School Bus Height: How Tall Is The Inside Of a School Bus?
School buses were made for children. They are not designed to carry adults or have adults live inside of them. That makes their height a problem when you are tall and want a conversion project. Don’t forget, buses come with curved ceilings.
School bus heights vary depending on their type and the company that made them. The tallest school bus interior is 78 inches and the lowest gets down to 66 inches. That height difference makes it difficult to find a good bus when you are very tall.
To learn more about school bus heights just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about to see to help you make a decision on buying a bus to turn into an RV. In most cases, the height is just not there
How Tall is The Inside of a School Bus?
School bus height varies between manufacturers. For example, the Micro Bird Type A comes in either a 66 or 74-inch height. They have a series of Type A buses that reach 76 inches tall.
The Collins company makes their Type A buses 67.8 or 75.8 inches high on the inside. The IC BUS company reaches 78 as does the Green Power Motor Co. so these latter two options will work for most people.
However, before you get excited about the interior bus height, you need to be aware that school bus ceilings curve. The ceiling may be 6 feet in the center but only 5 feet 2 inches where the ceiling meets the walls.
You need to plan for this curve before you make your purchase.
Average School Bus Height
The average school bus height size is 6 feet or 72 inches. You will find both taller and shorter heights depending on the length of the bus, its purpose, and who made it. The good news is that many bus companies make their models with 2 different heights.
You can find some that are very tall, at 6’ 6” but not tall enough for people who reach 6’ 7” +. Plus, you will also find those buses that are very short. Some are so short that 5’ 8” women cannot stand up inside of them.
These measurements are only for the center aisle section. You will find that as you measure at the seat side of the bus, you will get a lower measurement. As we said earlier, school bus ceilings are not straight. You will not be able to enjoy 72 or 78 inches of headroom everywhere on the bus.
Type A School Bus Height
As reported earlier, the Type A school bus will usually come in 2 different heights. There is the lower 66-inch size and the taller 74 to 76-inch size. While shorter Type A buses may look the same, they are not and you should bring a tape measure with you to get an accurate reading for the model you are interested in purchasing.
The Collins version has one school bus, Type A, that does reach 77 inches. That is only 1 inch below some of the Type C & D models that reach 78 inches. There is some good news in all of this.
Some modern school bus makers have changed their designs a little bit and the curve is not as pronounced as earlier models. You can get some 6-foot models with 5' 10" ceilings at the walls. That is extra space you can use.
How Much Headroom is in a School Bus?
Not a lot. When you remember the purpose of the school bus you will understand why that is so. Most children going to school are under 6 feet in height. They do not need a lot of headroom in the bus because 6-feet provides more than enough for the majority of students.
Also, school buses were not intended to be made into RVs. While they can be adapted to that lifestyle, they were designed to be vehicles to carry children. That means there is not going to be a lot of headroom, especially for taller people.
However, it is possible to give yourself some extra headroom. Our research has come across many customized models where the owners raised the roof on their school bus. One owner went up 14 inches so they could add a bunk bed for their little girls.
You may lose a little headroom if you insulate the floor though. You have to be careful in your planning to make sure the model you buy will work for what you want to be done.
What are The Internal Dimensions of a School Bus?
The basic height varies and will go between 66 and 78 inches depending on the manufacturer. The length of the bus will vary as well and get the interior length, just count the windows and multiply that total by 2.5.
This will be an approx. as you have to figure in the driver’s space, entry door space, and model design. But windows are 2.5 feet in width. The width of the bus is usually 90 inches or 7 1/2 feet.
As you can see, there are many variables to finding the exact interior dimensions. There is supposed to be a tag above the entry door of each bus giving the exact interior dimensions. If you can’t read it, then use a tape measure to help you.
Some Final Words
Tall people do not have the advantage when it comes to converting school buses into classy RVs. Their interior height is not going to be accommodating to many people. When you insulate the floor you will lose even more height inside.
These are good projects and if you can live with the lower headroom, converting these vehicles should be cheaper than buying a new RV
