Believe it or not, our country was once filled with folks who traveled by bus. Buses and passenger trains hauled folks from city to city, whether in-state or across the country. Before Trailways and Greyhound dominated the market, numerous smaller operations were helping Americans get from place to place. Those companies needed buses, and companies like Flxible provided them. Decades later, these handsomely styled people haulers are being converted into stylish motorhomes. If you are looking for a cool postwar bus to turn into the motor home of your dreams, then this 1949 Flxible Clipper for sale on Facebook Marketplace in Mapleton, Oregon may be a great starting point. Does a $30,000 asking price seem reasonable for a chance to make the motor home of your dreams?
While other manufacturers tried to break into the car and truck market, Flxible took a different approach. The company got its name from the flexible connection between the innovative motorcycle sidecars that it first manufactured. From there, they branched out into such niche areas as ambulances, vehicles for funerals, and buses for the inner city and longer runs. Their most famous line was called the Flxible Clipper. The first of these was designed as an inner city bus and powered by a Buick inline-eight-cylinder engine in the rear. Not only were these buses popular with cities, they were modified for use in national parks, in limousine service, and even became popular with the studios in Hollywood.
The general design of the Clipper would live on until 1960. By then, Flxible had merged with Fageol Twin Coach, becoming the largest bus manufacturer in the United States by offering a diverse lineup of buses and motor coaches. Yet it was the postwar Clippers that always drew the attention of the public. The front end with its panoramic windshields and smiley face design was complemented by an aerodynamic profile that tapered into a torpedo-like shape in the rear. Once these sturdy buses had served their purpose for their initial owners, they became hot commodities for people looking to convert them into motor homes. Perhaps the most famous Clipper in existence was the one driven by Gornikies, who were the family that drove the main character nuts in the Robin Williams movie “RV” from 2006.
The 1949 Flxible Clipper you see here is a project bus that the seller has decided to send down the road. The ad insinuates that it was purchased from someone else in this predicament. The seller stated in the text “I have seen it run and drive years ago.” Behind the doors in the rear is a transplanted Detroit 6-71 with a four-speed manual transmission that has not been started since it came into the seller’s possession. We are told that the previous owner started the work required to convert it to a motor home and that the interior is “basically a shell.” There is very little rust, which the seller attributes to the bus coming from Joshua Tree. Given that these buses were used in National Parks, it would be interesting to know if this Clipper served at Joshua Tree National Park. The seller is open to questions, so perhaps an interested reader can let us know about this possible connection.
While converting a bus to a recreational vehicle is a daunting task, many have successfully done so and are enjoying a life of leisure in their stylish home on wheels. This bus looks to be in good condition and the engine is one of the most popular diesels ever built. It would be great to see this Flxible Clipper back on the road and in a nearby campground. Hopefully, it will find a new home soon and the stalled conversion will finally take place.
Would you like to take this bus and convert it into a motor home? Have you ever done such a conversion? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
It’s a cool looking bus and would make an interesting RV but to ask $30,000 for a fuel guzzling bus that doesn’t even run makes it an expensive proposition.
Who knows what it will cost to get it running and safe to drive and that doesn’t include converting the inside to comfortable living space. 5 to 8,000 dollars might make it more worth buying.
I absolutely love old busses and this is a nice one. A transplanted 671 was a good engine to install. Plenty of power to get her rolling. The 671 was very easy to work on and they run forever. Some new fuel change the fuel filter some new battery s and a squirt of starting fluid and I bet she will fire right up. The asking price is a bit ambitious in my opinion. But where are you gonna find another 49 Flexible clipper in this condition. To the seller GLWTA and to the buyer make it yours and enjoy it. It will draw a crowd where ever you go.
Found one in a Google search, available last year for 27K, already “done”. Not sure if it’s still available https://www.theautopian.com/this-82-year-old-flxible-clipper-camper-conversion-is-in-better-condition-than-some-new-rvs/
Fred: The converted and restored Flexible you post is very nice and proves that $30K for a non-running, unfinished, unrestored bus is way too much money. The seller must not really want to find a buyer with just 3 pictures.
I have a 1945 clipper, frog face like this ’41. It was converted in’59 and in the early 60’s a chevy big block replaced the straight 8. We’ve towed to vintage races and many are more interested in the Flex than our racecar.
10-15 years ago one that was a factory conversion sold at BJ for over $100k.
Three lousy pics. Lazy.
Lester( Flatt) and Earl( Scruggs) and the Foggy Mountain Boys, put a lot of miles on one of these. Many entertainers used buses like this, I think Johnny Cash had one too. In the 50s, airplane travel was still very risky and a bus was next best thing, only they didn’t fall out of the sky. Thing about anything RV today, it’s very expensive. I suppose there are plenty of wrecked RVs one could part out, still many things will have to be bought new. Once finished however, I think it would be a great way to travel.
Go to Youtube, look up Johnny Cash Hurt, at about 3:20 in the video, you can catch a half second glimpse of his bus. Sure looks like this one here. It sure would be a conversation starter, but what a lot of money and work to get there.
I think the seller is going for gold on the grounds that it’s generally rust free and a blank slate inside. Not sure if that’s a good bet or not.
Then again, he could just be hoping someone says “I’ll give you $15,000 tops for it”, so he can say “SOLD!”.
Unfortunately most nicer campgrounds have a ten year rule. I have a 1996 Newmar, Dutch Star and have been refused because of it’s age. Sending pictures got approval at two but not all.
Sorry, did you say $30,000? I’m sure I misunderstood….I’ll bet you said $3,000 or maybe $300, but certainly not $30,000 for a beat up old bus.
If you want to register it to drive it in CA you need a 2010 or later engine, so another swap would be required. There were several of these at Burning Man 15 years ago, with well finished interiors. There were also a few stuck on the side of the road trying to get up the grades on US 395 in CA. One I tried to help out had a Cat diesel, and whole rear suspension, axel, etc. “Just overheated,” owner said, “we will get there.” And they did.
And no matter what, replace and enlarge the radiator. Put a air scoop up there. Replace the brakes. Parts are just about impossible to get like windsheilds etc
Leaf springs tend to break. Not a lot of headroom either, and no underfloor storage…..BUT, they are so cool looking, almost wish I still had my 52!
7k tops
Back in the ’80s lived in Mn. Greyhound and school bus conversions were the thing. Recall that you could take a bus to Dept of Corrections with plans, and equipment for conversion and the inmates would do the conversion per your drawings and input as progressed. Cheap labor, and did good work i’m told. Wonder how many of them ended working in Indiana at the camper factories after release. Not sure it they still do it or not.
No inside pictures must be dont want to sell it too bad need pictures all over for a good sale
There is no Joshua Tree NP connection for this bus. When it was in service, with whatever line, the Joshua Tree area was only a few homesteads and a couple of mining operations and the gateway to the 29 Palms WWII military training center, now the Marine Corp AGCC. Joshua Tree was just a national monument from the pre-war years until the early ’90’s.
Licence built in Australia, and there’s several motorhome conversions around.
I caught one from the Gold Coast to Brisbane in the late 60s.
A pair of 10 year old boys, travelling without parents. I wouldn’t dream of that these days.