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« Last post by windtrader on November 29, 2024, 09:54:18 PM »
My diesel shopping experience is via Open Road and Gas Buddy. We spend the majority of miles on secondary roads and the remainder on interstates. Open Road stations are usually along the major interstates near small towns and not so much in metro areas.
Our best deals are often found at small independent stations and not the big boys (Loves, Petro, Flyers). The main considerations are you will be navigating local streets and often finding space at the stalls are tight often with some obstacles. The savings can be significant and after paying dues during the learning curve, this option is often the best prices.
By far, the biggest savings is to plan fuel ups anywhere outside California, just that one rule is worth around a buck a gallon.
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« Last post by chessie4905 on November 29, 2024, 07:05:11 PM »
So are old MCIs, Eagles, and Prevosts. Younger generations have little interest in ANY bus conversion. Witness the rapid shrinkage of FMCA. They started including rv's and travel trailers to stop the bleeding. 5 to 7 miles per gallon is a killer anymore. A bus conversion is too expensive to own and operate anymore except for well heeled and very mechanically inclined.
Even here, Bno, and Facebook have fewer followers any more. Ask Gary. He knows.
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« Last post by Nova Eona on November 29, 2024, 01:49:35 PM »
I picked up my 4104 back in 2019 and have spent far more time working on it than taking it out, but that's part of the fun. I'd say the biggest risk is that in many ways you're on your own - most shops won't touch them, so you'll have to find a local shop willing to tackle anything you don't want to take on yourself. This is magnified on the road, but easily abated by just keeping enough cash in reserve to afford an expensive tow back home. Many parts are still available, but sometimes you have to fabricate stuff.
Secondary risk is that I think a lot of these were first converted back in the 80s and 90s, so those RV components are on their very last legs; if it hasn't been updated, you can expect to have to replace/redo/refresh a lot of that yourself.
Finally, I'm not gonna lie, the tall 1st in these things is a bear. Slopes and parking are a constant headache, and while I've gotten it out of some dicey situations without assistance, there's always the looming dread of getting stuck somewhere. At the same time, there is something very satisfying about rowing those gears manually in your 60+ year old machine, and it is true that the autos eat up your fuel efficiency a bit.
At the end of the day, if you want a project you can take out for a weekend here or there, go for it! If you want something that you can just take out for a spin and not devote much time to it between trips, get something newer that you can pay someone else to do more of the work on.
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I really don't care how much propane it eats. It's an emergency gen for the house now so it will rarely get used and we have a full 100 gallon tank sitting right next to it. That's going to last so long that the major expense is the annual tank lease. Might as well use it.
Jim
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Price of the schoolies with modern 4 stroke engines and running gear, the easy of maintenance and a never ending supply chain for the school buses cheap parts and almost any shop will work on the Cummins engines and Allison WT . Plus they like living off the grid and not confined to pavement
Yeah, i like that about the sprinter- it's 2wd but still does OK off the pavement. But I'm thinking. 4x4 toad will do the trick .
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If one can perform their own mechanical work and handyman skills for the conversion portion -
Yeah, that's part of the appeal, a simple machine i can service myself. But I'd also like the ability to write big fat check to a truck shop if something goes wrong far from home. I can do interior work but i don't love it so i'd look for something that doesn't need much.
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« Last post by dtcerrato on November 29, 2024, 10:32:51 AM »
Alike genny units consume a whole lot more propane then their twin on gasoline.
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I ordered a cheap conversion kit. I'll let y'all know what I think of it.
Jim
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« Last post by luvrbus on November 29, 2024, 09:35:48 AM »
Truck Stops are into big money now charging to reserve a spot for a tired trucker to park overnight, I see some of those spaces at Pilot going for $40.00 a night, and some are making RV spots with power want be long before RV's start paying for overnight parking at truck stops,that is probably part of a trucker reward program now a place to park
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« Last post by DoubleEagle on November 29, 2024, 08:56:08 AM »
The bigger the trucking company is, the bigger discount they get. When I worked for a national outfit I got free showers, priority seating in the restaurants, and points toward free merchandise in the stores. If I got better fuel mileage and less idle time than the average driver, then the company would give me choices of free merchandise. An owner-operator with one truck did not do as well with fuel prices, but they also potentially made more money on good runs, if they did not break the truck doing it. 
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