Insain, but i need to know.... - RV-Dreams Community Forum

FightingDrag · RV-Dreams Community Member

Insain, but i need to know....

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

The chances of a school bus conversion RV getting in a campground that has 60 plus foot pads is slim to none. Now you might be able to get into some BLM gounds and live off the grid. I would not put too much hope in Parallel parking either. Not that this is a bad idea...I just think that you will be very limited on where you can park your home school bus...so to speak. Others may have some more ideas. I...myself would re-think this idea for a fulltime rig.

Speedy

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think you need to google articuated bus laws. It will bring up My RV Guide. The limit is 45 in length in most states, others may be different.
southwestjud

FightingDrag · RV-Dreams Community Member

when i say parallel park, i mean disconnect the two segments, and bring them together to be taking up a 18/30 area

-- Edited by FightingDrag on Thursday 21st of May 2009 08:08:42 PM

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

You need to get with dgorila1 and discuss UNIQUE Rv ideas. I would be of no help as I am more into traditional ideas. Speedy said it all for the most part when he said you would have trouble finding a place to park.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

In Quartzsite, AZ BLM land in January 2007 a guy was trying to convert an articulated bus who already had a converted regular bus. Word was it was a very, very difficult problem. I never saw it completed and neither has anyone I know.
How do you run power, water and sewer lines between the sections? How insulated is the flexible section? Lots of hard engineering problems to solve.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 21st of May 2009 11:21:35 PM

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Here's my two cents:

Most Fulltime RVers find a typical Motorcoach 40 to 45 feet or 5th wheel 32 to 40 feet with slideouts is a very comfortable amount of living space.

Most state or national parks will accomodate up to 35 feet, the maximum length restrictions for the majority fall between 25 to 35 feet length.

Some private RV resorts go to 60 feet but majority are 45 feet.

The length restrictions are due to a combination of site length, tight turns and narrow roadways.

In addition, some RV resorts have restrictions against homemade RVs and required RVIA certification for the RV's allowed in the resort. Some state & county parks also require RVIA certification.

I love to build things and get great satisfaction when I'm through and see the final results of my labor. But after doing some research, calculations and reading blogs by others who have taken on the building/conversion of an RV, I find the cost and hours would out weigh any satisfaction. Unlike a house where you build equity with improvements and upkeep, for the most part an RV begins to lose money from the first day you take it on the road.

My choice would be to buy the largest, newest and least expensive RV available that I find meets my needs and hit the road. Instead of spending time building an RV, I would be out spending time enjoying the country.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Be careful Bear, you're liable to find that the least expensive RV's are that for a reason. They are poorly made with the cheapest fixtures and components.

It would probably be wiser to look for the least expensive of the well made brands and then you can look forward to a longer period of enjoying the full time lifestyle.

Good luck,

FightingDrag · RV-Dreams Community Member

thebearII wrote:

In addition, some RV resorts have restrictions against homemade RVs and required RVIA certification for the RV's allowed in the resort. Some state & county parks also require RVIA certification.

RVIA certification??? Explain? i googled it and all i could find is a school for being a RV certified maintenance person.

rwarner22 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sounds like an expensive experiment with challenges at every turn.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

FightingDrag wrote:

RVIA certification??? Explain? i googled it and all i could find is a school for being a RV certified maintenance person.

Manufacturers who are members of RVIA agree to follow certain guiidelines and affix an RVIA sticker to their RVs when done. A few campgrounds only allow RVs with those stickers.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're in our 219th campground in slightly over 3 years and have never been ask the age or anything else about our RV. The only thing we are ever asked is the length.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Three campgrounds in about seven years of RVing had the RVIA rule that I can remember, and about two more had 10 year rules restricting RV to less than 11 years old. But we have been told in the upscale places like Outdoor Resorts these rules are common.

Edit: I forgot that Jojoba Hills SKP Co-op has an RV age restriction for lease holders of 20 or 30 years, but none on visitors.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Saturday 23rd of May 2009 08:01:30 PM

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lots of campgrounds have "rules" to keep out units they do not want in their park. That may be age rules, RVIA rules (rare), or "management reserves the right..." rules (most common). Very few "nicer" campgrounds are going to tolerate a school bus for long, if at all. Of course, it is going to depend on how nice they are fixed up. I have seen one or two that I woudl allow in places where we work, but in general school busses are not fixed up well enough that I would allow them into parks where we have decision making responsibilities. Public campgrounds are different....there they allow anything that can move in....

FightingDrag · RV-Dreams Community Member

Well, i wasent planning on making a crapy conversion, i wanted to go with somthing nicely colored, and nice interior.

XD I am still in planning. so im getting opinions and knowledgebase at this time. 30 foot can go most places i presume. so i might go with somthing that big. for all i know, ill just get a short bus and a trailer for my shop. im planning on doing my own kind of workamping, so i might need a work area to keep a welder, and other things. so, ya, thats why a 60 foot rig, so i had room to work on things. but if i have to go smaller, i can.