typical conversion component costs?

[busproject]

Bob -

As part of doing your homework, you need to pick up copies of the following reading materials:

Beginner's Guide to Converted Coaches by Larry Plachno, the publisher of National Bus Trader, an industry magazine.  Altho somewhat dated, it's message is timeless and extremely valuable.

The entire series of books published by Dave Galey.  Dave's converted several coaches, and has covered just about every aspect of what needs to be done in his books.

Mike Kadletz published the magazine that this BBS is based off of for almost 20 years.  He wrote a book about conversions, it's somewhat rare and now out of print.  Can't remember the title, but IMHO, Larry's is better.

Amazon is your friend for these, but also check eBay, they pop up every now and then.

Finally, please take a couple minutes to update your forum profile to at least include a signature line similar to mine below.  Simply click on the "Profile" tab above, then in the LH menu that pops up on the next screen, click on "Forum Profile Info" and follow the prompts.  By including you name and home-base city/state, we can better help you, both with parts and service sources, and quite possibly a neighboring busnut!

FWIW & HTH. . .

See, that's what I should have asked for from the beginning. Although costs and some technology would be out of date. I will look for those books. For those concepts that are universal among coach brands and timeless, sounds like great info. But time has marched on, so for example, I wouldn't have to worry about raising the roof on an H3. I would think that inverters were out of the question 30 years ago, everything was 12VDC. Insulation materials may have improved in efficiency.

I will update my sig line with perhaps first name, general location (when I get one), and vehicle if I get one. But I am cautious to not post any real identifying info on any web forum; If I mention I am going south for the winter, it's like giving a thief an open invite. And you never know if a potential employer is going to google me, lest they find my name on busconversions.com, well holy heck, there went that job. Like a car writer (I think perhaps Pat Bedard) once said about people being suspicious of VW Bus owners; "You never know what's going on in the back with mazola oil and Swedish massagers."

[robertglines1]

Really think the guy just showed his true colors!!!  And opinion of this bunch of busnuts!! 

[Seangie]

And you never know if a potential employer is going to google me, lest they find my name on busconversions.com, well holy heck, there went that job.

Well - I think if your name was googled for a job and they found you posted on this forum it would show that you are smart, a good planner, are versatile, good at multitasking, can somewhat use a computer, know a bit about electrical, plumbing,   carpentry...it shows you certainly are not afraid of a challenge and no task is too big. 

Then again if you are in the field of investing and working with money...hide your identity as much as you can.



-Sean

Fulltiming somewhere in the USA
1984 Eagle 10S
www.herdofturtles.org

[Jon]

There is not a snowball's chance in Hell that the purchase of a seated coach, it's repairs to make it mechanically reliable, and the conversion costs will ever be lower than the purchase price of some professional conversions. And at the risk of alienating just about everyone one here a non=professional conversion by a first timer will not come close to the quality, reliability, or appearance of a store bought conversion unless the converter spends as many hours planning as he does building. But I will admit no store bought conversion is ever going to provide the satisfaction that comes with successfully building your own either.

Where I am heading with this however is I get a great sense that money is the object. Not only in what it will actually take to build one, but to maintain one in the sense Busproject is looking to live in a somewhat frugal or compromised manner. And if I am correct in that living economically is an objective stop right now. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. These coaches are a money pit. If I was given a coach my outlay for ownership without ever driving a mile starts to ramp up with insurance tires batteries and all else that ages. then if I start to drive it I am buying fuel and having to lube it, change oil and fluids including transmission and coolant, plus fix what breaks from use.

And the ugly reality is the dollars required to maintain or repair an old coach are at least equal to, if not greater than the costs associated with maintaining a new $2,000,000 coach. Nobody sells parts or labor hours cheaper because they go on an old coach.

Then there is the bottom line.......these things lose value at an alarming rate. Buy it or build it, you are guaranteed that in 5 years its value will be significantly less than whatever has been spent on it.

These are great if approached as a hobby with no expectations of ever getting back what has been spent. They are to be enjoyed as a project or a motorhome. I spend as many hours working on mine as I do driving or living in it and despite dumping serious money into it I have no expectations I will ever see those dollars again. If someone goes into this with their eyes wide open and accepts the lack of any return on the investment it ends up way cheaper than a mistress.

[luvrbus]

I saw a 1994 H-40 with a series 60 seated coach sell for 18,500 owned by a casino here they had 3 the guy in Vegas bought all 3 my point is why pay 20 grand and install a 50 dollar port-a-potti in a conversion seems like a 2,500 dollar schoolie and build his own bays would work  to each his own I guess

[dukegrad98]

luvrbus beat me to it -- why care about a Series 60 and all these details when all you really want is a cheap tin tent to drive once in awhile and park?  You can do all that MUCH cheaper, and save in the long run since you aren't going to be piling up miles on it anyway.  You still have a PM...

Cheers, John

[Iceni John]

Good points.   Skoolies are derided by some "real bus" folk, but they are sometimes the best basis for a conversion if they won't be driven thousands of miles a year, or if they may need to go off the paved roads, or if you don't have the disposable income for a high-dollar conversion, or if you simply want something simple and easy to work on.   For example, CARB in California is mandating that all 2-stroke buses and trucks be out of service in the next few years, so school districts are getting rid of them now.   Providing they don't need to be crushed, they're showing up on eBay, Interschola and elsewhere.   A late 1980s or early 90s Crown or Gillig like mine is a good candidate for conversion  -  full-length frame rails (makes tow hitches easy to install), 6'6" headroom, underfloor storage bays, bomb-proof construction quality, usually no rust whatsoever if it's from CA, simple, durable, easy access to all the greasy bits, and cheap compared to everything else.   There was even a tandem-axle Thomas WestCoastER for sale recently.   By the time I'm finished with my conversion (are they ever finished?) it will have all the functionality of a higher-priced bus, but for less money.   And how many converted Super II Crowns are there, compared to the myriads of converted MCIs and Eagles and Prevosts?*

I know this is a big difference from a Prevost, but sometimes less is more.   Worth thinking about.

John

*  Two!   Mine, and Locutus's in WA.   How's that for exclusivity?   That makes ours rarer than Bugatti Veyrons!

[robertglines1]

Good outcome for our readers!!  even though the original poster--- It stirred some good discussion.  Different strokes for different folks.  We all share the same basic interest. Was this his 3rd screen name on the board??  Doesn't require a answer..   By the way I've been Involved with a Thomas school bus build,Mci 8, and Prevost.  All been fun and a learning experience. Still allot to learn!  Bob

[bansil]

So I'm doing the math, and if posters are right about full conversions being available at good discounts, it sounds like I will not do a full conversion. I would either look for that, or, based on the seated coaches I am seeing now, if I see one that appears to be in great shape, not requiring a new powerplant for the limited miles I would put on it, I might buy that and do only the following:

Rip out the seats, perhaps leave the cargo bins in place.

Insulation, nice floor, and heat. Must have heat capable of a 50 degree F temperature differential (20F outside, 70F inside). Everything else I'll go primitive, porta-potti, porta-sink, porta-stove, etc., everything internal to the cockpit, no storage tanks under the floor. It would be just like a small camper van, just a lot more space for things. Heat must be offline, so propane or diesel. So my question now is, recommendations on the heater, and what is the best way to vent the exhaust on it?

If I could generate enough solar to power a fridge, great, if not I would just do without there.

I've primitive vehicle-camped more than you can imagine, very experienced with it, so I know what I'm getting into there. Have done it through entire winters with no heat. I was warm under blankets but condensation was an issue, insulation and heat would take care of that. Summer was no problem in temperate climates. The above, with heat, would be just dandy for me for 5-7 day jaunts/uses (limiter I think would be porta-potti capacity, if I could dump that easy on site, longer would be easy).

I haven't commented yet because I have no idea what in the hell your trying to achieve?

This last post makes it sound like you want a fancy metal tent?i so get a $3000 Skoolie and put in your porta potti shower and sink etc.

after a week the whole taking the porta potti inside to dump or trying to pour it into a funnel at a dump station will get old if you use it a lot.

and then you mention solar to power your fridge while camping so you need a few batteries and atleast 240watts of solar

and no electric into bus???


why buy a $15k, $2ok or $30k conversion, strip it out and live like a backwoods hillbilly? (I can make this comment because I resemble that remark) 
.
.
.

OH>>>>>and now you do not want to be associated with the fine folks from this site???

If your job interview leads them here...WTF?? so your not filthy rich since you need a job (or are worried about needing a new one), and you don't work now?? because you are worried about a future employer finding you hanging with riff raff

yada, yada some needs to figure out what they want other than acting like a troll with so much time on their hands that they can fire off long quick responses...so CHEERS MATE

[Dave5Cs]

Here we go again , LOL

[John316]

^^^^^^^^^^
I have no idea who this guy is, and I am not saying I agree with whatever he says. It was just a funny gif that I found.

[Dave5Cs]

Now I have to go make Popcorn. Thanks john for the excuse. I told my wife its your fault, LOL

Dave5Cs

[John316]

Now I have to go make Popcorn. Thanks john for the excuse. I told my wife its your fault, LOL

Dave5Cs

LOL, Dave. Anything I can do to help. Are you a microwave kinda guy, or a real pan of popcorn kind of guy?

[Dave5Cs]

MW . Actually not suppose to eat  pc because just got  teeth fixed lol

Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III

[John316]

MW . Actually not suppose to eat  pc because just got  teeth fixed lol

Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III

Sorry, pal. I really did get you in trouble. Oh well. It was worth it. LOL