I have had motorhomes and travel trailers and I like the travel trailer approach much better. I still look at buses and motorhomes and think they are cool but I wouldn't own one again unless it was just about a giveway.

Hello, from the Rabbit Ears Motel in Steamboat Springs, CO. The mountains are especially beautiful this year.

Oh, well, I just got screwed once with a car from ebay and I don't want this to happen to anyone here.

asnowsquall, just be careful and check it out in person or have a person you trust check it out before you buy. Common sense, though, but I still made the mistake and bought unseen.

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'99 S420, 155k
'91 VW Vanagon GL, 150k
'85 VW Vanagon GL, 120k
'82 VW Westy, aircooled, 165k

A guy that coached my daughter's softball team last year converted a school bus to a #22 Catapillar Nascar "team rig". You can leave the basic yellow color and add the supporting graphics to make a cool rig. He gutted the think and put couches and chairs, bar, etc. It is a pretty sweet rig for about $6k convesion. He pressed all his drinking pals for donar couches and chairs so really the main cost was graphics and chrome wheels, window tint, and about $2,000 in audio/ video.

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1996 E300D
1996 E320 Wagon 4MATIC
2003 Jetta TDI- GLS, 5-spd
1997 Passat TDI
2002 F350 Crew cab 4x4 Powerstroke
Jacobsen HR 15' cut ZTR w/ 80 HP Perkins diesel
Hustler 6' front deck with 28HP Kubota diesel

I am a full time RV'er and you could say home is where I park it. I much prefer the motorhome to a trailer. with a trailer, you need a large truck to haul it around, get 10-12 mpg. Then when you get to where you are going, unhook, you still have a vehicle that gets 10-12 mpg . My MH gets 6-8mpg , then when I get to some place to stay for a couple weeks or months, I unload the MB and have a vehicle that gets 28-30mpg

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project

A few years ago, I visited LazyDays RV, up in Tampa - Man-o-man that place is big! Lots of eyecandy, and a good selection of used RV's....unless you want a converted bus; they only had one when I was there.
The new Eagles were impressive!

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

those look like chrome wheel simulators.

i myself am just getting into the rv experience and wanted a motorhome.figured i could get a dollie and tow my tdi jetta,but momma wanted a slide or 2 for more room inside,and i was looking at 30k and up for gassers and close to 50k and up for diesels.figured a trailer was gonna be my best bet.ran across a super deal on a 37ft 5th wheel and then picked up a med duty freightliner.jack i will agree you need a large truck to pull these big 5th's.between the truck and trailer i'm under 25k,and i found a sleeper type cab to mount on the truck that i can convert to either haul my bike with me or 4 more people.

I have an old 1977 Barth Motorhome (22" long, A class with a chev 350). We've had a lot of fun with it, But what I'd like to have is an MCI 7 or 8, like greyhound used in the late 60s or 70s. They had that funny step up in the roof about 4 or 5 feet back. I think one of those two modles was a standard and the other an auto trany.........with the 8V71 and a turbo... and 2 speed Jake Brake........ hmmmmmmmmmmmm

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Thanx,
Alberta Luthier
1983 300CD ('Stinky')155k miles, 2.47 diff, EGR removed, AAZ injectors with 265 nozzles from Sean,and vogtland lowering springs.
1984 300SD ('Old Blue')150k Klicks from Japan originally, came with rear head rests, no sunroof and never had an EGR

Motorhomes have an extra driveline to maintain and they sit almost all of the time, not a good mix. Motorhomes are not pleasant to drive, especially in the places I like to go. They are really only good on interstates and flat places. You can't back a motorhome with a dingy in tow, sucks.

Huge travel trailers are a pain to travel with also, scale back unless you are just towing it locally on holidays.

A tow vehicle is useful for other purposes just don't put a lot of unecessary miles on it. Get a big motor, low gears and overdrive. Engine braking on heavy vehicles cooks transmission fluid, change it often.

Buses are fleet vehicles and are designed to run most of the time, even approaching 24 hours a day.

The real fun with RVs comes after the thing is parked, travel is a compromise at best.

If you just want to drive a big rig, get a job driving a truck for a while. A while will probably cure you.

That bus on ebay is getting out of my range, although it may be worth it. I may just give the one I have now a chance, it would just be nice to start with the one I really want which would be a diesel pusher. The one I have has the DT466 and MT643 which both are rock solid performers. Not to concerned with fuel mileage as it will be converted to run on WVO. I haven't done alot of traveling with this bus yet, and all of my driving has been in a local area that I know, but it doesn't seem to bad to drive. I'm sure with a vehicle in tow it could get tricky, especially when you take the wrong turn. The bus I have know basically cost me nothing, but to use it as I would like, and get a feel for it, requires a lot of work and $$ as the seats have got to come out and safe seats with belts need to be installed, then comes A/C which is a must have if we want to go any distance with the kids as it will be in the summer time. As far as trailer or bus, I've seen trailers whiping around on the highway and I think the bus is safer. Yes I would love a MCI but that is more $$. The two strokes are a little tricky with WVO from my readings on Frybrid, they can run cool at idle and you run the risk of engine oil contamination. Sure would be nice to find a good deal on a used RV diesel pusher, convert it to run on WVO and use it for a while to see if the family likes it. If not sell it and recoop the money. I really want to take the family to see the grand canyon. As far as an extra engine, and sitting alot, I say run it to work one time every month and it should be fine..

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Currently driving a very clean 1985 300SD from the West Coast.

I used to drive transit buses in my town, and I have to say that IMHO the Gilligs were always the best. The fleet also had Orion, Thomas, and a single Blue Bird, but I feel like Gilligs outperformed them all, although the Blue Bird has been in the fleet for more than a decade and I still see it out on transit routes once in a while. I would stay away from Thomas's- they continually broke down and most drivers preferred the older Gilligs and Orions.
Just my 2 cents.

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1976 300D 115 at 1??K, doesn't run!

Couldn't get me back into towing trailers, doesn't make much sense to me to have to get out and leave just to get a snack or use the bathroom, I much prefer having the wife nuke some nachos and hand them to my while I'm driving.

Buses are cool, much easier to drive than the plastic-disposable motorhomes. Sturdy, don't get blown around by semis, big difference.

I've had 6 BlueBird Wanderlodges, great coaches. Designed to take a rollover, we've had a couple of owners do it too, doesn't even break windows. They have good factory support even for 30 and 40-year-old models, can't beat that in the industry.
www.millercoachworks.com
www.vintagebirds.com

If you're on a budget, look at the fact that you can get into an '83 Wanderlodge fixer-upper for low 20s (or less), get a Cat turbo-diesel, 265gallon fuel tank, Jacobs retarder, four A/C systems, 12.5kw genset, tanks, furniture, appliances, heavy-duty everything inside and out, some things that you won't find on many new RVs for less than it will cost you for a tired schoolie and a bunch of used parts to build an RV. Also, schoolies are nearly impossible to insure and to sell, some RV parks won't let them in, no resale, ...

BlueBird Wanderlodge started installing diesels in late '76 so you can get into the $10k range if you're handy.

If you want a bus conversion, look for a coach conversion not a schoolie. Buy one that someone has already buried his wallet in building and personalize it yourself, home-conversions almost never sell for the cost of the parts in it so that can be the buyer's (you) gain.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

that doesnt look right!

i have never seen a bus of that apparent vintage with two rear axles.

i am thinking it has been stretched and the second axle added.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Uh, it's a BUS.

100 MPH impossible unless dropped out of an aircraft... and BTW, I've seen a bus hit the side of a warehouse. It ended up indoors. What kind of wall are we talking about?

Generally, the bus will come out best in an accident unless the other vehicle is a petrol tanker...

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1985 300TD
1984 380SL
1983 280SE (full Euro, trunk triangle and all!)

Formerly owned:
1986 420SEL
1984 300D
1983 300D
1981 300SD
1976 300D

yea.......ain't it great

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81 Mercedes 300SD 289k.......SOLD
82 Mercedes 300CD 252k......slow ride

82 mercedes 300 SD...mi Unknown
83 Mercedes 300D ????ksniff..gone too
84 Mercedes 300D 148k........SOLD
85 Mercedes 300TD 386k and holding some one elses project