Do you need a place to work on/live in your bus?

[PNW_Steve]

Hey Everyone,

I am fortunate that I have a driveway that fits my bus and neighbors that put up with me

I hear a number of folk talk about the challenges they have finding a space to park their bus.

Here goes..... I am about to make an offer on a small RV park in Southern Kansas. About 90 minutes from Wichita.

I don't know how well this my work out for folks geographically but I think that I could make it work out economically.

Tentative rates(Fall-Winter-Spring):

Full Hookups (50A): $200 + metered electric

Partial hookup (20A elect only): $150 + metered electric

Summer rates will be somewhat higher but I am still working on the numbers.

The location is in town and will have (eventually) showers, laundry and a limited canteen.

Would this be of interest to any of you that need a spot?

Thanks

S.

[Pizote]

Asking for business case here:

Other than a place to work on the buses, why would your park be chosen over the next guy’s?

PoI in the area?

Is it a destination or a passing through location?

What kind of refs will you have in place so it doesn’t turn into a junk yard? - if people can work on their busses there.

Are there local sources of material and parts: Big box hardware, auto parts, truck/diesel repair etc near by?

I like the idea, but not a lot of info here to go on.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Pizote

Asking for business case here:

Other than a place to work on the buses, why would your park be chosen over the next guy’s?

PoI in the area?

Is it a destination or a passing through location?

What kind of refs will you have in place so it doesn’t turn into a junk yard? - if people can work on their busses there.

Are there local sources of material and parts: Big box hardware, auto parts, truck/diesel repair etc near by?

I like the idea, but not a lot of info here to go on.

Originally Posted by Pizote

Asking for business case here:

Other than a place to work on the buses, why would your park be chosen over the next guy’s?

PoI in the area?

Is it a destination or a passing through location?

What kind of refs will you have in place so it doesn’t turn into a junk yard? - if people can work on their busses there.

Are there local sources of material and parts: Big box hardware, auto parts, truck/diesel repair etc near by?

I like the idea, but not a lot of info here to go on.

Well.... Share with me what the next guy looks like and I can draw a comparison. I have stayed in plenty of parks that were so restrictive that you couldn't do ANY maintenance or repair. Not even washing your toad. They were not much of a bargain either at $450-$800 a month.

It is a somewhat remote location. That is the root of my question. Would any of you all be interested in a rather remote, affordable spot?

[Pizote]

I can see the appeal for such a place. I could spend a month or two. Others I’m sure longer.

[joeblack5]

Steve, That is a great plan. If you can get a critical mass of like minded people then that could work really well for speed and quality of conversions.
It would become the materialization of skoolie.net..May be skoolie city? May be a "professional converter" would want to live there and help others out? How close is a hardware store.



Good luck J

[EastCoastCB]

Steve, you should head on down here to FL. We don't have snow so folks could work all year!

Anyhow- I like your idea. We hope to do something similar, but we need to paint then sell our house first.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Steve, you should head on down here to FL. We don't have snow so folks could work all year!

Anyhow- I like your idea. We hope to do something similar, but we need to paint then sell our house first.

I would love to. Unfortunately life and family are moving me another direction.

I have family members that live within a few blocks of the RV park that are going to help out while I'm back in Washington.

There is a hardware store a few minutes away and Home Depot about 35 minutes.

I do eventually plan on moving my home base there and help others with their builds.

[Mark_In_MA]

That could be a really neat idea - a place where you could live/work on your conversion with like-minded people.

The one thing I'd add that people might need are tools. While I'd imagine there are certain things I'd keep with me on the road, there's a bunch more that I'd want to do the initial conversion.

[PNW_Steve]

When I get there, I will have basic metal and some woodworking tools available for loan.

My only condition there would be "you break it, you buy it".

Just booked my flight to Wichita for a final inspection and offer. Wish me luck!

[BlackJohn]

Good luck on this big step Steve.

Rome wasn't built in a day so..
I think you are onto a good path forward.


John

[Jameson]

Good luck. After plumbing my grey water tank under the radar at an RV park this week, I definitely see the appeal of such a business/community. I will be a customer if your deal goes through.

[Cdimples67]

Originally Posted by Jameson

Good luck. After plumbing my grey water tank under the radar at an RV park this week, I definitely see the appeal of such a business/community. I will be a customer if your deal goes through.

Funny, I installed mine in a nice waterfront park and saved the last noisy part ( 1 1/2" hole trough metal) for last and I could hear the lady on the next street over bitchin to the ranger. I am usually very respectful and save that stuff for days when no one is around but they were mowing the grass 200' away??? Needless to say the ranger did a drive by twice but never stopped. I chalked it up to bus envy....

[Bonnie Blue]

Sounds great! Won’t work for me but if I ever get out that way, I’ll hit ya up.

[rdanieltrager08225]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

Hey Everyone,

I am fortunate that I have a driveway that fits my bus and neighbors that put up with me

I hear a number of folk talk about the challenges they have finding a space to park their bus.

Here goes..... I am about to make an offer on a small RV park in Southern Kansas. About 90 minutes from Wichita.

I don't know how well this my work out for folks geographically but I think that I could make it work out economically.

Tentative rates(Fall-Winter-Spring):

Full Hookups (50A): $200 + metered electric

Partial hookup (20A elect only): $150 + metered electric

Summer rates will be somewhat higher but I am still working on the numbers.

The location is in town and will have (eventually) showers, laundry and a limited canteen.

Would this be of interest to any of you that need a spot?

Thanks

S.

Awesomesauce
I live three hours northeast of Wichita in a small town called Horton. It would be nice to have a place to go to on my trips. 😁😎🐒🌰🐿

[Unpluggedone]

I like your thought process, many of us wish we had a good spot to "work" on our projects that was safe and had some commadare some fellow skoolies instead of the airstream crowd. But we are a bit rough around the edges. Lay out a lot more of your plan, like location, ease of access, lot size, truck/bus parts distributors and I think you'll find a lot of interest. I've kept my bus for 30+ years on friends ranches, out of site mostly but sure wish I could be closer to home to work on it.

[RevyRev]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Steve, you should head on down here to FL. We don't have snow so folks could work all year!

Anyhow- I like your idea. We hope to do something similar, but we need to paint then sell our house first.

I would drive my rikkity old bus right on down there!

[Fransie]

My issue is, when your building while living in it, you need water to clean up at the end of the day.
Also any hardware store in the area?

[GWRider]

Wish there was a place like that in the KC area. Very difficult to find a place to work on it or even store it without great expense. It would be nice to be able to do something like Colorado Coach Works does with the DIY'ers.

[BoxGods]

The military does something similar on most bases. They take a large open floor plan building with enough room for 10-20 bays and they have a tool room with just about every tool needed for guys to come in and wrench on their cars. They usually have big air compressors plumbed in and a few oil change bays.

When you rent your bay you get a ring with 10 stamped dog tags on it that you use to get tools from the tool room--you walk up to the counter and ask the guy for an impact wrench and give him one of your tags. Then when you return it you get your tag back.

Even better than a nice safe space to work on your car is the group of smart car guys that congregate and can offer help / advice on pretty much anything.

[cadillackid]

there are more and more spaces like that popping up.. here in columbus ohio we have a huge maker space.. now they dont have a spot large enough for vehicles.. but simnce columbus has won the smart city challenge for alternative and advanced transportation.. they have been approached and are entertaining the thought of vehicle building in their space..



a maker space is a place where you can rent space, shop time, tools, even take classes, collaborate and trade knowledge / work with each other for hobby / business / etc.. I could see a maker-space for Vehicle and RV builders being a real cool thing in the right area of the country.
-Christopher