| Author |
Message |
Doug Roote
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 3:55 pm: | |
Anyone know who stopped through Alexandria, VA today? Bus was a white Eagle with half the drivers side windows filled in. This is the second semi-converted bus I've seen in the 495-95 corridor in the past two weeks. First one was an RTS pulling a toad up 95 just south of the Beltway. and no, I do not have a bus. Before I get serious about a purchase, I need a place to keep it, as well as more info about all the "hidden cost" of the various models etc. (Northern VA is not exactly RV friendly.)I really enjoy following the various threads here. Thanks everyone.
-Doug |
John that newguy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 6:44 pm: | |
Hidden costs? What hidden costs? There are absolutely no
hidden costs!
AS SOON AS YOU OWN IT, THEY ALL JUMP OUT
AND BITE YOU ON THE ASS!
Seriously....
When you find a bus model that "feels right" to you, begin searching
for that make and model. When you finally locate one, bring an
experienced truck or bus mechanic with you to look it over.
If you find it's something you would really like to own, take the
bus to a bus garage for a complete inspection. Insist on having
the right to do that. If you are not permitted to do so, move on.
A bus garage will know the idiosyncrasies of buses in general and
will be able to tell you if there are stress cracks in the frame, or
excessive wear at critical points that will be too expensive to repair.
You can check for rust at the dashboard and around the windshield.
Check for rust at the upper and lower corners of the bus, and
around the frame near the bays and other openings.
The expense of converting any type of vehicle depends solely
on what you want to make out of it. Some of us leave all the
windows and work the innards around what's already there.
Some of us remove and seal some windows and design it more
like a commercial RV... and others of us spend time and effort
to make a $1,500,000 rig out of a tired old bus... Oh yeah....
and others even start with a big $$$ newer model and continue
to spend endlessly, making that dream RV come true.
Me? I'm as worn out as the POS old bus I bought. My expenditures
will be at a minimum, if possible. Hidden costs? Sure. When you
don't take it to a bus garage first, later you'll find problems with
parts that you didn't know even existed.
It's kinda' like gettin' married, only you'll feel like you've been
screwed more often. |
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