A HOME THAT
CAN LEAVE.

A skoolie already carries most of what an emergency calls for: a bed, a kitchen, stored water, its own power and room for supplies. Some people call it a bug-out bus. This page covers what it takes to make that true, so that when a hurricane, wildfire or long power cut comes, your bus is ready to go or ready to stay.

It builds on the Skoolie Build Guide. Where a system is covered there, we link to the chapter rather than repeat it.

Know how many days you can last

Your bus can run for as many days as its scarcest supply allows. Work out each one, and the smallest is your real number.

• Water: Ready.gov advises storing at least one gallon per person per day. Divide your fresh tank by that, then by the number of people aboard. Tanks and freezing are covered in chapter 12.
• Power: take the watt-hours per day from your energy audit in chapter 11, and compare it with your usable battery capacity. Count solar only on days you expect sun.
• Heat and cooking fuel: know how long a full propane tank or diesel heater supply lasts at your normal use. Gas safety is in chapter 13.
• Food: keep a rotating stock of food you already eat, so nothing expires unused.
• Waste: a cassette toilet or grey tank that fills in two days is your limit, however much water you carry.

Keep it ready to roll

• Fuel tank kept above half
• Batteries charged and the battery disconnect working
• Fresh water tank full, or a plan to fill it fast
• Tires at pressure, with a spare and the tools to change it
• Go-bags packed for each person and each pet
• Medicines, glasses and copies of documents aboard
• Paper maps of your region, in case phones and data are down
• A battery or hand-crank radio for local alerts
• Smoke, carbon monoxide and propane alarms tested

Plan the route before you need it

A bus is not a car in an evacuation. Traffic is slow, fuel stations run dry and many places will not take a vehicle your size.

• Know your height and weight. Measure the bus height with anything on the roof, and weigh it loaded (see chapter 15). Low bridges and weight-limited roads close some routes to you.
• Pick two routes out and at least one place to go: a friend's land, a campground that fits your length, or family well outside the area.
• Leave early. A bus on a jammed highway uses fuel and time you may not have. If you are going to go, go when the order or warning comes, not after.
• Follow local emergency officials. Sign up for your county's alerts, and follow their routes and instructions over anything you read online.

Storage within the weight limit

Supplies are heavy. Water alone weighs about 8.3 pounds a gallon. Every bus has a gross vehicle weight rating on its plate, and a loaded build can pass it without anyone noticing.

• Weigh the bus after the build, then again fully loaded for a trip.
• Keep heavy stores low and between the axles.
• Secure everything. A sudden stop turns loose cans into projectiles.
• Leave the emergency exits clear, inside and out.

Wildfire and smoke

• Leave as soon as you are told to. Smoke, closed roads and poor visibility arrive fast.
• Keep roof fans and windows shut in smoke, and run a portable air purifier if you have the power for it.
• Carry N95 masks for everyone aboard.
• When parked in fire country, face the bus toward your way out and keep the ground around it clear of dry brush.

Floods, storms and long power cuts

• Never drive into flood water. You cannot see the depth or whether the road is still there.
• In a long power cut at home, the bus can be the room that still has lights, a fridge and a way to charge phones. Keep it charged for that.
• Move the bus away from trees and out of low ground before a storm if you are staying put.

Why we do not recommend armoring a bus

Search for bug-out buses and you will find armor plating and bulletproof glass. We do not recommend it. Steel plate adds a great deal of weight to a vehicle that is usually already near its limit, it hurts braking and handling, and it costs money better spent on water, power and fuel. In nearly every real emergency, the bus that helps you most is the one that is fueled, stocked and leaves early.

Find a bus that fits the job

For an emergency-ready build, look for a diesel bus with a solid floor, a sound frame and a size you can actually park and turn around. Search buses for sale and live government auctions, and use the inspection checklist in chapter 4 before you bid.

This page is general information, not legal, mechanical or safety advice. Follow the instructions of local emergency officials, and see Ready.gov for official preparedness guidance.