What does one do at a bus rally?

[Alan N]

This probably qualifies as a dumb question but we plan to attend the Hibbing rally and I don't know what to expect.
Thanks

[Iceni John]

At each of the ten Buses Gone Wild annual get-togethers for us Crownaholics and Gilligans the recurring themes have been:
   A) eat lots,
   B) drink a moderation of good beers and ciders (definitely quality over quantity  -  no industrial pissbeer there),
   C) tell stories about your bus or anything even vaguely bus-related,
   D) ride in some of the other buses there as a Compare & Contrast exercise,
   E) maybe visit some rare bus collections nearby such as the Canto in Fontana CA,
   F) eat some more,
   G) play bugminton at night to bring out the inner child in all of us (PM me if you want to know more).
In other words, all good harmless fun (except for the kites on the high-voltage wires one year . . .).

John

[oltrunt]

Good answer.  Jack

[chessie4905]

Harbor Freight sells the bugmitten rackets.

[buswarrior]

Gather around the busnut who suffered mechanical woes on the trip and:

Offer advice
Cheer him on
Lend tools
Use tools
Argue with others about the correct way to hold tongue in corner of mouth
Re-wire busnut's poorly performing 4k generator that some twit got paid to wire up as a 2k...
Change a clutch
Install solar panels
Sit in chairs
Burn a lot of campfire wood
Wish a Canadian had brought duty free beer to the rally...

The co-pilots generally sit and commiserate about their common plight, putting up with us.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

[boxcarOkie]

Good answer.  Jack

I have to agree with Jack, a fine answer.

Here we go!  Another feeble attempt at a non-edited post.

In reality everything you do at a bus rally or meet, you can do safely in the confines of your own backyard, and it doesn?t cost a lot of money that way.  If you live in the middle of the country in a fly-over state, it can get pretty expensive for fuel and food, out and back.  The last one I went to personally was That Damn Rally, which is sort of a non-event-event held annually at Lake Mead, at the top of the waterline.  Mainly you sit around shove groceries down your neck, taste some sweet libation in the afternoon along with a nap.  In other words, the good things in life. 

If you are lucky,  Ed will tell you that you are nuts, and Gary Hatt tells me I am full of it, just in case I forget it, and from time to time need reminding. 

One more thing, if you see this guy?



Beware. 

Bus meets are where you meet strange and weird people (ask Jack) and you regale in the tales of life.  You can lie about your fuel mileage, your marriage, your income and the purity of the breed of dog that you own.  You usually will find yourself starting out with a story about your last operation and ending with a prescription as bus peeple are old.

But alas, all good things have to end so ...........

Monday I hauled @$# out of the campground
kicking up dust and making lots of noise
Over the big bridge
just south of the dam
hammered down
and on my way
in my mirrors
I see Vegas fading away

I am once again,
a Happy Man.

Today I find I am waltzing thru my gears
and standing on the pedal,
hogging the passing lane
my right foot buried in the firewall
a little bit lighter in my wallet
Bought Bio-diesel just fifty miles ago.
all topped off and rarin' to go

Living large in the passing lane,
I aint blowing any smoke.
pushing the legal limits
and stretching out the old two-stroke

Eastbound and down
6 on the floor and the other foot out the door,
heading home

Tuesday spent the night outside of Grants
tucked back in the rear of the lot.
snoring my life away
what can I say,
I am on the backhaul,
making my way home.

Wednesday I slept until noon
outside an Amarillo greasy spoon
woofed down day old biscuits
laced with Jelly and Texas hot sauce
which I bought the day before outside Albq. New Mexico
on top of nine mile hill

On the westside of town
Inside the Travel-Mart Quick Stop
along with a #3 washtub of coffee
to wash it all down.

The third day finds me spending the night
next to a Motel Six
In Sayre, Oklahoma
Home of the 39 civilized tribes
the sun fades as I arrive
Red Dirt roads and I am home again
Much quicker than I surmised.

Bus meets are fun  ...  Invest some time in one today.  Don't under any circumstance hesitate or delay ...  Look now for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing ... O rest beside the weary toad and hear the angels sing ...  Lyrics are from "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" which is somewhat inappropriate for this time of the year.

Go for it!

Top her off, point her in the right direction (if you are sure about it where that might be) hammer down and turn at the fork in the road. 

You will do alright there Mr. Newbie Person.

Just in case you are wondering, I should be easy to spot, they all know me at bus meets and are often very fond of me here.  Should be easy to find. 

One more thing ... If you can park at the end of the line, you will get more rest.  Stop by and I will by you a brew. 

Watch those right handers.
BCO

[luvrbus]

Don Smith I am going to get even you know that,really people I do get hair cuts ,lol here in the valley all the barbers are x military and after I get a hair cut I let it grow out to get a decent hair cut when I go to Scottsdale that is my story.Don I do have hair though 

[neoneddy]

I'm planning on going as well, it's my hometown after all.  Funny growing up you never thought much of it.

I'm with Busswarrior, hoping I'm not the subject of all the supervisory help, but I'd be more than glad to offer some.   I'm interested to see other conversions, and just talk with other like minded folk.

[lvmci]

Hi Allan, bus Rally's of all kinds are a great place to get the answers to questions you didn't know existed. Tips, comments and knowledge given freely with care and thoughtfulness to your mechanical and cosmetic bus issues, they give you ideas, examples and a laugh or two, sometimes rambling, precise or snarky, but mostly good advice. many times machine problems along the way are solved, without a trip to a shop to fill up your credit card, along with suggestions that will better your machine and instill confidence, however short lived, that your hobby choice was a good decision, lvmci...

[Jim Blackwood]

What'd be the closest one to Cincinnati?

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

For those of you looking to attend a bus rally, be sure to check out our Event page for a rally near you...

https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/events/

Things to do at a bus rally include...

Eat
Drink
Look at buses
Eat
Drink
Talk about buses
Eat
Drink
Lie about how may MPG your bus gets
Eat
Drink
Tour other buses to get ideas for modifications for yours
Eat
Drink
Go on rides in buses thru town to show off your bus
Eat
Drink
Play games at some more organized rallies
Eat
Drink
Ride around the local area to see what it is all about
Eat
Drink

[luvrbus]

We prefer the smaller gathering not the larger structured rallies, you get to know people at the small gatherings and don't have to read a board to tell you what is next at a certain time and it dosen't cost you 200 to 300 bucks lol or $1500.00 for a Prevost rally.
Quarzsite Az is the place in mid January all types of buses show up there,fees are cheap and people are friendly and laid back most of them, you have a few that can be real a**** but not many.The GM people are real open and friendly,the Eagle people get a bad rap IMO most of those people are open and friendly to,the Flex people never meet a stranger they are great     

[edvanland]

And you will hear all kinds of true to life, HAHA, bull sh#@#t stories, just ask Don (Oakie) he is the king of tall tales. Yes we are nuts.

[bobofthenorth]

I dunno this "Hibbing" rally of which you speak but, in no particular order:

- eat breakfast dinner lunch supper and appies
- sample new varieties of single malt (often consume excess quantities of single malt when someone else is buying)
- tell lies
- tell war stories about past breakdowns
- offer advice about other's breakdowns
- attend seminars
- learn that "clogging" is like dancing
- dance
- eat
- wash your bus
- tour other buses
- give tours
- make friends with new traveling dogs
- tour local landmarks

[boxcarOkie]

Don Smith I am going to get even you know that,really people I do get hair cuts ,lol here in the valley all the barbers are x military and after I get a hair cut I let it grow out to get a decent hair cut when I go to Scottsdale that is my story.Don I do have hair though 

You know Cliff, of all the things that came into my life, and then went out, there is one constant, I miss my hair!  Now I know that sounds crazy, but it is not true (being crazy and all), my mother had me tested in the fifth grade.

BCO