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Old 05-02-2018, 02:03 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
CarreAnn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 37
Your expertise and trained 'eye' needed, please!!

Hello everyone! I am totally new .. bear with me If you've got the time .. I've listed *several* buses that I've gathered for inquiry. We'd prefer to just get one pretty much ready to go. We don't have the knowledge or skills to do any of the work ourselves, and we don't have the luxury of taking our time to learn and build one out. Some of these are pricier than others, but wondering if we paid someone to do a conversion for us, if we'd be about at the price anyway.. I'd love some informed advise! Thanks!!

BUS 1: (THIS ONE WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT NEXT WEEK WHILE WE'RE IN THEIR AREA)

All Details below

Bus
1977 MCI MC-8 Bus Conversion
Car Make: Motor Coach Inc
Model year: 1977 / 2000 conversion
40'
Miles 434,574

Detroit 8V71
Auto

180 gallon diesel tank
12 gal external gas tank
Freezer / Fridge
Leather furniture
Double sink
4 Burner propane stove
Microwave
45 amp converter
Dining table (converts to bed)
Handicapped rear door access
10 gal water heater
25 sqft bathroom / shower / sink / toilet
4 large bunks, can sleep a 6'+ size man
2-45 gal holding tanks (black / grey water)
10' granite counter top
39" new shower with sliding door access
20 gal propane tank
6.5 onan generator
110 gal fresh water tank
Cargo bay storage space
2 roof air conditioners
Heater
2 magic roof vents
12/24 Power

New tires
New filters
Fresh oil
New alternator
Clean title
Road ready

Appraised in 2000, appraisal paperwork in hand $98,000

Price reduced $18,000

If you're in the market for this type of vehicle then you know the true value. Luxuary tour vehicles in this condition easy sell for $65,000 and above. Great investment for a home on wheels or resell.

Hate to let her go but I have some upcoming medical treatments and I no longer have use for it.
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BUS 2

And how about this one:

1975 RV Model 05 Eagle Bus Conversion CAT - $55000 (Longview, WA)

Eagle
fuel: diesel
transmission: automatic
40' Eagle bus conversion with 6" roof raise. Powered by a 3406 B Model Cat 400 HP coupled
to a 740 Allison transmission. Both have approx 80,000 miles since out of frame overhaul.
The coach has 2 low profile roof mounted AC units 13500 BTU with heat kit. Extra insulation
through out the bus for those cool desert nights.
Large battery bank for dry camping and large holding tanks....200 gal fresh water and both grey
and black 100 gal each. Directv roof top satelite with an additional portable unit.
Natural Oak interior with all the amenities in the kitchen to make the co-pilot happy.
And the list goes on.....

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BUS 3 (this one is a super long listing)

PREVOST Bus Luxury RV MotorHome, REDUCED, $750K+ New, 450hp DD SILVER! - $52000

Reduced from $60K. Now $52K. One of the lowest priced in the country that's ready to hit the road.

FINANCING is possible with Minimum of 50% down and $1K p/month. Acceptable credit rating needed.

Prevost LeMirage XL 40' bus chassis.

Professionally built by Hawkins (California) 1988 Motorhome. Top of the line quality bus conversion on the best bus chassis made with the best optional powertrain available. Drives amazing. Power in abundance.

Original cost in the $750,000 range. New Prevost's are $2M and up.

Bus was converted from new and was never a commercial bus. Mileage is original. Originally purchased new in the PNW region.

Consistently used and has not been sitting for years. We have thoroughly enjoyed it and want to see it go to caring hands. Bus will last forever with basic care.

Custom paint work that turns heads, great conversation starter.

Sleeps 6. Possibly 8 with dinette folded down (kids?)
Front has opposing fold out sleeper couches (under storage slide out drawers). Electric sofa, Captains and Co-Pilot chairs.
Solid oak wood and cabinets, tile in bathroom. High end residential quality woodwork throughout.
All drawers have ball bearing slides.
All cabinet doors have the special articulating hinges.
Neo-angle shower, large closet and dresser.
Corian counter tops and accents through out. Large kitchen area with opposing booth seating and corian table that converts.
Lots of mirrors in the bathroom and bedroom.
Pressurized toilet. Lots of drawers and storage in the vanities (3 doors)
Cedar lined closet with 3 large glass faced doors. Lots of drawers on the bottom.

Modern layout, but could use some minor updating(mainly carpeting). We considered newer RV's and even Prevost but did not like the interiors and wanted REAL solid wood. We also wanted to avoid spending money removing MDF particle board and laminates on the newer coaches, some of which the colors are dreadful-- or the down time and hassle if they got wet. Or, the iffy nature of some of the early Series 60 Detroits from what we've heard. It's could be argued but I was more comfortable with the low tech mechanical engine. No engine electronics to go bad. It's easy to care for and work on and parts are readily available.

More Amenities:
Built in blender
Central Vacuum
Awnings all the way around.
Dual gas furnace (30K, 42K btu)
New 120V toe kick heater in bathroom.
Gas stove top, 2 buner (Gaggeau).
Double basin Corian sink with pull out faucet. Instant hot water.
Lots of overhead cupboards.
Large propane tank in middle cargo bay.
3 Roof AC's (not all work, but am testing them)
Fridge is on the fritz, status light turns on and then a relay clicks (have not tried to fix it yet). The trend nowadays is to use a home fridge. Have a new one available-TBD.
Lots of well placed 120V plugs
Closet lights


DRIVETRAIN:
Optional engine and transmission upgrades: Non-DDEC, fully mechanical Detroit Diesel 8V92TA Silver (450hp with 9G85 injectors; stock); Allison HT-755 5spd Auto trans. Jake Brakes. This is the "hot rod" engine setup for the era. The Silver series is an improved version of the old one, still a fantastic and reliable powerplant. This is the best and is further upgraded, however. Engine burns clean and does not smoke. Detroit Diesel (GM / Allison) supplied engines for the military in many applications including tanks and big rig trucks (class 8 semi's). In the grand scheme this power train is barely used at 50% of rated capacity for weight (appx 80,000 lbs for transmission, 100,000+ lbs for engine)

OPTIONS:
Optional "level low" leveling system. Lower, Raise or tilt functions.
Vanner battery equalizers (3).
Cruise Control
Air lock entry door
Swing up bay door option
Liftable tag axle
Prevost Build sheet shows all parts and options.

DRIVER cockpit is fully gauged, including twin pyro's. HVAC controls. Backup camera, CD Stereo, CB radio.

SERVICED:
Engine, trans, filters, axle, hubs, chassis lube, belts and more.
Newer Firestone front tires at 95% tread. Drive/tag are good to excellent tread. Tires are not aged out in any positions. All tires in good to excellent condition. All wheels are 22.5" alcoa's.
Newer AC Delco starting batteries and custom made cables.
All exterior lights work, upgraded LED headlights.

GENSET:
Remote panel controlled with interior gauges.
13KW Kubota 3cyl genset with low hours (3760) - runs well but needs work/TLC. Wrico Int'l (builder of this genset) recommends to load bank due to symptoms (crankcase blow by) and low hours. Generator portion is fine and hits target Hertz. Otherwise runs the house fine. Low cost to load bank the genset. We are confident it would help based on what they told us.
We just don't use the genset much or for very long and haven't made it to their location (Eugene, Or).
Serviced.

HOUSE:
160g Fresh
85g gray
60g black
New RV 12v water pump and Bosch water heater.
New flexible sewer hose and adaptors. New 15G portable dump tank.
New 50amp Shore power cord. Extra long. Oversized 8gauge. (bus came with 10g)
New Transfer switches at $500
New furnace motors, sensors and switches. New wall mount digital t-stat.
Newer house batteries ( 2 group 27 deep cycle, but can fit 4x4D's)
The Trace Inverter is not working for A/C power, but charges the batteries fine.

EXTRA's
Light bulbs in a fishing tackle box. Various exterior 24V bulbs you will need. Headlights are 12V.
Various boxes of RV items. Filters. Outside chairs, etc, etc.
LED head lights
Fog lights


NEGOTIABLE / Available:
Newer washer/dryer combo, compact dishwasher and solar panels (NIB).
New custom top down / bottom up double cell blinds available. Still in box and can be included.
About $3,000 of stuff

PRICE is only somewhat negotiable for an outright purchase. We know the market and expect you do also. The bus is not a show queen but still turns heads. Does not leak even in torrential rain. Chassis is near spotless. No rust or corrosion.

Coach build sheet and many manuals included. Includes about 30 large format pages of engineering drawings. Has coach and driver AC and heat options. AC is R-12 and does not work, but everything looks to be in excellent condition. May just need to be converted to R134a? Coach (OTR) bus heat works great. Our plan was to remove the OTR A/C to install the W/D unit in a bay. The OTR Bus A/C is appx 215,000 BTU. Great for 55 people and a bus with all it's windows in 105F temps. Incredibly overkill and takes up a lot of useable cargo bay space. Our viewpoint is it's better to run the generator and roof AC's if needed. Our plan was to remove the 3rd curbside bay with AC components to fit a combo washer/dryer. W/D may also fit in the bathroom master closet? Many options.

SOME PERSPECTIVE:
This is our 4 bus conversion in the last 20yrs. It is by far the nicest driving. It turns as good or better than our older 35' and 40' bus diesel pushers. It has all the features needed for anyone with a good sense of spatial awareness to drive it: Power Steering, Automatic Allison/GM 5spd Transmission, powerful diesel 450hp engine (easily zips onto the freeway and climbs hills/mountains), decent MPG. Comparable to the newer and heavier Series 60 Prevost coaches. Very powerful braking with the best modulation I've experienced yet, drives like a limo. Jake brakes are very powerful especially with this engine. We barely use them on big mountain passes with 45mph corners.

Overall a great bus, and with no rust issues at all. Not from the rust belt regions. If you've owned some rust prone buses like we have, concerns for rust is a major, major issue. Our bus is amazingly clean, by far the best I have seen of the older Prevosts. Unfortunately there are annoying cosmetic issues thanks to the PO, but do not pose functional problems. Most are located head height and lower. It took me months to actually notice some . All glass is in great condition, no damage.

If you're looking for a fantastic value, would enjoy caring/upgrading/altering finely built machinery this bus is second to none. Prevost is the best foundation in terms of buses, and recognized as the best. If you've owned other coaches or diesel RV's, but not one of these, happy to show you the differences. Drive it. It is astounding.

Detroit Diesel 8V92TA SILVER (top of the line option) runs great and has power in abundance. Burns cleanly and does not smoke ,on both straight diesel or bio blends. If you are/were used to the non turbo Detroits, this is in another league. After driving the newer Series 60 500hp Prevosts, this bus will easily keep up if not leave them in the mountains (5-10K lbs "lighter"). The digital touch pad controlled transmission shifts perfect, oil is clean, new filter. Has the Optional upgraded model that starts in 1st gear, a big help for city driving or towing.
If you have a 10yr old car, almost guarantee if leaks and uses more oil than our bus. Don't worry about leaving oil spots at the RV park, or your friends or family driveways. It simply keeps to itself. No oil leak issues.

This is a lightly used pampered coach. Our coach is road ready and road worthy- drive it anywhere with confidence.

Please be a serious buyer looking to enjoy traveling this season. Flying in? We can pick you up at Eugene Airport.

Clean and clear title. Current tags. Current insurance.
Come drive it (experienced only) or we can take you for a spin.
DMV is nearby to process the transfer.
Insured as RV for low rates.
Class C license, no CDL needed.
10,000 lb tow hitch, upgradeable to 20K.
************************************************** *****
BUS 4:

Gillig bus convershion king size bed big bathroom 32x32 shower kitchen two Jack knife couches propane furnace propane 110 fridge ev honda6000 watt gen 30gal propane four 6 volt batteries for house with water management system and four group 31 batteries for bus big sound system 42 tv in front 32 inch in bedroom all led lighting 100 watt solar system 13000 btu roof ac lot more to list neefs some finishing has m11 Cummins motor Allison 5 speed trans was Seattle metro with very good maintenance Alcoa wheels 90% tired all metal walls and ceilings very strong brings attention when camping or driving good for zombies 😀

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BUS 5:

Epic Bugout Conversion bus-Nothing else compares! Trade? - $42500

1990 Thomas
condition: excellent
cylinders: 6 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: diesel
odometer: 135000
size / dimensions: 35'
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
Forget about that Tiny House, this thing is self propelled and will be standing long after that Tuff Shed on a trailer turns into mulch!
Undeniably one of the most fantastic conversion buses out there. Rust free 1990 Thomas chassis with an 8.3L Cummins and Allison drivetrain. Approx. 135xxx original miles. 3 solar panels, 7 batteries (3 8D bus batteries, 4 6v golf cart batteries, can be switched independently or combined), 3500W Xantrex inverter/charger, Honda 4KW genset, Espar hydronic heat, propane furnace, blue flame wall heater, 15KW rooftop AC with heat strip, Fantastic Fan. 60 gal fresh water tank, 75 gal black water tank. 12 gal electric hot water heater with heat exchange coil. Full shower and toilet. 2 burner cooktop with convection microwave. Large AC/LP fridge-freezer. Baltic birch cabinetry with steel framework, Corian countertops, Full bed in back, dual couches in front convert into a queen bed. 4 underbody toolboxes, 5x8 rooftop rack with side and rear landing lights and aluminum gearbox. Cruise control, propane injection, Telma driveline retarder (go down the passes and never touch the brakes!). Runs and drives great. Just did a 1500 mile trip, pulling a trailer and never had a hiccup. Tires all have great tread and are on aluminum wheels, brake linings are 75% or more, all fluid changes are current.
This is a VERY well thought out conversion that does it all. Built for off grid use, but has full shore power hookups. You will never find another one like this! Showings available to serious buyers that have the ability to complete a purchase.
Think about it, housing is expensive, cars are expensive, moving is expensive. Combine all three and this thing is CHEAP!

************************************************** ***********
BUS 6:

Bus Conversion` - 1988" Eagle Model 15" - $30900

2
© craigslist - Map data © OpenStreetMap
(google map)

Eagle
fuel: diesel
title status: clean
transmission: automatic
40 ft long

13 ft 2 inches tall

102 inches wide

mid entry door

interior height is 6' 6"

absolutely NO RUST

************************************************** *********
BUS 7:

1984 Thomas Pass School Bus - $6500

School Bus is in excellent condition and recently had the engine overhauled. Seats have been removed. High 6'6" ceiling, Cummins 8.4, Allison auto. Easy camper conversion. Call for additional info.

CarreAnn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-19-2018, 05:56 PM   #2
Almost There
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: South Cacalackey
Posts: 69
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 72
tl:dr
if i haf one piece of advice to save the most cash.....
make an appointment with a mechanic before purchase... take it for a "test drive".... right to a cat dealer. or whatever fits the brand. might cost a few hundies, but any mechanic worth his salt will.pretty much save your ass on mechanical drivetrain issues.
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Old 06-21-2018, 08:34 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
CarreAnn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 37
Yeah .. thank you. I think that's definitely the safest bet!
CarreAnn is offline   Reply With Quote
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