| Author |
Message |
Jeff Pritchard (Jeffpritchard) (68.8.222.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 10:13 pm: | |
I'm toying with the idea of buying an "unfinished bus conversion" advertised in autotrader. I was wondering if any of you have done this before and whether those that did would ever do it again. Seems like it might save a lot of work. OTOH, the guy that didn't finish it might have been a lousy bus converter and there might be something major wrong with the bus or the conversion that led him to "give up on it".
Any thoughts?
thanks,
jp |
TWO DOGS (63.185.81.128)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 10:21 pm: | |
lots of people run out of steam,loose interist,have a change of lifestyle.....look for 'craftsmanship' and 'ingenuity'.....crude work would make me run |
jmaxwell (66.81.32.175)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 10:44 pm: | |
I'll 2nd TD's sentiments. |
ChuckMC9 (Chucks) (66.167.142.141)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 10:59 pm: | |
Jeff - do a search of the archives. There are some good thoughts on this issue. |
Jeff Pritchard (Jeffpritchard) (68.8.222.153)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 1:47 am: | |
Chuck,
Can you recommend a key word for this search? I tried "incomplete" and "unfinished" and didn't get any hits.
thanks,
jp |
FAST FRED (65.154.176.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 5:59 am: | |
One of the reasons for abandoing a project is the owner found he would have nothing worthwhile if finished , so wants to bail out.
What does he know that you don't?
"health" or "a newer shell" is the usual Story , is the builder in a hospital?
With a great MCI9 shells going for 5 to 10 grand , not many shells are going to be worth loads more.
So analize the equippment , watch it work and figure what percentage of new you would plonk for the equippment.
A new genset is $5500 , about $3500 whole sale , with an expected RV life of perhaps 3000-5000 hours , with great maint & operation techniques.
Is this one very well installed and is there a LOG BOOK of oil change , and other maint?
Might be worth $2000 , might NOT.The quality of the instalation will frequently reflect the quality of the maint.
Go thru the entire coach and you will come up with a value to you.
Since your capable of converting , your just purchasing a scrapped ,abondoned pile of parts, that may or may NOT be suitable for "Your Way"
This method can NOT be used to Value a complete documented running coach , with a good track record of use and operation.
The 100% coach will have far far higher value as it is of interest to folks without the time , or skills to DO a conversion , yet realize what a fine RV a coach can be.
Different market , different evaluation for different customer base, different price.
Projects are cheap , fine finished coaches are NOT.
FAST FRED |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.34)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 9:35 am: | |
I see a lot of started conversions on eBay and it seems a lot of them were abandoned because the owner did not have a clue as to what he was getting into, and the work accomplished reflects this. A lot of buses are also abandoned after someone discovers major rust and/or drivetrain problems and decides to get rid of the bus. But it doen't hurt to take a look to see if the project is worth buying or not. But if you have never converted a bus you might want to take someone who knows buses and bus conversions with you.
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.18)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 10:49 am: | |
There ARE pitfalls in a partially converted bus. I have had two friends buy such projects and by the time they tore out what did not suit them or reorganized the floor plan, they felt they were into more work than if they just started from scratch. I think you have to be careful not to just look at what a person put into it so far, but look only at value of items that you would be buying anyway - plus the labor of tearing out all the stuff. |
H3Jim (68.105.103.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 11:50 am: | |
With all that potential downside, it means that you may find a gem, for a great price. Never hurts to look. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 12:20 pm: | |
giving up on a Wanderlodge JP?
Gary |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 12:38 pm: | |
I must say--
after spending about two weeks just on the tearout of our 30' Bluebird, Including Hired help, I was about to jump ship.
Since then, I have run across two major structural problems, now resolved, and am still reskinning.
A Sane person would have run away screaming by now.
Guess I'm a BusNut.
Gary |
jim mci-9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 5:20 pm: | |
i paid $1500 for the "man show".. a 1954 gm transit.... ive ordered a $200 air throttle... paid about $300 in gas going back and forth to work on it over the last 3 weeks... I'll spend anothe $100 on paint.... and i plan on re-doing the entire interior, but salvaging the a/c's... commode, shower, vanity, kitchen sinks, refrig....the oak paneling is fantastic, but it may not fit after i do a differt floorplan....the kitchen cabinets will work, but the countertop will be redone with a breakfast bar....i'll have it towed 150 miles, instead of driving it.... its cheaper than buying insurance....i figure i'll have less than $3500 in it when i'm thru... not counting any labor, just cash outlay..... and look at all the fun i'm having!!!!!!!! |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.40.145.233)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 10:18 am: | |
From all the evidence, it seems that a partially converted coach, unless it is more than 50% completed, has less resale than a comparable seated coach, and only somewhat more value than an empty shell. You might get more for valuable appliances etc. but if nothing yet works, how do you prove the value?
For the buyer, the best bang for the buck, it seems to me, would be in finding a partially converted coach, with either minimal conversion work done and lots of extras or one that is farther along, but has been done with quality and matches a layout you can live with.
Brian |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.40.145.233)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 10:22 am: | |
Ask why the converter quit, many times it is for reasons of health, and/or changing circumstances, rather than a faulty conversion candidate.
Brian |