BCM Community

Just curious, what the average age of us Busnuts are. Does our illness have a young interest to spread this disease
or is it going to follow us old dogs to the porch?  ;D ;D

I guess us 50-somethings don't count.  ::)

Yep you are right missed my own bracket not sure how to fix. Maybe one of our moderators can add it and cure my screw up !!! :(

I added the missing years. ;)

Unfortunately I couldn't put it in the proper sequence without losing the votes already placed.  So this will also be a test of mental alertness.  :o

One thing I have noticed both in the forum and the magazine is that we have had a greater influx of younger bus nuts in the last 6 months or so than we had for quite a while.

Being a woman I get to lie about my age  ;D

I think most busnuts are older simply because they have more time and money once their kids are raised.  Most people in their 20s and 30s are more worried about getting married, raising young kids, and getting established in life.  RVers tend to start with travel trailers and then move up if they enjoy the lifestyle and have the funds.

I was lucky and built and sold a business for a significant sum of money before I was 30 years old.

Woohoo, I'm all alone in my age group, for now  :D

Watch out for young Jordan, Roy... He's right there with ya!  ;)

The fact that most buses are owned by older people is simply and directly related to the ages where dementia is most likely to start taking hold of our lives.  In some regions it may hit sooner as the availability of 'mountain dew' may be more readily apparent and the lead content from the distilaltion appartus will show up sooner.  It's also a highly recognized fact that bright office lights and pocket protectors can lead to a flow of negatively charged ions that come from the overhead lighting in an office setting and flow to the region of the pocket protector and creates a rotting effect to the common sence region of the heart.  Another related theroy for this seems to come from the 'lean factor' of the bagged buses, the side to side tilt of the buses that rely on air bags for their appearance of 'level' being somewhat off kilter can be transmitted to their owners and result in an off kilter lifestyle.

I'm 46 and I'm a lifelong busnut. The only buses I own are about a dozen CORGI diecast since my money clip isn't up to a real one. But hey, I can still dream right? :)

I guess there is no point in asking why 50-59 comes after 60-70??

You need a couple more ranges on the high end just to see how old some of us really are.

You aren't up to my range yet!! The rest of you are whippersnappers who have barely started shaving!!

"Older than dirt" does not do it!!

Damn, i just crossed from one age group to another 2 months ago.  Maybe there should be a poll of how old/young do you feel. ;)

A poll with age difference between the bus and owner would be an interesting and almost useless piece of info.

How about how old you were when you became a busnut.  I was 18 in 1961 when a buddy and I bought an old Railway Express truck that we were going to cross the country in.  It was many years later before I actually had a running RV, but the dream came early.

I had a nurse tell me a couple years ago that  I was here when the earth cooled!  Jack

Cody   Are you refering to me and my good mountain spring water. Don said that his whole crew fell in love with it. most of them fell down and went to sleep before quiting time.

Good mountain spring water does not have lead just plenty of kick.

uncle ned

ps hope to see every one at jacks for new year. And I don't want to see any devils when I wake up.

Quote from: gus on November 06, 2010, 07:48:33 AM
I guess there is no point in asking why 50-59 comes after 60-70??

Late life crisis?  ;D

Quote from: Len Silva on November 06, 2010, 10:29:55 AM
How about how old you were when you became a busnut.

Good question. I was 11, watching TV, when they showed one of those luxry Prevost (didn't know at the time, but remember the curved side windows) conversions, starting at $650,000... I was drooling, going: wow, when I grow up, I'm so getting one.

Now that I'm all grown up (yeah right), I know better than spending my life savings on a "marble on wheels" loaded to within 70lbs of GAWR. No offense to members that can actually afford one, I'm still a little jealous  ;)

Quote from: Len Silva on November 06, 2010, 10:29:55 AM
How about how old you were when you became a busnut.  I was 18 in 1961 when a buddy and I bought an old Railway Express truck that we were going to cross the country in.  It was many years later before I actually had a running RV, but the dream came early.

We started out with bikes in our twenties, then to vans around thirty-three, and then moved to pickup and camper, then to travel trailer and eventually up to a bus which was I would say a dream or a goal for more than thirty years before actually becoming a reality.

Kind of makes you wonder what comes next ... my very own personalized scooter chair and a trip to see LuvRBus and the Grand Canyon? 

(It never gets old ... The canyon that is.)

BCO

Oakie! on the scooter chair :o? Now that's raisin' Da' bar a little isn't it/ ??? ;D ;D ;D
You know you are always welcome to stop and plug in on the way down to see The Yoda! ;D
When I was twenty1, I never thought that 32 years later I would be saying when I was twenty1, I never thought that 32 years later I would be............... Remember the seventies? ??? ??? ???

Quote from: van on November 06, 2010, 01:32:34 PM
Oakie! on the scooter chair :o? Now that's raisin' Da' bar a little isn't it/ ??? ;D ;D ;D
You know you are always welcome to stop and plug in on the way down to see The Yoda! ;D
When I was twenty1, I never thought that 32 years later I would be saying when I was twenty1, I never thought that 32 years later I would be............... Remember the seventies? ??? ??? ???

Yeppers, it is true.  I used to be "scooter rat" or "biker T .... oh well, you know what I mean, right?"  Had shovel heads, one pan head, FLH. SuperGlide, Sportster (you would think I would know how to spell it at least) and a few others along the way.  Biking was a big part of my life in the sixties, which were really good to me, as I don't remember a lot of it.

I want flames and chrome lug nut covers on my scooter chair.  We will be in Vegas next year on the backhaul from Seattle thru Salt Lake and into your area .

Stock up on the "hard lemonade."

BCO

I just turned fifty in October. I got to thinking about all the things that have come to be since I arrived. Computers, CNC machines, electronic engines, heart replacement, cloning, cell phones, sattellite tv, mtv, cmt, lazer guided wepons, gps tracking, microwaves, instant hot water, ipods, dvd,cd,vhs,the fall of communism, three trillion debt for the USA(WE DON"T DO ANYTHING HALF A$$@).......... The list goes on and on.!! No wonder I am so tired all the time!!!! 

I got to hit the 30-39 button!  However, after 12/31, I'll need to hit the next one..  :-\

Glenn

HELL YEAH! I am 24 since September 24th! :)

I don't think the poll surgery worked, given how the last 3 options are behaving. You probably have to start over to get real numbers.

I've been watching that too.  But those three do seem to change independently of each other and at first after the addition of the 50-59 bracket the three were well out of balance with each other.  I think what we are seeing is just a peculiar coincidence.

I am greatly amused at you whippersnappers in the 50-60 age range talk about being old!!

I would love to be that young again but I can't remember that far back!!

Vivian McGraw is 87 and bought her first bus last year and is enjoying the heck out of it.

She attended the NE Get Together and is planning to attend Bussin' 11.

I'm a young whippersnapper at age 58, I retired at 49 after spending most of my life in prison and now am enjoying life as much as I can, I won't make it to the mark of being an old whippersnapper but I'll take whatever years I can get, I hope to be old and cranky at age 60 someday lol.  Those scooters are great but be careful, medicare pays up to 80% and the key part is 'up to', my power chair came in at 6400 and my part of the tab was 2800 but I can outrun libby with it, she has good sprinting speed when she is properly motivated but I can get 15 miles off the batteries so if I can outmanuver her for the first quarter mile I'm clear.  The big thing to watch out for is the care of the batteries, a set of batteries will set you back over 300.

Hi all
If my memory serves me right . I'm 84 years young.  I bought my 4106 20 years ago and did my own conversion.  Recently I was asked how much longer I thought I could drive it and I said till wears out,  I hope. I feel comfortable with now.  When I start geeting nervous with It I'll sell it or give it to a charity.

JLL

I became a busnut when I was 4 years old!  Watching big yellow (Crowns & GM?) coming down the mountain switchbacks down to Camp Sequoia (sp?) in the  California mountains.  My Dad ran a YMCA mountain camp, and I was in AWE of the big yellow skoolies as they came slowly down the mountain switchbacks through the tall pine trees.  Engines rumbling, dust flying everywhere.  From those days forward, when other kids were messing w/ race cars, I was playing pretend with buses. 

When we moved to the Montecito area, yet more buses when he ran a YMCA, with a day camp, and BUSES to send the kids to different locations.  It was always a treat when they chartered the 10-wheel crowns.  Whoa!!!  One day I hoped I would have a bus with a secret hatch that lead to a secret room or something.  And praise the Lord, now we do!

Kind Regards, Phil

Well, I'm not so old after all - two of these latest posts make me feel like a whippersnapper myself!!

You people are really encouraging!! With all I have to do on my coach and the learning curve, Ive been a little afraid that by the time I get this conversion done I will be too old to drive it. But all of you, and Vivian especially are wonderful  ;)

I have been a busnut since I was in my mid-twenties when I bought my first bus.  I had been dreaming about converting a tractor trailer prior to that, but finally realized how few places I would really be able to park!  Now at forty seven, I am near finishing my second bus, and plan to keep it for at least twenty years.  I wish I was as young as I feel, but hope I never feel "old". 

My nine year-old daughter and 3 year old grandson are ready for new adventures in the bus!  I remember my family camping trips when I was a kid, and hope I can share many of them with my family. 

Back in the early 80's, while working as a "roadie", I occasionaly got thrown behind the wheel of a tour bus. I remember it being a standard and that we had to double clutch it. I believe it was owned by a company called Omnibus. Since then, I always dreamed about being the one in the bus, not following it. Now thanks to Cody, Im driving my own bus !

 ;D

As I stated, I'm 46. I have been a bus nut all of my life. My late grandpa who died in 1994, worked at the old Milwaukee Transport Company(now Milwaukee County Transit System). He was a diesel mechanic who specialized in repairing fuel injectors. Well, he retired in 1973 when he turned 65 and he took me down there to tie up loss ends and visit his buddies. This annual visit with him continued well into the late 1980's after which virtually all or his old friends were retired as well. But seeing all of those buses in the shop was quite a joy to a youngster back in the day so that's what really hooked me. I don't have the skills, patience or fat money clip or wife and family to own a bus but I guess I could buy an old clunker just to say I have one if I really was tempted but for now, I'm happy just to see and rad about buses which is easy thank to the web.

Fellows,

I recently attended a bus rally where we got into a discussion regarding the age of owners of buses.

The discussion was really focused on why this particular club did not have younger members and did not seem to be doing anything to attract new younger bus owners to the club.

I had remembered reading this post and seeing that a fairly large percentage (30.8%) of those responding were under 50 years old. There is also a strong opinion that younger fellows do not have the income to support the bus hobby habit? I happen to know of several fellows in their 20's and 30's that make very good salaries and if they desired to own a bus it would be no problem.

In reviewing the above age poll I would be interested in knowing how many of those that responded belong to a bus club? Could be that there is a high percentage of bus owners that are not affiliated with an organized club.

It might be that this bus forum is where the highest percentage of bus nuts tend to meet to discuss buses?

When I attended my first bus rally I was impressed with the bus related seminars that were put on by the club. For those few of us that were working on a project it was really interesting and I would say greatly sparked my enthusiasm. Much like the results this forum has on some of us?

When I searched to find this bus nut age poll, listed in red just above the "reply" tab there was a note that stated that "this topic had not been responded to in 120 days, are you sure you want to reply"? Seems odd that that note would appear? I almost didn't post! Hope I don't get my membership pulled.

I plan to attend one of the FMCA Rally's this next year and I am anxious to see what percentage of the attendees are under 50.

It would be nice to see some effort put forth by officers of all bus clubs to inspire more members to join and take part in the activities. If this movement to attract younger people does not take place it wont be long before the lights are totally out.

Doug

My bus leans big time were way off kilter
33 years oldold with 8 kids somehow.  Spent 8 months and 7000the miles camping in a 20 year old popup without AC (2 years ago) until it woildnt popup.  Upgraded to a bus and I will now understand why your all called busnuts.  This is crazy enough to work.

Right on! ;D

Quote from: JackConrad on November 06, 2010, 12:38:57 PMI had a nurse tell me a couple years ago that  I was here when the earth cooled!  Jack

     There's a bunch of dirt that wasn't around when I was in grade school!  (Yep, the 5th grade was the best three years of my childhood.)

I think possibly that young people do not belong to clubs, whatever hobby there are involved in, because they get all the information they need on sites and forums such as this one. Clubs were big pre internet. I don't have any figures to back this up, but I think clubs are becoming less popular with younger people. Modern clubs are more internet based. The first thing young people do when they need information about anything is go to the computer. What we can do is keep putting on rallies and drawing young and old to them through forums like this one.

JC

Hi Folks:

I have been a bus nut since I was a little boy.  When Mom would take me grocery shopping I would stay at the front window to watch the buses.
 As I got older I would jump on a Public service bus and spend the day at the N.Y. Port of Authority Bus Terminal (largest bus terminal in the world).
 Summer of 1961 went to work at Public Service before heading off to college in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately there was a charter bus company around the corner from the fraternity house in Phila. and in 1963 I dropped out of school and went to work for the bus company and the rest is history.
So at 69 I still have not lost my interest in and affection for buses and the bus industry and busnuts.

LUKE at US COACH
uscoach@att.net

BusNutting has been almost lifelong.

Started traveling by bus while working as a sound engineer in 1967.

Converted my own bus in 1981-1983 (someone saw it and bought it). Decided there was a possibility to have a fun business.

Started my current (#9) conversion in 2009. Been asked to build 2 more like it.

Maybe I am infected? TOTALLY, and contagious at 62.

JC, I think you have a point that goes to the issue of a generation closing itself off from others (why I am glad to be here), and Luke - you ARE my brother. I am the same way !!

Brenner is trying to figure out how old he will be when he gets through with his series 60 install in his Eagle and does he have enough time left to drive it

cliff




just have to ask hard headed ken how many hours it took to put the series 60 in his prevo.

and maybe how many hours before Gary Lombard gets his eagle togather.

thats why we are busnuts


uncle ned

ps

now there is no place for me to vote I am to old for this survey now

uncle ned

Cool.. this survey and thread pre-dates our bus infection, so it's good to see it come back. Thanks for bringing it back to life!

We're in our late 30s, and only into our second year of living/traveling in a bus full time. Loving every minute of it so far!

We've also been able to attend 4 official bus rallies during our course of travel, and have very much enjoyed them. Great people, met many new friends and learned bunches about keeping our bus on the road. We've also enjoyed giving back a little by giving seminars of our own about our tech projects.

I do think that many in our age range tend to utilize the internet more for our research and networking, but I do know that many of our age-peers do seek out rallies and in person opportunities to attend as well. 

I think what does happen however is those of us working full time jobs and/or raising families don't have as much time to contribute on the planning side of things in these events - which does leave the events themselves more planned towards different generations in terms of food selections, activities and entertainment. 

I did my best to change that at the last two rallies we attended by putting on fire dancing performances and giving hooping lessons :)

- Cherie

Hi All, I'm 62 grew up in LV, mom & dad bought me a model railroad set & had a toy bus, had an aluminum Streamline Trailer looked like observation car and early buses. In the 70's  I would see intercity and tour buses as I was commuting to LA to work and thought how I could turn baggage bay into bedroom with hatch, when I  looked at my bus for the first time and it had a hatch into the bay I was hooked! Tom, lvmci...

Does LVMCI = 62 (in Roman Numerals?)

Is it not interesting the things that stick from those formative years.

I had not thought about some of the toys before I started getting bigger toys, and bigger and bigger !!  LOL

Thank you for sharing. Brought back some long forgotten memories.

Guys and Gals ya gotta see the fire dance, makes us old guys love rallies where cherie does her fire dance, GOOD STUFF

PCC,  I had to shoot a forced perspective shot of a tourist steam train at a proposed stop at a hotel in the little village of Jean, with a HO Scale train set, (this was in the early 1990's)  when I thought it might add something if I included a bus, yes shades of childhood toys, & I was able to keep the train set they paid for and gave it to my kids! As for lvmci, I don't think it adds up in Roman numerals, maybe Etruscan numerals! There is that thread thing, where something popsup, disappears then reappears that happens often in my life, lvmci...

Well, I won't say how old I am, but I call Van grandpa.

Aww! I dubs you to Lin lol!  :P ;D

Van is probably the youngest resident in Boulder City, just a wipper snapper! Tom, lvmci...

LOL! Now that is funny Tom ;D Hey only 30 days till the " Two Guy's and a Lake-Best Dam Non-Rally Gathering and Crap-Shoot, Woo Hoo! ;) ;D Kinda Catchy Huh? ;D.

Showin my age again! ;D ;D


   Van 56

I think you should have 70-80 and 80-90 just for fun since 70 is kind of young!

Leo Lewis
Bought my 4106 in 1990. work on it for three years .
Drove it for 19 years.  Sold it Sept. 25 2012 on my 86th birthday.
Still had no trouble driving it but thought it was time to hang it up. 
My shop looks empty now.

This post is so old, that I was almost 40 when it was posted and now I'm almost 42... sigh...

Glenn

Leo,

Way to go. You have four years on me and I hope to make it as long as you did!!

when i got my first coach as opposed to a "bus"(schoolie) i was so proud of her. I took her up to a bussin buddies rally and one of the first things i was told was to take off the bussin buddies sticker on the window as it was the previous owners. It dident bother me to much lol. 

Always been a bus nut.  Remember in elementary school riding a 4 row GMC bubble nose schoolie with a 6 cylinder-got a real thrill when the bus driver allowed me to crank open the door.  Then in junior high riding a Crown everyday.  Morning bus had big curved windshield with NH220.  Afternoon bus had small curved windshield with 300hp Hall-Scott gas-that was a hot rod.  Got a thrill when a replacement bus was either a 10 wheeler with a 10spd or it had a screeming 6-71 in it.

Bought my first bus when I was 37 and completed it to be able to use when I was 44.  Now am 56 and building my second conversion based on my old Kenworth '85 Aerodyne Cabover.  Will be done (hopefully) with that one in another year or so (still a working stiff). Good Luck, TomC

I want a recount!  When this poll was taken in Nov, 2010 I was 59, now I am 61.  The poll has changed for a lot of us.

--Geoff

I think you should get a special mention if you are younger than your bus.

Back in the mid 70's, I traveled by coach, coast to coast, border to border, and then some over the pond (USO shows) as a full time road musician working for Gary Van Zeeland Talent. Back and forth across the mountains was like a commute trip home. Many miles, many engines, transmissions and break downs. I still remember it as fun. Then in the early 90's, I saw a cable TV blip featuring Bus Conversions and I was amazed that others felt like I did and re-awakened. Had to be back in a bus again, totally loony I guess. Signed up for the magazine, went to several conventions, and met lots of "nice" bus folks. Crawled through a 100 buses looking for the "right one". Taking pictures and videos. Took 12 years to find it. (said I was loony) Retired now at 61, and working on converting our coach everyday I can. Wouldn't trade it for anything else. Have something to do everyday! Loony! and loving it! Gerry H

At 25 I bought my first bus a skoolie. At age 26 I became a bus driver and have been in transportation for the last 27 years.  In 1996 I bought my 2nd schoolie but my wife filled it with dog crates after I pulled the seats. It became a dog rescue bus.

2 years ago a fully converted PD 4104 fell in my lap dirt cheap.

Siberyd

I'm 44 and one year older than my bus.


Scott
'69 4107
Gladstone, OR

I'm 42 and am one year younger than my old girl. I always liked the girls a grade ahead of me  ;D ;D ;D