Why don't I see more busses on the road?

[NCbob]

Three weeks ago we brought our bus back from CHI and I have to admit I was in 7th Heaven wheeling my beastie down the road.
But, I saw only Class A S/S jobs coming the other way.  One bus gave me the headlight greeting (which I was slow to respond to...
'cause I couldn't find the headlamp switch) so for the balance of the trip I was more aware.

Last week end we made a fast trip to FL and again....more S/S jobs but alas...no busnuts!

Does anyone have any sort of statistics of the ratio of bus conversions to Class A S/S units out there cruising around America?

Or did I just happen to be traveling in the doldrums where most of us are working toward getting our lovlies ready for the road?

Remember now guys,  I'm a newbie and have a lot to learn....but like Jeff Foxworthy sez, "Like a diesel engine...once warmed up they run for a looong, loong time"!  Thas me folks....I'd rather be driving and enjoying that feeling of floating on a cloud....'cause I suspect that's as close to Heaven as I'll ever get....and I'm darned sure going to enjoy every second!

NCbob

[Ray D]

11

[Busted Knuckle]

Bob I don't know why we don't see more busnuts on the road but if you see a white charter bus with big ol' teal letters that say Lakeside Travel on the side coming at ya flashing it's me! I wave at all buses as I am a nut about them even tough ours aren't converted! I do see 'em from time to time but the S/S and high end commercial conversions by far out # the folks on the boards I assure you! FWIW ! Knuckle

[belfert]

There are many more sticks and staples than converted buses.  RV.net gets 5,000 posts per day and we get around 3,500 posts a month.

Brian Elfert

[plyonsMC9]

yes, busses and  conversions definetly more unusual.          

I've had literally a large crowd of folks just staring at us in our bus in a Yogi Bear park down south.  Kind of cool.  Then we had to slooooowly drive through the crowd as they were standing in the park road we had to traverse.

Bus Nuts.  Fun!      

[JackConrad]

Based on FMCA membership, magazine subscriptions and a few WAGs, the genreal concensus seems to be about 5000 conversions in the US.  At least that is what I have heard from several differnet sources.  Jack

[NCbob]

Whew!  For a moment I thought I was the only one out there on the road.  So you don't misunderstand, there are a great number of folks driving our great highways who are wonderful RV'er's and I'll tip my hat to them.  We, wonderfully enough, are a sort of a maverick group who want to take the hobby one step furthur.  We want to not just enjoy the hobby....we want to build a better way to travel.

I welcome the comraderie of every blessed soul who enjoys the joys of open highways and the solitude of quiet campgrounds.
There's always room at my campfire for all who enjoy the RV lifestyle and a special spot in my heart for those who toil for perfection.

Could that we could achieve it.................

NCbob

[plyonsMC9]

Amen to that NCbob!

Best Regards, Phil

[bigtim44]

I was down in Moab last weekend ...again... with our bus,the campsite we stayed at had us parked in amongst the 40 ft Monaco's and countrythings.Funny thing is the big red bus got all the looks and questions.

[plyonsMC9]

Hi there Bigtim44,

Your bus website/blogspot is really well done! 

Fun to see how your bus has progressed.   

Best Regards, Phil

[bigtim44]

Hey Phil
Thanks for reminding me I have to update the blog,I've done quite a bit more work since the last blog entry so I'll try and put up some more pics and info by the weekend.

Tim

[gus]

We departed AR in our 4104 on 12 April and drove through OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA, OR and are now in WA.  We saw one MC8 at the rest area just south of Seattle.We saw a few other large buses but not one 35 footer.  Ours still looks original outside and we haven't seen any other bus of any size that looked original.

We have seen hundreds of sticks and staples.

We depart Sat for ID, MT, WY, SD, NE, MO and AR. I really don't expect to see any on this part of the trip but it would be nice if we did.

[DrivingMissLazy]

I think you have to look at the statistics. How many thousands and thousands of miles or highway are there in the US? How many converted buses on the road? How many days per year are the buses on the road instead of camped somewhere? I think the odds of seeing another conversion while on the road is very slim.

My personal experience, while commuting from California to Florida and back many times, was that I generally never saw more than a couple  of conversions, at the most, while I was on the road.
Richard

[Geoff]

I travel around California and Arizona and see conversions from time to time, usually one or two each trip, but always going the other way so I can't chat with them at rest stops!

[ChuckMC9]

A few figures of note...

RV manufacturers crank out 384,000 units a year, of which somewhat less than 40,000 are Class A motorhomes.

40,000 every year is a lot more S/S's than Bus Conversions out there!

And there are a lot more cookie-cutter tract housing developments throughout the country than custom homes!