Funny... I thought this was a bus blog

[RickB]

The majority of us drive, own or our interested in 30+ year old buses.

That in itself makes us first and foremost responsible to the rule that if we own a 30+ year old bus we better be ready for difficulty in finding shops, that we are considered by some shops to be a "problem" because we are driving 30+ year old buses and that the majority of our issues will be fixable and some will not. If we have a problem with that we probably should have our own shop like Clifford so we don't have anyone else to do it differently, less professionally or even poorly.

But the bigger issue is if you have a problem with being capable of, willing to and even resigned to eventually spending alot of money to have these things fixed (think every conversation in the last 5 years pre and post Clifford's input on the cost of repairs, parts or maintenance, Lord know some of those conversations have been literally "wake up calls" for most of us) then maybe we should either:

1. Sell our buses and buy a popular brand motor home
2. Buy a bus that is newer than a 2000 year model
3. Sell our buses and get out of it because the maintenance and operating costs don't fit our budget. (That Clifford is a pretty darn smart guy and he sold his)

Or... we can do what we do sometimes and start flaming each other, start to become a forum that deals more with everything that's wrong with "the bad guys out there" and how great we are and we will eventually be a bus blog that talks ad nauseum about people and very little about buses.

And we will lose alot of folks quickly.

I love this blog and it would be tough to leave but I'm not interested in perpetual gripe, victim conversations where we focus exclusively on all things non bus related .

The day may come when I can't afford my bus and it's required expensive maintenance and I hope have learned a couple things well while I've been here. These things are a pain in the wallet, the hind end and any mechanic that puts a wrench to them but they are still worth it until the day they aren't worth it and I learned from folks like Sonny and others that we have lost that life is too short to spend it concentrating on the negative.

Rick

[wal1809]

Very well said!

[Brassman]

I say: SELL, SELL!

And if anyone has a quality pd4104 conversion with power steering and an automatic transmission, well, let me know.

[Chopper Scott]

I have to admit that I have learned more from the gripeing posts as I have from the feel good posts! Everyone loves a 5 thousand mile, 6 month long vacation getting 8 miles to the gallon, engine temps at 190, ac's and satellites working great and such. It's just that most peeps don't post about that. But I do have to admit that 17 or 18 pages concerning one individual's trip may be a tad over the top but that's how folks are. We just want another happy busnut out there.

[eddiepotts]

It seems to me that a thread with 17 pages has a grip. It is when a individual can't help them selves not to read it needs to get a grip on themselves. One thread does not destroy the board complaining about the board does. We all choose the treads we read.

[chart1]

We learn from our mistakes and others mistakes. It is great to have a place to come to if you have a problem to get help and to learn to do the pre maintenance on our buses our selves to reduce the bad situations on the road. I agree with chopper I have learned more from the bad things on here then the post of a good trip without a problem.(I am glad we have those good post). It is also good to see how things pan out for others by the way they handle things, so if you get in that same situation you have a better idea of how to handle it one way or another. I know for a fact when a breakdown on the side of the road happens you have so much going through your head with safety, options,and other concerns that it is hard to think straight and make the most economical and wise decision.

Eddie, You are so right, if those of you are sick of reading these ongoing threads dont click on them. But as the threads grow longer you will eventually push that magic button because you are a busnut addict...LOL      

[Chopper Scott]

You are so right Chart. Things happen on the road and your mind gets overwhelmed. I have to laugh and remember that if I was so smart I wouldn't have bought one of these in the first place!! Basically anyone owning a bus is sitting at "strike 2".... But anytime a forum can get a post at 17 or 18 pages without getting locked down is a testament to the good folks that live here. Pretty impressive.

[chart1]

The funny thing is it is about the only post that hasn't went off topic, But has branched 2 or 3 more topics from it. It has cought many peoples attention 5,799 view and 249 comments. "The horse is back in the building" or was that Elvis. Sorry Marc had to throw that in.

[Singing Land Cruiser]

Christi and I love this board. We have meet so many great Busnuts here and this board has saved us lots of time and money in the build and maint. of our bus. It has had very good and very bad posts. I only read the posts I want too. I thank you all for that. It would a sad day if we did not have this place to chat Bus, Ask Bus and Vent Bus. All the Best, M&C

[Hi yo silver]

I say, "If ya don't like it, you can kiss my BUS!"
Dennis

[boxcarOkie]

Rick B ... Nice read, I could not have said it better myself.  Good job.

This one caught my eye ... "The funny thing is it is about the only post that hasn't went off topic, But has branched 2 or 3 more topics from it."

You been over there lately?  It is a long ways from what it used to be.

BCO

[chart1]

Yes now it has gone off topic because of those that dont want it to go any further. Maybe they should just start a topic of dead horses!!!A lot of us want to hear the outcome before the topic gets locked because it goes way off topic. 

[Fred Mc]

I am always surprised at the people who think that off topic "subjects" are such a bad thing. I equate a board like this as going into a book store. There are some topics that interest me and some that don't. I don't read the ones that don't. I followed the "broken ring" thread for a few days and then got tired of it so I don't bother to even look at it. Mind you, it did get a little "testy" with some people flaming others and I think that is wrong.
I belong to another board for "golf carts" and it is basically a free for all. If someone brings up politics  there is some discussion. When someone says it is off-topic they are told in no uncertain terms where to go.They are told that if you don't like it don't read it. And the board keeps on truckin with up to 150 posts per day. Perhaps they have more "rednecks" (like me) on there than this board but I doubt it. The only thing they don't allow is trashing vendors without a "real good reason".

[JohnEd]

It seems to me that a thread with 17 pages has a grip. It is when a individual can't help them selves not to read it needs to get a grip on themselves. One thread does not destroy the board complaining about the board does. We all choose the treads we read.

Well said Eddie. Truly.

I don't agree with the spirit of your post and I fail to see where you get the authority you seem to have taken to dictate terms and delineate our options.  Terribly conceited, it appears to me.  Now Wal (bless his pea pick'n heart) and BCO(aka The Wizard) have posted supportive statements.  That's two.  Nine posts, all the rest save one at this point, seem to either contradict what you propose outright or conspicuously lack endorsing you.  Hint?

Your threats to leave the board, I love this blog and it would be tough to leave but.....  are not as scary to some here as you obviously think.  Still, we are all diminished in some way when a Knut leaves for whatever reason.

You have had some good things to add to bus topics and I have it on good authority that you seem to be a regular guy and promising Knut.  I hope to be motivated to click on all your future posts.  Please help with that.

This is personal but it is bus related and surely aimed at keeping peace in the family.

John

 

[ruthi]

Well,,,,,,I chose to click on this thread and read it. I have to say also that I learn as much, if not more, from post where there are issues and problems, be it at a shop or on the side of the road, as from other threads. I like to hear the gripes as well as the good stuff. We all have our opinion on everything, and so, you have to read all that you can, and then make an informed decision yourself. I know we have learned so much from many of you on here. Now, I gotta say, we dont always go with what someone on here tells us we should do, but, we do value all the opinions, so we can make a decision. Maybe it works out better for us doing this, and maybe sometimes it wasnt the right thing we did, but, we learn and move on. I like to hear of experiences of others at shops, etc. I wont make a decision that I do or dont like a certain business because one person has a bad experience. But, let me tell ya, if 9 out 10 have a bad exp. then I take notes. Point is, for us, this is a place to learn, be it good or bad. I sure like keep ing this area, on topic, otherwise it would be too time consuming to try and find the real info that you are looking for. I want to read bus info on here, not about your political views, or miscellanious chit chat.    But anyway, for all we have learned, and will learn on here, Thanks to you all!