Not Affiliated / He might be smoking crack

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Whatthefak

It's like rebuilding a classic car, most of the time you spend more than the end result is worth.

And that person is not sell anything more than a fairly well done shell, not an rv

I'm sure there are people out there that would love to travel in a skoolie, but just don't have the time, skills, or tools to build one. The classic car market has gone crazy and now a 50 year old muscle car that cost $3k new will get a $100K restoration and sell for $150k. Heck it amazes me what run a of the mill 4 door brethren of a muscle is pulling, $20k-$30k for a car in dire need of complete restoration.

[Curious Slug]

That's an expensive 'empty canvas'. I know where I'm going if I ever decide to sell our bus. Plonk ourselves in a vinyard and wait for the offers.

We did consider buying a finished Skoolie conversion and even looked around one for $40k. It was way out of our budget but we've got more money than time at the mo so it was tempting to try to make up the shortfall, somehow.

Also, it was nicely finished but not a layout which worked for us so we'd have had to have sunk at least another $5k into it. I think they did sell it in the end though, they'd had a few serious offers which had fallen through. It was a 72 passenger International with a DT466E, good KM, full solar, the works.

I agree it's a personal thing but not everyone has the hours to get one of these things done.

[jjhwick119]

I've seen the websites that offer fully built conversions, and they do charge for it, some starting around 30k. I've always wondered how busy they actually are

[john61ct]

An amateur no matter how gifted should never expect to get compensated for the labor-time they put into their build.

It's very rare that you'd even recover the depreciated value of the hardware costs.

Selling the bus bare and all the accessories separately will likely make more money.

May not be "fair" it's just reality.

[cadillackid]

17K and no A/C? im out!

[BurlKing]

not sure why anyone thinks this is good work, there are so many things missing in these photos: rub rails, rivets, seat frame rail that connects to the floor, ceiling not stripped, metal popping out and not flat around corners, etc... for that price youd at least see the floor painted, and the list above taken care of. this is a 10k max bus, with the engine being the most prized.

[Whatthefak]

I've seen a guy buy a bus for over 5k gut it take it to burning man, bring it back and after trying to sell it on Craigslist just end up junking it at scrap price. Alot of people in the Bay area with more money than free time

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Whatthefak

I've seen a guy buy a bus for over 5k gut it take it to burning man, bring it back and after trying to sell it on Craigslist just end up junking it at scrap price. Alot of people in the Bay area with more money than free time

Sounds about right.

[john61ct]

When the median wage at your company including janitors and receptionist is $350,000 you probably spend more than that on coffee and snacks every month.

Oh, wait, those are provided free, and you pretty much live on site. So I guess that benefit covered your disposable holiday bus?

[ACamper]

In one year the ad will probably read.

"$2,000 Come buy this before I take it to the scrap yard" "Anyone... hello $1800. ? obo"

It looks like a giant little kids toy. It just need some blue paint.

[brokedown]

THe thing is, it doesn't matter how much time you put in, it doesn't matter how much money you put in. THose are your costs. THe value of what you're selling exists in a marketplace with lots of people selling lots of things. You could spend $50 on paint and have an overall better looking bus that the market will pay $500 more for. On the other end of the scale, you could grind up $100 bills to make your white paint green and paint it on and add nothing to the price someone would pay for it.

You're buying a bus, not the energy that went into it. Buses are still a item with relatively high supply and relatively low demand, which works out well for buyers. You can get a kick ass bus for $2000-$3000 in good condition with great features... But in the same marketplace you will see people selling lesser or comparable buses for 2 or 3 times that amount. "Classic" cars are the opposite, they stopped making them a long time ago and their numbers keep getting fewer while they enter peak nostalgia for people who suddenly don't have kids living at home or who just made their last mortgage payment. Those prices will continue to go up but are still not based on time and money invested.

If you're limiting yourself to a super specific type of bus, you'll probably end up paying more. If you're limiting yourself to a specific geographical region, you're probably going to pay more. It's easier to go to your local BGA or similar bus lot and buy something than it is to fly across the US and have a week long maiden journey in your new bus with no creature comforts. It might even be cheaper, diesel isn't free and bus floors are not soft places to sleep.

For 17k, they need to show 17k worth of value.. Not 17k worth of investment. I can buy 8 of my WanderLodge with dual air and high ceiling and undercarriage storage and half the miles and on and on for what they're asking for this one, and that's just not good value for a blank slate. Unless, of course, you're really super specifically wanting a raised roof micro bird with a crapload of miles and no features.

[Stu & Filo. T]

LOL, Never thought my post would make 4 pg's

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

LOL, Never thought my post would make 4 pg's

Its always fun to rag on overpriced buses, IMO.

[Stuntmanmitch]

Gotta be a typo, they mean 1700$... which even I wouldn't pay for a bus with 286k miles never mind the "fab work"

[Kubla]

I wonder how many counties it takes to get to 55 mph with that wonderful 6.2 diesel

[Rivetboy]

OK sent a couple of e mails when this thread started asking about the title and age of tires two times no answer maybe he sold that bad boy..

[Thomas1985]

Tell em he's dreamin!

[john61ct]

I have found when asking probing questions, many sellers become less interested in dealing with me.

Win-win screening process!

[CH777]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Its always fun to rag on overpriced buses, IMO.

The so-called "tiny house" fad is ruining the good old fashioned school bus camper hobby like Willie-G ruined the motorcycle culture.

It's all about media brainwashed zombie's attempting to adopt yet another object to use as a display of how cool they try, in vain, to be.

You can't buy a lifestyle or buy being cool........attempting to, only turns it into a plastic mockery of the genuine article.

And YES..... some people do profit off of catering to this mindless faddish behavior. (which is behind what invents and fuels it)

Can't wait until the tiny home fad goes the way Harley is now going...........DEAD!.........and lots of cheap buses everywhere for the taking once again with the added attraction of all the "customs" cast aside.

P.S..... I use to wear a shirt in the 90's while riding my Shovel that read - "Die Yuppie Scum"........I'll have get the updated version that reads -- "Die Hipster Scum".

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by CH777

The so-called "tiny house" fad is ruining the good old fashioned school bus camper hobby like Willie-G ruined the motorcycle culture.

It's all about media brainwashed zombie's attempting to adopt yet another object to use as a display of how cool they try, in vain, to be.

You can't buy a lifestyle or buy being cool........attempting to, only turns it into a plastic mockery of the genuine article.

And YES..... some people do profit off of catering to this mindless faddish behavior. (which is behind what invents and fuels it)

Can't wait until the tiny home fad goes the way Harley is now going...........DEAD!.........and lots of cheap buses everywhere for the taking once again with the added attraction of all the "customs" cast aside.

P.S..... I use to wear a shirt in the 90's while riding my Shovel that read - "Die Yuppie Scum"........I'll have get the updated version that reads -- "Die Hipster Scum".

TRUTH!

Man, I couldn't agree more. A guy I work for owns a tiny house building company. I've been to their sales demo's and the crowd are LAME!

You really can't buy a lifestyle, and you really can't buy being cool!!!! lol man you're great with words.
Bravo!