When did you start bussing?

[Charles in SC]

When did you get your first bus? How long did you look before buying?
I looked about a year, bought in 2000, got it converted enough to start using in 2003, still have it. Would like to upgrade.

[Eagle Andy]

We bought ours in 2007, 68 Eagle pretty much down. However over the last 7 years have made many up grades.

[pvcces]

We bought ours in 2001, before the towers fell. We've still got it and are getting ready for another trip.

No regrets.

Tom Caffrey

[wg4t50]

Thoughts, geez I first had a pickup with slide in camper, then later restarted with a VW camper bus, it was fun.  
But the Bussin started after looking & driving all the charter operators in Va nuts for about a year, I bought a 1972 MC7 in 1988, that was one of my greatest days, ran it for over 20 years, big money in total rebuild mechanically, every bearing, all new steering components, all new or rebuilt running gear.
We have traveled all states east of the Miss river & some Canada, many runs to Florida for the new years partys with the CCO, then it became the Arcadia event. I never had an issue while traveling ever.
In my case, I had a stroke and eventually got to the point was not able to crawl around it for normal repairs etc, so gave it away and bought a Foretravel with the ISM500 Cummins, a very fine coach that is more like a car maintenance wise, very easy & anything else, it goes back to factory.
Dave M

[Nineforever]

Started small one bus charter operation 21 years ago with a mc9 which i bought from Greyhound i bought several from them over the years until i learned my lesson , when there finished with them , they are completely finished .
I currently still run a small charter company .
I have one bus for private use thats being converted a work still in progress   

[Van]

Got ours, an 89 Eagle 15 back in July 07 seated coach stripped down inside. Blew the engine bringing it home.  With Cliffords help found another engine, has served us well ever since. Getting ready to pull up stakes and head home after another great trip out here at lake Mead Nv.

Clifford found the speedo problem lol all fixed now I hope

[TomC]

Couldn't afford much. Bought the AMGeneral transit in 1993 in Kelso, Wa for $4,000. Before bringing it home to L.A., had the rear end ratio changed from 5.57 to 4.56, 55 injectors to 65 injectors, 12R-22.5 to my 11R-24.5. Started working on it in 1994 and finished (started to use it) in 2,000. I ultimately rebuilt everything in the engine compartment and turbo'd the engine, new air bags, changed the air assist steering to Sheppard hydraulic, added King Cruise Control, changed air wipers to electric. Still have it now-have put on 35,000mi. Will be going to Mammoth Lakes and Lake Tahoe in late July.

Now am converting my '85 Kenworth 90" Aerodyne cabover to a 40ft motorhome. Most of the interior is in. Still have to install the electrical, plumbing, refrigerator, freezer, washer/dryer, dishwasher, generator, invertor, three A/C's.  Needless to say, still have at least another year of work on it. Probably will be my last conversion. Good Luck, TomC

[Dave5Cs]

We were late bloomers and after looking for a year found our MCI 5c Saudi coach close to home at A to Z Bus in Sacramento, California 2010. It was the head mechanics there. It had been converted professional for a race team in Missouri and the mechanic started tearing it all out but there were some walls in it which I moved around and the kitchen had wood flooring in it. The back bay had tanks and 4 dead batteries in the back. We went on the road for 3 months after completing what we thought we would need. Had to buy new blinds, 4024 hybrid inverter, new 6V batteries, fix the whole air system which would lock up every time we would go out and then put new vinyl on the dash, seats, hookup air horns, put in electric wipers and am presently changing to spin on filters, new thermostats, some new hoses, valves etc. We then also lived on the river in a campground we worked in for another 18 months. We now are working on a ranch in California in exchange for a place to keep and work on the bus while my wife was recouping from foot surgery. that took 27 months because of a bad fall that included broken foot, messed up hips, back etc.
We are going to make another voyage up to Yreka, CA the last week of August to the 1st annual Bluegrass festival for Jefferson county. Towing my Chevy S10 with our 3 cats who can really mess up vinyl etc. but am clean her up now on the weekends and redoing some things for the trip. We will be going out on, a week to maybe month trips for awhile and then when thing allow we will get back to fulltiming again.

Dave5Cs

[eagle19952]

2003, average 7-8 thousand miles per year, but have been parked with aged parent care and medical issues a few times for a year or so each time.
getting ready to hit the road again, have lived exclusively in the bus tho.
even when it is parked at the house in AK. on our trips back home

so far the only parts needed were belts and an alternator. oil and fluids, batteries and a new compressor for the central air. repaired one bad air leak to DD3, at which time I replaced a bunch of air lines just because.

Wifey wants to keep at it more than I do 

[akroyaleagle]

Bought ours in Apr '96. A Ramblin' fever conversion. Immediately started living in it fulltime. We lived in it for 8 years.

Have never had a major issue with it. Did change to a 8V92T in 2000.

We lived in Alaska and spent winters in Matzalan, Florida, Yuma, Phoenix, El Paso and other warm places. Drove it home each spring for the summer.

We don't use it as much now. I am getting a little stove up to do the maintenance.

Some photos on Facebook (Joe Laird) and Photobucket (akroyaleagle).

The interior has been redone on 2012.

[Gary W]

We bought our first bus a 1973 MCI-7 in 1993 and converted it ourselves. We sold it in 2004 and bought a MCI 102-A-3 and had it converted for us, we still enjoying travelling in it.

Gary

[HB of CJ]

Had campers and trailers since about 1976.  Started with Bus Conversions around May, 2002 with a 1974 Crown Supercoach 40' 3 axle ex schoolie with a small cam Cummins 855 250hp and a RTO910 Fuller.  Lived in it part converted for about 4-5 years, then sadly sold her in around 2006.  Amazing machine, would do 80mph and got around 10 mpg at 60mph.  Huge brakes...handled better than some cars.  Too expensive to keep, plus I got old.   Oh well.  I am now Bus Conversion- less.  HB of CJ (old coot)

But...if another suitable Crown Supercoach came around...what the heck!

[Dave5Cs]

You mean like this one up at Coach Maintenance in northern Cali.

[luvrbus]

We started in 1973 bought a Blue Bird Wander Lodge a 1965 with a Ford Industrial engine it got a 4 miles to a gal maybe on a good day and was so rough it would shake the sheets off the bed driving down the road   We owned a couple of MCI's 5 and 8, Prevosts and Eagles never owned a GM though just never cared for looks of GM except the 4106 

[Ed Hackenbruch]

My dad bought an old shorty Chevy school bus in 1959 or 60. I can remember helping him take out the seats. He used plywood to make a table that converted into a bed, and built a bathroom, everything was very basic. Had it for 2 years and then he sold or traded it.  Bought our 5A in late Sept. of 03 and started fulltiming at the end of Jan. of 04. Wasn't really looking for a bus when we found it on an ebay auction.