| Author | Message | ||
| Jeff Pritchard (Jeffpritchard) (68.8.131.43)
Rating: N/A |
I had a chat with the guy who runs the RV park that I'm currently full-timing in. Made a mention of maybe doing a bus conversion on up the road, and he said "You won't be able to get it into most RV parks". Seems that RV parks look down their noses at bus conversions, regardless of quality. Was wondering what the experiences of the group have been on that. If your conversion looks nice, have you had any trouble getting into RV parks? thanks, jp | ||
| ED Hackenbruch (166.155.199.7) Rating: N/A |
Bought a 68 Mci 5A a year ago, started fulltiming end of Jan. Have never been turned away even though it was converted 22 years ago and has over 250,000 miles on the conversion and 3 million miles overall. Stayed in a very high end (the bath/shower room has marble walls!) rv park in Mesa Az in May. The supervisor had to take a look and approve us because they did have a 10 year age rule but did not even ask how old it was once he saw it. It was dirty/dusty at the time as we had just come in from a long stay in the desert but it still looked good even though the paint job is also 22 years old. Point is that if you have a bus that looks nice you should have no problem at most places. | ||
| Derek (Derek_L) (24.83.196.239)
Rating: N/A |
Lets see most of them turn away a Marathon Prevost H3-45. (I'm a Prevost guy, not bashing them. Just sayin'...) Tell you what, give him a picture of a new Prevost conversion, and ask him if he'd turn them away. | ||
| Nick Russell (66.82.9.82)
Rating: N/A |
We have been fulltiming in our 1976 MCI 8 for over 3 years now, and converting it on the road as we go. We have never been tuined away at any RV park we have stopped at, and have crossed the country back and forth several times. | ||
| TWO DOGS (63.185.73.154) Rating: N/A |
depends on what your "theme" is.....a Partrage family bus kinda gets looked down on...(I know I'm going to get it from somebody)...I had trouble in my stick & staple in Dallas once...because of it's 'age'....my bus is even older...but...it's sexier..............no problems in it so far | ||
| FAST FRED (4.247.52.123) Rating: N/A |
When you SAY "bus conversion" many folks think of 60's era Hippys with a psycedellic paint slopped on a yellow Skoolie. Filled with pot smoking folks with quick hands "Liberating" other campers excess property. A converted coach is a far different proposition , and I have only heard once or twice of folks being treated rudly at a fancy "Destination" park. If the coach is clean & neat & doesn't "look" like a project there is almost never a problem. ONE tip is to turn off the engine , while checking in , as the ideling engine may sound fine to YOU , but the stench of diesel won't impress the desk folks. A junkyard RVIA sticker is good insurance. An air up system ,and block heater so you can start up in the AM , and just drive off helps too. No one wants to hear smell a bus "airing up" , for 10 or 20 min it takes some folks. On cruising sailboats , the motto was " Leave a Clean Wake" works for our campers too. FAST FRED | ||
| DaveD (142.46.199.30)
Rating: N/A |
We haven't been specifically turned away yet with our '76 MC-8. I have stopped before arriving at a campground and cleaned up the exterior after a long trip. I think it's important to present the best appearance. FWIW Dave Dulmage | ||
| DrivingMissLazy (66.168.175.51) Rating: N/A |
People convert a bus, but in its finished form, it is not a conversion. It is an RV or motorhome or coach. Never, never talk about a conversion to a campground owner. Richard | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
One of the reasons I like the Bluebird. I can always tell them that the Wanderlodge is a "Factory Built" RV. I just won't tell them that mine is not a wanderlodge. Gary | ||
| J (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
We've never been turned away with our '59 GM 4104. We use FF's idea of turn engine off though many factory built pushers are louder than we are idling. As metioned above, ours is a 35' GMC motorhome. | ||
| jimmci9 (209.240.205.60) Rating: N/A |
i've been cautious about mentioning a bus conversion... my holiday rambler is a '77 model... ive been turned away because of its age...and the fact that i am a "worker".... some people just don't understand that i like to "full-time"... and that a motorhome works really well for me... | ||
| Lin (66.245.216.207)
Rating: N/A |
There is an ancient Greek philosophical question about a ship that leaves on a long journey and is constantly making repairs as it goes. By the time it returns, every single piece has been replaced. They ask then, is it still the same ship that departed years before and, if not, when did it become a new ship. My bus is like that. It is a GMC Superior Motorhome that has become "new" many times since 1967. By the way, the American version of that goes something like, "This is the best ax I've ever owned. I've had it for 10 years. In that time, I have replaced the handle 3 times and the head twice." | ||
| Jayjay (205.188.116.135) Rating: N/A |
Upriver Camp Ground, Bayshore Rd., N. Ft. Myers,FL won't take anything more than 10 years old as a conversion. One in Spokane, WA, and that was four years ago, and I don't recall the name-same problem, City of Portsmouth, Ohio if you don't get it inspected for Code Compliance, you can't use the park on the beautiful, muddy, oily, greasy, stinking Ohio River. It is not an industry wide problem, and only crops up sporadically, and the best answer is to go downtown to your local friendly attorney-at-law and he'll help you beconme a part owner in that particular park...if you wish. Cheers...JJ Hey Marc B...where are you? | ||
| TWO DOGS (65.177.144.102) Rating: N/A |
LIN.... yeah...one of my wives was like that...she came home one day,took off her make-up....her wig...her padded bra...& just....".dissapered" | ||
| Rodger in WA (64.70.24.211) Rating: N/A |
On a few instances, when attempting to make a reservation for our '76 Prevost, I've had been told, only upon inspection of the coach. I've never been turned away on arrival. Some of these Parks have a only upon inspection policy for any RV more than 10 years old, not just bus conversions. In most cases, upon arrival, I was complimented on a nice looking rig. | ||
| George Myers (12.74.75.48)
Rating: N/A |
What the "Inspection upon arrival" is for is to make sure the driver's skin is white and that he does not speak with an accent. | ||
| Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.16)
Rating: N/A |
George-- I hope you are kidding! In this day and age racism is a prime candidate for lawsuits and people cannot act that way. Let's drop this OT subject before it gets out of hand, we are here to talk about buses. --Geoff '82 RTS CA | ||
| Johnny (4.174.109.203) Rating: N/A |
George, if you really believe that, there is simply no hope for you. | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
George, you must be over 60. IMHO, the "inspection upon arrival" is to exclude REAL junkers, schoolbuses with VW vans bolted on top, etc. It's like the sign in many businesses: "The management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone." | ||
| George Myers (12.74.74.174)
Rating: N/A |
Well Jim-Bob, I am over 60. In those years I have dealt with hundreds of people who had very cleverly disguised hidden agendas. If an RV parks has an age restriction that is uniformly enforced and included in their advertising and campground guide listings, that's fine. When they burry their restrictions in their park rules to selectively spring on unsuspecting travelers, I will assume the worst. People driving old junkers, that could some how threaten the park, simply do not have the money to go to an RV park. There must be another explanation for the rule. God forbid that you would find yourself in an RV park with an old school bus that was converted by someone who does not have your kind of money. Actually, I like them and the people that travel in them, especially the ones with a van on top. I guess I am the riff raff that the park owners (and you) want to keep out. | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
I'm with you George, there's no life like low life... Gary | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
Well George, I'm closing on 60 faster than I want to. (52) The reason I said over 60 is the "Archie Bunker" personality. The reason the show was funny was because it was on the mark. While I do not believe or practice racism, it IS a fact that we all have to deal with. I have an 84 year old uncle and my father in law died around 80 and we could not persuade either to stop using the "N" word. These guys are both from New England and it mystified me why they would have such negative feelings. I finally had to slam my uncle & tell him that I would not tolerate him using that word in our house. I also don't think that school buses with VWs on top "threaten" a campground/RV park except that the presence of many such units will convince other folks to go elsewhere which hurts the owner's bottom line. Our bus is a '59 4104 with a decent but not terrific paint job. We're definitely NOT snobs and we do like folks who are "characters". But at the same time we understand the realities of business. By the way, it costs about the same to convert a coach as a school bus but the resale $ & desirability is way different. And... I don't know where you live, but here in South Florida, if you don't stay in a campground/RV park, or (very small) state park you don't stay anywhere. You get about 8 hours in a rest stop or Wal Mart & you are persuaded to move on. There are no BLM areas or wide open spaces you can camp on. State & county parks cost from $20-40 per night. Private campgrounds between $20 & 70 per night. | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
Is it just me, or am I the only one that interpreted Georges post as "Anti-Racist"? Gary | ||
| Derek (Derek_L) (24.83.196.239)
Rating: N/A |
Nope, you're not the only one. I also detected a hint of sarcasm or something that indicated he was against said inspections (for said reasons?) | ||
| Marc Bourget (209.142.38.81) Rating: N/A |
Derek, Gar Plagerizing and purposefully mis-stating a famous quote "I know Ace, Ace is a friend of mine, Ace is no George Meyers" You guys should visit Arcadia, for Bussin 2005, listen to a few of George's lectures and get to know him personally. I think he's conservative, mature, and caring individual. I also he's capable of using some tongue in cheek sarcasm intended to make the recipient wake up and "think" rather than emote! You'll learn something about bus converting from him also! We all should be able to learn from youse guys, too! Onward and Upward Marc Bourget | ||
| George Myers (12.74.75.230)
Rating: N/A |
I have a rather minor physical handicap that rarely gets in the way. Discriminating against me, in the workplace, because of it is clearly illegal. I have seen first hand the lengths supposedly honorable people will go to to concoct a rationale to accomplish the same thing. The snooty RV parks that have these rules cost more than anyone driving a junker can afford. Therefore, I reject the idea that they have a legitimate concern of their park being over run. There must be another reason for the rule. If they truly wanted to keep older units out, they would put this in their listing. All of the ones I have seen burry the rule in the "Park Regulations" that you do not see until after you pay your money, which very few folks read. I drive a 1981 transit bus conversion. If anything should trigger an inspection, that is it. I have stayed in many parks that have these rules and have never been questioned by the clerk. Maybe there is another reason than the color of my skin, but I do not know what it is. By the way, I have never stayed in one of these parks twice and would not have stayed there had I known before I was hooked up and settled in for the night. We were turned away once by the guard at the entrance gate at an Outdoor Resorts. This was many years ago when our children were small. The given reason was that we had a bus conversion. That coach had a new paint job and look fantastic. I was later told by someone who was driving a new motor home that he too had been asked to leave, but the reason was that he had children. It is hard to express how devastating this was. It was late, we were tired, we had spent almost a half hour getting registered, and we now had to go back and get the refund credited to our card. Then we had to find another place to stay. Assuming that these RV park owners are honest, what they are doing is discriminating against people for economic reasons, and there doing it in a way that can only be called cruel. The family they are turning away has, in good faith, spent their time and money to go to the park and are now faced, late in the day, with the need to find someplace to stay. I am very disappointed that some people on this thread seem to accept this discrimination against fellow bus converters, as long as they have less money than you do, as an acceptable thing. Having been the victim myself, I am on their side. To make my position clear. I despise discrimination of any kind and the people who do it. I also deplore arrogance. | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
Well said George, thanks. Gary | ||
| John Wallace (208.180.234.172)
Rating: N/A |
Well Fellers..I kinda consider myself and my old converted bus ta be just "Trailor Park Trash On The Move" Fact is, ther's a lot of trailor parks with a few camp site spiked in fer the cash flow. Makes me feel right at home, Wadayuthank? | ||
| Johnny (4.174.109.28) Rating: N/A |
I think I'd rather deal with a trailer park than with some of the dingbats I've run across in their $200,000 rigs. The biggest jerks I've ever run into were driving a $40,000 diesel Ram 4x4 duallie towing a $100,000 3-axle Fleetwood 5th wheel. The nicest people were an older (~60) couple fulltiming in a converted 1968 IH schoolie towing a RHD postal Jeep, & 2 friends touring the country before going to college towing an old Coleman pop-up with a VW Microbus. I will say I've NEVER run into a rude Airstreamer. | ||
| Jeff Pritchard (Jeffpritchard) (70.179.28.145)
Rating: N/A |
Quote: "I will say I've NEVER run into a rude Airstreamer." If'n you run into him with your bus he's liable to get rude in a big hurry.  jp | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.106) Rating: N/A |
If your bus is a skoolie there is a whole culture of "discrimination" out there. There is way to much discrimination aginst skoolies in paticular. Their have ben some steriotypeing of skoolie types here on this thread. "psycadelic" paint "sloped-on yellow", "Partridge Family", "pot smokeing" "Hippie bus", "fast hands" ecct. Maybe the $250,000 bus was aquired from someone with "Faster hands"?... All this talk of "Protecting Americia's school chieldren" since 9/11 and then also haveing "Sienors only parks" concerns me. There realy is DISCRIMINATION in RV parks plain & simple legal or not! there is many people out in the world that want to eliminate the "other" by way of "legalizing" vairous forms of discrimination. Just like President G W Bush said to the world about terorisim, I say about discrimination... "If'n your not with US you are Aganst US!". My bus is a "On-going conversion project" It's 10:00 at night I roll-up to your RV park in my 1965 35' Gillig straight paint job no slogans, or political bumper stickers,ecct. Wuld you let me stay in your park?... wold you insist on "inspecting" it? P.S. I have sevral friends in California whome do have all their legal papers for useing medical "Pot". They don't steal from anyone. I can tel you that in my experiance it is the Alchol that gets people to fighting at RV parks NOT pot (unless the so-called Pot Smoker is also drunk on Alchahol). Do any RV parks inspect private RV's for BEER!??? If they do inspect for beer do they want to be sure you will share the beer with them?... Or do they just want to look at the look on your face when the cops come to pour your beer out on the ground? In/at any event don't open that beer until you are sure the RV park will let you stay at their RV park in your "Older than 10 years RV Bus Conv. it wold be a real bummer to be legaly drunk when the RV park givs you the boot! happy undiscriminitory Bus'n. S.M.H. | ||
| FAST FRED (4.245.212.133) Rating: N/A |
AN RV park is Private Property and as such the owner (or at least the folks that pay the bankster)has the RIGHT to decide who will and who will NOT be allowed to stay on his land. Discrimination is bad , but how does a park owner keep the EXISTING paying customers happy ? By offereing the customers a "safe & desirable " enviroment , and what is SAFE & DESIRABLE is the owners call. La La Land allows parking on any road in the State for 3 days ('cept the interstates), so why bother folks that don't (cant?) understand your point of view? FAST FRED | ||
| Jim-Bob (152.163.100.133) Rating: N/A |
Hey Fred, Where's La La Land? | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (68.252.9.211)
Rating: N/A |
A State of Mind, according to this: La La Land | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
Fast fred, First of all you are wrong about the "parking" laws. Second, I don't know about where you live,... I live in California, USA, whereas there are spasfic local laws that ARE on the books that say that it is "unlawfull" to "sleep"/"ocupy" "Reside in" in any vehicle for more than 2 hours. Third, "Private property" when offering "services" to the "genral public" IS obligated "by law" to follow Fedral "anti discrimination" Mandate. If someone or some group of people want to "discriminate" all they have to do is have a "private club" & only allow whome they want to in it. Fourth, "... "has the RIGHT to decide who will & who will Not be on his land" WRONG again, FEDRAL Anti discrimination LAWS spasificaly PROHIBIT any buisness open to the "public at-large" to discriminate aganst anyone based on "Race" "Religon" "Philosophical belifs" Ecct. I use-to listen to my Aunt "Screen" potential renters for an apt. complex, she was a master of getting-away with "Discrimination"... No "Blacks", "Mexicans", "Philipinos" "Hippies", or "same sex ocupancys" Ecct.... Ecct.... All I have to say is When Discrimination is what you want to do Just either Join a Private Club of "Like Minded" folks or Start a Private Club of your own. But when I hear (or read) someone "legitmize" "Discrimination" based upon the "EXCUSE" of Whome Pays the Bills is somewhat alarming but not at all supprising to me. When anyone PROHIBITS a certin "Creed" from participating in the first place they have in essence refused payment from someone whome just dosen't "FIT' into what the "Park Owner" (in this case) personaly belives should, Ie: Blacks, Mexicans, Philipienos, Hippies, Hindues, singles, & People that live in Converted buses &/or RV's over 5 years old ecct.... Are just Liabilitys and "negitivly impacts the property values" is PURE BS & just "Good Old Fassioned Bigotry" Money is just an excuse to use to support fashisim. I am a single man that full-times in a 1965 Gillig conversion bus ongoing project. I have ben discriminated against 100's of times based upon a variaty of things (mostly assumptions I might add). It seems to me that when a RV Park owner expects to be "Legaly" protected when actuly "discriminating" is the one whome is in "La La Land" Not the poor person that just pulled into the RV park tired after a long stint of driveing in bad traffic/weather conditions ecct. Just to be turned-around at the RV park entrence because of some sort of discrimination crap! | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
SMH: Bus converters and bad spellers are not considered a protected class. Let me tell you a story: A good buddy of mine, a coworker, jointly owns some rental property with his dad. His dad was, as you say, "Screening" applicants over the phone. One applicant could neither make the deposit, nor the first month's rent, but wanted to rent an apartment anyway. She had something like four kids. My buddy's dad said something like: "Look, you can't even come up with the first month's rent, much less the deposit, I have no confidence that you can pay the rent, and to make matters worse you have four kids and it's a two bedroom apartment." The applicant filed a discrimination claim solely on the words: "you have four kids" disregarding the whole reason for the denial of the rental--based on the fact that she couldn't pay the rent. The court awarded her $33,000.00 in punitive damages. My friend and his dad are just regular guys, that work hard and invested in some rental property, and this person just sucked 1/2 a year's wages for no legitimate reason. I think the anti-discrimination insanity has gone too far at one end, while the KOA-type discrimination goes too far in the other. It's very easy to take a devisive position, the hard part is making individual decisions. Gary | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
Geary, Your friend & his dad were most unfortunate to have lost their money on a bogus claim! Did they apeal it? Just because of a bad judgement or even an out-right lie costs someone lots of $$$ dosen't justify "Wrongfull discrimination" It is a shame that your friend did not know when to keep his mouth shut! Like I said My Aunt was a MASTER at "screening" potental renters. She knew exactly what NOT to say. To the best of my knowlage she never got caught. I have known of homeles familys that were "Homeless" because of being discriminated against. To suspect that a prospective "renter" is a criminal just because it's a converted SCHOOL bus insted of just any OLD bus is a form of Discrimination.Is is posible that some Bus Conversionist's think they are FIRST-CLASS "Ruelers" of socioty & that most others are "Lower-Class" than they are because their buses are worth more $$$? The ansur is an obvious one, but not 100% of... but some a resounding afirmitive. As far as my spelling is concerned YES IT IS not bad it IS TERABLE! See I probly misspelled that also! LOL!!! | ||
| Johnny (4.174.109.115) Rating: N/A |
Yet another reason I'd shoot myself before I tried to deal with rental properties. | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (68.252.9.211)
Rating: N/A |
Me too. I actually let my house in Oregon sit vacant for five years instead of donning the title of "Landlord" Gary | ||
| Niles (4.4.115.238) Rating: N/A |
gary - is right though - landlords have the not only the right , but the obligation to "discriminate" against or in favor of certain desired or undesired possible tenants - as a landlord of multi-family properties it is clearly (in the eyes of the courts and jurys) my liability when I approve a tenant - have I made reasonable attempt to say ... investigate to see if I am putting a convicted child molester as a tenant in a family complex - state and federal laws only protect certain classes of people against "discrimination" for certain reasons - "discrimination" is not a bad word - we all discriminate every day as to where we eat , shop , and yes, even what kind of bus we own - Niles | ||
| TWO DOGS (63.185.65.77) Rating: N/A |
and some don't care what they drive | ||
| FAST FRED (4.245.191.137) Rating: N/A |
Lawsuits , esp bogus Law Suits for imagined "class grevances" or "discrimination" are the backbone of the Lefts money donations. The screwier the more poorly written the laws , the easier it is to sue ANYONE foor almost anything! And now we cave a chance to vote for a "sucessful" Trial Liar that is part of the reason medical costs are 10X what they should be. Ain't this a GREAT Country, or what? FAST FRED | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
Niles--this puts a new spin on: "yer dammned if ya do and yer dammned if ya don't" FF--There is a book out there called "The death of common sense, how laws are ruining America" you might like it. I think Two Dogs is discriminating against my bluebird, anybody know a Lawyer? Gary | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
Unfortunitly some people confuse "Right vs. Left" with "Right vs. Wrong"... However, there are people that won't Lease to Lawers! LOL! | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
Now if we could get Grocery stores and Restaraunts to stop feeding them, we'd be getting somewhere. Gary | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
I don't think owning an old schooly with OR without a VW van on top is protected under the Federal anti discrimination laws. Nobody mentioned anything about the COLOR of the schooly OR the ethnicity of the occupants. | ||
| FAST FRED (4.245.230.120) Rating: N/A |
When we rent slip space the ONLY qualification is: No Doctors, No Lawyers , NO Judges. Works well at skimming the refuse from the nice folks. FAST FRED | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.79.46)
Rating: N/A |
What about politicians? | ||
| Niles (67.78.145.41) Rating: N/A |
Gary - Politicians are mainly lawyers - but I think we should add them to the list just to be safe - LOL - Niles (living amongst the damned) | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
By the way I wold not ruin any Bus by puting a #%!~`$%^! VW on it! (I just don't like VW air cooled engine type buses) so I guess it is ok to dislike a paticular make of bus also?... NO air cooled VW's ALOWD HERE! Oh yah I almost forgot NO PIMPED-OUT nice buses, or RV's under 10 years old, only 10 years & older or anything (funky) that can be draged to the street with a D6 buldozer when the checkout time comes (part of the "contract" when signing-in @ the gate). The gate is to keep lawyers, politictions, & the "Snobish" ecct. OUT! Also you must have at least one of the following; anoying kid, un-leashed large dog, small constantly barking dog, nasty un-nutered male cat that sprays everything, "Spouse" that gets drunk & beligerent to everyone in the park, extreemly lowd parrot, parent constantly yelling at the anoying kid (to no avail of corse). The ruels are easy: NO leaking sewige, NO dangrous (Determined by Fire Dept. or me) fires, and the most important ruel of all & above all is DON'T do anytiing that wold get me in trouble of any kind. I love "Plane & simple" How about this?... Do whatever anoys "normal people" to the utmost, & to the max. as long & hard as you can just so long as it dosen't get ME into ANY trouble. That is MY dreem RV campground ruels. Only people like my friends wold come... Yes some of their vehicles probly wold get dragd out with the bulldozer... What are friends for anyway?... if you can't drag their RV out of the park with a D6 every now & then! LOL! | ||
| FAST FRED (4.247.54.78) Rating: N/A |
In America you can live your dreams, I'm sure if you pool your life savings with enough family and friends you can get a piece of land somewhere. Then the fun will begin as you wade your way thru the endless "requirements" , and in a decade or so of bribing & groveling for the Feds , State , County and City your dream park will be open!! Do it your way!! FAST FRED | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
I can see the signs now: SOULIN'S WORLD 12 miles. Actually, there already are campgrounds like this. You forgot to mention all night drunken bonfire bashes with motorized vehicles being tuned & ridden through campground. Bonfires must be large enough so that classified ads can be read inside your bus by firelight coming through drawn curtains! Drunks falling in bonfire are optional, but entertaining! | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.54.220) Rating: N/A |
Jim-Bob, The Outdoor garage Is all "Mine" The "Racetrack" wold be at the ATV Park on the BLM land next-door to RV park. The D6 + a some "Abandond" RV's placed in stragic places wold minimize the raceing around the RV suites. Oh I also forgot about where to put the "fireing range".... Any idias? | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
Firing range? I think Arnold the Governor would like to have that at his house. He likely already has one! But aren't we getting a wee bit off topic? This site is supposed to be about converting buses. | ||
| Marc Bourget (209.142.38.81) Rating: N/A |
Since there is a "places we visit" page why not be permitted to list the fun you have when you're done! | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
Sorry for going a bit "off topic. after reading this thread I'm just a little less likely to take it so personly the next time I get crap from someone about my poor man's Bus Conversion. It seems clear that there are anti Bus conversion fashisim entity's as well as school bus conversion haters. Is there a stick & staple loby or what!? | ||
| Jim-Bob (12.46.52.74) Rating: N/A |
Soulin, I don't think there is anybody here on this forum who hates schooly converters. Speaking for myself alone, I just think that in this part of the country, somebody who goes to all of the work to convert something as odd appearing as the TYPICAL schooly conversion is out of touch a bit. Most that I have met are definitely not mainstream thinkers. They are genuinely surprised to find that most folks are not thrilled with their creations. And while I think it's wrong, authority figures are immediately suspicious of nonconformity. You know, the attitudes of folks who don't want odd stuff next to them are getting very common. Virtually all new home construction in coastal South Florida & many areas of the USA is in PUDs (Planned Urban Developments) or condominiums. Most of these are gated communities with Homeowner's Associations. Most insist that all homes are to be the same color with the same color roof, etc. They rule everything including how big/many plants/trees you can have, size of your dog and your mailbox, no commercial vehicles (including pickups with signs), no boats, campers, no external TV antennas, clotheslines etc. One such community here just ruled that you must remove & put away your hurricane shutters in 5 days or they will asess your property $250. per day 'till they are down! Reason: "They are unsightly!" (This is bound to be a problem because many Winter Florida residents close the shutters when they leave in April & open when they return in November. After all, if you are 1800 miles away, how can you secure your place?) But the point is, you can't even drive a large RV or (Good Heavens) a BUS into these places even to visit, never mind to keep it or work on it! Some of these folks own RVs which they keep elswhere in paid storage. (You would be correct to assume that my family and our big dogs and THREE buses do NOT live in such a community.) Campgrounds here are slowly going the way of the dinosaur, being replaced by "RV Resorts" & RV condominiums which you have to be a member of and who have LOTS of rules like the communities described above. Converted school buses are viewed as undesirables & are immediately hassled by security guards & the police. My 4104 which (in my eyes) isn't bad looking sometimes gets an immediate visit from the security guard when I park at a mall, shopping center or sometimes even Wall Mart. And I am careful to be parking, not camping. So what I am saying is: Why convert a school bus when you will be hounded whenever you want to park or go to campgrounds, etc? It makes a lot more sense to build something that is more acceptable. Because the reason to travel & camp is for you and your family to ENJOY the experience & relax & have fun. When you are battling some pinhead you are not relaxing. | ||
| Niles (4.4.117.121) Rating: N/A |
Jim-bob is right on all counts - no better way to watch Nascar than from the top of a shoolie in the infield - Florida is getting to be intolerable for people who like being left alone - I had my bus parked on the street in front of my home , pre and post hurricane , waiting to clean the off site at the location where I store it (BTW It is a very nice prevo H3)- In the back of my mind , had we been hit as bad as the east coast and lost our power for an extended time , I'm quite sure these intolerant neighbors would have been requesting the help I would have gladly offered , but no doubt they would have turned me in to code enforcement the day power was restored - Having spent some time at a friends place near gatlinburg tennessee with the 'hillbillys' I have come to enjoy the fact that he parks his bus next to his dilapidated house (which he uses for storage) bordered by neighbors that range from tar paper shacks to brand new $300,000 homes with white vinyl fences - Other than the few who are fueding , they are collectively a friendly and helpful group of neighbors - I think Florida and the myriad of transplants who all want you to do it 'their way' might be the problem - As for the Campgrounds , I might make this suggestion , Get a Rand Mcnally Atlas - It has all the state and federal campgrounds on it - most of which are located on very beautiful and valuable property , usually conveniently located close to where you are going - State and Federal campgrounds do not (in my experience at staying at probably 300 of them in the last 15 years) discriminate against any one - they are usually much less expensive than private campgrounds due to the fact that they are basically not for profit and are some what subsidized by the tax payers - Niles (likes nice people - doesn't care about what they drive or live in) | ||
| Johnny (4.174.106.20) Rating: N/A |
JB: That, in a word (well, OK, in a few paragraphs), is why I'd rather shoot myself than move to yuppieland. I have an old (1850's) farmhouse on 6 acres, I have no neighbors. Unfortunately, I don't have room for the bus.  I'm converting a school bus because there are plenty of places I like to stay that simply will not physically fit a coach or transit without getting stuck. | ||
| Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (68.252.9.211)
Rating: N/A |
My wife and I rode from Calexico/Mexicali, and followed the border (On the US side), really had a great run, fantastic scenery, some scary roads tho-- and made it to Otay lakes came over a rise and we were instantly in yuppie hell. Carbon copy McMansions as far as the Eye could see. truly a travesty. I live in a house that was built in 1850. It's a NICE old house. NOT falling apart, oak floors, etc... I'm told that when we move out, the landlord will level it to build some McMansion horror. Although my bird is not a skoolie (No matter what TD says) I chose my shortie transit for the same reasons. Now get this--My wife told me she wants to go fulltiming. Can you believe that? I can't believe how cheap you can get MCI/Eagle/etc... for. Gary | ||
| FAST FRED (4.245.212.98) Rating: N/A |
"I can't believe how cheap you can get MCI/Eagle/etc... for." AS John Arbukle said , You ONLY get what you pay for! Caviat Emptor , FAST FRED | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (65.130.8.67)
Rating: N/A |
Don't let the negatives about Florida developements scare you all off from Florida. I live in Polk County and have a complete range of housing types on my street, including one landowner who runs an (illegal) rentals system of 7 large old travel trailers on about 2 acres. I have one of the best houses in the neighborhood, on 30 acres and I have had two unconverted buses on the property with no complaints. I frequently landscape with the most recent wreck or non runniing car in the family. Never know when you might need the parts. South and west of me is 330 acres of Audubon Society land. They seldom build condominiums. East of me is 1800 acres of county land, the closest being preservation land. The hurricanes were rough on trees here but houses were nearly undamaged. Power was off for only a few hours. And Jeanne went right over us. If you want the coast, you may have to put up with the PUDs, but if you like a nice mixed neighborhood, it is available in much of Central Florida. I personally am uncomfortable in a neighborhood that is all rich yuppies. I like the variety of people as God created them that I find in a randomly developed neighborhood. | ||
| Soulin Heath (66.82.50.1) Rating: N/A |
Like I mentioned on previous posts in this thread, as well as George has mentioned, there is almost always a hiddin (or not hidden) agenda within the multi-page "set of ruels" that may or may not be interprited as "discriminatory", For example do most RV campgrounds "always" check RV's that are over 12 years old for up-to date propane tanks as a rutine? I don't think so (maybe if it is a converted schoolie; Whome wold know?) but, they might be supprized at what the liability insurance Co. wold or wold not cover under such a circumstance after a fire. You can bet that some wold look for the "Ombudsman's seal" to rent a space to an old schoolie conv.. Has anyone here ever ben asked to show any certification's of any sort by anyone other than the DMV or a prospective buyer?... Like an RV park or Campground?-... (for example). S.M.H. |