# What are the advantages of motorhomes? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 9, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117 "2015-11-09T16:42:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/101 "2015-11-13T03:59:37Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I had a camper van once – a 1969 VW microbus. It had been used as a garbage shed prior to my buying it. It blew up while I drove it home. Rather than junking it, I let it sit in the driveway for several years, until a fellow came knocking at the door wanting to buy it to drive form Canada to Mexico. I explained to him that it did not work because it had exploded. He said he would fix it, so I sold it to him for what I had bought it for, and he had it towed away the next day. I consider my hippie campervan ownership to have been a near brush with insanity. Mrs P & I bought a VW bus (1970) to tour round Europe. It was great. It’s a size that’s only any good for two people who are intimate however. However, if you are bothered by engines blowing up then a VW bus ain’t for you. Engine rebuilds are just a part of VW life. I have a cousin who can swap an engine in a VW bus in some insanely short period of time, I can’t remember how long exactly but maybe an hour or something. Mind you, he is a VW bus professional (literally). ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/102 "2015-11-13T10:09:54Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Mrs P & I bought a VW bus (1970) to tour round Europe. It was great. It’s a size that’s only any good for two people who are intimate however. > > However, if you are bothered by engines blowing up then a VW bus ain’t for you. Engine rebuilds are just a part of VW life. I have a cousin who can swap an engine in a VW bus in some insanely short period of time, I can’t remember how long exactly but maybe an hour or something. Mind you, he is a VW bus professional (literally). A restored VW minibus and camper brings a good price too. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/103 "2015-11-13T11:16:17Z")
One of my friends has a facebook page for his anthropomorphized '78 Westphalia camper. He (the van) has been a full restoration from the bare metal up by my friend (the person, not the van). The facebook page is fun, for it gives the van a personality. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/104 "2015-11-13T12:34:17Z")
Whether by design or just due to rampant simplicity, traditional VW bugs & busses’ engines are stupid easy to change. Remove about 4 wires, three hose clamps and you’re ready. Put a floor jack under the engine+transaxle, remove ~14 bolts and the engine and transaxle slide out as a unit. Or remove just ~6 bolts and pull just the engine leaving the transaxle. And each and every wire, clamp and bolt is easy to reach & easy to get tools on. What a difference versus modern practice. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/105 "2015-11-13T13:09:48Z")
Well you are simplifying a bit. You’ve got to remove a fair bit of tin but yes very easy. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117/106 "2015-11-13T13:23:28Z")
[A camper trailer made to look like a chopped VW microbus.](http://dub-box-usa.com/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-motorhomes/737117.md?page=5)