certify BUS for RV park

chessie4905 · March 08, 2021, 07:01:19 PM

I think the opinion about solid copper wire failing in a bus conversion is over stated. If the wire is properly secured, it won't be failure prone. Now I'm not talking about battery cables or heavy inverter wiring. There is a lot of copper tubing in our coaches, and it isn't failure prone either.

oltrunt · March 08, 2021, 07:27:49 PM

While I am not convinced RIVA standards are the do all end all when it comes to RV builds, neither can I accept the home built as being OK just because they are home built. Even a quick look often reveals glaring safety issues with many home built motorhomes. Add to that the the cheap streak among home builders (skoolies in particular) and there is a recipe for disaster.

I don't blame RV parks for being choosey--they need to be and I sure can't fault them for requiring a certain degree of, well, whatever. I am a skoolie and while I've been careful to follow "best practice" advice myself, I'm still not completely sure I've got it all right but I think I have. Would RIVA rip me a new one? I don't know

When I'm going to want to stay at an RV park I've never visited I always send an email to them regarding what I'm driving along with a few photos. So far I've not been turned down. Jack

TwoFeathersRD · March 08, 2021, 07:38:29 PM

Very true to that statement.

I can only tell you how many repairs we have made to "NEW" units. We do get people stop in with their home made van conversions. Our quality over theirs is night and day for sure. Many have no clue as to code for wiring and it is bad.

luvrbus · March 08, 2021, 07:42:25 PM

Quote from: oltrunt on March 08, 2021, 07:27:49 PM
While I am not convinced RIVA standards are the do all end all when it comes to RV builds, neither can I accept the home built as being OK just because they are home built. Even a quick look often reveals glaring safety issues with many home built motorhomes. Add to that the the cheap streak among home builders (skoolies in particular) and there is a recipe for disaster.

I don't blame RV parks for being choosey--they need to be and I sure can't fault them for requiring a certain degree of, well, whatever. I am a skoolie and while I've been careful to follow "best practice" advice myself, I'm still not completely sure I've got it all right but I think I have. Would RIVA rip me a new one? I don't know

When I'm going to want to stay at an RV park I've never visited I always send an email to them regarding what I'm driving along with a few photos. So far I've not been turned down. Jack

Knowing you Jack. RVIA standards would be 2nd rate,I seen RV's from the 60's with solid wire that have never had a problem,the cheap made high dollar box and plug combo units give problems but not the wire

windtrader · March 08, 2021, 09:37:34 PM

Jack has a very valid point. Maybe new RV have their share of quality control issues, they do get sorted out and the engineering from the factory these days is pretty professional grade, i would expect.

And like he points out most busnuts are doing stuff on shoestring budgets and no professional conversion experience.

Some might argue their homebuilt is better than commercial and that may be true ini a couple cases but here is the test. Take a dart and throw at a board full of the major RV companies. Hit one. Now do the same with a bunch of pictures of skoolie and bus conversions. Now take out a hundred dollar bill and bet your buddy which is likely the "better" overall build. lol

dtcerrato · March 09, 2021, 04:54:51 AM

Maybe starting an owner/operator bus conversion on the professional/commercial chassis puts the start point so far ahead of the game that it offsets a lot of the shabby ones! Just saying. When I do work on relatives S&S, I'm bewildered at some of the construction techniques. I'm speaking from a retired professional carpentry standpoint here...

chessie4905 · March 09, 2021, 04:55:33 AM

one problem with day's is most only have expertise in one or two areas. Fantastic cabinetry work, but piss poor wiring and soldering skills or great at wiring, but poor at plumbing. Or so forth. The ones that usually have the best conversions, know their weaknesses and enlist talent for those areas.

lostagain · March 09, 2021, 06:57:43 AM

All the trailers, campers and motor homes I have owned have solid copper wire for the 120 volt AC side. Even my MC5C and the Country Coach, both professional conversions. Never a problem.

freds · March 09, 2021, 09:16:27 AM

Quote from: richard5933 on March 07, 2021, 05:32:33 PM
Like I said, I've only been asked once. If they don't bring it up when making a reservation I don't offer any information.

I recently got turned away after filling out their paperwork and putting the year of my bus. Drove an hour and half to get there, needless to say I was pissed. They also wanted to see the bus registration...

Utahclaimjumper · March 09, 2021, 09:39:26 AM

That smacks of looking for ANY reason to turn you away for whatever reasons they wish.
They own the joint and you have the power to move on,, so it's a push.>>>Dan

richard5933 · March 09, 2021, 09:44:03 AM

Quote from: freds on March 09, 2021, 09:16:27 AM
I recently got turned away after filling out their paperwork and putting the year of my bus. Drove an hour and half to get there, needless to say I was pissed. They also wanted to see the bus registration...

Some campgrounds are denying entry to all RVs older than 10 years, so it's hard to say in this case whether it was because it's a bus conversion or not.

Lin · March 09, 2021, 09:57:16 AM

When on the phone trying to make a reservation, I have been told by some RV parks over the years that they have a ten year age limit, and that it is a requirement of their insurance.

chessie4905 · March 09, 2021, 11:32:22 AM

Would be nice to inspect that part of their insurance policy.

Ed Hackenbruch · March 09, 2021, 12:49:29 PM

Don't call or make a reservation, just pull up and ask them if they have a space for the night, week, or whatever....worked for me, i only got turned down once and that was at a state park in Montana and only because they were already full. Just went down the road to another rv park. Only place i ever called was Thousand Trails and that was because i was a member.

windtrader · March 09, 2021, 01:25:07 PM

Quote from: chessie4905 on March 09, 2021, 11:32:22 AM
Would be nice to inspect that part of their insurance policy.

Really doesn't matter what excuse they choose to use. If it is a private, for-profit company, then they can make up any rules they want except the mandated government laws.

I'm too cheap to pay for the fancy places where rates are plain stupid but there are plenty of them as they get full of them fancy motorhomes. If I was paying big bucks for a nice RV resort full of fancy coaches, I'd make darn sure the riffraff were not staying there. Free country - go somewhere else, no biggie.