Reason #170 Why I prefer a Bus Conversion over a Stick-N-Staple unit

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

When you have an accident in a Bus Conversion, you generally don't have to clean it up with a Bucket Loader.

[Glennman]

I see Camping World in the background and what appears to be an RV sales lot. I wonder if the people just bought the thing and barely drove it off the lot. You know what they say, that once you drive it off the lot, it's lost half its value.

[luvrbus]

You know travel trailers have to be made flimsy,I see those with 4 slides , 40 ft long  and 12 ft tall mounted on 2-6000 lb axles 

[windtrader]

Not sure it is always that lightweight means flimsy but in the case of run of the mill travel trailers I have to agree. That said, it is easily but cost to build a super light super strong travel trailer from materials such as carbon fiber, pre-preg carbon moldings, etc. But nobody would pay the premium for that sort of construction

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Yes, it is all about the cost of construction. If they built a good strong unit with at least half the strength of a bus, most people wouldn't be able to afford them.  If you haven't read this article, it explains a lot of this. 

https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/bcm-blogs/quality-is-not-key-to-rv/

[luvrbus]

The walls are mostly foam,I have saw those built,Beaver a Prevost converter built a good travel trailer a 30 ft was $150,000 in the 90's those are still around I see those selling for 50 grand resale on one is right there with a Air Stream

[Jim Blackwood]

The fundamental difference is that a S&S was never built to go a million miles. Heck it's a fairly rare one that makes it past 50K. During which time it rattles apart, starts leaking and parts fall off. There is just so much you can do with a stapler and a screw gun. Nobody ever considered those to be high reliability fastening methods so the results should be no surprise.

But OTOH, for someone looking for cheap housing and who has access to one or more places to park it and perhaps a tow vehicle, it's hard to beat an old, tired and cheap camper or motorhome especially in a dry climate. For a month or two's rent you can set up in style with enough room for your needs and most of the modern amenities. Sure, hard rains will likely be a problem you will have to solve, but you can go years in one of those for almost no money if you do it right, and that can set you up for something better in the future.

But by the same token, for the same money you can go out and buy a used school bus and have a roof that doesn't leak. This can be a better choice but only if you are a builder or a competent McGyver.

Of course if you are like my oldest, forget about it. Rent an apartment and pay the toll. Your inability or unwillingness to do any upkeep or maintenance means that you will pay the cost with your hard earned cash instead of with your time and ingenuity. The cost is always there whether you acknowledge it or not. It's more a matter of choice than anything else.

Jim

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Yup, I agree.  I predicted over 30 years ago that in the U.S. eventually everyone will be a renter, and large companies will own all the real estate. It started happening big time in the past few years and a good part of the reason in my opinion is that kids have no ambition anymore, and never took classes like shop class and basically have no skills.  They grew up holding computers in their hands and as so memorized by watching what other people are doing that they can no longer work with their hands and have no desire to.

When I grew up on a farm, I was always tinkering and building things, but kids now have no interest in that, they would much rather let other people own the housing and they prefer to rent and let the landlords build equity.

But you are right, it would not take much for them to buy an old bus, or two, even without an engine, and buy a plot of land and live on, in the bus and in a few years, put some money away for retirement.   They could decorate a bus to be as nice as some of the apartments I have seen.   

[Lin]

Well, at least there were no bodies in the pictures.

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Well, at least there were no bodies in the pictures.

One would hope there was no one riding in the trailer at the time.

[David Anderson]

Thanks Gary for the link.  That was a good read.  It seems the rv industry is the perfect example of planned obsolescence.  The name change ploy is a great CYA method to continue with bad workmanship. 

The salesman-"Oh they don't make the Ridgerunner anymore.  They worked out all those problems on this new model, the High Plateau."   

Funny how they both look almost alike.
It's a good way to stifle a bad review.

David 

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Thanks Gary for the link.  That was a good read.  It seems the rv industry is the perfect example of planned obsolescence.  The name change ploy is a great CYA method to continue with bad workmanship. 

The salesman-"Oh they don't make the Ridgerunner anymore.  They worked out all those problems on this new model, the High Plateau."   

Funny how they both look almost alike.
It's a good way to stifle a bad review.

David

Yep, if things go south with Bus Conversion Magazine we can always rename it to "Bus Perversion Magazine" and blame everything on the old magazine. 

[luvrbus]

The RV industry polices itself,a bus has mandated laws that why Eagle buses were not sold in Canada ,a RV does not have to have seat belts by law some do, police don't issue tickets for no seat belts in a RV ,no air bags for safety and no crumple zone.It is amazing how low the fatality rate is on RV's with people that have never driven a large vehicle can go to a dealer and if they have enough cash or credit the salesman hands over the keys and says good luck and happy travels even on a 2 million dollar Prevost

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

The RV industry polices itself,a bus has mandated laws that why Eagle buses were not sold in Canada ,a RV does not have to have seat belts by law some do, police don't issue tickets for no seat belts in a RV ,no air bags for safety and no crumple zone.It is amazing how low the fatality rate is on RV's with people that have never driven a large vehicle can go to a dealer and if they have enough cash or credit the salesman hands over the keys and says good luck and happy travels even on a 2 million dollar Prevost

I think and hope that someday, all motorhomes will at least have roll cages in them. I heard that Winnebego does, but most of them just collapse when they roll over so there is zero safety for passengers. 

[luvrbus]

RV's are one thing that our federal government does not over regulate,I am ok with it.I am not worried about a roll over or head on with my coach it is one reason why I bought the thing,lot of iron