Good Day converters!
I have decided that I want to buy a bus, convert it to a tiny home and hit the road.
This idea has been rattling round for some time but - the time is near. I HATE making avoidable mistakes ... I research research research ... until I think my head will explode.
I have been reading this forum for a week or so. Great information and opportunities to learn from others successes and mistakes - Thank You all for sharing so freely here.
I could read for months and find most answers to every question, known and not yet known ... but ... I hope you all will be kind and forgiving and help me with my answers. If it helps I will put together a post to use as a sticky and then people like me will be able to find these answers easily.
All opinions, thoughts and experiences welcome and appreciated. All will lead to the right solution for me.
Because I have not yet purchased a bus ... and this the ultimate, don't screw this up decision, I have the following questions for the more experienced skoolies:
Is it better to try to buy direct from a school district or a re-seller??
Should I avoid a bus that has been sitting, out of service, for a year or more?
From posts here it seems that some school districts take better care of their buses than others. I am in north east Tennessee - are there school districts within a 300 mile radius to avoid - or ones to focus on? For instance there are several buses in NC that might work for me.
It seems that some of you advise to avoid the allison 545 transmission? I ask because I found a bus with the DT466 and an allison 545 - 36 passenger for a good price. This bus has been sitting for 2 years, has just less than 250,000 miles on it and will need batteries and possibly a starter immediately. (I Googled batteries and the starter so know about what those cost) There is another near me that has the cat 3126b and the allison 545. North Carolina seems to like those allison transmissions.
Is there an engine transmission combo that seems the best choice in a mid size bus? I like torque but would also like to cruise at 65 on the highway sometimes ... I do not need to race up mountains. Do any of the engine transmission combinations make this a possibility?
I will NOT be a repair my bus myself person, ease and expense of repairs to the engine and transmission will also be a consideration.
What are your thoughts on the buses where the engine access is inside the bus as opposed to under the hood? (pullers but with the snubbed nose) A few of these type of buses will be coming up in NC in early 2015.
Also - I read everything I could find on removing the wheel chair lifts. The person in charge at the NC bus department said it is pretty easy to get them out - 2 people - 1 under bus to hold the nut and another to unscrew in the bus. Is this manageable, really, for a person who is half "handy" and has a helper? My thoughts are to prepare myself and do the final dismantle at the scrap yard and dump it.
Thank you so much for reading and hopefully offering some insights and advise!
Nancy in NE TN