Schoolie

[bigred]

I personally don't care if someone rolls or brushes paint but at the same time, there's a line and you can't be mad if campgrounds don't let you in.

On the other hand, I can't stand when a campground will ask what year my bus is and over the phone say that it can't come.  (1974)  I usually lie or tell them the year it was converted but that was 98 so even now that is pushing it. 

There's no excuse for the feces part I agree.  The only way I could see it is if I was in the woods by myself and honestly, you shouldn't be able to get a bus into woods that deep. 

I don't know what his situation was but I don't understand b/c if you are at a campground even without hook ups, aren't there always a restroom nearby?  That part was confusing to me.   

I have been RV'ing for a lot of years ,and trust me when we started the shape (and the smell) of some camp grounds rest rooms  would have made a pail look good .Sure made me proud to have somthing with my own bath.Don't know if there are any of these *mom and pop "camp grounds left or not but some of them sure was an experience.

[DoubleEagle]

the one with chartreuse purple painted plywood interior ?

I have to correct you there, the color is right, but it sadly was not plywood of any grade, it was Oriented Strand Board, and/or particle board. It must have been difficult to paint with a roller.

[DoubleEagle]

I personally don't care if someone rolls or brushes paint but at the same time, there's a line and you can't be mad if campgrounds don't let you in.

On the other hand, I can't stand when a campground will ask what year my bus is and over the phone say that it can't come.  (1974)  I usually lie or tell them the year it was converted but that was 98 so even now that is pushing it. 

There's no excuse for the feces part I agree.  The only way I could see it is if I was in the woods by myself and honestly, you shouldn't be able to get a bus into woods that deep. 

I don't know what his situation was but I don't understand b/c if you are at a campground even without hook ups, aren't there always a restroom nearby?  That part was confusing to me.   

One of the justifications for schoolies is that they have higher clearances, and they are not too worried about scraping the paint off when they drive down logging roads with branches rubbing on both sides to go deep into the woods to park off-grid. Just like the bears, schoolies do it in the woods.

As far as campground owners go who want to know what year coach you have, that is a good way to screen out places you might not want to stay at. I have not tried it yet, but I wonder if we offered to send a picture of our coach to answer their concerns and forewarn them of what to expect, whether that would work to save trouble. The campground owners have undoubtedly been exposed to an amazing array of derelict RV's that have leaking fluids, fumigate the area, and break down in inconvenient locations, but to prejudge someone over the phone is a bit inappropriate. Maybe we should show up as a group, and then refuse to stay because the campground does not meet our standards (What no 50 Amp hookup, no cable TV, no view of the lake and the mountains?).  It's just like the insurance companies and the warranty outfits, they want to deal with late model RV's that have published book values and lesser miles on the odometer. 

[Alan N]

We have never been turned away from an RV park in our skoolie.
We have been given a site that some folks might not appreciate (not with all the fancy new machines but off in the back corner) but they gave us a place to stay when there were not a lot of options in the area (Skagway and Valdez Alaska come to mind).
We have taken our bus down quite a few logging roads, but from what I have learned on this board and others l think I could keep up with most of you on the interstate. Someday, 400+ HP and air ride but the old skoolie gets the job done for now.

[Iceni John]

Even though my bus is technically a skoolie (at one time it transported sprogs for Mid-Placer Public Schools in CA), I really don't think that it, or me, has much in common with the typical skoolie crowd.   I wince when I read what some folk on the Skoolie forum do, or what they think is acceptable or even legal.   There are some very good conversions there, but there are also some that make Mr.Zephod's look like the paragon of tasteful design and exquisite workmanship.   I prefer to hang out here not only because my bus has exactly the same drivetrain as an MC9, but because I feel I can learn more from the collective wisdom and experience here.   I'm not taking any shortcuts with my conversion, and I want it to (eventually . . .) look as nice inside as most of the BCM buses, so I'm more inspired to do my best after reading the posts here.   However, reading the Skoolie forum puts everything into perspective!

John     

[Oonrahnjay]

...  I wince when I read what some folk on the Skoolie forum do, or what they think is acceptable or even legal.   There are some very good conversions there, but there are also some that make Mr.Zephod's look like the paragon of tasteful design and exquisite workmanship.  ...

       And I will probably end up with a conversion that is drab by comparison to the "Rolling New Orleans Cat House" aesthetic of many of the Nashville entertainer buses and much less lustrous than the virgin-tropical-hardwood-and-mirror shine (or gaudiness??) of the multi-million $$ boutique Prevost new buses, I won't be sitting down to a nice breakfast at a lovely and scenic spot with buzzing flies that have just crawled out of a honey bucket a few feet away.  I don't mind discussions about the best tires and benefits of 24V versus 12V inverters (in fact I find them helpful and enlightening), but if someone is crowing about the benefits of living in cheapness and nastiness, they pretty well lose me. 

[oltrunt]

I'd have to agree with all that has been said despite the fact that I have a skoolie and that it is way over 10 years old.  I think private RV parks should be able to set entrance standards since once an RV is in and hooked up to utilities it becomes a residence in most states thereby falling under all of the eviction and right of entry regulations etc etc.  I have made it a point to email my feelings on the matter to which ever camp ground I may be wanting to stay at --along with a picture and description of my rig-- and so far I have been welcomed everywhere I have applied.  Jack