Can you afford a bus ?

[robertglines1]

Yes to all the above.  Kids cost for sure.!!!!  our bus is a extention of our lives personality -skills-experiences- dreams-values.  Life is good. Busses are good. bus family is priceless. If things get to rough at home there is always the bus!   Bob

[demodriver]

In my situation I couldnt afford to NOT buy my bus. I got it for a very good price. Even in this market I can stand to make good money on it if I needed to.  My family and I have no intentions on selling tho. As much as we travel to derbys and to races it makes it so much easier to travel with the family and pets.

We travelled with a slide in bed camper for about 10 days and it took alot of the fun out of it. Alot happier times in the bus.

As for the cost of getting it towed or repaired. Mechanically theres not a repair that I wouldnt/cant tackle on it myself.  As for right now we dont plan on leaving the state and my budy who has a tow service will pick me up for no up front charge within the state. 

[Van]

I can barely pay attention, let alone afford this conversation,but we get by. "Where there is a will, there is a way" (Mom '62)

We stay close to home also, mostly due to an engine that, quite frankly have no confidence in what so ever! Have been fortunate that it gets us around locally though (counting the Blessings here), but under no uncertain terms would I make the wrong decision and chance pushing the limits on the mill. That being said, I'll bide my time until we are ready to build a fresh mill with a tad more poneys

Havin a blast
just the same!

[buddydawg]

I have been using the pay as you go system.  When I have the extra cash I work on the bus or take it out and use it.  When funds are low it sits.  If something catastophic happens I'll adress it when the time comes.  You can buy running parts busses pretty cheap these days...

[gus]

Anytime you think a bus is expensive just look at the prices of comparable sized S&S! There is no contest and a bus is probably just as cheap to operate.

Of course our buses are ancient, mostly, and require a lot of attention but they make a great hobby and each trip is an adventure! It wouldn't feel like much of a trip if something didn't break!!

[buddydawg]

Anytime you think a bus is expensive just look at the prices of comparable sized S&S! There is no contest and a bus is probably just as cheap to operate.

Of course our buses are ancient, mostly, and require a lot of attention but they make a great hobby and each trip is an adventure! It wouldn't feel like much of a trip if something didn't break!!

I use this justification often.  I have less than 20,000 cash in my conversion and I figure if I had to do a complete repower I'd still be ahead of the game.  I guess what comes down to is if you are "all in" or not.  I'm in.

[travelingfools]

I have been using the pay as you go system.  When I have the extra cash I work on the bus or take it out and use it.  When funds are low it sits.  If something catastophic happens I'll adress it when the time comes.  You can buy running parts busses pretty cheap these days...

Couldn't have said it better !

[lostagain]

Every month I look at the featured RV in the Motorcoach @$#. mag. It always makes me feel good about how much I have in my bus. A little class C starts at $100K. And $200K and up for a cheesy class A. Ain't real buses great!

JC

[zubzub]

It wouldn't feel like much of a trip if something didn't break!!

My feelings exactly.  I only remember parts of certain trips because of equipment failures.  Spent 3 days in a Wino hotel in Winnipeg, waiting on parts for my bike (my mcgyvered V reg had fried the ignition)....once I had cobbled together a points ignition, I hit the road again, feeling great, man I was broke, good thing the hotel only cost $5 a night.

[white-eagle]

Anytime you think a bus is expensive just look at the prices of comparable sized S&S! There is no contest and a bus is probably just as cheap to operate.

Of course our buses are ancient, mostly, and require a lot of attention but they make a great hobby and each trip is an adventure! It wouldn't feel like much of a trip if something didn't break!!

i'm very happy if nothing breaks, thank you very  much!!!  We looked at a new S&S.  Glad we chose a bus, even if it's a little tight (homey?) without slides.
roughly 1500 mi since we pulled the engine and no problems.  it still feels like a trip to me!

[artvonne]

My biggest concern would be (and still is) a catastrophic failure thousands of miles from home.  If I couldn't find a way to limp home, I would probably have to abandon it where it sits for scrap.  A $10,000 repair on the road would be out of the question.

  This in particular has been the primary issue I would like more control over. There have been some blown engine threads over the last months that I know left a few of us speachless. $10K or more in repairs while on a road trip and I probably would have joined you in leaving it. So my decision now will be bandaid repairs to get it home and fix it there as I determine. Short of a broken crank, block or head, there doesnt seem to be much that will actually stop a big Detroit. There are workarounds for almost every major failure that will allow the engine to continue to operate.

[Len Silva]

That's a big advantage to the old mechanical Detroits.  Limping home, even on half an engine, is often very doable.

[luvrbus]

Guys there is more to it than just a engine you shell a rear gear on any bus you are talking 5g's +on the road lose a drop box setup on a MCI 5 or a Eagle most of the time it will take both the drop box and ring gear out big bucks there the main gear in a drop box is over 3 grand alone then the pinion drive gear is 1500. 
The GM setup can cost a small fortune also when it goes south 2000 miles from home 
The Eagle club members have a network if a member has lost his drive train on the road one of the members has a complete set differential and drop box on a frame ready to ship to a member in need then they rebuild their unit and return it saving the member the $10,000 hicky on the road pretty neat huh.
A transmission of any type can be very costly to repair at a dealer when on the road trust me just don't worry about the engine there are other things that on the road can cost dearly   

good luck

[pabusnut]

I can't afford my conversion, but since I have no other hobbies, I can justify the cost.  I have kept it through periods of unemployment, and underemployment, kid's college costs, moving, and house remodels.

I have the "pay as you go" mentality.  I try to "do it right the first time", and focus on practical functionality.  I don't hunt or fish, go golfing or racing, or other interests that benefit only me.  I save money by doing 95% of my car maintenance and repairs myself.  I only buy used cars, and my cell phone only allows me to talk(I'm not savvy enough for all the other time wasting features).
I don't really keep up to date with the latest technology(until it is really cheap!)  I joke with my friends that I am almost Amish!

So financially, I justify my bus expenses by referencing all the money I save on everything else.  It is my one hobby that benefits(actually future--will benefit) the whole family.  Still not an ironclad justification, but defendable.

As Fast Fred says I am "doing it my way."

Steve Toomey
pabusnut

[bigjohnkub]

I cannot afford my bus. So I bought another one!!! I could not afford to send two children to the University of Texas, buy a new house, and many other things. I just did it. I get up at 5 am and usually work until 9 pm on something. Im only 62, so I need to get started on my retirement. Work hard, play hard. It will all even out.

Big John