Complaint Review: Skoolie Homes - Kingsport TN

After months of missed commitments I arrived 10/5/18 for delivery which was one week late Upon arrival, the propane sensor was not able to be hooked up without triggering the alarm.  The next morning when Jeff came to replace the sensor I had more issues including: 

• leak under the bathroom area of the bus
• no hot water
• AC would not stop running
• shower had not been caulked
• washing machine had not been tested
• USB port/cup holder for the driver area was missing
• Interior doors had no way to be properly  secured
• RV door did not close/lock properly
• sofa had not been bolted down

  We took the bus back to the shop for these repairs Saturday morning where a member of the team with his wife arrived to perform these repairs.  When I left that afternoon the AC was still not working, but other repairs had been made. I made the decision to leave the lot with my bus as I believed the major issues to be resolved and needed to be in Illinois for family reasons.  Ninety minutes into my 600 mile drive the engine over heated and I called Jeff for assistance.    When I told him I was disabled on the side of the road he said “You need to get to a mechanic.  I don’t know anything about diesel engines”.  I was told on the contract that he performs a ‘rigorous 25 point inspection’ of the bus before buying/converting. The first mechanic had to replace the batteries as Jeff’s work had killed the cells.  The mechanic was unable to re-hook the DC wiring as it was unsafe.  Upon further inspection a live wire was found in the battery compartment which previously went to the propane sensor

Beyond the initial safety concerns of no propane sensor and live wires/unsafe wiring in the battery compartment, I have found several items in my bus build that are sloppy, unprofessional and incomplete:

• The bookshelf was measured incorrectly and in order to make it fit they cut a notch out of the counter top to accommodate
• The shower head is off center and directs the water out of the shower opening rather than into the wall which causes leaking
• The bathroom door is too heavy it jumps the track when driving
• A light was installed where the bedroom door swings open so the top of the door has been lopped off to accommodate
• Lower murphy bunk bed was not built in a manner to allow it to swing down and the locking mechanism was installed with 1/2" metal screws rather than the proper length wood screw.  I have replaced the screws and had modified the bunk to allow it to barely squeeze open/closed
• Decorative trim on the ceiling has nearly 100 staples per strip – many not set or filled in and does not fit true around lights and up to the walls
• New white cabinets have paint to cover scuffs
• Bus was delivered filthy
• Drawer front under the set up in the bedroom fell off the first time it was opened
• Drawer under the stove rarely opens
• Fridge handles were lost
• Microwave I brought to their site was stolen
• Cut outs from the butcher block were ‘lost’ and I was never given those pieces which I paid for
• Back wall of the bus at the ceiling has a 1” gap with visible insulation
• There are no sensors to alert me as to the status of the tanks
• Electrical box is not labeled so I do not know how to manage electric use to prevent tripping a circuit
• RV door does not close properly
• There is no vent for cooking smells
• There are outlets behind the propane range & one unusable behind the counter
• Internal paint job is poorly done and needs to be repainted 

I paid nearly 50,000 for a professionally converted bus and what I have looks like a DIY project from someone’s back yard that has several major safety concerns. 

Skoolie Homes did offer to pick up the bus and take it to their shop to address the issues.  I decided not to do that as they do not have the skill set to remedy the work they did poorly the first time and more importantly, I cannot be without my home the several weeks it would take.  I did accept a $5000 refund to cover some of these items; however, my expenses already exceed this amount.