What will happen?

[temccarthy1]

Need your advice! My boss's college graduate son and 3 buddies want to spend their first summer out of school to buy an old "short" school bus they think for about $5000, rip out the seats and install beds, paint it white and do a loop of the country for 4-6 weeks staying in private campgrounds, National and State Parks while seeing the sights in our country!
Then they plan to sell it at the end of their journey and think they can recoup most or all of their investment! Will they be allowed in to most parks with a ramshackle home made "camper" like this? I have had a 30 ft TT for 2 years and a Pop Up for 30 years prior and and have never seen a rig like this in any campground I have ever stayed in and I have been to probably 100 over all the years!
What will happen? Do you think they will be allowed in to most or all these campgrounds or will they be refused entry and have to bunk down at Walmarts? Will Walmart even allow them to stay overnight in a converted bus?
Appreciate your seasoned advice. If this is going to be a disaster, want to warn my Boss that these boys could be headed for a nightmare!
Thanks for your help!

[TenOC]

Been there -- Done that in the 70's. A school bus mod is a year's hard work requiring skills that a teenager does not have and lots of $$$ if you put in kitchen and holding tanks. Buy a use RV/Camper/TT/5er. You can get a lot for $5K and enjoy the trip.

[the_happiestcam]

They will have a blast. While they probably won't go this far with a conversion, they might be okay with re-sale here's one for sale for 18K

Personally, I would love to have a converted school bus (saw one in Pisgah) that could tow my camper.

[colliehauler]

subcamper wrote:
It's great to hear that they are doing this.

When I got out of college, a friend and I took a 2 week trip to Florida from Buffalo, stopping at many places along the way, in my 1976 AMC Pacer. We slept at a rest stop once to save motel costs. We had no air conditioning in the car. We came back home with just enough money to pay the last toll in NY! This is one of the most memorable trips I ever took.

I am glad they are doing this instead of spending their time texting back and for to each other from loxcal malls. Too many young people are wasting this time of their life. This is one of the few times that you can do this before job, family, etc puts up restrictions to it.

A life experience doesn't mean everything will go perfectly, it means that you learn to work around problems and setbacks, just like you will need to do later in life.

Whatever the outcome of their adventure, they will be the better for having done it.

Steve

Very well stated and agree with you. Will there be some adversity, you bet. It will teach them on how to deal with it. I wish I could have done something similar when I was young, before work and life gets in the way.

When I was a teenager I had a old boat. Most weekends my friends and I would hit the lake skiing, cooking out and having fun. The boat had little value monetarily, it was what I could afford. The memories that were made will last a life time,

[JIMNLIN]

Around here with all the big COE lakes COE campgrounds out number all other private and state.
Old school buses of all sizes were the norm in the late '50s/'60 and early '70s era. Most had the back blowed out with a torch for a deck/same old rusted faded school bus yellow/genuine red neck owners. A one week stay their campsite resembled a hoarders yard.
Many broke down and were abandoned....on site.

Over times thankfully campground rules banned them. What campground rules those young men run into today I have no idea but if they may have to call ahead to see if their "bus" will fit in the rule books "FOR THAT CAMPGROUND".

[Majja13]

I think it sounds like a hell of a good time. Part of me thinks just building the bus into what you want would be fun. But then the older part of me says what about a ,fridge, bathroom, water ect. Out side of the having the hole throwback to the 60's love bus I would probably suggest a class A or C. That being said, wish them luck, tell them to post pics on here for us and have a hell of a summer.

Matt

[temccarthy1]

subcamper wrote:
It's great to hear that they are doing this.

When I got out of college, a friend and I took a 2 week trip to Florida from Buffalo, stopping at many places along the way, in my 1976 AMC Pacer. We slept at a rest stop once to save motel costs. We had no air conditioning in the car. We came back home with just enough money to pay the last toll in NY! This is one of the most memorable trips I ever took.

I am glad they are doing this instead of spending their time texting back and for to each other from loxcal malls. Too many young people are wasting this time of their life. This is one of the few times that you can do this before job, family, etc puts up restrictions to it.

A life experience doesn't mean everything will go perfectly, it means that you learn to work around problems and setbacks, just like you will need to do later in life.

Whatever the outcome of their adventure, they will be the better for having done it.

Steve

THANKS Steve! Great advice!

[subcamper]

It's great to hear that they are doing this.

When I got out of college, a friend and I took a 2 week trip to Florida from Buffalo, stopping at many places along the way, in my 1976 AMC Pacer. We slept at a rest stop once to save motel costs. We had no air conditioning in the car. We came back home with just enough money to pay the last toll in NY! This is one of the most memorable trips I ever took.

I am glad they are doing this instead of spending their time texting back and for to each other from loxcal malls. Too many young people are wasting this time of their life. This is one of the few times that you can do this before job, family, etc puts up restrictions to it.

A life experience doesn't mean everything will go perfectly, it means that you learn to work around problems and setbacks, just like you will need to do later in life.

Whatever the outcome of their adventure, they will be the better for having done it.

Steve

[femailyetti]

At my age, I have come to the realization,,Getting old and wise is highly over rated. Take the money buy the thing, run like the wind and never look back. I do agree take money for the bad things that may happen. We were all young once. go for it and have some fun. I have been kicked out of a couple of things and places in my life. Live it up and learn somthing.

[Rumtan]

Life is made up of experiences........get out there and experience as much as you can while you can.

[CavemanCharlie]

Lwiddis wrote:
Caveman, then since I'm 67 if I am loud or anything else...? That's 1983 time and 1983s can cost cities lots of money. "Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom or usage, of any State or Territory, or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for..."

"Rousting" is a 1983 violation...aka "shaking them down."

My apologizes for a poor choice of words.

What I meant to imply is that ; if you are young, in a older (or home made ) camper, and attract attention to yourselves then some people (and I am not one of those people) would think that you are up to no good. Then they would call the police. The police would then show up, talk to you , and make sure that you have all the proper documents and papers that you need and are just having a good time. Once they are satisfied they would then leave you alone.

Sorry for saying it all wrong.

I hope that they do this trip and see the sights. I wish I would have had the courage to do it when I was young. I wish I had the time (and the courage) to do it now.

[SCVJeff]

languiduck wrote:

tragusa3 wrote:
Wish I had the opportunity to do it! Let me restate that...I had the opportunity, wish I would have acted on it.

To those that offered "bud out"...I commend the OP for a willingness to give input. Our society needs more of that. 🙂 Everyone stays at arms length these days.

Disagree. If you come up to me and start offering unsolicited "input" then we won't get along too well. Our society needs less of people worrying about other people, and more of minding your own business.

He asked for advice and got it. I see nothing unsolicited

[tragusa3]

I didn't go back to read, but I had the impression it was solicited. He isn't talking to a stranger.

[languiduck]

tragusa3 wrote:
Wish I had the opportunity to do it! Let me restate that...I had the opportunity, wish I would have acted on it.

To those that offered "bud out"...I commend the OP for a willingness to give input. Our society needs more of that. 🙂 Everyone stays at arms length these days.

Disagree. If you come up to me and start offering unsolicited "input" then we won't get along too well. Our society needs less of people worrying about other people, and more of minding your own business.

[trail-explorer]

temccarthy1 wrote:
My Boss and his family have never camped or owned an RV. I have for many years. I just wanted to know what you fellow experienced campers feel.

Feel? I feel whatever I touch