Decayingmidwest

Indiana, exact location unknown, exact location withheld

An Abandoned International R160 Bus in the Indiana Woods, Moss on Every Window

A vintage International R160 bus found by the side of an Indiana road, doors locked and moss on the windows, in a spot I still can't place.

Watch on YouTube or search decay bus on YouTube

Vato and I found a bus on the side of a road somewhere in Indiana, and I still don’t know where. We had no service, so I couldn’t tell you the road if I wanted to. I don’t normally share locations, and this time I couldn’t.

I had been looking for a vintage bus for a while. This one looked like the coolest bus ever, and I finally found one. It was parked in the trees at the edge of a field, and the trees had grown up close around it.

What we found

Green paint flaking off the side of the bus down to rust, with a cracked glass panel beside the door.
Green paint flaking off the side of the bus down to rust, with a cracked glass panel beside the door. 0:14

The bus was pretty dirty and the doors were locked, so there was no getting in. I tried to see inside through the glass.

Looking into the bus through a dirty window, with a cardboard box and debris inside.
Looking into the bus through a dirty window, with a cardboard box and debris inside. 0:28

I didn’t know the brand at first, then read the badge and saw it was an International. It says R160 series on it. My guess was that it’s an RV bus, though that is only a guess. The windows were locked too, so there was no way in on this one, but it was cool to look at.

The International R-160 badge on the side of the hood, crusted with lichen and rust.
The International R-160 badge on the side of the hood, crusted with lichen and rust. 0:41
The front of the bus, with a rusted hood and two round lamps on the roof, trees all around it.
The front of the bus, with a rusted hood and two round lamps on the roof, trees all around it. 0:55
A hand against a moss covered window, with rust streaking the seam of the side panel.
A hand against a moss covered window, with rust streaking the seam of the side panel. 1:09
The side of the bus with a tree growing right up against it and moss along the roof edge.
The side of the bus with a tree growing right up against it and moss along the roof edge. 1:23
A bent metal bar lying in the dead grass, with a round white light on the bus body behind it.
A bent metal bar lying in the dead grass, with a round white light on the bus body behind it. 1:37
The back of the bus with its red lights, seen through leaves and bare trees.
The back of the bus with its red lights, seen through leaves and bare trees. 1:50
The roof of the bus through branches with red berries, with a round vent on top.
The roof of the bus through branches with red berries, with a round vent on top. 2:04

My feet were soaking wet, because there was so much water out there. It had thankfully stopped raining.

Why buses end up in fields

I can’t tell you how this one got there. The News Wheel reported in November 2020 that schools typically keep buses for about 12 years before retiring them, and that retired buses are usually sold at auction. Individuals often buy them and convert them into RVs, because they cost much less than a regular RV. The same piece says you need a commercial driver’s license to legally buy and operate a used bus, and that routine maintenance on one that is 12 years or older can top $10,000. I said this one looked like an RV bus, but I can’t confirm it was ever a school bus or ever converted.

Every door and window I tried on this one was locked.

Left behind

  • A green bus with the paint flaking down to rust
  • An International badge with R160 series on the side
  • Moss and lichen covering the windows and body
  • Doors and windows all locked
  • A bus that looked like an RV bus, in my guess

What I carried in

Same list as every video description.

Sources

More like this

The footage that never goes public lives on Patreon. It's paid, and it's where the rough cuts, the security run-ins and the early releases go.