RV with bunks for touring band

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Jtwoods4

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Oct 25, 2018
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41
Hey everyone I'm new to the Forum and I'm here to start learning about RVs. I am in a touring rock band and we're looking for an RV that can comfortably sleep five people. Bunk beds in the hallway would be really cool but those are proving hard to find.

Budget is about $10,000 and I would love to go diesel But realize that may not be in the $10,000 price range.

Can you guys help point me in the right direction for something that would be reliable and good for a touring band?
 
A $10k RV is basically a money pit. It will need at least $10k put into in immediately to make it road worthy. They all need a set of tires ($3K), a roof resealed ($2K) and a lot of work replacing belts, hoses and all the other rubber items that have gone bad. Large RVs are designed for old retired couples so finding one with enough beds would be problematic.
 
SeilerBird said:
A $10k RV is basically a money pit. It will need at least $10k put into in immediately to make it road worthy. They all need a set of tires ($3K), a roof resealed ($2K) and a lot of work replacing belts, hoses and all the other rubber items that have gone bad. Large RVs are designed for old retired couples so finding one with enough beds would be problematic.
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wow this is discouraging I'm not sure what to do at this point I've got to get something. Motel costs add up quickly and we're touring from City to City.
 
Jtwoods4 said:
wow this is discouraging I'm not sure what to do at this point I've got to get something. Motel costs add up quickly and we're touring from City to City.
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Motel costs are nothing compared to keeping a 20 year old motorhome running. The reason any motorhome is $10 is because it is basically worthless at that point and in need of a lot of repairs. If it was not worthless and in need of a lot of repairs it would be worth a lot more money. You might want to try buying tents and sleeping bags and staying in campgrounds. I am a retired musician and there is no way a low level band can afford a motorhome on the salary that they pay the average band. You have to get to the next level to afford a decent one.
 
Ok great info. Let me ask you this. What would be a good budget for a reliable used RV. Please provide a gas engine budget vs a diesel engine budget.
 
Here is a gasser that will sleep 5:

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/class-a/2010-winnebago-vista_rv-40340

I would not recommend a diesel for your group. In my humble it is a question of the right tool for the right job. Diesels are used mainly for towing a vehicle and driving in mountains. They are generally more expensive to operate and maintain. Here is a diesel that has five beds:

https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/diesel-motorhomes/2003-itasca-horizon_rv-40707

Notice it is a lot more expensive and a lot older than the gasser.
 
If your band does buy an RV you better have a lawyer draw up a contract that all the band members sign. You need to decide who makes the decisions about driving. Who decides what maintenance needs to be done and who is responsible for overseeing that. You need to figure out in advance what happens when someone does something to damage the RV and a whole host of other legal issues before you buy the RV. Multiple owners of an RV is a very sticky situation.
 
You could also consider an old school bus. Remove half of the seats and put a few cots in there. I see buses sell for as low as $2k.
 
Okay I'm just curious what is it about an old school bus that's different from an older RV?

Old school buses are going to have the same mechanical issues as an old RV.

If the only thing an old RV needs is new belts and hoses and a new seal layer on roof I can do all that in my backyard.

Forgive my ignorance I'm just curious what are the big cost factors that I would expect from a $10,000 RV? Belts, hoses and tires are standard wear items on any vehicle.
 
Jtwoods4 said:
Okay I'm just curious what is it about an old school bus that's different from an older RV?

Old school buses are going to have the same mechanical issues as an old RV.

If the only thing an old RV needs is new belts and hoses and a new seal layer on roof I can do all that in my backyard.

Forgive my ignorance I'm just curious what are the big cost factors that I would expect from a $10,000 RV? Belts, hoses and tires are standard wear items on any vehicle.
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I've never seen water leaks on a bus. If you find a water leak on an RV, its almost always >$1000 to repair the damage.

Many bus companies are required to get rid of old, still functioning buses due to EPA or safety regulations. For example, some states have passed laws that require all seats on public transportation to have 3 point seatbelts available for every rider. If they are using an old bus, say 15 years old, they likely don't have seatbelts. Replacing all of the seats is the most cost effective way to add 3 point seatbelts in a bus and that can add up $20-30k, plus inspection fees. At that point, it is more cost effective to buy a new bus at $70k.

But SeilerBird has a point that finding a place to park may be difficult.
 
Regarding the water leak issue on RVs why does that cost $1,000 to repair? Again excuse my ignorance but why not just get up on the roof with a bucket of sealer and pour it over the leak? That might cost like 50 bucks to buy the sealer (silicone).

I'm not questioning you guys knowledge I'm just trying to learn how this works.
 
Jtwoods4 said:
Regarding the water leak issue on RVs why does that cost $1,000 to repair? Again excuse my ignorance but why not just get up on the roof with a bucket of sealer and pour it over the leak? That might cost like 50 bucks to buy the sealer (silicone).

I'm not questioning you guys knowledge I'm just trying to learn how this works.
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More so than not, when water damage occurs, it has gone through multiple layers of material. A personal example is that after taking my MH out of winter storage, there were pinhole leaks where the previous owner sealed by using this sealant that you are referring to. He went over the top of the old material as most people would do. The old sealant rotted and ate away the new sealant from the inside out. After the snow melted, water found its way into the ceiling, which caused mild rot to the roof joists. They were structurally sound still, but I still had to tear all of the ceiling apart as most of the wood paneling on the inside was soft and rotting, along with the insulation. Then, I ended up climbing on the roof to remove every single fixture and fitting to remove the old sealant and apply fresh sealant straight onto the roof base material.

Also, NEVER use silicone on an RV. Nothing sticks to it after you apply it and it is opening a can of worms for future repairs.
 
Jtwoods4 said:
S*** that sounds like a nightmare
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Now you're getting the idea. It's not so much the chassis (though that could have problems too), but the house part that can be a nightmare. Careful inspection will catch most problems IF you know what you are looking for, but that's MOST, not all, and some things that you might not catch on inspection could be that nightmare.
 
Jtwoods4 said:
Regarding the water leak issue on RVs why does that cost $1,000 to repair? Again excuse my ignorance but why not just get up on the roof with a bucket of sealer and pour it over the leak? That might cost like 50 bucks to buy the sealer (silicone).

I'm not questioning you guys knowledge I'm just trying to learn how this works.
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If you do all the repairs yourself it is not that expensive. But if you have to pay someone RV repairmen get like a $100 an hour and that adds up fast. So you will only be using the bus for gigs within 200 miles of your house? If not you will need RV parks or park in Walmart parking lots.
 
SeilerBird said:
If your band does buy an RV you better have a lawyer draw up a contract that all the band members sign. You need to decide who makes the decisions about driving. Who decides what maintenance needs to be done and who is responsible for overseeing that. You need to figure out in advance what happens when someone does something to damage the RV and a whole host of other legal issues before you buy the RV. Multiple owners of an RV is a very sticky situation.
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Not multiple owners I would own it.
 
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