How old are you? Are you a full time Bus dweller?
I am pre middle age and it seems like the Bus thing skipped a generation because when I tell people I bought a bus with the intent to live in a bus they think...
1. Most girls dont get it.. Most young guys dont get it.. Then they say aren't buses for retirees in Florida?
2. If they are a middle aged married guy they are jealous and start muttering about freedom and escape.
3. If they are a middle aged divorced guy they think im a genius and have some kind of Easy Rider flashback...
It seems like with the boom in the tiny house movement / skoolie movement that buses are becoming a thing again in the younger / starter family circles in contrast to the retired bus operator / trucker that are associated with buses.
My wife Sam and I are 26 and 29, respectively. I did time in the Navy, and she's a tattoo artist. I'm an outdoor instructor by trade, and spent time living in a jeep for a while. Neither one of us can work full time jobs, and even with my VA Loan we couldn't get a mortgage for a really cheap house anywhere. This is the only way we can find to do what we want to do and get out of the rent pit. If we're going to spend money on where we live, we may as well live where we want doing what we want.
Quote from: DirtbagSwag on July 17, 2015, 08:40:27 PM
My wife Sam and I are 26 and 29, respectively. I did time in the Navy, and she's a tattoo artist. I'm an outdoor instructor by trade, and spent time living in a jeep for a while. Neither one of us can work full time jobs, and even with my VA Loan we couldn't get a mortgage for a really cheap house anywhere. This is the only way we can find to do what we want to do and get out of the rent pit. If we're going to spend money on where we live, we may as well live where we want doing what we want.
Very cool! I was a single guy living in a large house in Texas in a high stress job and one day I quit, drove around the US for a month, came back, sold everything, bought an old Airstream, restored it, and I am so much happier! Now Im building a full time bus as I can afford to do it.
Just turned 56 and I'm married to a very tolerant woman. After I bought the bus, she's the one who wanted to convert it to an RV. Being in law enforcement, I could have retired in June of 2014 but I have no marketable skills (even though I been everything from a pig farmer to a corporate pilot) so I'm planning on sticking it out maybe three more years or as long as I can pass the physical tests. The good part of my job is the scenery around Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The bad part is coming up with the 75th annual Sturgis Rally next week.
We have never owned an RV just a tent but this should be fun as getting up off the ground and crawling out of a tent isn't as much fun as it used to be. I have mechanical skills and ZIP, ZERO, NADA for electrical by choice (soon to change I guess) and a well equipped shop which is unfortunately too small to get the bus in.
Bruce
I'm 33 and just use the mci to camp in for now got tired of 10 foot box with my vintage Shasta and bought a bus but if my ole lady boots me now I have a place to stay ;D
I am 59. I bought my bus when I was 37. None of my friends or family were surprised when I bought it. Have always been an RV/bus guy. To this day, can still hear in my head the wonderful sound of the Cummins 220 and Detroit 218 in the Crown buses that I rode to junior high school.
I "finished" converting the bus in 2000. Met my wife in 2001 and married in 2003. One of the tests was that she liked travelling in the bus-which obviously she does-especially with her bad back.
Now am still converting my '85 Kenworth. Still have the plumbing to do (have the PEX and shark fittings ready to go), install generator, one more A/C, etc. Hoping to have it done by next summer.
Will be retiring from truck sales at the end of the year. Already am winding down, not really getting new customers. Looking forward to finishing the truck motorhome and getting on the road to be semi full timing. Good Luck, TomC
I'm 30. Bought the bus to be a giant moving van, and then later to be a motorhome for leisurely travel through AK. Distances between cities are large and weather delays are frequent. Having something comfortable to ride/live in during those times seemed like a no brainer.
Almost 65, bought the bus when i had just turned 53. This is our 12th year of fulltiming. Did a 15 state, 10,000 mile trip the first year and then had to go back to work during the summers so just traveled between Yuma for the winters and Wa. state for the summers. Work dried up about 4-5 years ago so have just been traveling since then. I can start to draw my pension this fall so we are planning on selling the bus and moving back to Hawaii where we lived for almost 11 years. Hope to make the move some time after the first of the year. ;D
I am 44, my wife is 27 and we have 4 kids. I have been full-time rving it for over 7 years, 5 of that in the bus. I have owned pretty much every kind of rv there is and nothing compares to a bus, or the sound of the old 2stroke. We have a gospel tent and travel several states setting up and holding revivals.
Hello All. This has turned out to be a very interesting thread. Who'da thunk there would be such a variety among us. Wiffy and I are in our 70's and watching our 80's roll at us like a runaway DD. We're a bit long in the tooth to be thinking about full timing so enjoy short trips of a week or less each. Nevertheless, we have managed to put over 5000 miles on Honeysuckle Rose since her completion in October of last year. Jack
Hi Jack, good to hear from you! Glad to see you are still busing at 70+. This kind of worries me though, as the seasoned experienced bus generation bows out of bus ownership at some point, are we going to be left with a knowledge void unless we start learning everything they know! I feel lucky owning a GM 4016 because it is about as complex as a box of crackers but some of the old buses are quite intricate as far as mechanicals go. I had joked about 3D scanning all of the replacement parts im putting on my bus so someday I can print some replacements when the "Luke" supply runs out...
I'm 59 and hope to retire in about 6 years. Right now work keeps me really busy with only weekends to enjoy the bus. I am a transit administrator with a small fleet of 131 buses including MCI DL's. I decided to convert a transit bus to show the guys in the shop that there's nothing wrong with using a transit for a conversion as longs as you're willing to make some accomodations for storage space and you start with the right bus. I also have an ASE Transit Bus Master Technician certification, but may have learned more here from Clifford than I ever knew before hand. ;)
Most of my usage is for weekenders, going to dog shows and to the nearby Corp of Engineer lake campgrounds. I'll probably use my bus until I get ready to retire and then think about either building or buying a coach to have a little more storage space. I'm not sure which I enjoy more, building it or using it.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TBVwZFA0Cqs/VT2XhKO7xrI/AAAAAAAABQk/TxUCQR_ViPo/s800-Ic42/P1000832.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HlQGIxe7UuM/VT2XBsVLn1I/AAAAAAAABOM/IZCU_LUdd5c/s800-Ic42/P1000811.JPG)
HB of CJ here. I am 69. Back in 2001 I bought a 1974 Crown Supercoach 40' 3 axle 10 wheeler ex school bus. VIN 37317. Funny how one remembers such stuff. Lived inside the stripped shell for about 8 years. Health/injury issues forced her sale. Very fond memories indeed. Very fun and cheap to live in and a blast to drive. RTO910. 85mph. A gear for every situation. Cool. Hope this helps.
Hello everyone, my name is Brian... I'm 57 and I own a bus.
Bought a somewhat converted MC-5C in 2009 pretty much on a whim, hadn't planned to buy a bus at all when I got up that day. The reason we bought it was it was from Arizona, had very little rust, had a usable conversion in it, new tires, and looked great. I re-did the electrical, the plumbing, did a fair bit of work on the mechanicals, installed a new engine, far more working on the bus than driving in the bus, but we really enjoy traveling in it. Traveling more than camping, we're not really campers. I am just as happy in a truck stop as I am in a commercial campground, but I really like State Parks in the south, and Canada's National Parks. Exceptional, and reasonable. I bought the bus in 2009, bought my retirement place in Nova Scotia in 2010, got somewhat forceably retired in 2011 (age 54) and here I am. It's really possible that we will spend a winter or two in the bus down south, but to be honest, winter starts in November here, and this year it ended in May, and that is a long time to be off the homestead. I live in fear of driving back anytime from late December to early May, and getting stuck in a snow storm too bad to drive in, with temps well below freezing. I've sat for half a day on a closed down I-77 in West Virginia in early December before, don't need to risk it again.
Brian
Quote from: LuckyChow on July 18, 2015, 10:37:25 AM
I'm 59 and hope to retire in about 6 years. Right now work keeps me really busy with only weekends to enjoy the bus. I am a transit administrator with a small fleet of 131 buses including MCI DL's. I decided to convert a transit bus to show the guys in the shop that there's nothing wrong with using a transit for a conversion as longs as you're willing to make some accomodations for storage space and you start with the right bus. I also have an ASE Transit Bus Master Technician certification, but may have learned more here from Clifford than I ever knew before hand. ;)
Most of my usage is for weekenders, going to dog shows and to the nearby Corp of Engineer lake campgrounds. I'll probably use my bus until I get ready to retire and then think about either building or buying a coach to have a little more storage space. I'm not sure which I enjoy more, building it or using it.
LuckyChow, that bus is Sharp!
I'm 60 wife is 55. We bought the bus in 2000. It was a enertainer bought new and converted by a small charter co. We used it like that until 08 when I changed the floorplan to standard rear bedroom. We probably average 5000 miles a year mostly large family vacation with kids are grandkids. Then I pull a enclosed 20' car trailer for toys and extra sleeping. (Self contained and sleeps 6) I can sleep 8 in the bus. We really enjoy traveling with the hole family. Don't know if we'll ever fulltime but want to travel more in the bus if I ever retire.
65 & Love of my life is 64.. In our 4th modern bus conversion..Bought and built this one in 1999,2000.. Kept our house in Gulfport for storage..Back here at the moment remodeling and repairing from Katrina, and having quadruple bypass surgery..doctor's say I will be able to go ....and get my competition license back in October....rdw
I'm 62. Bev is three years younger. Bought our first bus when I was 49. Had it for nine years. Learned a lot. Been full timing for 3-1/2 years now, but we spent the first two years in a converted step van. Our Gillig low floor is still primitive, but it's come a long way. It's a modern bus, and it's nearly ideal for our needs.
We love living in the bus, and we have no interest in a fixed foundation home. Sophia has about 250k miles on the clock, and I figure that if we die when we ought to, she'll be a home as long as we need one. We heat with wood and use off-grid solar power.
Jim
I'm Eighteen (with 40 years experience 8) ) Purchased our Iggle in 07. Managed to work on it for a few years to get it usable, not full timing yet but can't wait for the day ;) Been fine tuning my skills over at B&B Coach Works for the past 3 years on everyone else's coach (Lord help me) and very little on mine lol! We do take it out as much as possible, and make the occasional bus rally when one comes to town. I have learned to do much with little in a short amount of time.
Keep bussin my friends :)
Van 8)
Great thread, learned a lot about everyone! I'm 59 and Nancy is a few years younger:), We fell into the bus one day, it was owned by a old family friend who passed on and we never imagined we could own it but worked out. The bus fits into our plan to move to Maine near the ocean within the next year or so, we will use the bus to escape in the winter. The bus was incredibly well kept and maintained, my biggest issue that is holding us back is tires and I'm regretting that it is a combo with 10 tires. We are finally getting close to pulling the trigger on new tires and have several trips planned for this fall. We have not been able to use it as much as we should and I expect we will use it more once we downsize to one house in Maine. I have as much fun working on the bus as using it, worked on cars all my life but this is the first bus and I'm lovin it! We both plan to work another 7-8 years if things go as planned, and then we hope to use the bus more. I have learned more from the experts on this forum than anywhere else, it is an incredible place and much more helpful than the FB groups.
No plans for us to full time, we will be doing trips and rally's and here's hoping that diesel prices stay down!
Ok, Age 73, ran the MC7 over 20 yrs, too many med issues to be able to do the needed upkeep, so sold/gave it away and bought a Foretravel with the 500 Cummins, The Bus & RV are toys, The DW does not travel, so I am free to go when, where at my schedule, been averaging 8,500 mile a year. Travel NY to Fl, SD, WY, MT, TX and all in between, Home in VA. Home not for sale, the lawyers will handle that one day. Big regret: Bought the MC7 in 1988, should have bought it many yrs sooner, but was also enjoying my Piper Arrow longer than should.
Dave M
Kim and I are 53 and we were looking for something to tour the country with that we could make our own. Found our 4107 by happenstance when we went to look at an eagle. Kim fell in love with the buffalo so here we are. I was a master mechanic for 30 years and now I fight fires for a living. Gives me time to work on a whole house remodel, landscaping and a bus conversion. No wonder I'm so tired all the time!
Ken
I am 60 and Debby is 61.
I have always had some type RV but bought my first bus in Dec '14.
I am planning to retire next year and am hoping to be a fulltimer after that,'bout got her talked into it!!!!!! ;D
Wes
I'm 32 and my wife is 30. We have full-timed now in our MCI 9 for 4 years (self converted). We just purchased a 1992 MCI 102C3 shell and will be converting it too. Owning two buses simultaneously thrust us officially into "busnuthood" but we also have our first child due October 2 of this year. A little girl will take up some time and slow our conversion process a little I suppose :)
I'm 53 and work in law enforcement. As of today, I have exactly 500 days left in my working career. My wife and I had planned to cruise on our sailboat in retirement, but her health issues made us rethink that, so we sold the boat and bought a bus ('81 MC9). I've been converting it for about 5 years and it looks like I'll finish on schedule for "the great escape" in December 2016. We plan to live on it full-time after my retirement. While I've been converting it we've been able to make use of it and have taken trips locally, and about 1200 miles to Florida. I've done all of the planning, plumbing, electrical, structural repairs and welding, etc. It's been a blast, but I got a kick out of something I read earlier - "No wonder I'm so tired." Lol.
Debo,
do you have a bus project thread? Any photos of your conversion progress?
Hey All -
My name is Sean. And well....no other way to say it. I am a busnut.
I'm 43 and my wife is 23. Well, at least she looks likes she is 23. We have been fulltiming for over 2 years now and have loved every minute of it. One thing that has really captured our hearts is the "brotherhood" of bus nuts. We are all different and come from all different walks of life but anytime we meet someone who owns a bus it seems like there is an instant kinship and lots of stories to tell. Like we instantly understand each others joys and pains.
We have 4 kids and are blessed to be able to travel and live the lifestyle that we have. Not sure when or where we will settle down..if ever.
Our home is a 1984 eagle model 10S (single axle) lovingly named "Mack" after Mackinak Island, Mackinac being the Indian name for Turtle.
We definitely have another bus build in us and are kind of Jealous of Scott n Heathers new build (Scott, don't tell Mack but Craig and I have been secretly looking at other buses)
Our website is www.herdifturtles.org
Look forward to meeting you all as we roll down the highways and biways.
-Sean
Hi All,
Welcome to tonight's meeting, My name is Jim. And I have a bus.
I have only had three jobs in my life. My wife and my two kids. I provided for them as a now owner in a family business. I have done several things over the years from fuel transport to a urethane spray operation to an HD Truck/Trailer and yes Bus service facility. Light on the bus service but we do get them in from time to time. Great source of ideas.
Our kids are grown and gone on their own and my wide Sandy and I still love camping. That would put us a hair under the 60 mark. Lately we lean more to the travelling than the camping. We spent the last 10 years mostly seasonal camping in a 5th wheel ay a nearby lake with some trips mixed in.
For the first year of busing my wife and I plan on exploring our own province to visit all the town fairs, celebrations, and festivals that lets us get to see where we live. Never did have much desire to spend a couple of weeks on what others think may be an exotic destination. We are still fit enough to "enjoy" ;D our winters here. Since the kids are gone and I now have time to take on a few hobbies I have started racing, cars that is, and yes mostly in winter. But summer is time to enjoy the destinations away from the city. Locally here we have everything from desert to boreal forest to lakes (10,000+) to hills (although they are called mountains meh, not really) to prairies all within a 6 - 8 hour drive.
I have had this, my first bus (MC12), for about 2-1/2 years of my (projected) 3 year conversion. OK you guys, don't choke on your coffee. I know, three years? But I may not be too far off. I get things done when the balance is level. Time and money. I figured while I have a nice size shop and help on staff, I may as well git 'er done. I have pretty much all the tools I will ever need to complete it and most of the skills to finish it. My biggest fault and downfall is I end up doing things over again because I don't like the way it was done or my direction has slightly changed.
My other friends are all retiring and either working on their cottage or buying one. Probably better equity in a cottage but for us, many more smiles per mile rolling down the highway. I would really like to become a full timer but my wife has to have her roots, for the family. I told her once we start distance travelling we can always park the bus in Florida or Texas and fly home for Xmas then fly back and continue on. She seemed to smile once again. So maybe someday ...
Nice meeting you all. Hope to do a face to face in the near future.
Hey everyone I'm 51 and my love is 46 we have pd4106 have had it a few yrs we did the conversion . And love our bus we just got home today with it . We're not fulltimers yet ! But we hope to be by 2017 that's the year our last child grads from college. We do use it weekly though .. We've had every kind of rv there is and will never go back to the stick and staple days ... Just my opinion lol hope to run into other bus freaks someday haha see ya
Quote from: Scott Bennett on July 19, 2015, 02:08:42 PM
Debo,
do you have a bus project thread? Any photos of your conversion progress?
Hey Scott!
I haven't really done a project thread, although I'm planning to start one here soon. I've been taking pictures along the way and have them, but I never really organized them (yet). A few years ago I built a home-built airplane and had to photograph and document everything for that process. I wanted the bus project to be a little less demanding so I didn't write things up in the early days like I should have. It's on my short list of things to do. I've snooped your conversion process pretty thoroughly though. Lol. It looks like you've had some great help along the way!
I am 73 wife is 70. Been rv ing for 35 years starting out with a '75 Winnebago 20ft "eyebrow".Since then we have owned 5 RV'S and now own a '94 Prevost COUNTRY COACH EDMONTON. I will have to say ,out of all the RV's we have had ,the Prevost is the easiest to drive and for the most part ,easy to work on once you figure out some of the quirky things CC did!!!! Can't go full time due to elderly MIL but would love to!!
!!
Quote from: Scott Bennett on July 19, 2015, 11:23:23 AM
I'm 32 and my wife is 30. We have full-timed now in our MCI 9 for 4 years (self converted). We just purchased a 1992 MCI 102C3 shell and will be converting it too. Owning two buses simultaneously thrust us officially into "busnuthood" but we also have our first child due October 2 of this year. A little girl will take up some time and slow our conversion process a little I suppose :)
Scott, I just looked at your bus photos. You did some amazing work! Very impressive!
The bus bug bit me early when my Dad bought and converted an old school bus when I was a kid. We never traveled far in it but camped with other families with converted school buses or regular RVs in the summer.
We have lived in RVs while working on the road for over 13 years and bought the bus in March of 2008 at 41 years old. We have had it coast to coast many times since then.
Davy
Now 62, wife similar age, with 45 years in the transit industry. Bought a 4107 several years ago. We couldn't keep it at the house, so it was in a storage area. Another tenant backed into it and damaged the front end. While his insurance paid for the repairs, the shop was slow to work on it. In the 2 years or so it was at the shop, we decided that we want to do more international travel. Combined with the fact that we'd have to drive for over a day just to start to get somewhere (from Dallas), and the costs for anything going wrong with a bus that's been in the industry 1 year longer than I have -- we decided that it was a good decision when we bought it -- but didn't fit now.
Fortunately, someone else on the board has a 4107, and needed the vista glass. He was willing to buy additional spare parts at the same time -- and drive the entire collection home in one piece. Although at about the price I'd have gotten for scrap, the bus will live on -- not sure which of his two 4107's will be the survivor.
All told, I figure I spent between $25,000 and $30,000 -- new radiator, starter, drive shaft, alternator, road A/C fan motor, roof AC's, etc -- and registering, insuring, and storing it. Impetus for buying it was that my wife wanted to buy a bus and convert it when we retired, and eventually I signed on when I was sitting in the driver's seat of a museum 4106 -- felt like home from decades ago. The fact that I enjoy my work and won't retire voluntarily, changed travel plans -- and eye surgery that put me on a vision waiver for my CDL -- made the final decision to sell.
I keep telling myself that it was a good idea at the time, and I think it was. One of the reasons is that I became part of this community -- one of the rarer places on the internet where most folks pull for the common good.
Arthur
The wife and I will both be 51 by years end. I have wanted and thought of many layouts for a bus for many years. Sandra lived and worked on boats in the past ,66' and48' so a bus wasn't a stretch to talk her into. Health forced a early retirement so we went to look for a bus last summer.
We picked up our 91 MCI 102 a3 last sept. I was given a 1 yr. deadline to make our first trip or it would be sold.( Sons grandpa has been working on one for 10 yrs and although pretty does not move on it's own) We just got back from a 36 day 4500 mile trip around BC.Yukon Alb. Idaho and Washington.
The bus still needs some finish work like cupboard doors and a bedroom door and some electrical completed. It is low tech and low need as we left home with no need for 110 or a way to plug into it ,which shocked a couple of camp managers. Found we can go 4 days without putting out our small solar panels and never needed the gen set or battery charger we took just in case.
Chuck Sandra
AT 75 full timing looks better everyday,I am sick of maintenance on a place and leasing my place from some government tax agency you never own it you just lease it on a year to year lease.I just received a notice my taxes will increase next year,the system is broke they penalized for improving your property
.My 28x32 garage just a shell which cost me $12,000 to build they say is worth $35,000 as they tax on poured concrete dumbest thing I ever heard of so I guess I will finish it now
My well pump just went out for 100 bucks in RV I could have replaced a water pump not $3500.00 and waiting 3 days for a pump and a idiot with a truck to pull the pump.
What I pay for power every month I could stay in a RV resort,I would miss my shop and toys but I could get over it in a hurry I think.
To me folks trying to live on SS as their only income they don't have much of a choice even with a 401K which can go go south in hurry,then banks don't pay any interest on your savings so you gamble on the stock market it works sometimes ::) so much for my rage I woke up at 3 am today thinking about all this BS
Im 64 my wife 62. I retired from Phx.P.D.in 2000 and had a cabinet shop till 2003 when we sold everything and went full timing for seven years.I built a house and finally sold it this June and finally back to full timing again.
It is going to be a long time before we every get another house.I converted a 1985 Prevost and its the only bus we have owned.My wife really wants a newer bus with slides,but I doubt if that will ever happen.
Don
Lol cliff, I hear ya. Fulltiming has been one of the best decisions Heather and I have made. Now that I've finished building the bunk beds in our 9, we are ready for the next chapter....kiddos. :)
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I'm 25, and i started my bus adventure when i was 24. Middle of completely redoing my 4106. Im up in canada and working on making the bus capable of handling canadian winters. Will most likely convert another, larger bus after my 4106. Or maybe ill keep it. Don't know yet!
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Met a very young full time couple at walmart who were in a 4104 that was in desperate need of tires. The guy had inherited it from his grandfather who had passed away recently. Told them about the forum here and they were excited because they felt all alone in bus land.
Love the thought of full timing, however the DW does not travel, so I normally take a nice trip each summer, like MT, ID etc, house is not going to be sold, the question ? How much does one need to properly retire, here, age 73, $$$$ wise could hang up the business, just hard to give up. Would be bored silly, so I keep the business going, keeps me busy. How to break that cycle ?
Am envious of folks who can retire and move on cheerfully and $$$$ secure.
With conditions today, it is scary $$$$ wise.
Dave M
I am 43 and my wife is of an earlier vintage than me :-X. We bought our Silver Eagle in 2011 with plans to live in/work out of it. Our plans changed when I was offered a position I couldn't afford to turn down, so we planted ourselves right here and bought my wife her dream house. The bus no longer seemed to fit our lifestyle, so we sold it in late 2014. It only took a few months to realize that we had gotten rid of our one common hobby! :-\. To remedy that, we recently picked up a 1986 Bluebird Wanderlodge PT-40.
Ah, so Jumpsuitman, you did go for the Wanderlodge! How is it? And what happened to the 7?
JC
Quote from: lostagain on October 13, 2015, 05:59:01 AM
Ah, so Jumpsuitman, you did go for the Wanderlodge! How is it? And what happened to the 7?
JC
It was a VERY tough decision... My heart really wanted the MCI, but I couldn't resist Clifford and Tom C's logic of the BB having the 8v92 and more reliable Allison 748... also parts availability in general.
The Wanderlodge is nice. I have driven it a few hundred miles and am very pleased with it. Nice and strong. ;D. Mostly needs a good cleanup and a need to tinker with a few house systems. Also going to replace coolant hoses on the 8v92, especially the compressor coolant hoses.
The MC7 is still available as far as I know and a twisted part of me wants to buy it too... But my wife would likely shoot me. LOL
I'm 44,My wife and I lived full time in our mc5 for 2 years then I got a call my dad was ill so I bought a house 3.5 yrs ago. Parked the 5 so I could see it out the window. A realtor came by offered me more than twice what I paid for my house. Have a mobile mechanics bussiness and said something to a client about the deal, he said he was wilingl to rent it for xxxx and I said you can move in November 1 and bought a 102. So the count down is on to full timing it again. My dad was career army, so I grew up moving around a lot. After 3.5 years of just doing the same routine I'm ready for a new one again. My first house was a 1972 olds 4 door cutlass I bought for 250.00. I've lived/camped that way for most of my life since I finished going to college. I was in the Air Force. And most of the time I was in I slept in a corner somewhere in my sleeping bag, my barracks room was just where they let me store my few belongings. My wife grew up on the back of a motorcycle roaming around with her dad. I did notice the age gap when we were living in the 5. Seemed most of the bus folks were 25 or more years older than me. Yet I bought a house in a neighborhood where the folks are more my age, and I can't stand to be around them. They LOVE seeing 2 buses in my yard. They ask and I respond better to be in a national geographic moment than see a1000 on tv and I hate sitting on the couch. Almost ready to go again
We're both in our 40s and work full-time. Our jobs were/are remote anyway, so it didn't matter where we did them from, as long as we had access to the global series-of-tubes.
Full-timing, in an RV, has been on our radar for years. Our original plan included a sticks-n-staples type RV pulled behind a truck.
After seeing several of them at a trade-show in town we were seriously unimpressed with the build quality and just about everything about all of them (at least those we could afford).
We decided full-timing was still what we wanted to do and were still about to move forward with a purchase of the least craptacular RV we could find.
As luck would have it, some (new) friends of ours were rolling through town in their vintage 4016 and we had an opportunity to meet up with them.
The second I saw their 4016 I was smitten :)
I loved everything about it, the looks, the styling, the build quality (back when we used to care about what we made and how), and the fact that inside it looked like a house, not a cookie-cutter cardboard layout.
We quickly changed gears and began the hunt for our own bus.
After several months of near-misses and complete duds, we came across Gladys (our 4107) and we were officially in love.
We were fortunate enough to have Cary and Don (previous owners).
They were nothing short of amazing and really took us under their wing and showed a pair of noobs what owning a bus is all about.
They had done a wonderful job with her already (having gutted the interior and redoing it in their own style).
We absolutely loved it as is and we really didn't want a "project" bus. We wanted something that was pretty much road-ready, that we could maintain and improve along the way.
It's fair to say that I know both Jack and Squat about these things. But I'm a quick learner (on most days ;) ), so while I had their expertise I was like a sponge trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible. Cary and Don have likely forgotten more things than I will ever know about this beautiful machine, but it has been great figuring things out along the way and having that literal light-bulb-ding go off in your head and say... "Oh, so that's what that thingy does!" LOL
I would not trade those experiences for anything right now.
This community has been solid gold for being able to piece these bits together in my head and in providing guidance and advice along the way.
It's also really refreshing having this community, as someone said earlier, of kindred souls.
We love running into other bus-nuts along the way, but have not had a chance to do that too much; since we've been somewhat stuck in MO, KS for the last year.
We've been full-timing now for a little over a year and I simply cannot imagine doing anything else right now.
We sometimes think back to all the crap we had in the house and wonder, what did we do with all of that sh*t?
Do we miss it? Not a thing... ok, well maybe a couple of things, but who cares :D
We hope to continue doing this as long as we're able, and when we're not, we'll probably buy some little piece of land somewhere nice and quiet and build a tiny-home on it.
My Name is Brent... i am now 35.. and i have a problem...... !! wait.. NO I DONT!! I own 4 buses at the moment.. i have a couple more lined up.. if you have to ask why!! u just dont understand!! My best answer to those who ask why is... "Because i Can" ...
My addiction started a few years ago.. i bought a 58 4104 sight unseen.. drove from NC to Missouri one weekend to pick it up.. brought it home..after rd side Macgyver fix to get it home.. decided to gut it after i kept finding shotty fixes.. all on a budget.. i was taking bus to ND to live in for the next two years while i was working up there..it worked good.. saw -40 below temps plus windchill.. month before i took bus back home.. i was gone several days.. heater i had back at bedroom/ bath door quit.. got cold enough to freeze line on toilet.. flood bus.. killed all laminate floors in kitchen.. which is ok.. they looked nice.. but i think real hardwoods be next.. havent decided yet.. my only issue in 2 years.. seeing some unreal cold temps..
from there i bought a 54 Scenicruiser.. # 105 .. for no other reason then its cool..scenicruiser.. at end of deal.. i think i got it for a good price for what it was and whats there.. My finace' told me no more buses... so i bought a 48 Silversides.. cause i love them and wanted one bad..been trying to work on several.. guy was gonna scrap it if it didnt sell.. a week after i got it home.. a buddy told me of alot nicer Silversides for sale.. i went and looked at it few days later.. and made a deal.. Boom.. bus number 4. a 47 Silversides . i laugh and ask my now wife how it worked out for her with the two bus rule... i hope in spring ill drag home another Silversides i found.. really a parts bus.. also know of another Scenic.. guy wants to sell me.. i need it like i need a whole in the head.. but i think price will be right.. so why not!!
i dont full time.. although i did for two years pretty much.. i would only get home every 6 months or so.. All of my friends think i have a problem.. but some people just dont get it..But im good with it... hahaha
Under Addictions Wikki
United States[edit]
Alcoholics Anonymous[edit]
See also: Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is one of the world's most recognizable support groups for individuals suffering from alcohol addiction, where the only requirement for membership is to stop drinking in order to achieve sobriety. Notable publications available from the website include the This is A.A. pamphlet, which denotes what A.A. is and is not, the AA Big Book, available in English, French and Spanish. The website also includes links to further information for professionals, and how to locate local A.A. meetings. AA.org
Bus Collectors Anonymous[edit]
See also: Got Too Many Foundation
BCA Anonymous is a public service of this board. They offer help to those with the uncontrolled urge to buy every damn bus they can get there hands on. Programs are designed to ease the individual to ownership sobriety and transition to single (or dual) bus limits. Help is provided from several sources including forums, a special PM hotline and the local newspaper. Chapters are found throughout the US and into CANADA with members offering all kinds of free advice and social gathering assistance. Meetings can be held hourly and nothing is truly scheduled. There is a class on basket weaving designed to prevent members from relapsing into buying yet another bus. BCA has helped 2.5 people last year in the conscious decision not to but an additional bus/project but it has obviously failed in other cases. Many links are available on the website to show the abuser how many expensive parts and services are available and necessary to rebuild a bus in need. For our 2016 events calendar go to: http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?board=3.0 (http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?board=3.0) to be with all the others with the same or similar affliction.
Alcoholics Anonymous[edit]
See also: Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is one of the world's most recognizable support groups for individuals suffering from alcohol addiction, where the only requirement for membership is to stop drinking in order to achieve sobriety. Notable publications available from the website include the This is A.A. pamphlet, which denotes what A.A. is and is not, the AA Big Book, available in English, French and Spanish. The website also includes links to further information for professionals, and how to locate local A.A. meetings. AA.org
Cenikor Foundation[edit]
See also: Cenikor Foundation
The Cenikor Foundation is a private, not-for-profit behavioral health organization based in Houston, Texas. It offers long-term residential, short-term residential, detoxification and outpatient behavioral health services for adults and adolescents.[10] Cenikor provides evidence-based therapeutic community addiction treatment through long-term residential programs in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Deer Park, Texas and Fort Worth, Texas and detox/short-term residential treatment in Waco, Texas. Cenikor offers outpatient treatment services in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Temple, Texas, Killeen, Texas, and Waco, Texas. Cenikor also has an adolescent residential facility in Houston, Texas called Odyssey House Texas.
Hope Haven[edit]
Hope Haven is a private 501( c)(3) non-profit agency located in Madison, Wisconsin. Hope Haven is managed and governed by Catholic Charities of Madison, WI and offers a wide range of support for adults who need both residential and out-patient services. Hope Haven has been providing evidence-based, affordable, effective alcohol and drug treatment services since 1973. Hope Haven serves and employ persons regardless of sexual orientation, religious, ethnic, racial or social background. HopeHavenHelps.org
North Bay Lodge is Hope Haven's residential treatment facility, providing a minimum of 12 hours of therapy every week. From anger management and peer support, to session to aid those with a mental illness dual-diagnosis.
Chris Farley House is Hope Haven's transitional housing facility, helping clients to ease into independent, sober living. To do that, they offer many of the same programs as North Bay Lodge, along with other programs to help residents find a job, stable housing, and help keep clients from relapsing after leaving the program.
Out-patient services include: Day Report and Treatment (DART)- Helping drug abusing offenders by providing comprehensive alcohol and drug, mental health, and case management services. DART is a bail monitoring program and collaborates with the Mental Health Center of Dane County and Dane County Human Services.
Pathfinder - For people in Dane County with recurring substance abuse issues and a history of going in and out of jail. Offers a "wrap around" approach of comprehensive, long-term treatment to confront substance abuse, criminal behavior, and other barriers to change, the goal being to turn a life around forever.
Marquette Chemical Dependency Service (MCDS) - MCDS is a private, state-certified program providing alcohol and drug abuse treatment and prevention services to the residents of Marquette County through a contract with the Marquette County Human Services Board.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving[edit]
See also: Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to stop drunk driving, to support the victims of drunk drivers and to prevent underage drinking.[11] Publications include links to the MADDVOCATE magazine, and numerous brochures on grief, injury, and legal advice. MADD.org Or in Canada, MADD.ca
National Institute on Drug Abuse[edit]
See also: National Institute on Drug Abuse
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a national research leader and information provider on drug abuse and addiction in the United States.[12] Notable resources available from the website include a comprehensive listing of drug abuse and related topics, and publications such as the "NIDA Publication Series, including the NIDA Research Reports.
SMART Recovery[edit]
See also: SMART Recovery
SMART Recovery is a 501c3 Non-Profit organization, established in 1994, that provides free mutual-support meetings in the United States and in many other countries around the world. Its main publication, the SMART Recovery Handbook is available in English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Farsi, Mandarin, and Danish. Their website includes how to locate local SMART Recovery meetings. smartrecovery.org
Addiction Help - Free Addiction Help Service[edit]
Addiction Help - Free Addiction Help Service (AddictHelp.Mobi) is a national free treatment advice center, referral system leader and information provider on drug abuse and addiction in the United States.[13] Notable resources available from the website include determining treatment availability options for all persons with PPO insurance with a special emphasis on adult and teen addictions involving substance abuse and gambling. Recent accolades include the G.H. Lovecraft Award for Innovations in Methamphetamine Addiction Treatment. addicthelp.mobi
Quote from: bwlance1340 on December 29, 2015, 05:28:09 PM
My Name is Brent... i am now 35.. and i have a problem...... !! wait.. NO I DONT!! I own 4 buses at the moment.. i have a couple more lined up.. ...
If you think that it's cold in ND, you have no idea how cold the shiver was that just ran up my spine. My hat's off to you, one way or the other.
its def cold..... coldest i remember seeing was -35.. i forget what the windchill was that day.. it was nasty though.. i usually didnt pay attention unless i knew it was brutally cold.. sometimes i just didnt want to know.. i regreted not installing electric on floor heat.. electric was included in lot rent.. so would been no skin off my back for burning up more juice...
Quote from: bwlance1340 on December 30, 2015, 12:41:02 PM
its def cold..... coldest i remember seeing was -35.. i forget what the windchill was that day.. it was nasty though...
Yeah, I used to work for a car company -- I went on a couple of "Cold Weather Test" assignments. We were looking for a cold winter with at least a week never above -40. Serious cold. I remember going out to change a battery in a car. I had an insulated set of overalls on -- I worked for about 60 seconds frantically loosening nuts and I felt a fiery hot point run down my leg, like someone had rubbed a soldering iron down it. Turns out that the zipper on the coverall leg and the seam on my jeans had lined up. It wasn't too cold in terms of temp -- maybe -25 degrees but there was a 30 mph wind blowing. That one spot on my skin was so cold that it froze; sure burned like Hades!
I myself am 37 and the wife is 35 and we have 3 kids aged 7, 5 and 3. We are not full timers but avid campers with an old r/v that is crumbling and letting in enough water to shower in the kitchen! My parents were avid campers as well and we roamed all over in an old pop up and then a Bowler. I always wanted to get a bus, even as a small kid I thought they were cool and as I said, camping with the family in old pop ups and a cramped bowler made me realize how crappy every tent/camper/rv was build. So now we have the old Prevost and the intention is to swap in all the gear from the r/v. I know lots will need to be replaced and it will cost more than my head figures it will, but its a project that the kids and the wife can help with. The kids love the bus. Its December in Manitoba and they want to sleep in the stripped out shell!!! Wish us luck.
Ryan.
cold weather !
we left timmins ontario at -42 f at 11:00 am from our hotel and while in the hall we passed a air canada pilot that was grounded because of the cold and all he said to us was.... you guys are nuts .
so after we got our sleds to run we left on a 9 hr trip back to our trucks to go home
now at 100 mph on a sled at -42 f it is a little cold if you are not moving and working your sled through the trails
but after we got the sleds loaded and the trucks to run it was nice to feel warm again
dave
Hmm lets see, I am 56 and my wife is 60. We still are working full-time as school bus drivers. We have 2 buses at home PD 4104-2240 and a skoolie set up to transport our dogs. We have a family of 11 K9's, but the bus has space for 16. Bit by the bus bug in 1984 when we bought our first skoolie (long gone), been in the bus business since 1985.
Hoping to spend lots of time on the road after retirement from work.
Visiting all the GM bus owners I have met here.
Siberyd
We are 52. I started out tent camping in Boy Scouts. Mom & Dad got a pop up tent camper & they would take us on wonderful trips as a family of 6. A typical summer trip was 2 weeks and 5500 to 7500 miles long. We would leave South Carolina & head north or west. Got to see Canada, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park, International Peace Gardens, Washington DC, colonial Williamsburg, etc on the many trips we took.
I got the bus bug when we were setting up our little tent camper in the rain. A converted bus rumbled in a few spots over. A little old man toddled out under a small umbrella to check the tires then go back inside. It rained all night and was still raining as we were folding the camper for the day's drive. I heard the bus growl to life and the little old man came out under his little umbrella, checked the tires, climbed back in & drove off. We finished breaking camp & were soaked to the bone. All I could think about was that little old man who was warm & dry & on his way.
I started looking for a bus to convert over 10 years ago – bought a Scenicruiser because I loved the look & it was in my price range. Then I found a better one. One thing led to another & I finally had a plan & all the hard to find original parts that I wanted. Built an oversized carport to park it in & work on it. Then my better half finds a nice Newell ( it has everything I wanted and more ) for less than I was going to spend on the generator, water & electrical systems.
So, now I am liquidating my collection of Scenicruiser parts to make room for enjoying The Newell.
We just took a quick 1200 mile trip over 3 days, and we didn't need any camp grounds – visited with friends & used their driveway the first night – used a rest area for the second night. Sure is nice to drive when you want to & sleep when you want – all without having to worry about check in/ out times. ;D
We are so looking forward to more trips.
PS;
What they say about 8V92's being thirsty above 1800 rpm is no understatement. Noticeable difference in mileage at 1700 rpm vs 2200 rpm. :o :'(
Hi All, my name is tom and I have an addiction and a bunch of friends who are addicts too.
I'm near retirement age and my wife Tami, was 10 years younger, we were building a 102C3 from scratch after selling our MCI5A that was a wonderful conversion that we updated. We were going to summer north and travel, that's all changed now, I'm finishing up all the utilities and mechanicals, soon to start the cosmetics. Thanks to all the most generous people and busnuts, I've met here. And not just for sharing their incredible knowledge and abilities, but their time and friendship, lvmci...
Hi to All. I'm Gil. 59 soon to be 60. I inherited my coach when my folks passed. "Easy Street" has been part of the family since I was a Jr in high school in 1973. We don't intend to full time RV. Rather it is my intent to preserve and improve her as time allows. My better half has consented to the project provided we gut the inside and start over to our own tastes and updates. That's fine by me as the last redo was in 1976. Easy Street has carried many folks to a lot of good memories. The end of my Senior year we loaded up 13 other teenagers (boys and girls), myself, my mother, 2 music instructors, and headed off to a music camp in N. Dakota with a stop at Expo 74 in Spokane. I shared the driving with one of the instructors who had actually driven for Greyhound in his early years. Think parents these days would let their teenager take off for two weeks on a trip out of state? I think not. Easy Street took mom and dad all over the western U. S. and into Mexico on numerous trips. She was a regular at FMCA rallies in the Northwest. I rebuilt the engine in the early '80s for them. After dad's retirement it regularly took them to Arizona snow birding until 1996. She now rests inside here with me, a vehicle to good memories of the past and of new memories to come. Happy New Year to all and best wishes for happy travels. :)
I'm 42 and my partner Chris is 43. We'll soon be celebrating our 10th year of full timing, and 5 years of being owned by a bus.
We started our journey in a 16' teardrop travel trailer, then a 17' fiberglass egg. In 2011 we decided we were ready for something larger, but wanted something unique. Our buddies Sean & Louise and Ben & Karen were already afflicted with the bus disease, and passed it on to us.
After riding the rails around the country for a month, we found our '61 4106. We've been re-converting ever since.. but all as we go, continuing our full time lifestyle.
We work online, love our fellow nomadic communities and continue to cherish the bus community that has helped us so much. We don't see any end in sight with our bus remaining our homebase.
- Cherie
Im 27 and still looking for my first bus. My idea is to sell my home and buy a nice mci conversion. I will live in the bus full time and travel the U.S hauling a 32' enclosed trailer with my best friend and out race car.
Full time but stationary right now. Padding bank account to hit the road full time. I'm 56 my lady is 60. We are over the road long haul owner operator truckers.
Bought my MCI at 33, converted to full-time at 37, now 44 and still full-timing.
Been working on the bus for over ten years now, it's self-converted, which means that it'll probably be done a couple weeks after I die.
Best part is that I met my love two years ago, she was moving into an Ford Tioga, so now we're a two RV household.
Now we just need to find some land to park everything. :)
Scott and Heather here. 33 and 30. Have a 3 month old little girl. Fulltiming for 5 years in our self converted MCI-9 (see link in signature for pictures). Just bought a second bus a pretty 1992 MCI-102C3 that we are in the process of converting and will move into hopefully within a year or two.
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