Is short better?

[Ravenna]

Well, I saved a life a few years ago, so your passing -- even if untimely -- will put the Word back in Balance. ;-)

Besides your courage in the face of Death By Silliness... you are brave to come back to this thread after the poop-storm of... hmm... debate... which occurred here since your last visit.

Luckily, we know whose fault that is, and his initials are Doofus J. Turd -- if my High French may be excused this once. We will all be calmer in another week.

Now, if you will please temporarily take a back seat in that still-imaginary little bus....
I am in the middle of explaining to an American what marzipan is, and this may take a while.
By the way, when you arrive in Heaven, you will find the streets paved with the stuff.

Or at least, I will.
Oooop.... Wrong destination. I wonder if marzipan burns?

Please send me long, goofy, noodling responses on a regular basis from here on.
And oh, marzipan! My mother used to mold tiny woodland creatures out of the stuff.
Elliot, you sound like a handful

 

[Elliot Naess]

Ravenna, you said in your original post that when learning about clapped-out school buses, one has to begin somewhere.
No argument there.
But are you sure... tiny woodland creatures munching on goofy noodles of marzipan... is that place?

Anyhoo....

I am still waiting for you to confess your participation in the Kinetic Sculpture Race. And make no mistake... Glorious Spectators are also Participants in that noble Sport/Hobby/Art-form/Behavioral-disorder.

Because... I originally bought my first bus specifically for excursions to Kinetic Sculpture Races near and far.

And it was not large enough.

So I bought Millicent.

Which is also not large enough.

 

[Ronnie-SKO]

The idea of laying out the furniture on the driveway is an excellent one.



Useing a one ton pickup chassis and putting a camper one it, no I have done that and in 5 years it fell apart. Sticks and staples just do not hold up to lots of travel. Hit a pot hole at a truck stop in the rain and it twisted the camper bad enough to now be able to open the door. Pry bars were needed, then a rebuilding of the back wall. Just not sturdy enough and not comfortable either. A skoolie is much better having done both.

 

[Ronnie-SKO]

Truck hauling stuff, skoolie hauling stuff. Note it is the same trailer. Roughing it or in luxury....

 

[cadillackid]

I have 2 full chassis shorties. My red one I cranked the power up, no shortage of juice there, she will haul ass.

I love short busses, I can fuel up at the easier auto / RV pumps, fits in any parking lot, park in front of my house if I want, easier to heat and air condition

 

[Elliot Naess]

All right, Original Poster. Let's see if we can delve into your actual needs, wants, and possibillillyties for a bus. Unless... what you actually should have is chicken coop with its own penicillin factory, in which case you can buy a Winnebago and be done with it.

In utterly random order, which is the only way my handful of a brain works.

Question:
Occasional road trips with the kiddos by tossing a couple futons inside.

Answer:
Wrong.

Elucidation:
There are quite a few small school buses in private ownership, and they are often for sale. Many of those for sale are for sale because they lack legal registration and insurance, because the Title still calls it a Commercial Pupil Transportation Vehicle (or words to that effect), and Liability Insurance for such a Thing costs many thousands of doubloons per second -- because parents tend to consider their children rather precious. Somehow... the old "crunch all you want, we'll make more" does not seem to apply. Go figure.
And so long as the Title says C.P.T.V. (or words to that effect) transporting precious children for pay is OBVIOUSLY what you use it for.

Solution:
Retitle the vehicle as a private Motor Home (a.k.a. house car).
My XXLarge Millicent being a private MH, I pay something like nine cents per century for her legally required minimum Liability Insurance. (Your Driving Record and Relationship w/ Your Insurance Agent May Vary.)

How:
Two – 2 -- moderately-clever humans will need to inspect and approve your vehicle as a MH – one at the DMV, and one at your insurance company.

1 -- Passing the DMV inspection requires time, work, skill, and money. The vehicle must have fixed bunks, a bathroom, a kitchen, dining room, electricity and plumbing, or at least three-out-of-four of such things; and an exterior color which is NOT National School Bus Yellow, or even resembles it.

2 -- Passing the insurance inspection requires bleeping magic, and both Siegfried and Roy are dead now.
Basically, the vehicle must have all the Stuff listed under DMV inspection, AND IT MUST ALL LOOK AND FUNCTION LIKE IT WAS INSTALLED BY A PROFESSIONAL MOTOR HOME FACTORY.
The insurance industry L-O-A-T-H-E-S "skoolies". Especially those with tossed-in futons.

In some cases, several very-nice photos may be adequate.

But here is how insurance companies function:
The agent will eagerly take your money, print you a confidence-inspiring document called a "binder", and tell you that you are all set.

A couple months or days later, an underwriter at the insurance company's headquarters... will study that policy with a quite-large magnifying-lens – and cancel it. Happened to me with my first bus (pre-Millicent). I then drove said first bus to the nearest wrecking yard and donated it to their office coffee fund – brand new fiberglass shower stall and all. Lost cause. Good practice.

This concludes Episode One of You Need To Know What Da Bleep You Are Doing, presented by Acme Industries – tell'em Wyle E. sent ya.

Stay tuned to most of these stations....

 

[Elliot Naess]

"Try not.
There is no try.
There is only do."
--Yoda

The first step of do
is
make realistically possible
by research and planning.
Because there is also fail
and it hurts.
Hurt not.
--Elliot

 

[Ravenna]

Truck hauling stuff, skoolie hauling stuff. Note it is the same trailer. Roughing it or in luxury....

love your bus!

 

[Ravenna]

"Try not.
There is no try.
There is only do."
--Yoda

The first step of do
is
make realistically possible
by research and planning.
Because there is also fail
and it hurts.
Hurt not.
--Elliot

Elliot. You've killed me twice in one week.
Mother of 3, double-dead by questionably qualified "wacky bus dude".
Why do not want me to have my dream bus? I find that things often work out well when I dive in half-blind. Except for the washing machine. That was a disaster.
Anyway, the sculpture race was the nail in the coffin. I've been in Humboldt since I first saw 'em go round the plaza 20 years ago.
Also, how'd you know we have 2 Toyotas in the driveway?

 

[Elliot Naess]

Then you have seen me go around the Plaza a few times -- possibly backward or up-side-down. For The Glory!

Two Toyotas.... Metaphorically. But sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut?

I do want you to have your Dream Bus! Just trying to spare you having one or more nightmares first.

And there is already one lady up there who has a pretty nice bus. I have met her camping at Crab Park with us (at the race). But I have no idea how to reach her to pick her brain.

My typing sprees are sporadic at best, but keep asking questions.

And exactly how you want to use a bus is probably most important. Something about a workshop?

 

[Ravenna]

Then you have seen me go around the Plaza a few times -- possibly backward or up-side-down. For The Glory!

Two Toyotas.... Metaphorically. But sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut?

I do want you to have your Dream Bus! Just trying to spare you having one or more nightmares first.

And there is already one lady up there who has a pretty nice bus. I have met her camping at Crab Park with us (at the race). But I have no idea how to reach her to pick her brain.

My typing sprees are sporadic at best, but keep asking questions.

And exactly how you want to use a bus is probably most important. Something about a workshop?

Most importantly, I want the bus to be my mobile sewing studio. A sewing machine or 2, a table for cutting, some shelf space for fabric. I currently have a retail space that is shared, and want to personalize my vision more. Also, don't want to pay top $ to rent my own brick n mortar. I'd love to be able to bring it to events and have a regular parking spot where clients can find me.
But ALSO, being a free-spirited mama, I want to be able to jump in and drive to the middle of nowhere, when I get fed up with normal-people-life. Maybe just 3 times a year or so.
Thanks for taking an interest! I do appreciate your comments.

 

[Elliot Naess]

Now we are making progress!

Table for cutting and layout must be large, but can be hinged and fold away to some extent. (This is called planning.)

Apparently, you already know there are all kinds of events for your craft -- Renaissance festivals, steam punk shows, etc., yes indeed.
And flea markets and the like, at more frequent intervals.

Bunks for five take a lot of space. This is why I suggested mocking up everything on the ground. Does not need to be the actual items, of course -- nor even in the actual driveway. Chalk marks and random cardboard boxes or whatnot can serve. [I have found whatnots to be particularly useful for countless purposes. ;-) ]

Occasional escapes from humanity -- check.

When Dr. Albert Schweitzer returned to Europe after spending 20 or 30 years running his charity hospital in Africa, a journalist asked him what he thought of civilization.
Dr. Schweitzer replied: "It would be a good idea."

 

[Ravenna]

Now we are making progress!

Table for cutting and layout must be large, but can be hinged and fold away to some extent. (This is called planning.)

Apparently, you already know there are all kinds of events for your craft -- Renaissance festivals, steam punk shows, etc., yes indeed.
And flea markets and the like, at more frequent intervals.

Bunks for five take a lot of space. This is why I suggested mocking up everything on the ground. Does not need to be the actual items, of course -- nor even in the actual driveway. Chalk marks and random cardboard boxes or whatnot can serve. [I have found whatnots to be particularly useful for countless purposes. ;-) ]

Occasional escapes from humanity -- check.

When Dr. Albert Schweitzer returned to Europe after spending 20 or 30 years running his charity hospital in Africa, a journalist asked him what he thought of civilization.
Dr. Schweitzer replied: "It would be a good idea."

Excellent! I'll let you know how it goes. Once the puddles dry up a bit...
Is the Grand Championship on for this year or undecided?

 

[Elliot Naess]

So far as I know, the race is off for the second year, and Burning Man probably also.
And I agree. We need to take this virus seriously. New Zealand did, and they are essentially free of it now.

 

[Linkster99]

Ihave a Chevy 3500 short bus converted to and ice cream truck with a 5.7 V8 and it is a dully GVWR 9900 lbs with a thousand pounds of equipment and cruises at 75 mph no problem on steep hills
Not sure where you're getting your feedback?

 

[Elliot Naess]

O.P: An item occurred to me: In your county you have a coast, and along coasts there is salt in the gusty onshore air. When shopping for a bus, watch for rust.
If you are accustomed to rusty cars in your neighborhood, please travel a few blocks inland for your bus. You will be doing "remodeling" work on it, and even minor rust quickly becomes a nuisance.
(Kinetic contraptions sometimes rust completely to dust, from the inside out, in a few years.)

And try to buy one directly from a school district. This is far preferable over a bus already damaged by amateur "improvement" efforts and likely paperwork snafus (as discussed earlier).

Many school districts contract for their bus services. The one dominant national contractor is First Student, but there are occasional local ones. Buying from a contractor is a bit more complicated, but perfectly doable.

The last option is buying from a bus dealer, where the price is likely to be high. (But I do know of one bargain a few years ago – my Albatross. So, it can happen.)

I drift in and out of this forum, as my handful-of-a-mind drifts on the above-aluded-to stormy brine.
E-mail is more reliable, and should you wish to have my address for bus-consultations, I can send it to you via PM.
We Kinetinuts need to sail together, or we shall surely founder separately.

 

[nailtechie]

Superior motorhome issue

In a van (and van cutaways), half or more of the engine is actually right beside the feet and knees of the driver. This is generally known as the "doghouse". The reason I don't like them is that when you try to get engine work done, almost all of it is accessed from inside the vehicle after the center console is removed, not under the hood (or you need to remove the engine entirely, at worst).

This, of course, makes the mechanic bills higher than they would be for the same engine in a pickup truck, basically.

However, I'm willing to deal with it. Hehe.

Hi, When I was a kid, my parents bought a motor home because of me. But, I was constantly tripping over the inside motor cover. So annoying. So, I dislike any covered inside motors. Plus, they were harder to fix and get to all the parts inside and out. So, that is one of the reasons I am looking at buses. The majority of motorhomes I have been looking at still have the motor cover inside. YUCK! Hard to clean around, awkward angles, plus, tripping hazard!

 

[Beirdo]

Well, in a van cutaway like mine, the engine cowling (aka doghouse) basically becomes the center console between the driver seat and where a passenger seat would have been. It's not a tripping hazard in this case as the only place it will get in the way is when you are walking to the driver seat.

However, the odd access to the parts of the engine is still there.

If I were to get a full-size bus, I'd want either a rear engine or a dognose, I think. Flatnose front engine just doesn't appeal to me personally, mainly for that exact reason. It has a doghouse too... but for Great Danes...

 

[Elliot Naess]

...
Is the Grand Championship on for this year or undecided?

It is now official. There will not be a Grand Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race this year either.
It was surely a difficult decision to make, since this virus has the potential to solve the planet's overpopulation problem for centuries to come.