)

Step 7: Complete the homologation process (add a kitchen, water pump, water tanks, a sleeping space, etc).

Step 8: Clean and paint the bus (optional).

Where can I buy a 72 passenger school bus to convert to an RV?

Here’s where you can a school bus to convert to an RV:

Govdeals.com
Craigslist.com
Publicsurplus.com (an auction site)
eBay.com
Nwbus.com.
The Facebook Marketplace.

Important requirements regarding the size of a Skoolie

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).

Conclusions

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 What does a 72 passenger school bus weigh?

How heavy is a school bus in tons?

A school bus weighs on average 12,9 tons. How heavy a school bus is, depends on the class or type of school bus it is.

What are school bus bodies made of?

School bus bodies are mainly made of steel, meaning a mixture of iron and carbon. Steel is also used to make the chassis and other components of a school bus. The body of the bus is where the passengers and the driver are located, so manufacturers consider comfort and utility as part of its characteristics.

Are school buses fuel efficient?

Despite their dimensions, school buses are more fuel-efficient than trucks and semi-trucks. On average, a school bus or a Skoolie has a 30% fuel consumption, with 10 mpg!

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).

References

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What does a 72 passenger school bus weigh?