Any RV people here?

[ReeferSteve]

I’m on the hunt for my first RV and hoping to hit the road with my family later in the summer for a west coast trip.

I’m on a budget (I’m frugal) and I’ve been looking at “short” busses as a conversion candidate. Anybody have experience with this? Or any other input? it can be an older model I just require fuel injection. And I’m mechanically inclined so I’m not scared to take on any tasks.

 

[JoshH]

No experience but tagging along, certainly up there with my dream purchases

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

I don't have any experiences with the short buses, I have a 41 foot 5th wheel that I pull with my truck. what I can tell you is the reason for the choice of a trailer RV is when we get to the destination, we are still able to move around without having to take the whole RV. drawback is, if you need something from the RV (food, restroom, beer, ) you have to stop.

my parents had a short bus back in the day and they liked it, but didn't like the fact of being tied to the RV park or camp...

hope this helps, but it probably didn't....

Barnabie

 

[JoshH]

I don't have any experiences with the short buses, I have a 41 foot 5th wheel that I pull with my truck. what I can tell you is the reason for the choice of a trailer RV is when we get to the destination, we are still able to move around without having to take the whole RV. drawback is, if you need something from the RV (food, restroom, beer, ) you have to stop.

my parents had a short bus back in the day and they liked it, but didn't like the fact of being tied to the RV park or camp...

hope this helps, but it probably didn't....

Barnabie

I see a lot of RV's with smaller vehicles in tow, not sure if it's a possible conversion from a bus, adding a drop down hitch or something to that effect. Would solve the issue of being "Stuck" so to speak.

I bought a 1 Ton truck for the purpose of buying an in bed camper only to find out the camper I wanted cost the same as the truck did lol. We are now looking at 5th wheel options, maybe even a tiny home as they are a little more "Homey" for the longer trips.

 

[ReeferSteve]

I don't have any experiences with the short buses, I have a 41 foot 5th wheel that I pull with my truck. what I can tell you is the reason for the choice of a trailer RV is when we get to the destination, we are still able to move around without having to take the whole RV. drawback is, if you need something from the RV (food, restroom, beer, ) you have to stop.

my parents had a short bus back in the day and they liked it, but didn't like the fact of being tied to the RV park or camp...

hope this helps, but it probably didn't....

Barnabie

Thanks for the input. I’m hoping I can find something small enough so this won’t be as big of a burden. We’re also more interesting in exploring within the national parks we’ll be stopping at.

But I can see where it can be a bit of a pain to be tethered to the RV at all times.

 

[JoshH]

I've debated the conversion option myself, used buses are usually pretty cheap and easy to come across. But it would be a TON of work and could be just as if not more costly than buying a trailer when it's all said and done depending on how you finish it out.

 

[biophilia]

Not exactly a short bus, but I converted a large cargo van (159" wheel base Ram Promaster 2500 high top) last year to an RV (all electric/660W solar with shower, hot water, composting toilet, induction cooktop, etc). The conversion process was wayyyyyy more involved than I initially anticipated, but was a really great learning experience. If you're mechanically/electrically/woodworking inclined or willing to spend some serious time researching and watching YouTube videos, I can't recommend it enough!

Expect that every step of the way will take at least twice as long as you initially anticipate, but there are a ton of resources out there to help you along. Feel free to reach out if you go the conversion route and need any pointers!

Here's some pics of my conversion (just a single rough coat of primer is on the cabinets in these photos so it looks a bit sloppy still)

 

[ReeferSteve]

Not exactly a short bus, but I converted a large cargo van (159" wheel base Ram Promaster 2500 high top) last year to an RV (all electric/660W solar with shower, hot water, composting toilet, induction cooktop, etc). The conversion process was wayyyyyy more involved than I initially anticipated, but was a really great learning experience. If you're mechanically/electrically/woodworking inclined or willing to spend some serious time researching and watching YouTube videos, I can't recommend it enough!

Expect that every step of the way will take at least twice as long as you initially anticipate, but there are a ton of resources out there to help you along. Feel free to reach out if you go the conversion route and need any pointers!

Here's some pics of my conversion (just a single rough coat of primer is on the cabinets in these photos so it looks a bit sloppy still)

Wow! Nice job. I may be picking your brain soon. Does it offer much room? I need to sleep 4

 

[biophilia]

Wow! Nice job. I may be picking your brain soon. Does it offer much room? I need to sleep 4

The Promaster and vans like it (e.g. Sprinter) may be a little cramped with 4 -- unless 2 are small children. Mine has fixed, full size mattress so it can only sleep two, but I've seen lots of builds that have a larger bed, or even multiple beds, that either fold down or are futon-type bench seats.

With 4 people you may find a short bus is a little more room and a little easier to build out since it's a bit wider, longer, and the walls are a little more square. Promaster and Sprinter vans are convenient because you can fit most of them in a standard parking space and they get slightly better gas mileage, but schoolie conversions generally cost less upfront and give a lot more room if you need it. They're also easier to build out and a little easier to incorporate things like larger water tanks, propane heaters, etc IMO.

 

[AZMSGT]

yup, I choose a trailer. You can park it and go run around freely. Guess it really depends on how many occupants. Years ago we camped with a pop up and it was great fun.

 

[ReeferSteve]

The Promaster and vans like it (e.g. Sprinter) may be a little cramped with 4 -- unless 2 are small children. Mine has fixed, full size mattress so it can only sleep two, but I've seen lots of builds that have a larger bed, or even multiple beds, that either fold down or are futon-type bench seats.

With 4 people you may find a short bus is a little more room and a little easier to build out since it's a bit wider, longer, and the walls are a little more square. Promaster and Sprinter vans are convenient because you can fit most of them in a standard parking space and they get slightly better gas mileage, but schoolie conversions generally cost less upfront and give a lot more room if you need it. They're also easier to build out and a little easier to incorporate things like larger water tanks, propane heaters, etc IMO.

Thanks again for all the great info. I’m definitely leaning towards a short bus at this point.

 

[Indytraveler83]

The biggest thing with "budget" options is remembering what can go wrong and what is worn out.

My RV budget was about $1,000, so I got a used pop-up in the dead of winter (cost $800, should have cost around $2,000 in summer) and then spent $200 fixing it up.

With an old bus or something like that, don't forget the "budget" can go sideways in a second if you loose a transmission or blow a head gasket.

Trailers have so much less than can break, and so much less that's truly critical.

 

[ReeferSteve]

The biggest thing with "budget" options is remembering what can go wrong and what is worn out.

My RV budget was about $1,000, so I got a used pop-up in the dead of winter (cost $800, should have cost around $2,000 in summer) and then spent $200 fixing it up.

With an old bus or something like that, don't forget the "budget" can go sideways in a second if you loose a transmission or blow a head gasket.

Trailers have so much less than can break, and so much less that's truly critical.

I agree with you. But, I already get terrible gas milage and if I’m going to make it worse by pulling a camper I might as well have all the extra comforts of an RV.

 

[Indytraveler83]

I agree with you. But, I already get terrible gas milage and if I’m going to make it worse by pulling a camper I might as well have all the extra comforts of an RV.

Fair enough. It also depends on the reliability of your full time vehicle. I had to replace mine a year ago, so even if my vehicle breaks down, I don't pay for it. If a trailer would cause excessive wear to a vehicle that might not handle it, that's still an expense to consider as well.

 

[GregDaKeg]

I’m on the hunt for my first RV and hoping to hit the road with my family later in the summer for a west coast trip.

I’m on a budget (I’m frugal) and I’ve been looking at “short” busses as a conversion candidate. Anybody have experience with this? Or any other input? it can be an older model I just require fuel injection. And I’m mechanically inclined so I’m not scared to take on any tasks.

Worked for me, wife, and two kids. It ain't pretty bit it was super fun to build (with kids)

 

[GregDaKeg]

I don't have any experiences with the short buses, I have a 41 foot 5th wheel that I pull with my truck. what I can tell you is the reason for the choice of a trailer RV is when we get to the destination, we are still able to move around without having to take the whole RV. drawback is, if you need something from the RV (food, restroom, beer, ) you have to stop.

my parents had a short bus back in the day and they liked it, but didn't like the fact of being tied to the RV park or camp...

hope this helps, but it probably didn't....

Barnabie

Second that! Bought last year. Pulls great with my 4-Runner.

 

[GregDaKeg]

Not exactly a short bus, but I converted a large cargo van (159" wheel base Ram Promaster 2500 high top) last year to an RV (all electric/660W solar with shower, hot water, composting toilet, induction cooktop, etc). The conversion process was wayyyyyy more involved than I initially anticipated, but was a really great learning experience. If you're mechanically/electrically/woodworking inclined or willing to spend some serious time researching and watching YouTube videos, I can't recommend it enough!

Expect that every step of the way will take at least twice as long as you initially anticipate, but there are a ton of resources out there to help you along. Feel free to reach out if you go the conversion route and need any pointers!

Here's some pics of my conversion (just a single rough coat of primer is on the cabinets in these photos so it looks a bit sloppy still)

Love It!!!! I converted a cargo trailer. It was so fun.

 

[Indytraveler83]

Now the real question is, can you incorporate a reef into an RV build???

Would the motion on the road count as a wavemaker?