Party Bus- Is this a good idea?

OregonFan2008 · 01-02-2007, 01:55 PM

Alright so as all you know I am the "party bus" guy who is 16. Just wondering if you've got any pointers for talking my parents into letting me get it. "Rave-mobile."

Thanks

Steve · 01-02-2007, 02:07 PM

No of course it is not a good idea

But getting in trouble is part of growing up!

The only thing I might worry about is the liability if something goes very wrong.

OregonFan2008 · 01-02-2007, 02:13 PM

yeah like getting pulled over with 50 drunk people in it. lol

KC10Chief · 01-03-2007, 12:15 AM

You're 16? I'm sure that to have a party bus, you'd have to have a liquor license and a CDL minimum! Plus a few other permits I'm probably not aware of. Last I checked, here in Oklahoma, you have to be at least 18 to have a CDL and 21 to have a liquor license. I'm sure it varies from state to state. Then there's the issue of insurance. No insurance company in their right mind would insure a 16 year old to have a party bus. Plus, your bus has to be in top mechanical condition. Most people (adults even) that have party buses get shut down because they're violating some code. Even if you WERE legal, you're still hauling around a bunch of drunks. Odds are, if you're hauling around 20 drunks in a moving vehicle, you're going to have somebody puking, somebody that's abusive, somebody tearing up stuff on your bus, urinating on it or whatever. Trust me, it's probably not as great as you'd imagine. What are you going to do with all the drunks when it's time to get off the bus? Take each one of htem home? No, they'll all get dropped off somewhere and get in their individual vehicles and drive home, get pulled over and tell them they were partying on your bus. It's not your fault they were driving drunk, but brings unwanted attention your way. So, if you're wanting a bus to party with a few friends that you trust, you'll still run into roadblocks. But I just cannot imagine why anybody would want to go through the trouble of having a party bus. The profits aren't nearly enough for me to even want to think about considering it! I vote NO.

KC10Chief · 01-03-2007, 12:37 AM

I was reading my post and I didn't mean to sound all "doom and gloom". Do your parents know you want to have a rave bus? I know if one of my kids came to me and said that they wanted to buy a bus and turn it into a rave bus, I'd smack them in the head. If you ask me, at this point in your life, a commercial party bus is totally out of the question. But if you wanted to buy a bus and turn it into a camper at your age, that is totally doable! I remember what it was like to be 16 and I liked to party too. But these days, you have to be careful. Law enforcement is really cracking down on underage drinking. If I were you, I'd buy a bus, and build it to go camping and hanging out with friends. Make it comfortable for everyone. Have a bunch of bunks, a couple couches, maybe a bathroom if you want to go through the trouble. Some of the best times I ever had were spent out in the middle of a field or out at the lake with my friends. But when I was 16 and you got caught drinking, the cop MIGHT make you pour your beer out. These days, you'll probably go to jail. I have a friend that's a cop and she says that they're really tough on underage drinkers. Around here, you go to jail if you're caught drinking underage. For your bus though, it's very doable if you keep it for private use. I wish I had a bus when I was 16! If you have a cool bus to take your friends out in, you'll be the MAN!

the_experience03 · 01-03-2007, 09:15 PM

My bus is a party bus by my standards. However, by the standards of the state of Minnesota, it's just a harmless RV. What you need to do is sit down and really lay out what you want to be doing with this thing. How many people are you going to want in it? Is it going to be moving with all those people in it? Is there going to be alcohol or even intoxicated individuals involved while moving? Are people going to sleep in it? What kind of electrical and plumbing systems are you going to want? The list goes on and on. Sit down and figure that out for yourself and then maybe post it on here and we can give you some feedback.

I'll start by being "that guy" and pointing out some obvious limitations. Maybe it will be easier to take from someone who's only 6 years older than you.

1. You can have no more than 15 people including yourself in the bus while it's driving without a CDL. I'm not aware of any state that allows even in intrastate CDL to anyone under the age of 18.

2. You can not get paid by anyone (under the table compensation for gas would probably be ok) or you put yourself back into the CDL thing again.

3. Going to clubs or any other populated area will always raise the question of whether or not you need a CDL. Even if you are legal, it might take a long time to convince a cop of that. This is especially in downtown Minneapolis.

4. You are a minor. That makes consumption of alcohol a risky thing. I'm not your parent so I'm not going to say one way or another whether or not you should drink. You wouldn't listen to me anyway, right? I will throw this out there though. If your bus is registered as an RV and PARKED, the police cannot search it without a warrant assuming they can't see any wrongdoing. These are the same rules that apply to your house. Keep it quiet and out of sight and you're homefree. However, get out on the highway and get pulled over...well now you as the driver are in possession of any alcohol on board which is a problem since you're underage. Also, any passengers on board maybe subject to underage consumption unless you get a cop that likes the idea of being a really big sober cab. The laws for search and seizure are also different for vehicles versus houses. It will be a lot harder to keep police from searching and finding anything else you or your passengers may have brought aboard.

5. Buses cost money....lots of it. Party people WILL break stuff. Basic parts WILL cost lots. Don't think that the cost of the bus is just what's on the sticker, even if you keep it simple.

6. Young women like buses. Young women LOVE dancing on buses. Any foolish actions such as that can make you dangerously liable. Just be careful.

My advice? Go for it! You'll have a ton of fun and when you grow out of your party bus phase, you'll already be armed with knowledge for your next conversion.

I'm not sure how to convince your parents that it's a good idea. I will say this much, however....DON'T INTRODUCE IT AS A PARTY BUS! Call it a camper or something else. Don't use that p-word! Having some well drawn out floorplans, timetables, budgets, costs of ownership, etc all ready might also help your case.

OregonFan2008 · 01-04-2007, 11:15 AM

Yeah I am just hopin I don't get caught by the PO lice cause they are snitches :D

the_experience03 · 01-04-2007, 02:54 PM

Hoping to not get caught is NOT a good plan. You need to make it so that they CAN'T catch you. That's where a parked busa registered as an RV with tinte windows, etc comes into play. If you are just banking on not getting caught, you better start finding a good lawyer because you will get caught and being the owner of the bus is going to put you in a whole heap more trouble.

captainkf · 01-05-2007, 01:29 PM

Also driving a bus is a bit different than most other vehicles. The idea of a new driver behind the wheel of a 10 ton vehicle with all his friends and a pounding stereo distracting him makes me very unconfortable. I think some experience on the road would be wise, as a bus is a unique and large machine to manuver.

Start with a full size van. Get one with the capt's chairs, velour, and sweet lighting. That way it's stealth, affordable and alot of fun can be had in one. It's easier to drive and they carry 8 or more comfortably.

-Richard

OregonFan2008 · 01-05-2007, 01:43 PM

Yeah I've driven a full size bus at this camp before and it wasn't that bad but I was strongly considering downsizing my idea to a short bus. That way I don't have to mess around with re-registering a full length bus as an "RV" or "Private Bus". I can just get a short bus and re register it as a van or whatever. I'm not sure what I would register a short bus as in the state of Oregon.

I've thought about it and the way I see it I could park it in my driveway and not have any issues with the neighbors about parking a full length along my street. And I don't have the driving awkwardness of the full-length. Also I can't have more than 15 people in the bus without a CDL (which I cant get anyways) so that eliminates the purpose of getting a full-length bus. I figure that a short bus will leave me more than enough room to make a decent dance floor.

Please let me know what you think of a short bus.

I think driving a short bus would be more affordable to maintain, better gas milage, more practical, easier for my parents to think about and a lot easier to drive, than a long bus.

Steve · 01-05-2007, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OregonFan2008

I'm not sure what I would register a short bus as in the state of Oregon.

You would just register and insure it as whatever the original chassis was, for example a GMC 6500.

westport_wayne · 01-05-2007, 11:52 PM

hey oregonfan2008, what part of oregon you from ?? im over hear in the n.w. corner of the state. inland from astoria 30 miles along the columbia river. go to http://www.westernbus.com these guys are in boring oregon. its right around portland. do a mapquest on it. they got busses up the ying-yang. alot more than they show on there web site. i got my 1984 crown from them. they will wheel and deal. good luck.. OH YA, THEY GOT ALL KINDS OF THOSE VAN TYPE BUSES

OregonFan2008 · 01-08-2007, 12:19 AM

lol yeah ive definately heard about them im from the Portland area in Beaverton. When I go skiing at the mountain i pass through boring and I always see it. When I get ungrounded from driving ill problably just drive out there and browse.

GoneCamping · 01-08-2007, 09:20 PM

Well, having been 16 once myself, I can honestly tell you that your idea is way over your own head. Be that as it may, there is a positive side to this, especially to those of us who think this may be a very bad idea. Get the bus, do the conversion, get all that work out of the way. Go out there and party hard...

Eventually you'll get pulled by the Police...and I'm guessing this is not going to take a very long time on the grand scheme of things, and they will of course sieze and impound your bus.

Just think of what a wonderful opportunity you will be providing to the rest of us when that fully converted bus comes available at the police auction!!

paul iossi · 01-08-2007, 11:10 PM

Hopefully you are grounded because the 'rents caught you doing whatever before John Law thought that you needed bracelets, a ride to the graybar motel and an introduction to the judge and all of the accompanying legal fees and fines. Been there done that, got the T-shirt, spend your money someplace else. All that being said the partybus sounds like a lot of fun, but, I have to agree with some of the other posts, a skoolie conversion to travel & camp (think inconspicous, low profile) would be a blast, party after you park and don't tempt trouble. Be creative when looking for someplace to party/camp, KOA's and state parks are probably not the place to be loud and rowdy, but sports events, concerts, races, artfairs, etc can be a wild time.

d_codebreaker · 02-21-2007, 10:16 AM

I just wrote a msg about most of the party bus knowledge i have.

http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1803

pete c · 02-21-2007, 10:31 AM

I can see it now....

16 y.o. busnut: can I help you, officer

officer: kid, you got a cdl license? You got the entire high school junior class in this thing. you got the proper party bus paperwork in order?

16 y.o. busnut: why officer, this ain't no party bus. this here's a RAVE bus. Can I get you a bottled water?

officer: no thanks. step out of the par....uhhh rave bus, please

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