Pro's and Cons of using your bus as your daily drive

I use my bus quite alot but not daily, thats the trouble people just dont want a milkman these days. ;D

 

Pros:
Smiles
Waves (from other people or from the sea if you're on the beach)
Nice happy feelings
Cuppa when you feel like it instead of waiting for a cafe
Don't have to get home for a sleep
Always something to do when you're bored (new hoses, new holes, new rust, new tires new................)

Cons:
Fuel
fuel
f-u-e-l
fewel
fule
and the price...
of fuel

 

air cooled engines take a while to get to operating temperature, especially in colder climates like yours, and especially without a working thermostat (1 out of 10 works right maybe), and yet even more so when your pre-heat pipes are blocked, and most are, so on short journeys to work, around town and wherever you stop a lot and let it idle and cool down... it drinks up a pint faster than the fat guy downstairs. the choke is just a simple bi-metal thingy. On the open road it can get as economical as any modern day minivan.

 

I use my van to commute everyday. I've just recently changed jobs and the journey is less than half the mileage now - my wallet is feeling better already

However, I think my van is runs better for being used daily. As long as you keep on top of the basic maintenance it's great. And it means that I can actually look forward to the drive to work! ;D

 

Sorry for not being about to reply peeps.

So really its just a case of fuel and staying on top of the mechanical side of things.

Its a tough one as in all honesty it really does make sense to sell Rusty! My responsible self says sell as then i have some capital to play with and i am currently thinking of changing direction career wise. Work has been a thorn in my side over the past year or so and i just dont have the motivation or passion that i once had for it. Now me and the ex have slit up i'm starting to realise that slowly working my way up in my field was for her and the family. Chasing promotions, earning more cash etc when really its became more of a chore and in truth it played a major part in me becoming ill last year and this year too. I would love to be able to retrain and further the training i have done in the holistical therapy side of my job but to do that it costs money and lots of. Just kind of feel that i need to take some time out for me and take a break for a bit and focus on what direction i want to go in.

I'm so bloody torn as to what to do as its going to break my heart to let Rusty go but then again if i get a decent price for her then maybe i will look to buy another bus for half the price and start again whilst still being able to afford to retrain. Also have plans to maybe move in with my girlfriend at some point of next year so again going to need funds for that.

I hate being responsible. A huge part of me wants to pack up my stuff, throw it in storage, load Rusty up with the essentials and just cruise around for a year or so enjoying myself lol..

 

Sell the van - buy a decent tent and keep the car - you can still take the boys camping and also have a bit of cash for any things that may come up.

 

Makes sense dude! Just dont want to do it but have to think sensibly for once in my life.

 

If you were thinking sensibly you might realize that selling the bus with plans to get another one is probably a faerie tale. Stop me if you've heard it before~
Once upon a time, a foolish man sold his lovely VW bus. He tried to put some of the money away to buy another one as soon as he could, but that money was quickly frittered away on rent, food, beer, cigarettes, cable television, and wooing his expensive girlfriend with jewelry he couldn't afford.
Now his kids need braces and there is no way he can scrape together £3000 for a bus. Of course it's been a few years, so the same bus costs closer to £4200.
Skipping ahead~ Kids graduated from college and moved far away- Foolish old man spots a VW bus in a parking lot, misses Rusty painfully, thinks of all the lost camping trips, violins play, snow begins to fall, pan out, fade to black.
I love having a vintage bus as my daily driver. So fuel is a little pricey. That cost is made up on camping trips as you won't need a hotel. The bus can also be used for any number of inexpensive, last minute, romantic get-aways that would be costly or impossible without it.
Much of the extra fuel cost will be compensated for in this manner.
You can always pick up a good used scooter or moped for quick errands. They get up to 100MPG and they're nearly as fun to drive as the bus!
And It's true- driven daily, it is easier to stay on top of repairs and maintenance. And furthermore, compare the cost of any common repairs your car might need to those a bus might need. You might very well wind up replacing a radiator in your car as apposed to a £30 fuel pump you could replace yourself in 15 minutes.
Finally, if you can plan to save up for another bus later, you can plan to save up for another car later instead. You will always be compelled to come up with a modern car so you can give the bus a rest, but the drive to get another bus will likely be lost in time.
I run into into SO many people in petrol stations and parking lots who come up to see my bus and say, "I used to have one almost just like this. I wish I never sold it." They look sad. Don't become one of these people. Grant your own future wish right now. Decide to keep Rusty.

 

Driving without a good heater can lose it's charm quickly though, I will admit that. But that's an easier fix than people seem to think.
You don't need a £500 mini-furnace taking up half the space under your bench seat. These thin, affordable, catalytic, Olympian heaters work brilliantly and have no fan motor, so they are silent and require no electricity, just propane. They are safe for campers, tents, caravans, etc,...


You can also install heated seats. That might be all you need to cozy it up. The heating pads install under your current upholstery. The kits are affordable and any 12yr old with instructions could do the installation in a day.
And how cool would it be to have heated seats in your bus? 8)