Raising a Skoolie Roof: Tools, Lessons, and Why It’s Totally Doable
Cutting the roof off a school bus sounds crazy.
Doing it with little or no help sounds insane.
But with the right tools, planning, and patience — it’s not just possible, it’s absolutely doable.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the exact tools my wife and I used to raise the roof of our 40-foot diesel school bus 16 inches — by hand, just the two of us — and why a roof raise might be the single most important upgrade you can make in your skoolie conversion.
🌤️ Why Raise the Roof?
If you’ve ever lived in a van or ambulance, you know the feeling — you can’t stand up straight, the floor’s cold, and it feels more like a tunnel than a home.
That was me. My ambulance interior height was 5’11”. I’m 6’1”. I basically lived hunched for over a year and a half.
The big lessons:
Headroom = Comfort.
After insulation and flooring, most buses lose 4–6 inches of vertical space. Without a roof raise, tall people simply can’t live comfortably inside.
Insulation = Survival.
If you plan to winter in cold climates, proper floor insulation is critical. Frozen floors drain your heat and your morale.
With a 16-inch roof raise, I can fit 4 inches of rigid foam insulation under the floor and still have 6’6” of standing room.
Space = Possibility.
A roof raise opens up your layout options: cabinetry, ducting, wiring, skylights, fans — all easier to plan and install when you have breathing room.
Bottom line — if you want to live full-time or off-grid in a skoolie, a roof raise isn’t luxury; it’s liberation.
🧰 The Essential Roof Raise Toolkit
Here’s the full list of the tools we used — every one of them earned its place.
(⚠️ Some of these are affiliate links that help support the channel at no cost to you.)
1. 🔧
Angle Grinder — Your Workhorse
The humble angle grinder is your best friend on this job.
It’ll cut steel, smooth welds, remove paint, and prep surfaces for new panels.
Pro Tips:
Use corded, not cordless. You’ll be running it for hours.
Buy quality discs in bulk (flap wheels, cut-off wheels, wire wheels).
Always wear ear and eye protection — sparks will fly.
2. 🔨
Air Hammer / Air Chisel — The Rivet Slayer
Ingersoll Rand 114GQC Air Hammer →
Your bus is held together by thousands of rivets. You can drill them all…
Or you can save yourself a week of misery and shear them clean off.
The air hammer is loud, messy, and absolutely essential.
You’ll Need:
A mid-size air compressor (borrow or rent one)
A punch for driving out rivet center pins
Ear protection (seriously, this thing barks)
Once you use one, you’ll never go back to drilling rivets by hand.
3. 🔥
MIG Welder — Rebuilding the Skeleton
Cutting the roof off is one thing; putting it back together safely is another.
You need a MIG welder — or at least access to someone who can weld.
Hiring a pro for a day or two often costs more than just buying your own welder and learning.
That’s what I recommend: invest in yourself, practice, and gain a skill you’ll use forever.
Quick Advice:
Use gas-shielded MIG, not flux-core wire.
Practice on 14-gauge steel — same thickness as most bus panels.
Watch YouTube, burn wire, and don’t overthink it — you’ll improve fast.
4. 🪛 Pneumatic Rivet Gun + Structural Rivets
Avdel Monobolt Structural Rivets (¼″) →
After the raise, you’ll need to re-skin and secure the sides with structural blind rivets.
These aren’t your typical pop rivets — they’re high-strength fasteners used in aviation and heavy transport.
Your rivet gun needs serious pulling power to set them correctly.
Learn from my mistake:
Cheap rivet guns won’t pull these flush — you’ll snap mandrels and waste hours.
Spend the money once on a quality pneumatic model, and your hands (and sanity) will thank you.
5. 🌀 Corded Drill + The Right Bits
Genesis 4.2 Amp Corded Drill →
17/64″ HSS Drill Bits – USA Made (12-pack) →
You’ll be drilling holes for rivets, brackets, and reinforcement all day long.
Corded drills are cheaper, lighter, and won’t die halfway through your 200th rivet hole.
Buy several 17/64″ bits — that’s the perfect size for most ¼″ rivets.
You’ll dull and break bits constantly. That’s normal. Buy spares before you start.
6. ✂️ Electric Metal Shear — Clean, Straight Cut
This one surprised me.
After years on an angle grinder, I didn’t think I needed electric shears. I was wrong.
They slice through 14-gauge steel like butter, leaving burr-free, straight edges.
Perfect for cutting new roof and wall panels without warping or scorching paint.
You’ll want one of these when you’re trimming 10-foot sheets and fitting under drip rails.
7. 🏗️ Lifting Jacks — The Secret to a Controlled Raise
So how do you actually lift a 40-foot roof evenly and safely?
Answer: homemade jacks using ¾″ all-thread and welded brackets.
We built nine lifting jacks spaced along the bus.
Then, inch by inch, we wrenched each side up evenly — keeping the roof level, square, and stress-free.
Pro Tip:
Use at least 8–10 lifting points on a full-length rig.
The roof flexes like a sail — you want fine control at every step.
If you’d like a full diagram and parts list, I can include that in a follow-up PDF guide.
8. 🧲 Vacuum Suction Cups — A Game Changer for Small Crews
This tool saved our backs — and our marriage.
When it’s just two people lifting and positioning massive steel sheets, these suction handles give you real control.
Each one holds up to 600 lb on smooth, clean surfaces.
Why They’re Awesome:
No pinched fingers when tucking under rub rails
Perfect for skylights and windows too
Make solo or duo lifting actually possible
Clean the panel, pump the handle, and you’ve got an instant steel-grabbing handle that feels like superpowers.
📏 How High Should You Raise the Roof?
Rule of thumb:
Full-size bus: 14–18 inches
Short bus: 10–14 inches
We went 16″, which let us reuse standard 4′×10′ galvannealed steel sheets without odd seams or wasted material.
If you go much higher (20″+):
You’ll need custom metal or re-oriented sheets
You’ll increase wind drag
Shorter wheelbases will feel tippy in crosswinds
Balance practicality with aesthetics. The goal is comfortable, efficient living — not skyscraper vibes.
💰 Tool Budget Breakdown
If you’re smart and resourceful:
Without welder: ≈ $600
With welder and gear: ≈ $1,000–$1,200
That’s less than hiring a pro for a weekend — and you gain tools, confidence, and the ability to fix your rig anywhere, anytime.
❤️ The Mindset
You’ll sweat, swear, and question your decisions.
But here’s the thing: you’re not doing anything impossible.
Normal Men and women built that bus.
You can cut it. You can lift it. You can rebuild it better.
The reward isn’t just the finished roof — it’s what happens inside you along the way.
Raising the roof becomes a metaphor for the entire build. You expand what’s possible.
When you’re finally standing tall in a warm, quiet space that you built, the soreness fades and the satisfaction takes over.
That’s where the joy lives — in the struggle, in the doing.
⚙️ Quick Links Recap
🧰 All Tools Featured: