Another "lone star skoolie" PSA!!

[EastCoastCB]

All is I see in the videos is fail in every aspect. They're just greedy hacks.

 

[Whitewatervol]

Again, not defending them but the folks that pulled the plug on the shop working on their busses before they were officially finished, might have waited a little longer until they finished their work.

It might have turned out differently, who knows???

On the other hand, it seems they acknowledge some shady work by them in the past by now calling in "third party inspectors" to review their work...?

Subscribed to watch the drama going forward, unfold...

Pretty sure one of the couples got their unfinished bus over a year after what had been promised as a 4-6 week job. How long do you think it is reasonable to wait? I don't think I would have waited anywhere close to a year for work that was estimated at 4-6 weeks.

 

[HamSkoolie]

From her pictures it looks like the 30A connection might be correct on this one. Odd that it is different from the other 2 recent ones.

Except they probably ran way undersized wire from that plug. I mean we have to go with (their) past standards.

 

[HamSkoolie]

Wire nuts and visible conductors in a mobile install?
Suicide cables for outside power?
NO WASTE TANKS, "just hook up to the city"?
If there is a waste tank its got a cheeSY PVC "drain and valve"?
Undersized 110VAC wires (14ga on 20 amp circuits)?
How about the inverter that required an extension cord in order to use it?
Wires hanging loose, plumbing that's clearly bogus, wood joints that make yo wonder how they got it to stay together.
Oh let's not forget that awesome refrigerator security system.
They're hacks
Pulling buses "early" (long after promised) had no affect on any of the above items that are, each and every one and then some, evidence of complete incompetence.

 

[peteg59]

Wire nuts and visible conductors in a mobile install?
Suicide cables for outside power?
NO WASTE TANKS, "just hook up to the city"?
If there is a waste tank its got a cheeSY PVC "drain and valve"?
Undersized 110VAC wires (14ga on 20 amp circuits)?
How about the inverter that required an extension cord in order to use it?
Wires hanging loose, plumbing that's clearly bogus, wood joints that make yo wonder how they got it to stay together.
Oh let's not forget that awesome refrigerator security system.
They're hacks
Pulling buses "early" (long after promised) had no affect on any of the above items that are, each and every one and then some, evidence of complete incompetence.

I'm with you on all of that.

Going forward, are they condemned to h**l forever because of their past negligence, or do they deserve another chance???

I know how I'd vote on that question. Especially if they don't compensate the dissatisfied customers in their past...

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm with you on all of that.

Going forward, are they condemned to h**l forever because of their past negligence, or do they deserve another chance???

I know how I'd vote on that question. Especially if they don't compensate the dissatisfied customers in their past...

For me another chance isn't even a thought. F these klowns.

 

[yfrank14]

The headlight wiring at about 8 minutes is what happens when you can't find your wire strippers or cutters, but you found your machete.

 

[yfrank14]

This is interesting...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZ0Z58O1GK/

"Now that 2022 has begun, we here at Lonestar Skoolie have been focusing on a variety of actions we can take to improve because making positive progress is always our goal! One of the first areas we wanted to focus on is taking our safety standards to the next level. Your safety is always a priority for us, so the Lonestar Skoolie team will be bringing in third party inspectors to ensure your electric, plumbing, and air conditioning systems are all in tip top shape before you hit the road. Additionally, we are upgrading our national warranty to licensed professionals in every state on site. 2022 is going to be our best year yet, and we can not wait to show you what else we have in store going forward!"

Their lawyers make them write this.
The law seperates mistakes and trying to do it right ,from fraud.
This post would be used as proof they are trying.
This way, they can go on for years.

 

[yfrank14]

$100,000.00 for a skoolie?
If i had that kind of money I would pay a skoolie owner to drive me around in his skoolie .
im sure every skoolie owner on here would take me anywhere I wanted to go for $100,000.00.

 

[cadillackid]

$100,000.00 for a skoolie?
If i had that kind of money I would pay a skoolie owner to drive me around in his skoolie .
im sure every skoolie owner on here would take me anywhere I wanted to go for $100,000.00.

for 100k id go buy a brand new Motorhome.. Van front gives me the crash safety of an E-450 or an F-550 frame and the brand new everything with warranty.. and A/C while im driving..



these peeps are paying 100k and still have to sweat in texas 100 degree heat on the road? nada nada nada..

 

[Dbacks2k4]

I've seen most of Ross' videos about these clowns down in Texas. Tonight I was scrolling through YouTube watching some skoolie videos and stumbled across this...

 

[rossvtaylor]

Hi all...again, I have to apologize for being absent. I'm good, but my mother-in-law (who lives here on the "family compound" with us) has been struggling and has required lots of care...and today she just went back into the hospital for pneumonia...again. Anyway, that's been our focus the past couple of weeks.

As to the $100k the one couple had, there's a back story. Husband has cancer and they were advised to reduce stress and enjoy the time they have...so they sold their California house and planned to have a custom-built RV which would work for their situation. They definitely aren't rich...nor naive...as some of the YouTube commenters have suggested. And...after getting an unusable conversion from Lone Star, they did end up buying and financing an RV. Every single one of these conversion stories carries some crushed dreams or ruined retirement plans. And some current ones, still in progress, involve veterans' support causes or public school STEM programs.

I want you all to know that I am thankful for this group. It's so different (in all the good ways!) from the FB or YouTube groups. I thank all of you for your comments and for helping spread awareness.

On a positive note, here's a bit of good karma that got dropped on the blue bus. The owners are big fans of Randy Couture...so this was a cool opportunity for a bit of positivity:

https://youtu.be/vcYHUx_3IjM

EDIT to add: Yup, Dbacks2k4 that video was fun (and cringe worthy) to watch. That guy has NO idea what he's doing and he embarrasses himself with his ignorance in every video he makes. The wires are undersized and there's no mention of a fuse or disconnect. And, at least, spend a bit more on a pure-sine-wave inverter for the primary power...instead of that cheap modified sine wave inverter.

 

[WIbluebird]

Yeah if people have 75k cash laying around and don't want to spend the next few years doing a proper build they are better off buying an RV and enjoying life on the road right away.

Pretty much every skoolie "builder" company is a scam and there's a reason for that. The sheer amount of time and skill involved in doing a proper schoolie conversion is too much for legitimate companies to make any sort of profit, imo.

The skyrocketing costs associated with labor and materials don't help either.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Yeah if people have 75k cash laying around and don't want to spend the next few years doing a proper build they are better off buying an RV and enjoying life on the road right away.

Pretty much every skoolie "builder" company is a scam and there's a reason for that. The sheer amount of time and skill involved in doing a proper schoolie conversion is too much for legitimate companies to make any sort of profit, imo.

The skyrocketing costs associated with labor and materials don't help either.

Wanderlodges are a perfect in between. The best of the school bus and the best of the motorhome in one package.
The folks ready to hit the road with 40-100k should be looking for late model WL's, IMO.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

As to the $100k the one couple had, there's a back story. Husband has cancer and they were advised to reduce stress and enjoy the time they have...so they sold their California house and planned to have a custom-built RV which would work for their situation. They definitely aren't rich...nor naive...as some of the YouTube commenters have suggested.

Wow. Just when you think their story couldn't get any worse...


Best wishes to your family & your mother in law, Ross.

 

[Franco-SKO]

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.

They went bankrupt in 2021 and scammed 9 people (including me).
The problem is that Missy Miller rebranded herself as @diyskoolieguides and @4wheelsandabra and is still providing services…

 

[EastCoastCB]

They went bankrupt in 2021 and scammed 9 people (including me).
The problem is that Missy Miller rebranded herself as @diyskoolieguides and @4wheelsandabra and is still providing services…

Them or someone affiliated with them came on here years ago and actually laughed about my friend dying of cancer.

 

[cadillackid]

are there actually any reputable builders? I hear so many horror stores about people getting ripped off by these so-called businesses.. surely there must be someone that does the job right where peoiple can be referred when they come on asking about pre-built units...


I know there are individuals that do exemplory work but those guys dont usually do whole builds for hire..

 

[DeMac]

are there actually any reputable builders? I hear so many horror stores about people getting ripped off by these so-called businesses.. surely there must be someone that does the job right where peoiple can be referred when they come on asking about pre-built units...


I know there are individuals that do exemplory work but those guys dont usually do whole builds for hire..

---‐-------------------------
I think you said it all right there, in your last sentence. Imagine: a daily business converting buses into RVs, using licensed HVAC, Electrician, Plumber. A diesel mechanic, fabricator, carpenter, painter/booth.....

The market is too small/sparse. Assembling (retaining) a skoolie dream team of specialists & providing each member with regularly scheduled workloads & custom material..., would be interesting logistics. Coach builders do well & also go bankrupt.

The frontman of this operation hinted to using a contractor, who in turn states that he only provides labor. Hmm. As in Day Laborers & Construction Temps? I didn't see a staff of licensed professionals, with a passion for bus conversions. I'd have had my partners (Welder, Electrician, Plumber, etc) by my side at the interview. He has none.

Farmed-out construction (or portion of a build) is better served if the owner contracts with each (licensed) tradesman. Onsite owners can personally oversees performance. Even if owner is only pushing a broom and cleaning up.

We only have one conversion and I'd have fired me long ago. I'm so slow & wrong about every timeline. All of the prices have changed since my first written estimate. I've even made me do some sh!t twice. Only because I was onsite watching myself.

 

[cadillackid]

---‐-------------------------
I think you said it all right there, in your last sentence. Imagine: a daily business converting buses into RVs, using licensed HVAC, Electrician, Plumber. A diesel mechanic, fabricator, carpenter, painter/booth.....

The market is too small/sparse. Assembling (retaining) a skoolie dream team of specialists & providing each member with regularly scheduled workloads & custom material..., would be interesting logistics. Coach builders do well & also go bankrupt.

The frontman of this operation hinted to using a contractor, who in turn states that he only provides labor. Hmm. As in Day Laborers & Construction Temps? I didn't see a staff of licensed professionals, with a passion for bus conversions. I'd have had my partners (Welder, Electrician, Plumber, etc) by my side at the interview. He has none.

Farmed-out construction (or portion of a build) is better served if the owner contracts with each (licensed) tradesman. Onsite owners can personally oversees performance. Even if owner is only pushing a broom and cleaning up.

We only have one conversion and I'd have fired me long ago. I'm so slow & wrong about every timeline. All of the prices have changed since my first written estimate. I've even made me do some sh!t twice. Only because I was onsite watching myself.

I often wonder too how these companies can document and repair broken systens later on.. years ag oI got to tour Farber / custom coach here in columbus.. they build everything from 2 million dollar Glampers to food trucks to even custom work office cabs for bucket trucks..



while im sure there is a lot of custom fab-up that goes into putting these together, the thing that stood out was standardization.. the same toilet system, standard wiring harnesses, standard controller system etc.. they also took into account of being able to fix things.. so when you looked at a build in progress you could see where therres access panels to get to major components like water pumps and piping connections, furnace, refrigerator, etc.. every build also comes with a set of documents for the new owner to have that shows how to get to things..



when the 2 friends of mine had their Prevost built there, a class was offered at delivery to show them all kinds of things about their new coach.. of course neither gary nor Jim cared.. the bus just always went back there for any work.. (most people dont live in the same city as their builder)...


but I often wonder how many of these said skoolie companies document the builds and take into consideration serviceability..



when i installed the custom A/C in my DEV bus, I wanted to be able to say change a fan motor without taking my whole bus apart.. because I know if I keep the bus a long time at some point ill burn up a motor.. they are common failure items in bus A/C..



if I were running plumbing lines in a bus I would want continuous runs with pipe joints coming out into someplace where i could fix them.. after all a pipe leak 99% of the time is at a joint or fixture...



when I fix A/C systems for people, i almost never find a freon leak in the middle of a hose unless the protective sleeve came off and the hose rubbed raw on the frame...



the company installed A/C like trans /AIR, carrier, ACT etc seem to be pretty careful about making things serviceable..



I recently called trans/AIR about parts for a friends' 20 year old bluebird thats missing parts.. they sent us a whole set of documents for his system.. with everything used and wiring diagrams, etc.... I can rebuild his bus A/C with that info (if his wallet is big enough)..



these are all things id think if you paid a skoolie builder 75 grand to build your bus that you would want (and expect)...