There are a lot of unknowns surrounding a DIY school bus conversion, primarily as it relates to the changing of a commercial vehicle to a non-commercial or residential one. A common question I see is “How fast does a
My goal in this blog is to help answer those frequently asked questions, dispel myths, and provide resources to help you do your own research.
How fast does a skoolie drive?
A school bus conversion does not travel quickly or brake slowly. From personal experience, our cruising speed is 45 miles per hour within the city and 60 to 65 miles per hour on the interstate on a flat surface.
Our bus could go faster since the governor (speed limiter) was removed, but there just aren’t many opportunities or a desire to go faster on smaller roads.
More often than not, we kept our
What is a school bus governor?
In the case of a school bus, a governor is a device that limits the speed that the vehicle can travel. If your vehicle accelerates past the maximum speed, this speed limiter can turn off the engine forcing deceleration or sound an alarm informing the driver to reduce the speed.
Before the governor was removed in our 2002 Thomas School Bus, if we increased our speed over 65 mph, the bus would beep then turn off, and we would have to pull off to the side of the road to restart.
Maximum Commercial School Bus Speeds
Commercial school bus speed maximums are mandated by a national organization and may be further elaborated at the state level, usually by the State Board of Education or the Transportation Department. Below are some examples of this:
- Connecticut: 50 mph on the highway, 40 mph on other roads
- Missouri: 60 mph if not posted – follow the posted speed otherwise.
FAQs on How fast does a skoolie drive?
Are skoolies subject to commercial school bus speed maximums?
From a logical sense, if your vehicle is no longer a commercial vehicle for the purposes of transporting people (as a commercial school bus’ purpose is), then the national school bus speed standards no longer need to be followed. Furthermore, the mechanics that govern a commercial school bus speed can be removed.
Additionally, these commercial school bus speed standards are not drastically lower than stated normal vehicle speeds. Just avoid speeding, y’all!
There may be some gray area in what defines a commercial school bus versus a school bus conversion, especially if the bus hasn’t been built out as a motorhome yet (like the school bus seats are still intact) or retitled as a motorhome. You can always consult an attorney as I am not one, and this is not legal advice.
Can the school bus governor be removed?
Yes, a school bus governor can be removed, and it often is when converting a commercial bus into a motorhome. You can either remove it yourself or pay a knowledgeable diesel mechanic to remove it for you, like we did.
According to posts in forums, the public majority feels that an older vehicle without an electronic system makes the governor removal possible for the owner to do. However, if the bus is a newer model, then a mechanic may be necessary because they will have the software and tools necessary to remove it and reset the bus’ mechanical brain.
Resources to Remove a Skoolie Governor
Check out these videos on how to remove your
Conclusion to “How fast does a skoolie drive?”
There are a lot of unknowns surrounding a DIY school bus conversion, primarily as it relates to the changing of a commercial vehicle to a non-commercial or residential one.
My family built out our
If you’re at the beginning states of your
[…] along route US-19. The distance is about 90 miles and took us just under two hours of non-stop driving in our skoolie RV. We prefer to avoid the interstates when driving in our RV, so we can see the area […]