I guess I could use some help...

The back story:

Back 3 years ago, I was still able to make a decent living, and my wife and I made an offer to the neighbors for part of the land around us. She owns the 5 acres her house is on, and her dads estate left her the 30 some acres around our 2 acres me wife had bought back in 91. The original plan was to buy an acre on all three sides, to give us a bit more land, but the neighbor talked us into getting half! We made an acceptable offer, but she had to wait for some estate stuff with her brother to settle out.

In the last 3 years, my life has circled the toilet, and I'm keeping my head up, but its tough! Bear in mind, I ain't really complaining... everything we own is paid for... but a doublewide in the woods, my wife's 07 Highlander, my 03 Grandma-quis, and our 03 work truck (heck even throw the bike in - it's paid for too) ain't really living high on the town! The 4 vehicles don't add up to one good replacement in todays market. As long as the double wide doesn't get taken out by a storm one day, we are good there. But could not even buy a tiny house to attempt to live in should something happen!

In addition to my hard luck tale (that's tongue in cheek, for those unsure!) The neighbor has really had some hard blows. She is 70, and an art director at the local arts center, and is married to a starving artist. He's a good guy, but is not equipped to live in the real world, and cannot provide enough income for her to retire. I think they were counting on the money from us to make the difference for her. Add her getting cancer 2 years ago to the mix - she is wining the battle! Good News! - and times are tough for them.

The estate stuff finally settled, but I can barely afford the 3 acres we originally wanted. And my wife and I don't know how that's gonna go over.

If someone on here, that has the financial wherewithal to by a $80 K MotorCoach, has been on the fence about the coach we have for sale, that would allow us to buy more than the 3 acres (although not the half). Would help us, and help the neighbor as well.

I know most folks that would pay 80 for a class 8 conversion, would rather double that (or even triple or more) and get a newer machine, but I figure this a way for someone to help, without me actually asking for charity.

Since I have worked hard my whole life, it is hard for me to admit that I am not able to provide more than the bare essential for my family. 'Course, once again, I am truly blessed, cause "my family" is just me and my wife, and the 3 furry kids! And before I was married, I played a lot, in addition to working hard. So its not really that bad. But as others have said - it can get hard to not beat yourself up. I see others doing well and having lots of toys, and I actually make a bit less than goes out every month. I'm fortunate to have some money set aside before things went to hell-in-a-handbasket, and my income is more than the folks being paid to sit at home, but... anyway, y'all get what I'm gettin' at.

The coach, and trailer are both for sale, either together or separately:

Better / more pictures at 2000 Kingsly Class 8 MotorCoach

Sell the motor home don't purchase any land at all. 

dean1484 said:

Sell the motor home don't purchase any land at all. 

Thanks. Do you happen to know anybody that can afford to be interested in a 46 foot coach? That's a big part of the help I am asking for. That could help me, and my neighbor. 
 

Where are  you currently listing it for sale? There is a buyer, you just need to find them. 

In reply to 03Panther :

Have you listed it on Racing Junk? I'm betting that's probably your best venue.

You could always sell the Double Wide and the property, move into the Motorcoach and hit the road. Go for the adventure!

That thing would be a mansion in Slab City. 

In reply to Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) :

As professional travelers, we talked from time to time about going full time, but 50 years of collecting mechanical projects, my dads 70+ years of collecting ending up in my garage, and my FIL's as well,we decided having a home base was a good plan! And the place is paid for, and not worth much in cash value. From 2008 till 2018 we were never home more than a few days to a couple weeks at a time. One year only totaled a few weeks all year! Sadly, 90% of that was before the big boy, and now, even though we got our dream rig, life made sure that lifestyle is forever in the past. We did have fun, though. We have accepted that this is our retirement home... we don't have to be thrilled with that, but it's better than all the alternatives 

Furious_E (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to 03Panther :

Have you listed it on Racing Junk? I'm betting that's probably your best venue.

I had not thought of Racing Junk... one of the sites we looked a lot at! I need to fix a lot of minor things before listing with any of the sites like them... no major expense, just time. 
will probably end up back at racingrvs.com (where we bought it) on consignment, when I ever get those things done. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

 There is a buyer, you just need to find them. 

Very well stated! Very small market to speak to with this. 
and, this particular one has some history that makes it cool. Well worth restoring to its former glory. But finding that person is gonna be the trick. Most interested in these rigs, are looking fo the newer, most powerful, more refined drivetrains. 'Course they cost more, but...

Furious_E (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to 03Panther :

Have you listed it anywhere and everywhere you can think of that doesn't take a cut for just listing?

Fixt.

Also, get the ads up now, and work on the fixes while it's up. You don't have to list all the negatives. If someone is interested enough to ask, you can be honest, and hopefully have fixed some of them by then. Then at least you've got an interested party to communicate with.

I generally see your competitors as Provost busses. 

Most of the Provost busses that touring rock bands and touring comedians use are "rented/leased" out of Nashville. These companies referb old units since as you know, these things can last a lifetime. 

Some want to tour incognito and for others they wrap the busses to promote the artist. 

If I were you, I'd research these companies and reach out to them. 

However, that's just one place. I'd use every broker possible to find a buyer.

The horse community might be another place to find people interested in your rig. 

There's a few racing related for sale Facebook groups that have good traction.  There's even car hauler groups.  The one I'm a member of is "Race Trailers for sale" but I'm sure there's others.

Tour bus example company and anorher

What you have would be great for a touring comedian. They don't have "roadie sound gear" but comedians tour with merchandise like t-shirts, etc. 

A traveling preacher could really benefit too.  Anyone who's full time on the road. 

All that stuff ended Ala covid but it is all at the infancy of starting back up this summer. There may be a demand surge. 

In reply to John Welsh :

Good point on the (possible) demand surge coming. My life will never get back to traveling, (and that really depresses me) but I sure there will be lots of folks doing it again. 
I wish I knew how to get it out to a truck stop evangelist... that's who this coach was originally built for. I never met him, but probably saw his rig while I was driving OTR, years ago. Has passed away since then, but very cool old guy, from what I've heard. 
It would need the living room changed for a church service, but that wouldn't be hard. Major interior changes for a band, but I had not thought of a comedian. Perfect as is

A few more mood lights and a pole and it's a ready made party bus! But that's quite a change from its original build. 

Maybe try not to look at selling the rig now as (it sounds like to you) losing being able to ever travel again, and see it as the best step toward maybe being able to do that again someday in some way.  I'm not sure how that changes the math of putting the sale money into land, but if that demand surge is coming, spread that ad net wide now!

Trade the truck for the land

As strange as it sounds, you might reach out to some of the bigger names in the YouTube car world.  Finnegan, Cletus McFarland, Vice Grip Garage, some of the guys on Motor Trend and the like.  I know a couple of those guys already have rigs, but may be able to point you in the direction of somone who does.  A lot of them run in the same circles especially for events.

In reply to LifeIsStout :

That is one I would never have thought of! Any ways to contact them outside of you tube? I have an extremely low inter-fu!

Well I would try Mike Finnegan over on the Facetubes, it looks like he has a fan page (and recently posted his rig hauler even!)  https://www.facebook.com/MikeFinneganNews/ 

Cleatus bought https://www.cleetusmcfarland.com/ or http://baldeagle.com/ and there is a contact us page, you could try something like instagram if you have access to that as well. 

Vice Grip has a contact us on his home page at the bottom- https://www.vicegripgarage.com/

Tony Angelo has a facebook page and an email address on the left- https://www.facebook.com/tangelodrift

Those are the guys that I happen to follow, but I'm sure there are more people out there.

In reply to bluej (Forum Supporter) :

Thanks. For clarification, the traveling was taken off the table for other reasons; the sale of the big boy is because we will not be traveling. As we get some other projects moved on, we plan to buy a 23' - 26' that gets better than 6 mpg, and we can take an occasional weekend vacation... kinda like normal folks.

There are a lot of nickle and dime things I gotta fix, before getting serious about advertising to the normal type that would be interested. I was (am) kinda hoping someone on here might want to buy it and put the elbow grease into it for themselves! Or maybe I can drum up a work party weekend or something, since I cannot seem to keep myself motivated to do 'em on my own.

In reply to LifeIsStout :

Thanks a ton for those links. I successfully avoided the book of faces, till a few months ago. Its not the cause of the downfall of society, but is one of the symptoms!

I did join, just to contact a guy about a comet wagon that I was directed to on here. (who never did respond to me) I would not be able to sign back in, not remembering anything I did, but I found out the other day that my tablet is still signed in, even though I know I signed it out. I don't care for electronics that think they know what is good for me! So this weekend, I can look into some of that.

Thanks, again

In reply to 03Panther :

Gotcha, good luck!

Well, we got to talk with the neighbor, and now that she got he brothers half, their account had her put it in her and her husbands name. Not that its in his name, he has to bottom he wanted to keep the half behind their place, in order to keep it all natural, and wants us to buy all 28 acres, so we can sell it all to developers, and make this huge profit. He just wanted us to get the first chance. So, even if someone here bought tmr RV right away, we still could not have helped!

That's ok. We'll make a reasonable offer on a few acres around out 2, and they he can do whatever he wants. If we need to, we can sell this 2 acres, and buy 5 closer to my work!

Thanks for the thoughts, and the few acres will probably work out fine. If not, we have a real nice rv to put on a few acres, while we build a barndomindium!