Newbie

[Dooley]

I am a long time "lurker," and called to check out this bus. It was owned by a party that was on the "drag racing" circuit who ran out of money. This explains the condition of the coach.

They have a pending sale at present, and Tom said that the bank wanted at least $125K, which is likely where the price is. Tom also stated, as John pointed out, that the coach would need between $20K and $25K to make it look as "good as new."

Tim

[gmcbuffalo]

Jim I love the Mohawk hair cut on that bus.
GregM

[michaeldterry]

I am a long time "lurker," and called to check out this bus.

Welcome to the asylum, Tim! Now that you've dipped your toe in the water, go ahead and wade all the way in! Tell us about yourself - where you hail from, bus ownership status and/or what you're shopping for in a bus, sheepherding experience, felony convictions (unprosecuted charges don't count), and anything else that will give us ammunition to make fun of you with!

In all seriousness, if you've been lurking for a while, you already know that this group of bus nuts has a collectively warped sense of humor and can be unmerciful with ribbing each other, but a better and more knowledgable bunch of bus people you will never find - and generous to a fault!

Participate as much as you can to get the full benefit of being a POG'er and above all - have fun!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Didn't the Kingston Trio sing : " Hang down your head Tim Dooley, hang down your head and cry"?

Or was that someone else?

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

It was someone else, like Tom!













JIM

[GDeen]

That bus has been on Cooper's site for quite a while now. I have been surprised it has hung around as long as it has, given how hard they have been pushing it.

[Dooley]

I am a divorced father of two, a son (11), and daughter (9), and we live in Palo Alto, California. I own my own Franchise Consulting business, assisting people purchase the right business for themselves.

I caught MPD upon leaving Yellowstone after our second straight summer of tent camping for two weeks. We love the park, but I lost ten pounds (not an entirely bad thing) hefting gear from the car to camp site to make every meal (due to concerns with the bears, you must leave all food, utensils, stoves etc in the car).

As we were leaving the park, I found myself trailing what appeared to be a new, and beautiful Millennium bus. I had no idea what it was, but I knew then that this was the way to travel.

When I was growing up, one of ten, my parents were avid campers, and ultimately bought a Terry trailer. We went somewhere every other weekend. So, I am rather addicted to touring the country.

Once I got home, I started my research, and found the POG site. I think I know you all very well at this point after having read almost every post here.

I came very close to purchasing Bruce's 0533 back in September/October '08 (hello Bruce). What a great coach, and as you all know, he continues to improve upon a very good thing. However, it was at that time that the market crashed, and along with it my portfolio. So, I have had to put the dream to rest for the moment.

However, I still look for a great opportunity. I tend to like the interior styling/decor of Millenniums, Marathons, and the occasional Country Coach. I look for the following in a coach, purely from an practical living point of view (with two young kids, and possibly a couple of buddies);

• I need at least one pull out sofa, and could probably add another opposite the original as I realize that most coaches do not come with two.

• Also, with regard to kid sleeping accommodations, I do like the "basement" sleeping compartment, but do realize this is rare.

• I like the "booth" arrangement for dining, versus the table w/two chairs.

• I tend to gravitate to the warmer interiors, not the cream or white (as
again, I have two kids, and we all know what that means).

• I need a private toilet, as this will allow unhindered travel from front to back of the coach (again, kids need their privacy...as well as adults).

Jon, I realize that I haven't touched on any technical differences between the converters, but will certainly consider this if and when I find something that gets my attention. In addition, I don't want to start world war three between all of the current coach owning members of POG.

I don't have any "sheepherding" experience, and don't own a plane, but do own a 30 foot Grady White fishing boat. My son is addicted to fishing. We fish in SF Bay, and I love going offshore for albacore tuna, and love to view all of the sea life (whales, dolphins, and the occasional Great White sharks at the Farralon Islands).

I just went out over the 4th of July weekend solo, spent the night 80 miles offshore, caught 14 tuna, saw a pod of 50 dolphins, and also saw a whale fully launch itself straight up and out of the water. It was incredible.

As for the sad "Dooley" song, with the last child in our family of ten, we pleaded with my mom to name the last one "Tom." She agreed, but we had to promise we would never sing the song. To this day, I still don't know all of the words to that song!

Sorry for the long message, but I truly enjoy those of you who regularly post here. It is truly an incredible group, with tremendous knowledge of these magnificent machines.

Tim

[michaeldterry]

Great post, Tim! Thanks for sharing your story! The info you've shared will, no doubt, enable the collective brain trust here to help you find the right bus to fit your desires and needs.

Welcome to the "family" and happy hunting for your very own Prevost!

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Enjoyable post Tim, welcome to P O G!!!!


JIM

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Welcome aboard Tim. Despite what you say I will start the war.......

The newer the coach, the more you need a strong reliable converter who will stand behind it and respond to your every question. Older coaches, even orphans without converters are readily serviced because they tend to be less complex (meaning proprietary circuit boards and computer software) and parts are generally available off the shelf from supply houses.

Some late model coaches are also easily serviced, such as the Royale because those conversions had simple systems.

The two names you will see most recommended are Marathon and Liberty. They are the two converters who have been around forever and who both make excellent coaches. They both have outstanding reputations for support.

But there are also other conversions, such as Millennium, Vantare, and Parliament whio are still doing conversions, who make great coaches, and who support their coaches very well.

This is literally a small community and as such a converter will quickly get bad marks if an owner is mistreated. I think you just need to continue with your list of wants and needs and as you refine the list the coach you want will emerge. I would strongly recommend you contact Steve Bennett from California Coach. Steve is very knowledgible and can give you straight information on the direction you should be heading.

We can offer opinions here, based on our personal experiences. What you have to do is sort through what we say to determine what is really important to you. That will be based on how you plan to use the coach, something that will have a greater impact on your decision than anything.

For those waiting for the bomb, here it is. Tim, stop wasting time looking. Just go get a Liberty with OTR. You will never regret the decision.