Help with choosing the right platform.

[Jim Blackwood]

I have a theory about fuel prices. Can you say "Manipulated"? Funny how they go up and down if you watch the pattern. Seems like every 30-40 years or so, just about when you'd expect the old guard to retire and the young guns to come aboard we see a spike. Up to about $5 a gallon last time around. Sheesh, talk about overly optimistic. Then the economy crashes and the only way to recover is to lower the fuel prices. Odd how they've dropped gradually to about $2.30 a gallon? I don't think so. Meanwhile the other commodity prices that were driven up by fuel costs stay up. I mean, why wouldn't they right? Uncertainty in the fuel prices does that. So there's no way fuel prices can come back down to where they started. As always, wages are the last thing to increase so everybody gets caught in the squeeze and the recovery takes a decade or two before things get back on an even keel again. Everybody pays. Including the young guns who thought all this was such a good idea to start with. So how was it again that greed is good? Those who don't learn from history, etc, etc. We can expect to see the same cycle start all over again in, oh maybe 2-3 decades if we are lucky. Those of us who are still around. Why can't those arsholes at the top TEACH their children something important for once?

Jim

[grifter]

Thanks for all the great replies, work had me away from home for the last 10 days so i am just catching up now.

I am starting this project by drawing up some scale drawings to see if i can make everything i want work without slides.  I agree with everyone that slides are complicated and add complexity and maintenance, but its possible they may be required depending on how i can make this all fit. 

I have been keeping my eye on whats for sale.  I found a 1991 H3-41 already converted over to an RV for $99K, might be worth going to look at, although $99K seems like to much for something i want to rip apart and reconfigure, its also 9 years older then the chassis i was looking at before.  Its only a 3 hour drive away, maybe the are willing to take less.  I'm not sure how long ago it was converted, the interior looks like late 90's early 2000's.

If i do find a used chassis does anyone here know how to confirm mileage claims?  Do the 1996 and newer buses have OBD2?  or is the computer system proprietary?  Does the ECU contain the Bus VIN as well so i can confirm that it has not been swapped out with a lower mileage unit.

[DoubleEagle]

You need to assess the condition of the components of the bus in question, and not be overly concerned about mileage. Actually inspect a number of buses (and not just one make), and when you have a candidate, have a qualified mechanic check it out. Yes, $99,000 is way too much to spend on a bus you are going to tear apart. Forget slides, unless you want trouble. 

[luvrbus]

Slides are ok if factory the home brew slides can be a nightmare Prevost never had factory slides till 2001 or 2002 FWIW.Some of the factory class A motor homes are well built if you buy the upper end like Foretravel,Country Coach and Newell.I don't have a problem with those,we are trying to close a deal on a 2007 Country Coach 45 ft Rembrandt with 4 slides,600 hp Cummins ISX engine not a bus but built from the ground up with 42,000 miles and don't forget about the BlueBird those are also good