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Old 04-03-2005, 07:11 PM   #1
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I found .... a school bus!

hello folk. I've been watching/reading from the wings for a while. I've found a school bus that I'm about to drag to a mechanic and then probably purchase. Wondered if there were comments on this particular make/model/year?

1991 IH Bluebird model3800 65 pass.
DTA360 Diesel w/ 187K
Auto tranny (Alison AT545 perhaps?) w/187k
air brakes
(2) 100% new goodyears on front w/"budd" disc rims
(4) 75-80% goodyears w/same on back
All seats stripped out. Holes sealed. 1/2" blueboard insulation w/ plywood installed
bus is from Maine (Ack!) but I've looked over the bus and while there's some flakey surface rust below, it seems really solid. (good frame, not rusted through anywhere, no rust on body etc.) I've seen worse in my home state of VT. At least it's closer to home than say, florida .... I'm not used to piloting these big buses around yet.

I want the diesel b/c I'm going to go wvo.
The guy wants 3300 for it.
Anyway ... I'm going to find a shop to put it through it's paces.
Any input helps me at this stage, thanks.nat.

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Old 04-05-2005, 08:30 PM   #2
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well people, I bought the bus. the mechanic said all main systems were good. the rust is @ a "treatable stage". he recommended I use a pressure washer and a light sanding in spots, and then when it's dry I'll spray it with oil. this bus needs no bondo! the machanic said the next things to be replaced would be the air cans, some exhaust work, and a couple of batteries (the 2 in it are shot, what kinda truck battery do I buy?). I can live w/ this.
problem is, bus is still at the mechanics! I'm a VT resident with a ME titled and inspected(expired) bus. I called the DMV and I need insurance for a trip permit. and i need one fast! i read that gmac is the way to go for us skoolies. but their websites down or my friends computer is a little to old and cranky.
any advice on how I can finesse my way through the insurance process? the seats are out, but it's still yellow. lights and signs are still on. it's not converted yet. the title says"BU" and "USED" that's it. what questions might I face from a gmac rep. I have coverage on my pickup w/ gieco but of course they wouldn't have any of it. I told them it was an ih bus that will be a motorhome. oh well.

HOW WILL I GET MY BABY HOME TO VERMONT?!!
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Old 04-06-2005, 01:36 PM   #3
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i'm in a real bind....

yup ..... i've worked myself into a bit of a situation. really need some advice.

me=vermont resident
bus=titled & previously inspected in Maine
bus is sitting at a truck mechanics up near rockland Maine
needs to end up in southern vt

in maine to get a temp. trip permit all you need is a valid drivers liscense and insurance on the vehicle.

been calling every ins. agent in the book. including GMAC. told them I need to transport to my home state finish conversion, title, inspect ......
they won't have any of it. Even though all the seats are out and interior floor is down, walls are painted!!! They say "we can't write you a temporary or "1trip" policy". "to get liability the conversion needs to be done proffesional conversion co." or else I need serious photo documentation of the conversion I do ..... only I have no place to finish the conversion except back in VT.

upon explaining my problem to the ME DMV, I was told that I'd have to find a company to insure the darned thing, or else I have to FIND SOMEONE TO TOW MY 31,000lb BUS. oh yeah and even then, I'd still have to pay $12 to get a trip permit! grrrrr .....

I'm almost desperate enough to make the trip illegally on back rds. at say 2AM some morning. I don't relish the thought ..... especially given the condition and driving time it's gonna take to do it on back rds thru Maine & NH.
Help?
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Old 04-06-2005, 06:10 PM   #4
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I just went through a similar experience. I bought a bus in Washington State and needed to get it back to Wisconsin. At first I hoped to do a quick & dirty conversion and get it licensed as a motorhome for the trip. Wisconsin has the usual list of required amenities (including paint), but they don’t require an inspection (except possibly for the paint). Unfortunately, they are currently two months behind in title transfers. Washington could transfer the title quickly, but they would first require an inspection – for which they had, of course, a two-month backlog.

I found that I could get a trip permit from Washington (they don’t ask about insurance when they issue one), but they couldn’t say whether this would exempt me from the CDL requirement, nor would they guarantee that any other State would even accept the thing (and I had to cross four intervening States to get home).

I finally said the hell with it, got a Washington trip permit to stick in the back window, and headed out – at 52 MPH (this thing is geared really low). It took three full dawn-to-dusk days of travel to get home. Every cop I saw on the way had their eyes glued to their radar-gun – and 52 MPH didn’t even warrant a blink.

If I had to do it over again, I think I’d skip the permit….

-A Moose
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Old 04-06-2005, 06:30 PM   #5
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Hate to say it but most people just go for it and the hell with insurance. Though you can probably get insurance you just don't mention words like "conversion or bus" and only use words like "recational vehicle" you will be insured. Insurance companies hate to hear "bus" espically "school bus" for some reason. I cannot remember what state will sell you a trip permit even if you don't live there. It may be missouri or maybe IL. You can search some past threads on this board. Many have had similar problems and ended up with insurnace by not mentioning the conversion or bus words. Hope this helps
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Old 04-06-2005, 09:35 PM   #6
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I would agree about skipping a trip permit and just drive it home. Insurance would be my only concern. I doubt anyone would give you a second look. If they do, it's probably cheaper to pay the ticket than the hassle and expense of jumping through the hoops like a circus poodle (as long as they don't tow it away on you). Small buses are a piece of cake since I could just insure it as a 1 ton van.
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Old 04-06-2005, 09:51 PM   #7
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Re: i'm in a real bind....

Quote:
Originally Posted by babylonbybus
yup ..... i've worked myself into a bit of a situation. really need some advice.

me=vermont resident
bus=titled & previously inspected in Maine
bus is sitting at a truck mechanics up near rockland Maine
needs to end up in southern vt

in maine to get a temp. trip permit all you need is a valid drivers liscense and insurance on the vehicle.

been calling every ins. agent in the book. including GMAC. told them I need to transport to my home state finish conversion, title, inspect ......
they won't have any of it. Even though all the seats are out and interior floor is down, walls are painted!!! They say "we can't write you a temporary or "1trip" policy". "to get liability the conversion needs to be done proffesional conversion co." or else I need serious photo documentation of the conversion I do ..... only I have no place to finish the conversion except back in VT.
What GMAC is saying is that they will write you an insurance policy. They just won't write you a temporary one, and they will not give you comprehensive coverage unless you have a professional conversion.

I just got GMAC coverage. No comprehensive, liability only. This is what they are offering you. Mine cost $293 per six months. They wanted $162 down and payments of $65 a month. Either the sales agent misspoke, or you misunderstood about the liability part of the equation. They will give you liability. Ask for your state's minimum requirements. They just won't cover the vehicle for replacement or repair (comprehensive) because the conversion is being done by an amateur and they have no good way to value the work.

Quote:
upon explaining my problem to the ME DMV, I was told that I'd have to find a company to insure the darned thing, or else I have to FIND SOMEONE TO TOW MY 31,000lb BUS. oh yeah and even then, I'd still have to pay $12 to get a trip permit! grrrrr .....

I'm almost desperate enough to make the trip illegally on back rds. at say 2AM some morning. I don't relish the thought ..... especially given the condition and driving time it's gonna take to do it on back rds thru Maine & NH.
Help?
Get the GMAC insurance. You'll need to have it insured just so you can move it around in Vermont, hauling the supplies you need for refitting it, hauling the seats to the dump, etc.

I think your bigger worry may be the weight of the vehicle. In my state (yours may be different) a regular driver's license is good for vehicles up to 26,000 pounds GVW. My bus is rated at 24,500, although it weighs much less than that empty (how much less, I don't know). In my state to go above the 26,000 pound limit you have to have a Commercial Driver's License.[/i]
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Old 04-07-2005, 01:04 PM   #8
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Macgyver's other bus

Do you have photo's posted or info on your "other" bus? This is the first I have heard mention to another schoolie you had. What's the story, what happened?

Just wondering. -Richard
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Old 04-07-2005, 05:47 PM   #9
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Drove mine home 1700 miles, no plates, cops passed me 3 times going in my direction...never pulled me over. But I did have a bill o' sale and insurance. I'm even kinda scruffy lookin.

I think school buses are off the law enforcement radar, for the most part. Don't do anything silly and you should be fine.
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Old 04-07-2005, 11:53 PM   #10
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Don't worry

I purchased TCD from Idaho-I'm in California. After freaking out like you did, I talked DMV into temp license, got AAA to insure it at $329 a year and drove her home.
No plates.
Didn't even put the red sticker in the window. Cops didn't bother me-even in bad voodoo Utah were the cop past by the bus slowly then drove away not caring.

Even locally I've been driving it back and forth and cops just zip around me w/o a second glance. Maybe you are right Sean, seems to be low on the pull over radar. That'll change once she is painted *evil grin*
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Old 04-08-2005, 12:28 PM   #11
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Thanks one and all for the advice. Took me 3 calls to get "the right" insurance rep. from GMAC. I found everyones prior experience to be quite helpful - just keep repeating "motorhome". don't breathe a word about buses or conversions. My maine title says year-91, make-International, Model-3000SE. That and the vin is all you need. Just ask for liability and you are set. Now I get to take it home and dive in head first! I'll post some pictures when the project developes furthur. HA!
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Old 04-08-2005, 02:34 PM   #12
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Batteries

Anyone out there,
what kinda primary battery system d'ya got in your rig? as in for cranking the engine... My bus came with 2 big old heavydutytrucktype looking batteries that are %100 shot an will not hold a charge.
what's the best way to go for new replacements? where to get em?
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Old 04-08-2005, 03:32 PM   #13
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found some batteries, headin' home ------->
=)nattybusman
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Old 04-08-2005, 05:24 PM   #14
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this is slightly off topic from the original post....but it finally happened.

I've traveled well over 20 thousand miles in my skoolie and until yesterday had never been pulled over by an officer while driving. I'm not exactly sure why i was stopped, he never said, but the officer was very curious about what was in those 55 gallon drums on top of the bus. They were empty, i was just transporting them from home to my parents house where i plan to store them. They used to hold half the water for the jacuzzi, but now i'm using a different method to store the surpluss h20. anyhow.....

The officer told me that he cannot let me drive the vehicle because i am required to have a class B liscense to operate the bus since it was designed to carry more than 14 passengers. I was very polite, but explained my side of the story. He had already seen the inside....and currently the bus is completely gutted, aboout the only thing inside is the drivers seat and a jacuzzi. Luckily i also had my triangles and fire extinguisher....

I explained very politely to the officer that i've had the bus for a couple of years, and when i first purchased it i spoke to a trooper at the MSP (michigan state police) post and also spoke to the people at the secretary of state (DMV) and both agreed that if the bus is not used for commercial purposes then a commercial liscense is not needed. I am not required to have commercial registration or plates, I am not required to have commercial insurance, so why would i need a commercial operator liscense?

Apparently i made a valid enough argument becuase he just changed the subject and reverted back to the 55 gallon drums stating that in this post 9/11 erra a person should expect to be hassled for carrying around unmarked 55 gallon drums.

Police officers are usually very friendly to me, this officer was the exception. I guess he was just looking for something to do. I've often thought to myeself that if i was a police officer, i'd pull me over ! The bus does look pretty radical.

He let me go without any warning or anything,, afterall, i didn't do anything wrong......I still don't know why he stopped me, but all is good. I am sure he would have changed his tune if i had indicated that i am a paramedic, but i kind of enjoyed the challenge of tryingto talk my way out of trouble as a regular person. Being involved in the emergency services gives me an unfair advantage compared to normal people.
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Old 04-08-2005, 08:24 PM   #15
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On the subject of CDLs and skoolies I found the following to be true in MA.

Mass Reg. 540 CMR 2.06 States:

Quote:
5. Recreational Vehicle Operators. Any vehicle operated solely as a personal or family conveyance for recreational purposes may be operated with a Class D License. To be exempt from CDL requirements, the vehicle must be used exclusively to transport family members or personal friends and/or their effects.
In MA all vehicles over 26,000 lbs (mine's 31,000 lbs) require Commercial plates, however if it fits the above definition it doesn't require a CDL. I think this is even true even if I had left all the seats in my bus. Insurance would have cost me $2K per year for a private bus. Now, if the bus was used even ONCE for hire, I could no longer drive it!

I opted to have it delivered on a flat bed for $700 from NY and I'll insure it as an RV after title conversion for about $650/yr. saving me $650.
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