Two conversions for the price of one?

[DavidInWilmNC]

Of course, with diesel around $3+, it's more of a motivation to work on it instead of using it!

You might consider that with that knowledge, the conclusion might better be reversed. It's entirely likely that you will look back on $3 as being not so bad after all.

(I'll probably get flamed with that statement. And no, I'm not a treehugger.)

This is the reason that a veggie oil setup might work well for me.

[buswarrior]

Hello Lyndon.

Join the Explorer's RV club and then call Wayfarer's Insurance here in Ontario.

www.explorer-rvclub.com
www.wayfarerinsurance.com

Prior, ruthlessly, in one afternoon, install a toilet, a sink, a fridge, a microwave and a bed someplace near to where you think they belong.

Is your conversion complete?

Job is functionally done.

Everything else is renovations/upgrades/improvements...

and as gumpy points out, it will progress on its own schedule... same as mine!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[lyndon]

buswarrior, I did call Wayfarer a few weeks ago and they are not licensed in Alberta. The referred me to RV Direct, who sell the full package for completed conversions only. That package would be $430 annually (the minimum) for something appraising at around $20 K. That would be a bit of an improvement from the current $7500 (!!!), especially considering claims free, accident free, points free drivers and pleasure use.

Registration as a private vehicle was not an issue. They called it a motorhome for the required "out-of-province" safety inspection and were willing the register it the same way. The computer choked, however, looking for a separate VIN for the living quarters from the VIN for the chassis. (I guess OEM motorhomes have both, so you learn something new every day). This could not be overridden, and the same VIN for both wouldn't work. No problem. They classified it as "utility" instead -- same thing as an SUV! (Move over, Hummers, we're coming through...) -- only other choice would be to apply for an assigned VIN for the "house" part.

Either way, it's not commercial. What does it tell you about the insurance companies when even a government agency "gets it".

Sorry if I rambled on a bit. With all these insightful responses, we should take time to thank you all individually, but after a busy day, I'm only just starting to catch up on the fun stuff.

As for the conversion at hand, Lynn & I were debating tearing up the floor and walls last week, 'cause we've reached that point, but it means doing things right from the get-go. I absolutely agree with the advice about quality at this stage; hence the dilemma. My fear is in how much I'll want to fix after digging deeper. So for now we'll probably go ahead with the bare-bones conversion -- some great tips about that approach, BTW -- then rip it all up next fall. Whatever can be done the right way will be, but it's going to be hard when the walls still have to come down at some point.

At least now I don't feel like I'm just a nut!

Don

[Dreamscape]

My policy is "Do It Right The First Time". Sometimes that does not always work though. I would go as far as you want to and find necessary. You could completely dismantle the bus and build it from the ground up, but why do that if you don't have to.

I would set it up as you might think you want it, then use it because your ideas might change. Then as you go along with the redo. Do it right. You don't have to do everything all at once before it can be used.

I have made the mistake of not using our Eagle enough during resconstruction. I regret that. We have owned ours for four years and have only taken it out one time to TBR 2007. Our plans now are to tear apart one thing, fix it then have it ready to go for short trips. We have missed many opportunities by not using the coach. So what if it's not done, enjoy the ride while we still have fuel available for it. Diesel will only continue to go up. Gas at over 3 bucks a gallon now, and 4 bucks sometime next year. You will only deprive yourself of pleasure by waiting.

More 2 cents,

Paul

[niles500]

"The computer choked, however, looking for a separate VIN for the living quarters from the VIN for the chassis. (I guess OEM motorhomes have both"

I've never heard of any such thing - Are you sure they weren't considering it some type of fifth wheel?

[Busted Knuckle]

The computer choked, however, looking for a separate VIN for the living quarters from the VIN for the chassis. (I guess OEM motorhomes have both, so you learn something new every day). This could not be overridden, and the same VIN for both wouldn't work.

Don,
Hey use the system to your advantage! Set up a small home business called L & D (or D & L) Custom Conversions (or what ever name you wish to choose) then study the different codes for the #'s used in an OEM RV Body VIN and give it your "own" VIN with appropriate coded #'s for yr, model, interior floor plan, etc, etc........! Then be sure to keep ALL receipts & records of time spent (and add up the labor hrs at a reasonable rate) and use it as a tax write off for your companys "DEMO UNIT"! Now you have a seperate VIN & a way to write it all off on taxes, even if you never do another one! (just close the company as a lost revenue project!)
  BK 

[NJT5047]

I absolutely agree with the advice about quality at this stage; hence the dilemma. My fear is in how much I'll want to fix after digging deeper. So for now we'll probably go ahead with the bare-bones conversion --
Don   

Don, if by "digging deeper," you are referencing removing walls and floors, be very afraid!      Are your welding skills in order?  If you start pulling the interior walls out of an MC9, you will have opened a can of worms, as we say here in the South.   Expect a good bit of rust and major repairs...What's in your Wallet!   
May I suggest that if this is going to be your retirement home for the next 20 years, by all means, dig into the bus...if you just want an RV for occasional use, and actually want to use it within this lifetime...keep it simple.   Now if you happen to own the local truck repair shop with a crew of workers and indoor fab shop...nevermind!    
Rebuilding wall and floor steel is a major, time-consuming, expensive adventure. 
You have the best idea...go ahead with a barebones conversion and use it.  A KISS conversion is a good conversion.   

Good Luck, JR
   

[NewbeeMC9]

- put down flooring over whole floor
-double tint windows that you plan on covering up, paint insulation black and cover internally
-spray foam insulation if you have time
-use paneling on the walls,
-use velcro, the heavy duty commercial st
-build walls from panelling and foam sheets, or if they make SIPs close by, see if they have -rejects.  light and easy to work with.

HTH

[msheldon]

In our case, we bought a bus "already converted". The conversion was done around 30 years ago, and it's 90% non-functional, but as far as the insurance company was concerned, it had the pieces, and had been finished, therefore was a conversion.

We're in the process now of completely stripping it and re-doing it. However, I'm being careful to do it in stages, so the required pieces will always be present. It helps that I'm re-doing the floor plan, since it means I get to build the new kitchen before I rip the old one out.