Mesa AZ build

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Simon, when dealing with a vehicle as heavy as a bus at highway speed, the way you are doing your build is the ONLY way.

Dumpster tires can get people dead.

Keep doing it the way you know it should be done.

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Thank you Oscar. I get flack about it on the FB pages where the consensus is to find a set of tires for your bus in the dumpster of a tire shop. People think I am crazy that I have almost 40k in this and it is still as you see it. This is with just my labor. Granted, I have amassed a collection of materials including A/C's but still. The negativity I get does set me back rather than being supportive. I can only depend on two people. Myself and my wife who puts the wind under my wings to keep going.

Sounds like folks who are jealous of your available resources. I have been following your build and really enjoying how well you are getting it done.
Ruth and I would be tickled to have a bundle of money to drop on our bus but, that doesn't mean we are gonna get jealous of those who do.

[MNbusboy]

I have nowhere near your skills, resources, time, or funds for my bus, but I am very happy to have you and the other Gold Standard builders showing us rookies how it should be done!! I am entering this project with only very basic construction and electrical knowledge, everything else I am learning from this page, YouTube, and trial & error.

I have 5 kids and a full time+ job, so funds and time are already stretched thin but the bus will be an amazing experience for their childhood. This bus is our Blunderbuss, for learning how to do things right. It's a cheap rust belt bus with no underbody storage and no roof raise despite 6' ceilings. The goal right now is "good enough", to get on the road and start experiencing bus life. We won't be full timing, mostly 1-2 week trips with one big month long trip each year. Once we have this bus build and a couple years of travels under our belts we will start thinking through our dream build. THAT will be the bus where no corners are cut, no expense spared and the starting canvas will carefully chosen!!

I find that the Facebook pages have 4 types of Skoolie owners.
The "Dirty Kids" are basically homeless, with minimal builds made of temporary materials, look down on buses with electricity and running water, think a bus should cost -$10k finished, look for tires in a tire shop dumpster, and make Facebook posts begging for money for gas or an oil change.
The Average Joe's (like me) are trying to spend as little as possible to get their bus on the road but dream of all the finer touches. We want a $50k build, on a $15k budget. We cut corners, skip steps, and accept "good enough" as our standard. We want to do better but don't have the time/money/skills to do the build we dream of.
The Insta-Fab build or (more likely) buy buses valued over $100k, with appearance as the primary goal. These are the buses that could make magazine covers, but then the engine dies because of lack of routine maintenance and it becomes an AirBnB. The owners spend more time getting the perfect selfie or drone aerial video than actually enjoying their travels.
The Gold Standard (like yourself), the builders who will spend hours or days perfecting something that no one will ever see, because it's the right way to do the job. The builder who puts months of work and thousands of dollars into their build before even starting the interior, because a solid platform is the key to years/decades of dependable use. You don't document your builds for fame/envy/followers, you do it to show the right way to complete the job and to help share your knowledge. Y'all are the reason pages like this exist, and are the ones we all turn to when trying to solve a problem in our builds.

Please don't get discouraged. There are many Average Joe's following your thread, learning from your posts, and dreaming of being able to do the work you do on your build!!

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Thank you Oscar. I get flack about it on the FB pages where the consensus is to find a set of tires for your bus in the dumpster of a tire shop. People think I am crazy that I have almost 40k in this and it is still as you see it. This is with just my labor. Granted, I have amassed a collection of materials including A/C's but still. The negativity I get does set me back rather than being supportive. I can only depend on two people. Myself and my wife who puts the wind under my wings to keep going.

[Bus'n it]

Wow, thank you for the compliment. Yes, I get many many people asking me to do videos. In a way I can see it as being helpful but I lack the patience or time to sit at the computer to edit this stuff let alone figure out the software to do so. I am not an old guy but skated through school when computers were introduced. I shied away so as to not challenge myself much more than needed to graduate! I was a B+ average and it was good enough for the son of immigrant parents! I grew up with parents who didn't just go out and buy us whatever we wanted. My dad taught me to save up and get the better product than just settling. The same life education from them came about doing something with all your heart and care. I do not know how I became OCD about things but I find the littlest detail makes the most impact. I certainly appreciate what everyone does in their builds, their skillsets and their passion. I never get jealous of that 100k bus that someone has built. If you have the means, go for it! I will support you. If you only have a little bit but put your heart into it, again I will support you. Getting back to FB, the other day someone posted their front tire blew out and bent up the fender of their dognose bus. The interior was really nicely done, but nothing was touched on the exterior. They set up a go fund me page. Blew my mind. I am not rich, but I am blessed with a decent business that allows for some discretionary funds. We also have no kids which is why I can spend college funds on "stupid stuff"! If we had kids, I would not be here and more than likely towing a Coleman pop up trailer.

Again, thank you for those kind words! You did sum it up perfectly regarding the types of bus owners on FB. I dare not to talk about what I spent on my bus there to avoid negative nay sayers.

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by Rock-N-Ruth

Sounds like folks who are jealous of your available resources. I have been following your build and really enjoying how well you are getting it done.
Ruth and I would be tickled to have a bundle of money to drop on our bus but, that doesn't mean we are gonna get jealous of those who do.

Thank you! I am blessed with a good wife who does well for herself and for my business which has finally become profitable the last two years. Regardless, we are all looking for a simpler less complicated and less "stuff" amassed in our lives.

[Mr4btTahoe]

The FB groups SUCK because of this stuff right here.


If you do things on a budget... you are cutting corners. If you spend big money.. you are wasting money or showing off. If you don't fall in line with their 20k build, you are wrong.


Nonsense.


As long as it is SAFE for those around you while on the road, then by all means.. you do you. For instance... ANYONE that suggests you go get tires from the scrap pile needs to get smacked with a heavy object. You CAN purchase used tires from tire shops (I wouldn't personally.. but it's an option)... but if they are in the scrap pile, there is a reason they are there. That's just stupid on too many levels.


Keep up with the work. You'll end up having a luxury coach for 1/4 the price and it'll last a lifetime.

[flattracker]

You have my support in the way you are doing things. When I eventually need tires for the Crown, I will be going to a tire shop for new ones. They will be rated for at least 75 mph, because my Crown will go that fast. Years ago, I experienced a major tire failure on the "old Crown". I was able to get to a truck shop the next day and get it replaced, along with the wheel, since it was a split rim. I had planned on replacement of the rim and had a new one in the trunk. It was not a steer, thank god. Good tires are really important.

[WIbluebird]

I save money where I can in my build (i.e appliances, furniture, some materials).

But tires are one area where I'd never skimp. I got brand new Firestone steer tires installed last summer as well as new open shoulder Bandag retreads on the drive axle (yes, I drove school buses for 6 years with recaps on the drive tires and NEVER heard of a blowout). Purists can rant all they want I guess.

But yeah, Facebook skoolie groups tend to be the lowest common denominator. I see some pretty sketchy builds on there (such as the roof raise being done with plywood extensions on the ribs

[Bus'n it]

Tires and wheels are on. The center caps and chrome lug covers are optional. I need to source them out.

[Ranger_7s]

Hi, I am in Oklahoma and in the process of my build, but am likely moving to that area for a transfer at my job, but I'm concerned about where I will be able to have the space to store my bus and do my build. I would likely be around the Queen Creek or Gilbert areas. Mesa is a possibility too, as that's where my plant site is located. I know HOAs out there can be a pain, and would likely prevent me from doing it in an RV parking slot, but was thinking that if I had my title conversion to RV done before arrival, they might not be able to say anything. Do you have any advice?

[Dbacks2k4]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Tires and wheels are on. The center caps and chrome lug covers are optional. I need to source them out.

I binge-read all 12 pages this afternoon. Very cool structural work this far.

[ABBus]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Tires and wheels are on. The center caps and chrome lug covers are optional. I need to source them out.

Are these 22.5 or 24.5 inches wheels?

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by ABBus

Are these 22.5 or 24.5 inches wheels?

Wheels are 22.5

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by Dbacks2k4

I binge-read all 12 pages this afternoon. Very cool structural work this far.

Thank you! I have since sold the bus to a young couple in Los Angeles. They have a builder continuing on. Not much progress but as they send me pictures, I will post them.

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by Ranger_7s

Hi, I am in Oklahoma and in the process of my build, but am likely moving to that area for a transfer at my job, but I'm concerned about where I will be able to have the space to store my bus and do my build. I would likely be around the Queen Creek or Gilbert areas. Mesa is a possibility too, as that's where my plant site is located. I know HOAs out there can be a pain, and would likely prevent me from doing it in an RV parking slot, but was thinking that if I had my title conversion to RV done before arrival, they might not be able to say anything. Do you have any advice?

The only way an HOA would not say anything about having a large visible vehicle on the lot would be if their CC&R's allow an overheight vehicle (RV) on a lot. (Property) I have found that is never the case. You may find a house that says RV parking, but that does not mean you are allowed to keep it there for more than 24-48 hours. We moved out of an HOA to a neighborhood of acre+ properties. HOA's are very restrictive and especially moreso as the houses are newer. Some do not allow you to work on your car in the garage unless the door is closed and not visible to neighboring properties. You will need to ask your realtor or do your own homework before you sign on a lease or purchase. There are some exclusive communities in QC and Gilbert that allow RV's but those are on large properties with attached RV garages.

[DeMac]

Oops. Sent PM instead....

Coincidently, my signature block is relevant to the aformentioned topic.

[Alt1]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Thank you! I have since sold the bus to a young couple in Los Angeles. They have a builder continuing on. Not much progress but as they send me pictures, I will post them.

Man, extremely disappointed to hear you sold it. You did some really great work and I was looking forward to the rest of your build. I really hope the builders do it justice based on the solid foundation you gave them as a start.

[Bus'n it]

Originally Posted by Alt1

Man, extremely disappointed to hear you sold it. You did some really great work and I was looking forward to the rest of your build. I really hope the builders do it justice based on the solid foundation you gave them as a start.

We did not want to sell it. It was a 3 month long time frame of going back and forth. It was a more than fair deal in the end and made financial sense after all the smoke cleared. I figured with my OCD I would easily surpass the 100k mark. My wife pushed to get into something ready made as our lives are dwindling away...

[Dbacks2k4]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

We did not want to sell it. It was a 3 month long time frame of going back and forth. It was a more than fair deal in the end and made financial sense after all the smoke cleared. I figured with my OCD I would easily surpass the 100k mark. My wife pushed to get into something ready made as our lives are dwindling away...

Gotta admit, I'm a little bummed to not get to see how fantsatic that bus would've turned out (and what the price tag may have been) since you had an awesome start to it... but congrats on getting a fair deal and onto something that makes more sense for your situation!

[Bus'n it]

We weren’t really looking to sell it. Buyers really made an offer that we couldn’t refuse. Wife agreed that it might be beneficial to find something more ready to go. Always wanted a coach from the getgo anyway.