So I have been an RVer for the last 30 years. I have had everything from a cab over camper to 34 foot class A. We currently have a 63 Avalair travel trailer. The problem is that is is a whopping 17’ long. I am 5 years from retirement and we plan on being gone for long stretches at a time. That won’t happen in our 17 footer. I keep thinking about buying a 35-36 Ford big truck and converting to an RV. I also realize that sometimes my dreams are bigger than my calendar. Any of you actually tackled anything like this and what did you learn? Thanks, Root
School bus would be easier. We just bought a small camper. 13 footer. Didn’t want a big one. I’ll eventually do something with my bus. I’ve located another bus though. Dang crap keeps popping up. I joined a bus conversion group. Lots of cool info. I have seen vintage campers attached to old truck chassis and cabs. Looks cool. But then ya got to pull a ride behind it. I think I prefer to pull a small camper. Especially with just the wife. All we need is a place to sleep and emergency bathroom.
I was thinking along these lines. https://classiccars.com/listings/vi...s-for-sale-in-parkers-prairie-minnesota-56361
theres a ton of info on bus conversions Some even raise the roofs. A junk motorhome could donate the chassis, inverter/converter, generator, water, poop(might want a new one) and grey tanks. Sinks, fridge, AC units. I’m parting one now. I seen a guy buy a cheap Prius battery and connect to roof top solar panels. An incenerator toilet. 100% of grid
I have been RVing for 30+ years. This is my current trailer. Took about a year to restore. We have probably 15k miles on it now.
A friend of mine restored an all aluminum slide in. Airstream or avion Sets in the back of a late 60s camper special
A camper is one thing I like newish, I don’t want to get on the road or camp site and fix stuff. I like cranking the air and the tunes and kicking back.
Just bought a newish 13 foot. No wood. All aluminum construction. Plan to use it until I figure out what I want to build.
That’s the way mine is. It has aluminum studs. The cabinets are the only wood and they are far from structural. It’s more cosmetic than anything.
Ive been on the hunt for one of those all aluminum framed campers. If youve ever seen the Spartan co. made some real nice models that hold up pretty well. As far as an actual RV style Ive seen a few on here that a member took a COE cab and used what looks like an old Uhaul aluminum box on the back. Pretty damn cool home built set up. I'll take a look and see if I can find those pics here.
Spartan's were built here in OK, In Tulsa. I went to school in the hangars where they built them. It was an airplane facility first, then after the war trailers and then the Spartan School of Aeronautics. Wally (Airstream) would sue people out of the business. That's why his is the only one left. That's what happened to Avalair, Silver Streak, Streamline, the list goes on and on.... He was a ruthless German.
I built this one in the early '80s from a GMC chassis, BlueBird body , a 300 cu in inline 6, mated to a 4 speed saginaw. Paid scrap price for the bus, bought the engine off the shelf, NOS from the GM dealership for the "want it gone" price of $400. A month later, drove it over 3500 miles on the first trip out. Used up old fleet truck paint, scavenged steel. Used it for going to the races, fishing, hunting, camping and cross country vacations. Usually had a canoe on the roof and pulled a 4X4 behind it or had off road machines inside. It had a creeper gear and would also cruise at 70 mph all day long. It had 4-30 gal fuel tanks. We even built a 20' X 12' add a room with greenhouse hoops for the longer stays. Nothing fancy, but we had a blast with it.
Find you an old Greyhound or Trailways bus and convert it. Diesel powered will pull what you want behind it.
In an attempt at weight savings, I built angle iron frames with vinyl coated chain link fencing, covered with foam for the 6 fold up beds in the back. They were very comfortable but you couldn't sleep on one while moving. The wind would get sucked out of your lungs with every bump in the road. LOL You can do a lot to an old school bus. We had a full kitchen with a stove, oven, fridge and a full size barbecue that was modified for easy fold-up storage when not used, a simple bathroom stall, tables that sat 8, a 45 gal. water reservoir with hand pump, a double sink, a vented propane heater, captains chairs for the driver and co-pilot, an air compressor pump fitted to the engine to operate air tools or whatever, a sound system, CB radio , auxiliary battery with isolator. The 20' voyager square back, cargo canoe took two to get up onto the roof and the 4 HP Chrysler motor clamped on the ladder. By folding up the lower beds there was room for 3 off road machines. A few had to have some wheels removed to fit in the door. It didn't have air conditioning but we never missed it. I do miss the old bus though. After the kids were all married I just had too many vehicles, boats, motorcycles etc. Some things had to go.
Belongs to a friend 1953 Chevy truck https://redding.craigslist.org/cto/d/coos-bay-1953-chevy-custom-camper/7473758561.html
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