some advice please

[MikenAmy]

I'm looking for something 30ft or less. 25 would be ideal. So there aren't restrictions for where we can go.
It'll be a vacation, road trip, RV for now. Once the kids are gone the wife and I would love to travel fill or semi full time in it. That's a few years down the road but I'll be building with that in mind. The kids may still need to sleep in tents for now ��.
Since I'm not experienced working on buses or vehicles in general I want the best bus mechanically possible. I'm confident in time I'll be fine working on it but if I'm flooded with mechanical issues early on it won't go well.
I live in Florida so AC is essential. We want to travel a lot so it must be able to handle highway driving and mountains.
I can handle the building it part but I'm a complete beginner with "working on cars/buses"
My budget is as low as possible but I'm willing to pay a fair price for a good one.
Sooooo.... With that said id love to know what you guys think my ideal bus is?

[MikenAmy]

Great info, thanks.
I believe it's mostly because of ease and cost for parts to fix but I've been reading here for months and Cummins in general seemed to be the preffered choice. Perhaps I'm mistaken tho.
I'm glad to hear of better or other options.
Any opinion on what my ideal bus would be then?

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by MikenAmy

Agreed, messaged him and this one had a deposit but he's giving me the sales pitch on others. Thankfully I have a little knowledge from this site.
He's telling me that a dt466 7.6l is better then the Cummins 5.9
I'd love to hear opinions on this as the Cummins seems to me to be the engine of choice around here.

466>5.9 He wasn't lying about that.

[brokedown]

If your goal is to buy one bus and eventually it become a home for 2 people, 30 foot should really be your minimum. We full-timed in a 24 ft Vista for over a year and you have to make some sacrifices that wouldn't be necessary with a couple more feet.

If you're looking to travel at high speed (above 55-60mph or so), you'll need a bigger motor. DT466 or 8.3. If you're good with 55-60 then a 5.9 or t444e are great. Mountains are going to challenge any bus, that's just the reality of moving 10 tons of metal up a hill. I've made it to the top of every mountain I've started to climb but I"m no stranger to the slow truck lane. The bigger engie buses are less common and generally more costly, and may be worth the extra money if you need it.

Most buses won't have AC if they're not in service in the south. AC was a requirement for me as well, dual AC in fact, and both my buses have it! But you can't go very far north and still find it.

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Keep in mind the auctions are usually selling buses that were just taken out of service from a regular maintenance routine. It is prudent to personally inspect whatever vehicle you are interested in to determine true condition. There are services available to do this if you're not confident on what to look for.

THIS. If you dont like it, even after bidding, walk away. You lose a deposit and may be blacklisted from bidding in the future but it's better than losing all your money. The majority of buses on Public Surplus are fleet maintained and many of them are listed because the school district requires that they're replaced after x amount of years. Beats buying a CL special from your run of the mill backyard mechanic, in my opinion. My bus had 65k miles and no rust whatsoever. 5 speed. All I had to replace was a thermostat gasket. Runs like a top and will likely outlast me. Theres a lot of good finds if you do your research.

[gingimen]

Been trying my luck at some of the auction sites.
Must admit I’m having a hard time finding the bus I want. Most of the sites have partial info, leaving out some of the critical info such as transmission type, engine specifics and in most cases no pictures.
I’m in the Texas area. Any chance someone might point me in the direction of a site that is perhaps more friendly in the TX neighborhood
Thx again.

[brokedown]

Always ask sellers for any information that's lacking. If they provide a phone number, use it so you get your answers without other bidders getting them too! And of course, don't bid on a bus you don't actually want because you might end up owning it.

Also, if you know what sort of bus you want, post it up here and people will let you know when they see a match. Many of us spend way too much time at auction sites looking at buses we don't need!

[gingimen]

Will do just that
Thx

[djdalfaro]

Originally Posted by gingimen

Been trying my luck at some of the auction sites.
Must admit I’m having a hard time finding the bus I want. Most of the sites have partial info, leaving out some of the critical info such as transmission type, engine specifics and in most cases no pictures.
I’m in the Texas area. Any chance someone might point me in the direction of a site that is perhaps more friendly in the TX neighborhood
Thx again.

I'm also in TX, I just bought my bus off of Rene Bates Auctioneers. They are a TX auction house that ALMOST exclusively serves TX, you may find a few auctions from other states mostly surrounding like OK. They have a refundable $100 deposit to bid. You can have it refunded at any time, or have it rolled into the purchase of your bus. The selection isn't what you'll find at a larger auction house, but you may find YOUR bus if you are patient.

https://www.renebates.com/index.php

[golfersmurf57]

About bus buying: most of you guys are correct on the Benz. I have the 5.9 in my 50 foot bluebird pusher. It's mechanical injection and 4 spd aliisons in front of it. It will make 70 empty and the loss of the seats may compensate for the build weight. I will.caution folks about the DT 466E engines: They get 3 expensive problems. 1) They're leak prone at the injector O-Rings 2) I have replaced several high pressure oil pumps 3) older engines are prone to develop suction leaks in the fuel system due to the compression fittings used on the fuel lines. They'll lose their prime overnight. Of course the Cummins is no angel either. If you're running a long gear pump for the steering/fan hydraulics, the weight of the pump cracks the gear case cover and replacement requires removal of the camshaft which is a very time consuming job. Especially on a front engine bus. The powerstrokes and IH computer engines have injectors leaking in the firing sequence or the valve cover gasket electrical pass through issues. Do your engine research as thoroughly as the body research. Just like cars old school engines cost less to fix/renew than new computerized ones.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by golfersmurf57

About bus buying: most of you guys are correct on the Benz. I have the 5.9 in my 50 foot bluebird pusher. It's mechanical injection and 4 spd aliisons in front of it. It will make 70 empty and the loss of the seats may compensate for the build weight. I will.caution folks about the DT 466E engines: They get 3 expensive problems. 1) They're leak prone at the injector O-Rings 2) I have replaced several high pressure oil pumps 3) older engines are prone to develop suction leaks in the fuel system due to the compression fittings used on the fuel lines. They'll lose their prime overnight. Of course the Cummins is no angel either. If you're running a long gear pump for the steering/fan hydraulics, the weight of the pump cracks the gear case cover and replacement requires removal of the camshaft which is a very time consuming job. Especially on a front engine bus. The powerstrokes and IH computer engines have injectors leaking in the firing sequence or the valve cover gasket electrical pass through issues. Do your engine research as thoroughly as the body research. Just like cars old school engines cost less to fix/renew than new computerized ones.

Got any pics of that 50' from the side?

[plfking]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Got any pics of that 50' from the side?

Oh, look.....the Great and Powerful Oz has found and pointed out another mistake!

We are all thankful for your diligence.

[Shawna]

i say as long as you buy from an actual school district you should have an excellent runner. The sxhools have to keep their buses running and perfect to the detail because our children are riding in them!!!!!i bought mine from a school district and their maintenance upkeep was spot on!i feel very secure in my little shorty!! Drive straight thru to eastern Pennsylvania from denver colo w no incidences!!!!! The absolute ONLY problem if theres gonna be one is the mpg is horrendous!! My lil 1990 chevy , 5.7 litre (357)gets 8.3 mpg on the hiwy& 7mpg in the city!!!!!it holds around 33 gallons i think~ weird number but im no mathematician or mechanic!!! I am a 53 yr old woman w 2 little dogs and interviewing older male humans to be my travel partner in case you 2 know of anyone out there, out here or in between😄😄😄🕉✌~~~~~

Originally Posted by MikenAmy

Hello, we're Mike and Amy. We"re looking for a bus to convert. I've been reading posts here for over a year and although I've learned a lot I realize I still know very little.
I'm willing to travel but obviously a bus closer to home is appealing. I live in Fort Myers, FL. I'm hoping i can post a couple of the buses I'm considering and some of you experts (at least in my mind) can give me your educated opinions. I'd really like something about 25 feet but will consider up to 30. Thanks in advance
Just a little info: I'm very handy and the conversion does not concern me. I've never worked much on vehicles though. I'm hoping for something very mechanically sound. Hopefully that way I'll have learned more before the problems start.
Any knowledge, advice, fair prices I could offer... are greatly appreciated. Even if they're all lemons hearing why will help me.

Here are the contenders so far

https://spacecoast.craigslist.org/rv...570855841.html
(in state, low miles)

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/c...612667257.html
(love the look, to expensive, hoping he'll sell without oven at reasonable price, 12hrs away)

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/c...611698853.html
(a bit large? 12hrs away)

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/col...596733369.html
(close to home, Shuttle style)

see above for my loooong resonse. Im not computer savvy so im not sure how ti move what i typed in the wrong place to the right pace!!😄😄

[cowlitzcoach]

I am a bit late to the party so a lot of the CL listings are gone.

The 2001 BB looks to be a pretty nice little bus with a pretty reasonable price. The way the bus is spec'ed leads me to think it was originally a government bus, most probably a Job Corps bus. Ownership by a church is not generally a good thing.

The transmission has a 'T'-shifter so it most probably does not have an OD transmission and most probably the AT540.

The 24 valve is most probably an ISB. An ISB mated to an AT540 is a nice around town power package but it is going to be sorely lacking if you want to tour the mountains. It is going to be slow and run hot while going up the hill and you will need to use 2nd or 1st to keep from having to use the service brakes excessively while going down the other side.

The Vista with the T444E is going to be about the same performance as the ISB and most probably the same transmission. The same slow on the uphill and really low gears to go downhill or burn up the brakes.

Depending upon what you want the BB looks to be a pretty good choice for you.

Personally if I were in your position I would be looking to purchase a rear engine bus with a monster motor, OD transmission, and 40' long. There are very few places in this country that you can't access with a 40' long school bus. And trust me when I say that the extra feet will come in really handy when the weather is nasty outside and the personal space inside is frigid for whatever reason.

Good luck and happy trails to you!

[Tango]

Just for the record...my 6 speed 2200MH has a T-Shifter but is mechanical.

[extra1200]

Not for nothing have you looked at www.wesellschoolbuses.com they're up north of Tampa in Hudson Fla. I bought my 96 Chevy/Bluebird from there. I feel like I got a good deal and the owners Betty and Greg are good people.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by extra1200

Not for nothing have you looked at Used School Buses For Sale - Better Buses @ Better Prices - We deliver school buses nation wide they're up north of Tampa in Hudson Fla. I bought my 96 Chevy/Bluebird from there. I feel like I got a good deal and the owners Betty and Greg are good people.

They sell buses for more than most of us spend buying and converting a bus.

[MikenAmy]

Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach

I am a bit late to the party so a lot of the CL listings are gone.

The 2001 BB looks to be a pretty nice little bus with a pretty reasonable price. The way the bus is spec'ed leads me to think it was originally a government bus, most probably a Job Corps bus. Ownership by a church is not generally a good thing.

The transmission has a 'T'-shifter so it most probably does not have an OD transmission and most probably the AT540.

The 24 valve is most probably an ISB. An ISB mated to an AT540 is a nice around town power package but it is going to be sorely lacking if you want to tour the mountains. It is going to be slow and run hot while going up the hill and you will need to use 2nd or 1st to keep from having to use the service brakes excessively while going down the other side.

The Vista with the T444E is going to be about the same performance as the ISB and most probably the same transmission. The same slow on the uphill and really low gears to go downhill or burn up the brakes.

Depending upon what you want the BB looks to be a pretty good choice for you.

Personally if I were in your position I would be looking to purchase a rear engine bus with a monster motor, OD transmission, and 40' long. There are very few places in this country that you can't access with a 40' long school bus. And trust me when I say that the extra feet will come in really handy when the weather is nasty outside and the personal space inside is frigid for whatever reason.

Good luck and happy trails to you!

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I've heard that national parks limit rvs at 25 ft in many places. Am I mistaken? The campground where I grew up in NY has a 30' limit...
I just don't want to end up having to camp in those expensive RV parks that are little more then I big field lined with hundreds of RV's 5 feet apart.
I want to boondock, get close to the water, see incredible places!
I really don't like the RV parks I've described and worry a monster will force me there.
I'm soaking up all his knowledge and very appreciative. Please keep it coming.

[MikenAmy]

Just when I've decided to go the auction route a nice looking conversion goes up for sale right in my area. I think I'll go see it for education if nothing more. I'd love to hear your opinions on this one as well as anything particular to look for on this particular bus. Thanks
https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee...641232355.html

[MNbusboy]

So y'all bought your bus in Texas and (hopefully) picked it up. What do you think? I was looking at that auction for my first bus, and I might go that route in the next few months. My work is sending some people down to south Texas for 2 months September-November. I thought I might volunteer since it would put me close to a few good sources of buses, give me time away from the wife and 5 kids to get the first stages of work done, and give me a little extra $$ for the project!!