Should We Buy This Church Shuttle Bus for a DIY Camper Conversion?

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Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 22

@barackmycat9448 2 ай бұрын

Hmmmm. Well the price isn`t bad. It is going to need a lot of work and money for sure. I would change engine in the van but it`s short on space. You will figure something out.

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

We have been talking about maybe just trying to keep the van going a while longer (and maybe tackle some projects to make it more usable) just because the prices for anything decent is so ridiculous still.

@knutblaise9437 2 ай бұрын

Check out the Adventurevanman box truck build. Then consider the drama of the @enigmaticnomadics bus build. With the bus, you have the registration and insurance issues, and then something goes massively wrong in the drivetrain, and you have a static home. With the box truck, you have no seats, curved walls, or the countless windows to address. You also don't have to deal with more expensive tires and diesel fuel and maintenance like on Jamie's bus if you choose a larger bus. The box truck no-curve walls should really speed up the build. And for stealth, you can't beat a white box truck with a plumbing logo on the side as compared to a converted school bus.

@kathrynarnold1966 2 ай бұрын

Just the lack of maintenance gives me pause.

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

Agreed! We knew it would need some work, but my best guess is that maintenance has been neglected for at least a few years. That does usually translate into a lot of extra costs. We are thinking we will hold off and, if necessary, work on fixing up the van a bit until prices cool down more.

@kathrynarnold1966 2 ай бұрын

@@RobertWitham Can you put out feelers through the nomad network you're part of? Somebody might know of one coming available before it's posted publicly.

@rickstonewall2557 2 ай бұрын

No! I would not buy any vehicle that probably hasn't had regular maintenance done to it. Have you checked out box trucks?

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

That was my thought about the maintenance too. My best guess is it has been neglected for at least a few years. Box trucks might be an interesting option as they still provide a bit more space, head room, and the straight walls.

@gregs2509 2 ай бұрын

It's tough finding a rig these days. And then there is the new prices on all the repair parts and pieces... Looks like a whole bunch of work to keep the rain out. And then there is the wheelchair lift. I wish you the best Robert whichever way you go. If it was me I would keep looking. Maybe try a bigger city like Billings or Salt lake on the way down to the desert? Like Virginia mentioned below, a school bus because of maintenance- an excellent point. Fleet vehicles and government vehicles tend to get regular care and that makes a huge difference when it comes to us guys buying an older vehicle. Val and I wish everyone well!

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

We figured this would need some work just because of the price, but it does appear that the maintenance has been neglected for at least a few years. Honestly, the way it's leaking transmission fluid that appears to be hitting the exhaust I was concerned whether it might catch fire before making it 100 miles home! We have been seeing a lot of interesting rigs in Utah, but haven't actually gone over to look yet. I was thinking maybe the strong outdoor adventure culture over there might be the reason we are seeing more in that are. 4x4 trucks are the big thing around this area. Good point about fleet vehicles. That regular maintenance really matters when a vehicle is older!

@jonthebru 2 ай бұрын

@@RobertWitham I would pass on this one. I suggest looking for the narrow U-Haul moving vans like Adventure van man has. Straight walls, the ability to add windows or not. It gets down to "how do you want to spend your entire winter."

@lesleyhughes3174 2 ай бұрын

Hi Robert! I follow Isaac Turner who has gutted and renovated school buses over the years and he is doing another one at present. They leak, so it's a matter of pulling the internal roofing and sides, floor, apart to find, fix those, before anything else. He has some great advice and info on his many videos. Wishing you the Very Best of Luck in your search Robert. Your stickers are still looking good on my NZ Sprinter btw!! 😊 🙃 🙋‍♀️ 🚐 🌏 🧭

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

Gosh, I always thought of school buses as being pretty water tight. That is good to know and something for us to keep in mind! That's awesome about the stickers :)

@eddunn4161 2 ай бұрын

Think I would pass

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

I think we are indeed going to pass on this one. There is just too much neglected maintenance that is likely to mean long-term issues.

@virginiajorgensen8614 2 ай бұрын

That looks like it needs a lot of work. I would have thought that a church organization would have taken better care of it. I wonder if there is a school bus for sale. I would think that would be taken care of. But if the price is good and you think that you can take care of the rust ,etc. then maybe.

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

We knew it would need work just based on the price, but what we found just in a few minutes made us think we should pass on this one and either keep looking or just work on fixing up the van to make it last a little longer until prices cool off a bit. It does look like it has not been maintained very well for at least a few years. It's cheap, but my biggest concern is how long it will take to make everything road worthy with fall coming soon.

@ToriLynnH 2 ай бұрын

Get a school bus or a bus from an old folks residential care facility.

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

That would probably be well maintained at least! We were trying to look at one that is currently owned by a disability services organization and appears to be in great condition, but we haven't been able to actually connect with the person we need yet. There must be something out there that is still in good condition though!

@old-timerfull-timer245 2 ай бұрын

Pass on this one, looks like a bottomless money pit. Wouldn't take it if it was free.

@TBGaels32 2 ай бұрын

Honestly, I would put the money in something I already own rather buying another vehicle. There’s pros and cons to both sides but I would much rather put the money in to something I already own. But that depends on a lot of factors.

@RobertWitham 2 ай бұрын

You might be right. After weeks of looking around we are wondering if we might just be better keeping what we have and finding some creative solutions to make it work. At least we know what we have and how it has been maintained - which appears to be a lot better than many things we are seeing for sale for any reasonable price.