A few days ago we passed the 8 year mark of driving the BoggsMobile down the road. We now have 303,899 miles on it. That means we have now driven it 119,420 miles and it seems it has many more to go before it is finished.
Last year we posted a few pictures of the day we purchased it. You can see those HERE.
Folks often ask us if we like the bus or the fifth wheel better. Although we traveled in fifth wheels for years and we enjoyed it very much, we love the bus much, much better.
I really liked hooking up the diesel truck to the fifth wheel and making miles down the road. I do miss that but not near as much as I thought I would. It was a much bigger adjustment from pulling the trailer to driving the bus than I imagined it would be. But after a few thousand miles I was ready to go and never look back.
One thing we like better is that it is so much easier for Odie traveling in the bus. She is able to stretch out on her bunk rather that being scrunched up in the truck. That really, really helps her at the end of a long travel day. In fact, a travel day is much like any other day for her and that is a big plus.
It is also much easier for quick bathroom stops. It was a 30-40 minute stop sometimes to find a safe place to stop, get Odie out of the truck, get her cramped muscles unfolded, get her in the wheel chair, find an available handicap restroom and then reverse the whole process. All of that was amplified in rain, snow or cold.
Now she gets out of her bunk and slides to the restroom whenever she needs to.
The bus is so much better for Kelly Jo for many of the same reasons.
It is also much easier to stop for a quick overnight stop in the bus. We almost always had to find a campground with the fifth wheel since we needed electricity, but we almost never do in the bus. It is much easier to pull over and sleep a few hours now.
It is also much easier to stop for a quick overnight stop in the bus. We almost always had to find a campground with the fifth wheel since we needed electricity, but we almost never do in the bus. It is much easier to pull over and sleep a few hours now.
I think we are money ahead with this route as well. Fifth wheels and other RV's are not made to hold up to the demands that evangelists put them through. We would have been approaching the end of useful life on our NEXT fifth wheel by now and probably our NEXT truck as well.
Even though we spent more for this old bus and we spend quite a bit on maintaining it, I still think we are ahead of the game this way. The bus was built to run millions of miles and the Detroit Series 60 engine is known as the "million mile engine." The interior conversion on the bus is much higher quality than most RV's in our price range as well and has proven to hold up better. IF we can avoid a major breakdown, I believe we will stay ahead.
I was reminded of one of the best reasons I like the bus a few days ago during a long travel day. Kelly Jo had cooked a pork roast in the crock pot over night. About 30 minutes before we stopped at a rest area, Kelly Jo got up and began to warm it up. By the time I stopped, the meal was hot and ready!
Yep! That is what I am talking about!
I think we will keep the bus a while longer!
Thanks for reading.
Davy
