BCM Community

Probably a little venting (not that there hasn't been enough today)

About three week ago My friends and were planning our trip to Fort Collins for their daughter graduation. (vet)
It was decided that it would be a lot cheaper to get a motel room than take the bus. Ok this is my fault
I backed off working on the bus to work on other things.

   There will be 11 of use down there and today I find out the rooms will be 100+ even for my family we are talking
2 rooms for 2 nights. By my math skills at 9 mpg and $3.50/gal I still would have been  better off taking the bus.

  Moral of the story: Know the real numbers before you make a decision.

Skip

Plus the cost of not sleeping in your own bed.

Skip, I'd be absolutely the last person in this universe to advise you of J.P. Morgans' famous comment: "If you have to ask the price...you can't afford it" because we all need to balance the pro's and con's of a trip..the number of people, milage, cost of fuel and on and on and on into tedium.

Planning is what we're supposed to be good at!  We plan the layout of our bus, the water and plumbing, the outlet locations and the breakers, etc. ad infinitum!

And you're having this little problem sorting out the best way to attend this function?

Join the club m'friend.  If there's anything I can advise you about...it's how to do things the wrong way because there...I'm a winner!  My problem parallels yours...trying to be a great Monday Morning Quarterback on Sunday!

Good Luck.....

NCbob

     Right off the bat, 2 major factors: How many people and how long. With eleven people that means several motel rooms, a lot of meals in restaurants and how many vehicles to haul that many people. Now, 1 or 2 people for a quick trip out, a day or 2 there, and a quick trip back maybe the motel route would be cheaper.
     Regardless the cost comparison, as was mentioned, sleeping in your own bed and eating what you want, when you want.  PRICELESS!    Jack

One of my selling points to the wife for an rv/bus/motorhome/etc was the cost of hotels vs the bus.  If I used the price of $3.00 a gallon for a vehicle getting 10mpg for a trip of 800 miles, it worked out like this:

800 miles / 10 mpg =  80 gal of fuel at $3.00 =  $240.00 X 2 (down and back) =  $480.00.

Parking would be free. (we were staying at my parents house, they have room to park a bus)

The only reasonably close hotel was  $65.00 a night X 7 nights =  $455.00

If you throw in a tip for the maid we are pretty darn close to the same price.

If we add in the cost of gas for the van (approximately  $160.00) the scales definitely tilt in favor of the bus.

I understand this is only one cost analysis and there are many variables but it is a good general idea.

And yes I know I biased it towards the bus, it says SLOW Rider, not stupid.  ;D

And since she bought off on it, that is my story and I am sticking to it!

Frank

Excellent report Slow Rider!

That has been my exact experience. The bus versus motel roughly saves you the cost of the personal vehicle transportation if you go by bus.

I'm not paying $11 for my Cheerios again.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

When Diesel gets up to $5.00/gal in a very few years, I'll still be using my bus.  I get about 5.3 mpg, so round figures that works out to be $1.00/mile.  I would do it if it were $10.00/gal!  I can't tell you how much I hate staying in Motels or Hotels.  Packing your suitcase, lugging it into the car, lugging out of the car, go check in, find your room and hope everything works alright, perhaps you'll get a good nights sleep, or maybe you won't.  Then go out for every meal in a town that you don't know the good restaurants.  The only time I stay in a motel is for an extended stay or a week long cruise where you set up your clothes once.  Travelling in the US, I'll take the bus every time.  Good Luck, TomC

Hi Guy's,

The bus may even be cheaper then flying..  Just think of all the lines you can avoid too. Like having to hurry-up

and go through a security check then wait sometimes 2 hours until your plane takes off. Then, when you land you have to

wait again for your luggage. Then you will wait for transportation to the rental car Co. where you will wait in line again...

Then when you arrive at your hotel, you again will wait in line to check in.. Wait for the elevator etc...........on and on.

Sounds like some busisnesses try to turn us into Cattle.

Nick-

Quote from: Nick Badame Refrig. Co. on April 27, 2007, 05:08:16 AM
Hi Guy's,

The bus may even be cheaper then flying.. 

Sounds like some busisnesses try to turn us into Cattle.

Nick-

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I really did not edit it Dallas. Just clicked on the wrong button. LOL, Richard

While I can't say that I did this in my bus, it does show the difference in lines etc.

I drove between a Las Vegas Hotel and a friends house in San Diego, while they flew home.  I beat them back home by an hour or so.  Shuttle to the airport, waiting in line, etc.

About three years ago, my wife approached me on the topic of taking the family to Disney World. She had seen travel packages advertised on TV for "cheap" airfares and hotel. It had been several years since we has visited there, and my wife reminded me of my promise that "just because we have a bus, it isn't going to mean that we won't take hotel vacations anymore".  I asked her to see what the total cost was going to be before I would say yes or no.

After a day or two of her research and talking to travel people, she came back to me looking sheepish. Her comment: "It's going to cost a lot more than I thought, so I have decided to bag it."   I responded back asking her if she would consider using the bus.  She agreed to consider it and we ended up comparing the costs if we were to take the bus and stay at the Fort Wilderness camprground.

--- Round trip diesel fuel (from PA) instead of five airfares - Major savings
--- Campground rates instead of two hotel rooms each night - Major savings
--- All breakfasts and some lunches in the bus instead of restaurants - Major savings
--- plus airport parking, cab or rental car, tips, snacks, etc.

We knew we would save 30-40% over what my wife had estimated for the airline/hotel approach.  We decided to take the bus and had a great time. In fact, my wife mentioned something again last month about going back to Disney. I asked her if she meant flying or taking the bus. She responded "In the bus, of course!"


     

& years ago, prior to the TSA, I left Aspen Co heading West to Vegas driving while my frieds drove into Denver to Fly......

I beat them to the hotel by 45 minutes.

We enjoy some of the casino's within a hundred mile radius, we could drive it back and forth but I feel that as long as they are giving me money I like to stay late and I don't care to drive back tired in the car, so the next alternative is to get a room there so we can drag our bags of money back to the room after cleaning them out and get some sleep, the first problem with this is the short sleep you get because of the morning check out times, for us it's much easier to take the bus and sleep as late as we want, my alarm just went off so I have to get up, well so much for the bags of money and cleaning them out, was dreaming again lol.

A few months ago, Jerry H had a post where he talked about a skiing trip he took. He dropped anchor and overnighted it in the parking lot at a ski slope in the Pocono Mountains (PA).  That sounded like a great alternative to hoteling it.  Personally, my interest in skiing is fading but my three boys have taken to it. Hanging out in the bus has more appeal than hours sitting in the noisy crowded lodge.   I still have to try that one.

I still say it is all about the adventure not the destination. When using our coaches YOU are in control of the situation. Stopping when you want, staying as long as you want, enjoying the experience of traveling in your own ROLLING MOTEL.
I would rather take the coach then stay at some motel where you pay them rather than PAY YOURSELF.

I agree with all that has been sad.

Happy Trails.,

Paul

Dreamscape

Put value on this :o ???


Sleeping in an airport due to the weather or staying in the bus bus due to weather.  add in kids or your whatever your situation is.
- also compare likelyhood between the 2
-don't have to compete for the next bus out :D


Also compared to car and getting caught in traffic,  where would you rather be.


in these dire situations the value of the bus triples :o

I agree! I agree! I agree!!

The bus is the only way to go. After TSA I will not fly.  I will not be strip searched by some guy who speaks English as a second language. I will not be in lines. I will not be hassled about room fares and restaurants. I will not look for a "clean" (boy, is THAT a relative term!) restroom.

I WILL NOT GET BEDBUGS FROM A 4 STAR HOTEL!  >:(  >:(  >:(

I LOVE BUSSING!!!!!!  ;D  ;D  ;D


OT comment: I love the new spell check! Kudos to all the folks that make this board work!

I'm still a "BUSNOT" or "WANNABUS", but that's the main reason why I want one. I hate the "hotel hassle" when I'm on the road, and I agree with Oldmansax, I hate flying after 911.

Viva La Bus

Guys, I have to add in here, staying in your bus in places that there are not enough hotel rooms.  Deb and I are both NASCAR nuts as well as bus nuts.  Really, our trips to the races are what started the whole rving life.  If we were to stay at hotels like we used to around the tracks,we were lucky to get a room within 5 miles of the race, even if we booked them months before.  I dont know how many of you have gone to the races, but the traffic on race day is just a snails pace usually 6 hours before the race and upto the 5 mile lucky hotel spot. Now on the other hand with our s/s we can go up to the track a week before and stay till the next day after the race.  Absolutly no traffic problems whatso ever.  Hence s/s, to small, no on board gen set, cant haul enough water for a week, ect.  Problem solved by the bus. I cant stand sleeping somewhere else other than my own bed.  Now we are true bus nuts however it evolved we are glad it did. Cheers to all Bus Nuts and Nascar fans. ........Steve

Steve,
   I know what you mean. At Martinsville, we camped across the sreet from the track. AT 10 PM, there was still a solid 2 lanes of tailights leaving the track. Monday AM when we got up to leave, there was not a single car on the road from the track when we left.
   Several of us with buses occasionally go the local 3/8" paved track to watch the races which usually end around 11-11:30 at night. Rather than drive home at that hour (after spending up to an hour getting out of the parking lot), we go to our buses, go to bed and get up and leave the next morning.  Jack

PS: When traveling in the bus, we try to stay on non-interstate highways. We feel we see much more of "real" America than what you see from an interstate.

 >:( >: (Indianapolis speedway is in the heart of Ind.. It holds our record for the longest time to get to the interstate after a race, 14 hours.  2 mile hike to the 4 runner amongst a crowd of who knows how many walking the same way, 3 hours sitting in the parking space at a high school not moving an inch (nobody was),and the rest of the 14 hours was on the city streets pulling up one car length and stopping for 15 to 20 minutes at a time (no joke) 20 feet at a time. So during the 14 hours Deb and I had made a decision on the RV.  Oh, that 2 mile hike, yep, right through a field of about 5 thousand campers right beside the track.  And to make matters worse, 100 degrees in the shade.  And all that trouble to get back to the hotel so we could listen to the drunks raising he!! all night.  So the s/s was born, and now we are full fledged bus nuts.  Funny how life evolves from one thing to another.  Just one of our life experiences.. ...Steve and Deb......

For me its a bunch of things.  I don't usually sleep very well the first couple of nights in a strange bed - point 1 for the bus.  I need a longer than normal bed - point 2 for the bus.  I need a special pillow for my neck - point 3 for the bus.  And I seem to usually get lucky when we sleep in the bus.  Priceless.

Ok since my bus is still making me $ by hauling people. I have no choice but to stay at hotels for now (and they either pay for the room or it's figured into the cost of the trip)! But that don't mean I like it! I'm in one right now just east of St. Louis, I got back to the hotel last night around 8 and all is quite (the fraternity group is in a hotel across the river at the Crown Plaza Hotel, and since I am not doing shuttling I stayed over here in a different place) anyway at about 11:30 some low life teenagers decide to knock and run, and picked my room as one to knock on! So I called and complained to the front desk who sent security up, and caught them just as they were hitting another victom (turns out they can't read and thought the "DO NOT DISTURB" tags meant let's be a PIA and play games!) I heard the security guard tell'n as they passed my room "see that tag on 223's door? It means if you disturb me I'm gonna call security an get your dumb ___ busted!" I had to laugh even though he had just made sure they knew it was me that called! Then at 3:30 AM they were beaten on the girls in the room next to mines door and the "cats" across the hall they had to be "cats" as that's what they called them when they opened the door. Another call downstairs, this time she say's "did they knock on your door again?" When I said no and pointed out which 4 rooms I knew where all out in the hall partying in front of my door, she said "good we told them not to knock on YOUR door any more! & I'll send send security back up there to send them to bed!"  At 4:20 AM same partying going on in the hall again, this time I turned the TV on and put it on VH1 or whatever and turned it up as loud as it'd go! When the phone rang the front desk told me the "young ladies in 221 had complained of the loud music I told her "it was only because I was playing country instead of RAP, because they were having a block party in front of my door again!" She said I'll take care of it! This time there was a cop with the security guard, and when JAIL was mentioned they all agreed it was time to go to bed!
At 5:00 AM I opened my door, looked both ways nobody anywhere hotel quite as could be so I rared back and slamed the door as hard as I could!
At 5:30 AM I did the exact same thing!
At 6:00 AM I did it again!
At 6:30 AM again!
And at 7:00 AM when I went to go to breakfast I forgot my favorite chrome coffee cup, and yup let the door slam 3 times in a row!
While eating breackfast I got to talking to a gentleman who I found out was a bus driver for all these nice kids! And he couldn't believe all the door banging that'd been going no since about 5AM! LOL!
It's been quite since! BK  ;D

Quote from: Busted Knuckle on April 29, 2007, 08:09:44 AM
Ok since my bus is still making me $ by hauling people. I have no choice but to stay at hotels for now (and they either pay for the room or it's figured into the cost of the trip)! But that don't mean I like it! I'm in one right now just east of St. Louis, I got back to the hotel last night around 8 and all is quite (the fraternity group is in a hotel across the river at the Crown Plaza Hotel, and since I am not doing shuttling I stayed over here in a different place) anyway at about 11:30 some low life teenagers decide to knock and run, and picked my room as one to knock on! So I called and complained to the front desk who sent security up, and caught them just as they were hitting another victom (turns out they can't read and thought the "DO NOT DISTURB" tags meant let's be a PIA and play games!) I heard the security guard tell'n as they passed my room "see that tag on 223's door? It means if you disturb me I'm gonna call security an get your dumb ___ busted!" I had to laugh even though he had just made sure they knew it was me that called! Then at 3:30 AM they were beaten on the girls in the room next to mines door and the "cats" across the hall they had to be "cats" as that's what they called them when they opened the door. Another call downstairs, this time she say's "did they knock on your door again?" When I said no and pointed out which 4 rooms I knew where all out in the hall partying in front of my door, she said "good we told them not to knock on YOUR door any more! & I'll send send security back up there to send them to bed!"  At 4:20 AM same partying going on in the hall again, this time I turned the TV on and put it on VH1 or whatever and turned it up as loud as it'd go! When the phone rang the front desk told me the "young ladies in 221 had complained of the loud music I told her "it was only because I was playing country instead of RAP, because they were having a block party in front of my door again!" She said I'll take care of it! This time there was a cop with the security guard, and when JAIL was mentioned they all agreed it was time to go to bed!
At 5:00 AM I opened my door, looked both ways nobody anywhere hotel quite as could be so I rared back and slamed the door as hard as I could!
At 5:30 AM I did the exact same thing!
At 6:00 AM I did it again!
At 6:30 AM again!
And at 7:00 AM when I went to go to breakfast I forgot my favorite chrome coffee cup, and yup let the door slam 3 times in a row!
While eating breackfast I got to talking to a gentleman who I found out was a bus driver for all these nice kids! And he couldn't believe all the door banging that'd been going no since about 5AM! LOL!
It's been quite since! BK  ;D

Reminds me of a motel stay when I was bringing my bus home.  They partied loud in the room next to mine until 3AM.  It wasn't a classy enough place to have security and the desk clerk wasn't motivated to do anything about it.  At about 3 they wound up and went to sleep.  (noteworthy facts:  this was the type of motel where the room doors are on the outside, they were in the corner room, there was just a sidewalk and curb at the end of the building with no car parking spots along that curb)  At 4am I pulled my bus up to the sidewalk to "load my baggage".  This "coincidentally" put the 6V92TA 4 feet from their wall and of course I needed to leave it running to warm it up.  It took me about half an hour to load my two suitcases, do my departure checklist, etc.  And of course since it is a transit bus, I "had" to goose it a few times as I was pulling out.  One of life's satisfying little moments.

Not that this has anything to do with a bus, except it involves a diesel engine, I have to tell my story.

Many years ago when I was young and had just bought one of my first trucks, I leased to a company hauling "green meat" to the MExican border from Billings, MT. (Green Meat is the stuff didn't sell in the store or got too warm or was rejected for some other reason---- usually it was green/purple and smelly).

I parked at an old 2 storey roadhouse type motel outside of Lordsburg, NM and got a room for the night. My truck was a 1966 RL700 Mack with a Maxidyne and a triplex and no sleeper. It had been cobbled together from parts and was held together with balin' wire and bubble gum.
I got a room on the first floor of the place and unfortunately, the 'lady' in the room above me made her living making the bedsprings squeak and the bed frame bang on the floor.
This went on for half the night and continued until about a half hour before I got up to leave at 04:00.
Being that these rooms were on the end of the building, my truck was parked at the edge of the parking lot next to my room. It also pointed one of my stacks in the general direction of her window, which was open at the time.

When I got up to leave, I made certain that it took me a LONNNNNNG time to get the truck warmed up and ready to go.
And of course, I had to also goose it a few times before I pulled out.

Now maybe you, dear reader, aren't familiar with the Maxidyne engine, but when it was cold, it would blow a cloud of smoke so thick, you woulda thunk there was a major fire coming from an oil refinery!

I'll bet that if I didn't kill her with the smoke, at least I made sure there were no 'skeeters in her room for at least a week!

I wish I could take all my "business trips" by my own bus instead of by plane, but my employer (aka government) believes that one day travel in each direction is more than enough.  Well, back in early March, I got an unexpected vacation in Dallas for three days, because it snowed on the east coast and all the airlines cancelled flights!  I was watching the news showing DC and there was no snow to be seen, yet all the flights to there had been canx.-- GO FIGURE!!

I like it so much better when I ride on the big "green" airplanes and my transportation takes me out on the ramp right to the door, and I get a direct (but usually very noisy) flight home.

Now if I can just figure out how to get my bus on the manifest.....!?!

PAbusnut

With all these horror stories about motels I guess I've got to throw one of my own in, last fall my wife and I decided to invite another couple to spend a night at a casino so I booked a room for the 4 of us and off we went.  We arrived there without incident in the car and because the room wasn't ready yet we figured we'd get some supper, I was in the mood for biscuits and gravy so thats what I ordered, when it came the biscuits were so durable I couldn't cut them, I called the waiter over and handed him the fork, he bent the tines trying to cut one of them in half, he took them back to get them replaced, he never returned off we went to the room, the first thing that the other couple pointed out was that there were 4 of us and only 2 pillows, room had a king sized bed and a couch that folded out to make another bed, so off to the desk I went, down 2 flights of stairs to get 2 more pillows, the desk clerk said the extra pillows were in the dresser, I said ok and returned to the room where I found an empty dresser, off I went again and got the pillows.  We headed down stairs and gambled for a while ( did quite well at it too) then my wife said lets go up and fire up the hot tub, our room was the jaccuzi room so I said great and off we went, we filled the hot tub and I pressed the button to start the jets, nothing, I pressed it again and still nothing, I called the desk and they said maintenance would be there shortly, he arrived about 15 minutes later and tore the jaccuzi apart and then said he can't fix it, so the desk told me they would give us another room, I went down the two flights of stairs and got the keys for the new room, they didn't work so off I went again to get different keys, these worked but by now it was 2AM and we were tired so it was time to get some sleep, the next morning we headed down stairs for breakfast to find the restaurant closed because of a sewer back up, can I say anymore about having your own mobile room?

Good God Almighty Cody,

Where the heck were you? I hope I don't have to every go where you had your nightmare! Quite a good read, very informative to say the least. I think I would have asked for my money back after your ordeal. I hope you look back and smile, even just a little bit. Sounds like I LOVE LUCY was nearby.

Paul

Dreamscape

I prefer turbo lag to jet lag anytime.

I have an implant in my chest and really don't want the hassle with TSA to fly.

I hate all the walking and aggravation of airports and that was well before the TSA ...

Orlando, Miami, DFW, Charlotte, Ohare, Laguardia, McCarran, Tampa, Albequerky !;D! , Phoenix, St.Croix, JFK and Jacksonville.
For a while I felt like a resident of those places. Not any more....

If I have to fly I don't need to go... I take the Bus and leave the driving to ME !!!

My "In a rush" days are long gone...

Paul, we did get our money back for that trip to the casino but only after an email to the complex manager.  He not only refunded our money but compted another stay for us,  to me it was more comical than anything else, I did feel like I was in an 'I love Lucy' segment, if it could go wrong it did, the only redeeming factor was that we did quite well with the slots, it sure made me appreciate our bus, thats for sure, my vote is for the bus over the motel lol.

As Skip said in the original post  "Do the math"

I got into this bus thing via my Class C.

We were talking two week trips every summer and after adding up the first one for 4 people  ???  I realized that I could be 1/3 into a good used Class C with one two week trip.  Of course that led to the Bus.

For fun we used to figure the cost if we went without the bus.  It was always more.

But forget the cost....My own bed...my own food, drinks, restroom....I have to kick the kids out if I stop at a rest area...in the van they begged for me to stop....Plus I have my favorite stewardess who is verrrrrry  ;) friendly with the Driver.

Cliff

- More counts against hotels

http://www.phonelosers.org/hotel/ (http://www.phonelosers.org/hotel/)


Also, The "Motel Board" and "motelnuts" are not as interesting :D

We just call them "bedbugs".....:)

I guess I'm funny too, because I like to know whose fanny sat on my toilet and who slept in my bed and what they did there!

I know where this thread is going now. LOL ;D

Quote from: brojcol on May 10, 2007, 05:02:39 PM
I guess I'm funny too, because I like to know whose fanny sat on my toilet and who slept in my bed and what they did there!

Aint gonna touch this one.

Paul

I know our dogs sure like it better when we take the bus, they get to ride along vs being boarded. That adds to our savings too, since they are both large dogs which costs nearly $12 a dog per day!

Welcome soonda,

Where are you from?

What kind of coach do you have?

Inquiring Minds want to know.

Happy Trails,

Paul

Dreamscape

Or in my case, expiring minds want to know lol.

We live about 60 miles north of Indianapolis, IN just outside of Kokomo, IN.

We have a '86 MCI 102A2 - a work in progress.

Have had to work on her a little at a time, since we started using it as soon as we got it we haven't been able to tear into her too aggressively. Kids have gotten pretty spoiled, seems anytime we have to travel more than 3 hours they want to take the bus.

Each trip as been an adventure.

We now know we run out of fuel when the guage says there is 1/4 of a tank left. We also know there is a BIG difference in running ouf to fuel in the bus vs running out of gas in the car! We also know the 2 gallons of fuel AAA will bring you might as well of stayed at the gas station. We know what it is like to ride in the great big tow trucks.

Now know that keeping the lavatory in - just for a while isn't such a good thing, especially if there isn't any fan or way of keeping the tank from boiling.

We know what kind of whilstling sound the roof hatches make in 80 mph cross straight winds.

We know that even though one of the picnic pull off sites at Yellowstone, that does not have the 'no big camper' symbol, does not allow enough room for a 40' bus with no tag axle to make it around the paved circle without the wheels running off the pavement and having the park ranger call for a 'recovery'. Found out you can't cut down a 6" tree stump in a National Park to help get your bus back on to the pavement. Should have seen that little tow truck's wheels come up off the ground on one side when trying to wench the bus back onto the pavement. Found out just how good the husband is at backing the bus up.

Found out that you can drive a 40' bus into Johnston's campground in Banff Canada but you can't drive out of it (without relocating a sign or a tree). Another great backup exercise for the husband.

Now know if you go to King's Island, in Cincinatti,  in your bus - and it looks like a bus, you don't have to pay for parking and the bus driver gets in for free. Probably helped that we had about 8 girls on board that made enough noise to sound like a bus load.

Can't wait to get back on the road again and learn some more!

Very Good Read. Sounds like you are becoming very experienced very quickly. Have fun with all of your adventures even though some are not so much fun. Once you start tearing apart your coach you probably won't drive it so much. So drive it now.

Paul

I think we've all been there lol, just wait, the fun is only beginning.  Some days you'll curse the day you came up with the idea to get a bus, then you'll realize that the memories you'll have down the road are priceless.  The price we all pay for the skinned knuckles, bruised knees, headaches and general remodling boo boo's are all forgotten when you look at your kids faces as you approach a new area.  These memories could never be repeated in a mini van as you approach the motel in a long forgotten part of town and you wonder if the last occupants of your room lived thru the night lol.  You'll never question the wisdom of buying your bus again.