I have purchased a 2004 E-450 StarTrans Shuttle for a conversion. The engine is the 7.3L, though I know they generally are not found in years beyond 2003.
There is some miscellaneous hearsay I have heard about StarCraft being of poor quality, yet I have also heard that they are one of the only brands that have metal framing through the complete shell.
Soon I will have it a part and get some photos and real data but I am curious if the two companies are the same. I was able to get some diagrams from Startrans when I reached out via email and the signature in email says:
Starcraft SchoolBus/Startrans Bus
Electrical Engineer
2408 Century Drive
Goshen, IN 46528
Googling shows that Starcraft was purchased by and umbrella corporation called Forest River in 2001, and StarTrans was acquired by the same company in 2014. Not sure what this says about their quality NOW vs back in the early 2000s.
Who has actual experience with either of these Shuttle buses and their quality? Mine seems very good and solid with no leaks at 155k miles!