Trip cancelled - going to sell bus

[NewbeeMC9]

Brian,

About only going on two trips a year.  That's probably because you didn't have a bus before.  Just think of all the new doors  that will open up to you.  (except the bus door  just kiddin)  There are things you can do with a bus that you never could do before with out a bus.  Like sleep in the walmart parking lot for example,  or get invited to stay at Busted Knuckles, or have an engine with more than 1000 ft-lbs of torque.  You'll add your own example.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your time off anyway.

 

[chargePlus]

#1 -- If you love a bus, any bus, i think that could qualify you as a busnut. if you didn't build your own unit, it doesn't discount your love of the vehicle.

My wife and I bought ours already built, but needing some love. We are in the process of supplying the love. The love takes the form of time, and $$$. We have some time and we have some $$$. We are applying each as available.

#2 -- There are I think a select amount of people who love all busses. I for one break my neck when going down the road to see ANY bus, be it schoolie or otherwise, converted or not.

When I drove down the road prior to buying our 4103 I looked at buses because a good friend has a 1951 Beck that he and his family use to go to the race track. I've always liked older buses.

Since purchasing our 4103 both my wife and I crane our necks to figure out what kind of bus we just passed in our "other" vehicles. Just the other day my wife saw a bus she didn't recognise. I was driving and asked her what she saw. She responded with, "It has an Eagle on the front." My response was that was probably an Eagle, and sure enough when I could finally see it in the mirror it was an Eagle. Just don't ask me what model. Neither of us has reached that point. Yet. 

#3  -- I and my family have chosen to live in a bus fulltime. This requires a certain amount of sacrifice as well as a lot of enjoyment that the "mainstream public" has no connection to. We are fortunate to have an occupation that allows us to live this way, and fulfill our busnut dreams daily.

Neither my wife nor I are ready for that kind of life. In fact we are also enjoying the house we just purchsed. It, too, is a lot of work, but it's like our bus, just not mobile. (ignoring the inconvenient facts that the house sits on a tectonic plate that is "floating," and that the earth is rotating about it's axis, revolving around the sun in a solar system that is moving within a Galaxy, that itself is chugging through the Universe)

To Brian
Hang in there, you have made the leap, and if you just give yourself the time to develop your hobby you will in time thank yourself for that very hobby.IMHO

I agree wholeheartedly! I've burned myself out with a number of things, and when I eased back into them I found I enjoyed them more than I thought.

To borrow and modify a phrase from the the Police: "Place your hands on your head and step away from the Bus."

Take a breather from the bus, rejoin life. Trust me, life is waiting for you, and will welcome you with open arms. When you are ready to work on the bus again it will be there waiting for you with an open door (sorry, I couldn't resist). 

As Clarke mentioned way back in the early pages of this thread, Life is what you make of it. I've just been kicked. I lost my job a couple of weeks ago, and when I was sure I was losing it I was bummed out for a few days, until I saw it for what it was. A break from what I've been doing for close to 12 years. It is an opportunity to take some time off for me and my family (I had over 260 hours of accrued time off), and figure out what I want to do going forward. I did not dread it, I did not fear it, I accepted it, and I'm moving forward.

When I figure out where I'm going, it'll be full steam ahead. Until then I've stopped to smell the roses, and work on our bus, and on our house, and on our racecar, and our street cars (my wife and I own 13 wheeled vehicles not including ride-on lawn mowers...).

If we could be at any of the upcoming rallys we'd be there, unfortunately we have plans of every weekend through November.

Hope to see you sometime on the road. If you are ever in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina, give us a shout and we can hook up for a bite to eat.

- John & Natasha

[DavidInWilmNC]

You know, I also went through a "I'm going to sell my bus" stage a few months ago.  I had some other major issues to deal with and soon became overwhelmed by the bus.  As it turns out, the bus is very therapeutic.  Of course, a therapist would probably be cheaper, but at least this way, I'll have a bus left over after therapy!     I've set so may 'deadlines' to have the bus useable that I've lost count.  Several people ask me when I'm going to have my bus ready 'cause I keep using my pop-up.  What I finally figured out was that I was being unrealistic.  I've only had the bus since May 2005.  I'm working on the bus by myself.  I've had a couple of days with help with removing seats, but that's all.  I learned to weld.  I learned how to use a plasma cutter.  I learned how to work on the air and brake systems.  I've had to learn how to do almost everything I've had to do to the bus.  I also work 40 hours per week.  I'm also neglecting the house somewhat, but it's 65 years old and a few more months of neglect won't hurt it!  With all this, how COULD I have finished it?  Things have been much better since that attitude adjustment!  I like working on my bus again.

Now, I have a REAL deadline I have to meet... 'cause I'm going to the get-together at Timmonsville.  I'll be replacing the rest of the interior aluminum wall panels tonight.  Then I'll make a bed frame.  Next I'll need some window coverings and a passenger seat.  Hopefully, I'll have the most basic water system installed (no tanks).  If not, it'll still be fun, and it'll still be better than that cheap S&S motorhome that I took last time!  I tell friends that my bus will be like a studio apartment for a bit... just one big room with a partition for the bathroom, but I can't wait to drive it!  I haven't driven it since I test drove it prior to buying it (although it's gonna be scary).

David. 

[Dallas]

David!
We don't care if you show up driving a Vega with your pop up behind it, just as long as you show up!

I reached the burnout stage before the last T'ville get together and I am just now starting to get back into the groove.

I have 16google things to do on the bus and just haven't been able to do it. Now I'm starting to perk back up a bit.
I've never considered selling the old girl, but have considered sending her to a scrapper to make bobbypins and toothpicks.

Now that's passed for the moment and I am at work again.

[NJT5047]

Then I'll make a bed frame.  Next I'll need some window coverings and a passenger seat.  Hopefully, I'll have the most basic water system installed (no tanks).  (although it's gonna be scary).
David. 

"Passenger seat"....lawn chair.   "Bed"....air mattress.   "Window coverings"....not necessary (old bedsheet if you must)!
The bus needs exercise!
Lookin for you at T'ville!
JR

[brojcol]

Brian,

I sold my bus a couple of months ago.  It was sad to see it go, but something that is not making you happy is not a blessing, it's a curse.  In my case, I loved my bus, but had no where to store it while I live the nomadic lifestyle of a travelling government employee.  Right now, my family and I are living in the beautiful Wilkes-Barre, PA area.  I just got a promotion and I am a manager of a department.  We are just going wherever life and the Lord leads us. 

I have talked to so many people here who say, "why did you move to Wilkes-Barre"  I reply, "This place is paradise.  I live on top of a mountain, I drive down one mountain to drive up another one to go to work everyday.  It's a long way from Mississippi, but anywhere is home as long as my wife and son are there." 

My point...there is no such thing as "bad luck".  Life is what you make it.  If you always look on the negative side of things, you will always have regrets and depression.  Instead of looking at this as a failure, think of it another way.  At least you had the GUTS to try in the first place.  So many people refuse to take a chance on anything, preferring to live their little boring lives and die at a ripe old age, with no decent memories to reflect on.  So, maybe the bus thing didn't work out.  Well, don't give up.  Maybe selling your bus is not actually giving up, maybe it's just stepping back.  Who knows, you may end up buying a fishing boat next, or taking up mule riding, or whatever.  The point is, stop looking at yourself as a failure because things didn't work out like you planned this time.  I have learned that things rarely ever work out like you planned.  The happy man makes new plans and optimistically pursues them with his whole heart!

Bloom wherever you are planted.  If you sell the bus, you will take a hit.  But living a good life is not how successful we are, but rather how determined we are to succeed. 

Chin up, buddy.  5 years from now, you won't care, one way or the other.

I hope everything works out for you, or rather, I hope you make everything work out for yourself.

Jimmy

[belfert]

I'm resurrecting an old thread here.

It was probably a darn good thing I didn't go on my trip since I sprung a good sized oil leak in the engine with only 250 miles driven since the day we were supposed to leave on the trip.  The oil leak isn't fatal, but I wouldn't have wanted to drive another 3,750 miles without getting it fixed.  (I was hoping by gettnig a Series 60 I wouldn't have issues like this!)

I mentioned that I have spent about $75k on my conversion to date and somebody wondered why I didn't buy something already converted for $75k.  Two reasons I guess:  1.  I thought I could do my conversion for around $60k and I WAY underestimated on that.  2.  I would never find an already converted bus with bunks for $75k that has a Series 60 in it.

I'm a little bit frustrated as I still cannot get my entrance door to operate properly.  I fixed the electrical problem, but now it won't lock which is an air thing, not electrical.  I've talked to MCI tech assistance and they faxed me technical bulletins, but I simply cannot get it adjusted right.  I am thinking I may need to stop at the MCI service center in Chicago on my way to BK's rally to get it fixed once and for all.  The service manager assures me that he has mechanics who have experience fixing Dina entrance doors.

I will get to BK's rally one way or another.  I hope I can get the oil leak on the bus fixed before I leave.  If not, I will have to drive my car instead.  Even if I take the bus, I may end up at a hotel for the evenings as I have no heat and no water plumbed in yet.  I hope to get the water plumbing done over the next two weekends, but I also have to clean out my garage and pick up leaves before BK's rally.

Brian Elfert