Inside Dimensions: How Big Is The Inside Of a School Bus?
While many RVs and travel trailers are built for tall people, school buses are a different story. They were built for students and most of the riders do not hit 6 feet in height while in school. You may be surprised at how low the interior of a school bus is.
The inside dimensions of a school bus will vary in height and length. However, they do not vary that much in width. The standard width is about 7 1/2 feet while the height and length will range, depending on the size and model of the skoolie.
To learn more about the inside dimensions of a school bus, just continue to read our article. It explores the issue so that you have the facts and the figures to plan your re-design move. Keep in mind that school bus window sizes are the same no matter the model.
What are The Inside Dimensions of a School Bus?
The tallest bus interior you should find without any customizing done to it would be 78 inches. The Thomas-made buses come in two sizes 72 or 78-inch heights and the latter figure is said to be the tallest one of all bus models.
To get the interior length, you just count the windows. Each window, if they have not been altered should be 2 1/2 wide. 10 windows will measure out to 25 feet inside length. The standard width of a school bus is 7 1/2 feet but smaller buses may have more or less width to them.
By that we mean that the smaller school buses width can range between 72 and 92 inches wide depending on who made the vehicle and other factors. This measurement is usually found on the college school bus and not your typical school zone bus in your city.
How Wide is a School Bus Interior?
There is limited space between the side walls of a school bus. Because all school buses no matter their size must fit on the road safely, you will not find them larger than 8 feet wide on the exterior.
That is 96 inches overall and that measurement is cut down some by how the school bus frame was built. Some school buses will reach 92 inches wide but for the most part, they are only 90 inches wide. Not a lot of difference there but 2 inches can mean a lot when you are converting the bus into living quarters.
Some smaller buses may only get to 72 inches across which does not provide a lot of seating room when used as a school bus. When shopping for a bus, check out the smaller versions as they tend to be the ones that are wider
If you do not believe or can’t read the tag above the door giving the dimensions, bring a tape measure along with you to get an accurate size.
School Bus Interior Dimensions By Type
We counted on one website, 17 different types of designs for the school bus. They usually fit within the 4 Types of school buses but different companies that make these vehicles have different designs in each category. Some manufacturers do not make buses for all categories.
However, there are some standard sizes all bus makers follow. For example, windows are to be 30 inches wide and the interior bus width does not reach beyond 90 inches with some exceptions.
The only real variable in these types will be height. The length will change somewhat but you just count the windows and multiply by 2.5 and you have your interior length minus the driver’s space.
For example the Collins Type A propane model should be 14 feet by 76.5 by 90 inches or 14 by 6 feet 4 1/2 inches by 7 feet 5 inches. A Green Power motor Co. Type D bus will be 35 feet approx. by 6 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 5 inches.
The MicroBird company make their Type A buses 66 inches tall and the smallest versions that we found. They also make the same models with a 74-inch height. The specific dimensions will depend on the model of the bus you are looking at.
Short Bus Dimensions
This too will depend on who makes the bus. Type A is the shorter bus type and their length will depend on how many windows they put in the vehicle. The Micro Bird T series has 3 windows and one emergency door on one side. Its length is going to be about 10 feet on the inside minus the driver area.
The Collins Type A series looks to have about 12 1/2 feet inside not including the driver space. The dimensions for the class A Collins models range from 67.8 to 76.5 inches high. The Micro Bird model's height ranges from 66 to 76 inches high.
The width is standard at 7.5 feet and you just have to multiply those figures to get the full volume of the interior of the different smaller buses. If you figure the square footage out you will see that there is not a lot of room inside a school bus.
A 10-foot interior times the 7.5-foot width only gives you 75 square feet to design your living space. Smaller is not going to be better especially if you cannot stand upright inside.
Some Final Words
When you start considering buying a school bus to convert to an RV, do the math first. That way you will know which size of interior you should buy. There are a number of different sizes to choose from so you can find one that will fit your needs.
Length will matter when you have to drive it and the middle to smaller sizes are easier to maneuver and find parking for. Just double-check your height to make sure you will fit standing up.
