Non-affiliated buses for sale - thread

[Robin97396]

Originally Posted by Lost

1958 studebaker bus. A bit rusty but interesting.
https://anchorage.craigslist.org/rvs/5563353279.html

That has some character and actually looks pretty solid.

[WIbluebird]

I may have posted listings from this dealer before, but they've got some nice RE buses with all the desirable specs - 8.3 Cummins, retarders, MD3060 transmissions, etc.

But holy sh##T those prices

2000 BLUEBIRD ALL-AMERICAN RE - USED BUS

EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS for a 16 yr old bus with 165K miles?!?!?!

[Robin97396]

Or you can get a bus like mine for $2,600 on Public Surplus.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

I may have posted listings from this dealer before, but they've got some nice RE buses with all the desirable specs - 8.3 Cummins, retarders, MD3060 transmissions, etc.

But holy sh##T those prices

2000 BLUEBIRD ALL-AMERICAN RE - USED BUS

EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS for a 16 yr old bus with 165K miles?!?!?!

They're too old to be used by most schools. They must be hoping for an exporter or ill-informed "skoolie" type. That price makes me think they're delusional. Makes BGA's insane prices look downright affordable!

[Robin97396]

Wow, that makes me think I got an excellent deal on my bus at the bus barn.

[WIbluebird]

Bus Search | Western Bus Sales

Here's a Bluebird dealer in Oregon with prices that are a lot more reasonable. I could defenitely see myself paying in the $6K - $9K range for RE buses with Oregon specs

[Robin97396]

That's interesting, that's my favorite bus yard. It recently moved and seems to have combined with Chambers motors near Boring Oregon. Nice selection there, but why would you want to pay triple the price they are actually paying for the bus at the same auctions I go to? Yes they clean them up, maybe change the oil and filters, and you're never really quite sure about what work was done until you do it yourself or have a mechanic work on it. Save $5k and pick up the bus yourself at the bus barn then take it and get it serviced. The bus barns usually have a Brittania or other professional truck shop nearby. The bus dealer shouldn't give you confidence about a bus because it's clean and triple the actual cost from the bus barn.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

That's interesting, that's my favorite bus yard. It recently moved and seems to have combined with Chambers motors near Boring Oregon. Nice selection there, but why would you want to pay triple the price they are actually paying for the bus at the same auctions I go to? Yes they clean them up, maybe change the oil and filters, and you're never really quite sure about what work was done until you do it yourself or have a mechanic work on it. Save $5k and pick up the bus yourself at the bus barn then take it and get it serviced. The bus barns usually have a Brittania or other professional truck shop nearby. The bus dealer shouldn't give you confidence about a bus because it's clean and triple the actual cost from the bus barn.

problem with auctions is unless you are quite aware of how to spot a bad bus fro ma mile away you end up took.. I think bus yards for inexperienced buyers are great... maybe you pay more but at least you can drive the bus and most will allow you to have your bus mechanic and DOT inspected both... if you are quite savvy and know what to look for then there is great money to be saved by going to auctions and buying busses...

private owners are another great place to look for busses as they will let you drive and if there's nothing to hide would have no issue in you getting a bus mechanic and / or DOT inspected.. and you can save some money over the bus yards...

-Christopher

[Robin97396]

I drove through Western Bus sales on the 1st of this month. Still seemed high and the buses seemed old but looked ok. Buses from the beach are the worst you're going to see from around here. Even old buses look good, especially from eastern Oregon. that's where people still find old cars in remarkable condition.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I drove through Western Bus sales on the 1st of this month. Still seemed high and the buses seemed old but looked ok. Buses from the beach are the worst you're going to see from around here. Even old buses look good, especially from eastern Oregon. that's where people still find old cars in remarkable condition.

something to look for are busses with current or very recent DOT inspection stickers.. some states very stringent guidelines to pass a bus.. so if a bus is current its likely in good enough shape that it has run and been up to snuff... not that a bus cant break and be dumped but its a start vs busses that have year or 2 old stickers where they havent been run... perhaps meaning they sat out of service for a long time or have been on a bus lot for a long time.. a bus on a lot for awhile typically is for a reason... something wrong with it, generally problematic combination of parts.. *cough* VT365 *cough*, or priced way hugher than it should be for its condition...

-Christopher

[Robin97396]

I've never seen a DOT inspection sticker on these Oregon buses. Here the bus barns do a remarkable job of stripping everything off the exterior bodies and painting the flashers. All the wheel chair anchoring gear was gone and no records came with this bus, and there was even an interior fan freshly missing from the dash leaving a dirty spot where it had been attached.
With that said, the folks at bus barns are generally very friendly. Here they start the bus for you and warm it up while explaining different features of the bus, I mean van.
I'm thinking this is probably the rule in Oregon, to strip the buses and paint the blinkers. They removed the stop signs and sanded off wording that otherwise couldn't be removed. Even the backup alarm was disabled.

I had to check to make sure I had turn signals and lights they were disabling so much stuff. Horn works, but it's just a horn. Why wouldn't they just naturally put an air horn on a bus with air?

I have no idea how long this bus sat before they sold it. It does have a brand new battery in it. It sounded like it was throwing a rod when the guy started it. Talk about wanting to do a bunch of back peddling. I was imagining a bus with a bad engine immediately. It's a good thing we can't bail sometimes.

[want2camp]

Not mine, unfortunately.

1972 Gillig RV bus conversion

[want2camp]

Not mine.

School bus R/V

[WIbluebird]

Someone in NY has a bunch of 1998 - 2002 IC RE buses for sale....supposedly only $2800 per bus They all look like they were recently in service so it looks like a potential bargain.

97-02 international flat nose FE RE school bus dt466 air brake 72pass

[skoolie_n00bie]

Man, those look clean!
And price-wise not bad at all!
If I only had where the keep one that big...

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[cadillackid]

they dont look bad!! I never kn ew they used dayton wheels as late as 99 though?

-Christopher

[Elliot Naess]

Looks like one of them has Budd (normal) wheels.
I'll never understand why they use Daytons. When I worked in trucking, we called those "East Coast wheels", in a decidedly derisive tone.

[Robin97396]

In Oregon we call those California wheels.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

In Oregon we call those California wheels.

are the used alot in califoirnia?

back in the 80s and before in ohio I never saw a school bus without daytons..

the Rims always were cheaper for them than buds if you bunged up a wheel.. and if you have a jack you have a half a chance at changing a dayton yourself vs a bud... you just have to master the art of putting the wedges in so it aligns..

-Christopher

[Dapplecreek]

If you can wait, our local school district seems to have great equipment, and will be turning several loose in July or August. 2001 or 2002 (I think), conventional nose, DT466(e, I presume), Allison 2500, no structural rust (though perhaps some on skirting - we do treat our roads occasionally, but not like the North), air brakes, good tires, and maintenance records since Day 1. My plan was to go over these with a fine-toothed comb (a jillion photos and a full CDL pre-trip inspection, maybe video of them starting, not sure) and post the results here. It would be good practice for me and an education, I'm sure, and might help someone on the forum. The last batch went from $2800-$5K, with most at $3500.