Another "lone star skoolie" PSA!!

[EastCoastCB]

"Lone Star Skoolies" .... another victim! Total crooks. 75 grand for this!

 

[musigenesis]

I keep trying to watch these videos, but I can never make it more than a few minutes. It's just beyond belief that anything can be done that poorly.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I keep trying to watch these videos, but I can never make it more than a few minutes. It's just beyond belief that anything can be done that poorly.

I know right? So hard to watch!

 

[Jay Brand]

It seems as if Lonestar hired children to do the work. It's absolutely horrific how little they know about basic building practices.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

LOL. The wife & I watched this during our morning coffee. The hits just keep on coming.

Can you imagine showing up to pick up your bus with $75K out of pocket to be greeted by this nightmare? God bless these folks, I don't see how they restrain themselves.

Ross, I found one thing (& only one thing) I think you're wrong about. These poor people aren't ever getting their money back. They may win a lawsuit, but that doesn't mean they'll get paid.

Thanks for these videos. Hopefully you're saving (who knows how many more) people from the same fate. BTW - driving these buses cross country takes cajones!

 

[Booyah45828]

At this point, I don't understand how those guys aren't considered fraudulent and criminal. Before this, it wasn't borderline in my opinion, but I could see how some would consider them legitimate. But having a suicide cable like that and pretending it's in any way shape or form okay is where I draw the line.

I've used suicide cables before. When the power is out and the house is at 40°F, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. But I've never left one together laying around. After it's done being used, and safely disconnected, it gets disassembled so that nobody can inadvertently use it without knowing the danger.

So for them to even think this is okay to leave a customer is beyond me. I wouldn't leave one for a customer to use, much less for them to use as a regular item.

 

[peteg59]

They need to be permanently put out of business.
Since they won't quit on their own.
Not advocating anything violent, but whatever happens happens. Karma usually comes into play at some point in time.

Trouble is this is America and free enterprise is alive and well in the lone star state.
So they'll continue taking advantage of the ignorant masses, for as long as trusting customers continue showing up on their doorstep handing them bundles of $$$...

 

[TheHubbardBus]

I've used suicide cables before. When the power is out and the house is at 40°F, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. But I've never left one together laying around. After it's done being used, and safely disconnected, it gets disassembled so that nobody can inadvertently use it without knowing the danger.

Yep. And I'm betting that when you did, you:

• Knew what they were called
• Knew why they were called that
• Understood the risks involved
• Understood how to mitigate such risks
• Understood there was still some risk you were accepting
• Never allowed anyone else to share that risk
• Understood how electricity works

None of that likely applies to these guys. Chances are they don't see anything wrong with it, and if they did - judging from their willingness to keep taking peoples money for work they're not qualified to do - they wouldn't care even if they did.

 

[EastCoastCB]

At this point, I don't understand how those guys aren't considered fraudulent and criminal. Before this, it wasn't borderline in my opinion, but I could see how some would consider them legitimate. But having a suicide cable like that and pretending it's in any way shape or form okay is where I draw the line.

I've used suicide cables before. When the power is out and the house is at 40°F, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. But I've never left one together laying around. After it's done being used, and safely disconnected, it gets disassembled so that nobody can inadvertently use it without knowing the danger.

So for them to even think this is okay to leave a customer is beyond me. I wouldn't leave one for a customer to use, much less for them to use as a regular item.

Yeah man.
They're just hacks. Check out how all their builds use just a harbor freight ratchet strap to secure the fridge.

 

[EastCoastCB]

They need to be permanently put out of business.
Since they won't quit on their own.
Not advocating anything violent, but whatever happens happens. Karma usually comes into play at some point in time.

Trouble is this is America and free enterprise is alive and well in the lone star state.
So they'll continue taking advantage of the ignorant masses, for as long as trusting customers continue showing up on their doorstep handing them bundles of $$$...

They survive on the ignorance of noobs and all the hype. They're shooting fish in a barrel.

 

[EastCoastCB]

there are other lesser known outfits doing similar work, too.
"skoolie homes" are shady af too. I've caught them being dishonest, seen customer complaints with pics, and even been personally trolled by them.

 

[snjhubbard]

Where's the pee gooo.....

Less critical than all of the electrical issues on these busses.. but the urine diverter with no output pipe connected.. And that wasn't even the water leak issue in the bathroom
Would have been better to just put a drain in the center of the floor with an opening to the ground (which I wouldn't doubt their shower pan did) and just tell them it's a full 'Wet Bath' Just squat and go.

Ugh... anywho.. poor folks (customers)

 

[peteg59]

They survive on the ignorance of noobs and all the hype. They're shooting fish in a barrel.

Right on

OTOH, shooting fish in a barrel is kinda fun, however unethical it might be!!!

Hopefully with this thread, noobies coming on the site looking to see if anyone has used those folks will get "educated", without falling victim like so many in the past...

 

[Rwnielsen]

They need to be permanently put out of business.
Since they won't quit on their own.
Not advocating anything violent, but whatever happens happens. Karma usually comes into play at some point in time.

Trouble is this is America and free enterprise is alive and well in the lone star state.
So they'll continue taking advantage of the ignorant masses, for as long as trusting customers continue showing up on their doorstep handing them bundles of $$$...

They just haven't ripped off the right people yet. That will be the end.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

Hopefully with this thread, noobies coming on the site looking to see if anyone has used those folks will get "educated", without falling victim like so many in the past...

Yep. I consider our involvement in these threads a public service. And thank you so much, Ross, for bringing these problems to the light of day.

If it were just shoddy building practices or questionable business ethics, I'd likely avoid the dog-pile threads. Judge not lest ye be judged, & all that jazz.

But it's more than that. They're literally putting people's lives in danger. These 'builds' are disasters waiting to happen.

 

[peteg59]

They're literally putting people's lives in danger. These 'builds' are disasters waiting to happen.

Which shines a negative light on anyone driving a converted schoolbus.
And adds to the campground operators refusing entry to skoolies, based on how shoddy they are built.
Regardless of how they are actually built, those of us who are doing things right get "pigeon holed" along with the bad ones.

Just imagine if an owner went to his/her insurance agent with their "finished" conversion, and the agent saw that!!!
It's no wonder so many ins. co's. are refusing to cover a conversion nowadays...

 

[TheHubbardBus]

True that, Pete.

I'm actually amazed any of us can still get insurance.

 

[kazetsukai]

One thing not mentioned is putting holes in the chassis frame... There's NOTHING that's going to get me to put another hole in the frame, much less a water heater or a pump. Oh and if any of that freezes...



Man, some of my work isn't perfect (I have a few WR outlets indoors), but nothing even remotely this bad. And at that price tag, yikes.

 

[rossvtaylor]

Thanks, all, for the discussion and comments and the awareness you're bringing here. I apologize for my absence lately...I got the Covid during that trip and ended up making myself sicker, pushing through the drive home instead of taking care of myself. I'm almost back to 100% now...so no need for concern or well wishes...I just wanted to explain my disappearance from the forum. You all are fantastic and much appreciated!

 

[HamSkoolie]

One thing not mentioned is putting holes in the chassis frame... There's NOTHING that's going to get me to put another hole in the frame, much less a water heater or a pump. Oh and if any of that freezes...

Man, some of my work isn't perfect (I have a few WR outlets indoors), but nothing even remotely this bad. And at that price tag, yikes.

Drilling holes into the frame rails is okay, as long as done properly. Far superior to welding in most cases (as in unless approved by the manufacturer). There are some things to keep in mind but it's a routine operation for things like installing fifth wheel and goose neck hitches, receiver hitches, propane tanks, etc.