Short bus advice

[beschool]

Originally Posted by HazMatt

Don't know what green board is. Sounds algae saturated!
Half the asking is borderline, IMHO.
Best not to to hop on the first bus that comes around. You might be better served waiting for the next one.
If you're clear on what your wants and needs, gotta haves & like to haves, are, you stand a mych better chance of avoiding a costly mistake.
Mi dos centavos...

I really appreciate the advice. I have done a lot of research and have been looking for months now but there are still a lot of variables and unkowns. I feel like I have a really good sense for what I am looking for. This bus fits that criteria in a lot of way but comes up short in some areas. From what I have seen on the market for these Chevy 6.6L short buses around this year and milage are usually 5-8k but maybe I have just not seen the right one yet.

[HazMatt]

You WILL pay more, on average, from a vendor that what MAY be had at an auction.
There is sweat equity invested in the one under discussion, and that pretty much only has value to the sweat-er.
Its hard to armchair quarterback- If you're comfortable with the rig, and the, honestly, minimal modifications that have been done, then that is really the bottom line.
We can only offer observations and opinions.
You get what you pay for! [emoji854]

[o1marc]

You have the perfect canvas for inexpensive RV windows that have screen in whatever size works for you. They are as easy to install as cutting a hole and sticking them in.

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by beschool

The wall and ceiling are insulated with green foam board.
I don't really like that he removed the windows either but I figure if I can get the bus for the right price that I could try it as is and if I don't like it I could always add in some windows in the future.
I would definitely get an ac unit and/or fix the cab ac so that would be a cost I would have to consider.
And of course the the $25,000, I can't believe I left that out. He is asking $6000 but I was going to make an offer just not sure what is reasonable for the market.

$6K is too much unless it’s exactly how you want it. I got my 2007 Chevy 6.6 duramax thomas bus fresh off the farm for 5K

[Mark_In_MA]

I'd call it a good deal - not the steal of the century, but a solid listing at a solid price.
Yeah, the AC needs some work, but it's got new tires. I'd call that a wash.
It's nice that it's not exactly yellow, but it still needs to be painted.

It should be easy enough to add in another window or two if you want to later. It's a short bus, so one or two windows in the right place should do the trick - good for keeping a well-insulated shell.

If it meets your needs, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. (You can always make a lower offer and come up to the asking price.) Also keep in mind that IF you bought it, you could be on the road and camping in a few weeks. Sure, you could wait a while a find something cheaper. . .or maybe not. Don't throw money away, but at some point, you've gotta just jump in feet first and go for the ride.

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Everything made after 04 has potential emission issues that are hard to diagnose and expensive to repair. They can't sell them cheap enough to deal with the issues. A 2010 at $1k should concern you.

I echo 01marc here... A few years ago I was looking to buy a car and had had fairly good luck with ex-police cars before. Looking on Public Surplus, I found a decent-looking '05 Impala with 130k that needed some cleaning, but otherwise looked great. "Runs good, was turned in for newer vehicle" on the listing. Bid was at $700 for several days.

I usually snipe auctions like this to avoid running the price up on myself, so I waited until the last five minutes to bid, figuring I'd go $1100 on it in case it needed anything to pass inspection. When I returned to the listing after placing my bid, I saw a new sidebar menu that wasn't there before I logged in. "Two questions have been asked and answered about this item." Interesting....

The first was some idiot expecting a $700 car to have functional A/C. The answer, however, was somewhat ominous, alluding to the car's A/C cooling, but needing to be charged (a complete lie, as I found out later). This answer went on to state "Has upper engine noise." Naturally, the second question was, "Does it run good as the listing states, or does it have engine noise?" At this point it got very vague. I crossed my fingers, hoping I'd be outbid. No such luck.

I wound up paying $1180 for a used police car with the worst rod knock I've ever seen (had a 2" magnetic drain plug with 3" of bearing material stuck to it). Well, now I know why the bidding had stopped at $700. After changing the oil with 20W50 motor oil and Lucas additive, you could hear the rod knock at a fast idle, even when cold. Fortunately I was able to get a low-mile replacement engine for $1800 installed, the only reason I bothered was the service records indicated the transaxle had around 20k on it. I learned MY lesson -- NEVER AGAIN will I buy another auction vehicle without checking it out for myself first.

In the long run, I had $4000 in the car over the 2 years I owned it, and I got just a tick shy of that when it was totaled last year. So in retrospect, I can't really complain as I came out ahead, but not all situations will work out that well, and I didn't really have the money to spend on the engine.

Just a tale of the reality when buying government auction vehicles. You usually get a good egg, but sometimes an agency isn't being straight-up about the vehicle. A strangely low bid can indicate a bid was placed before inspecting the vehicle, and now AFTER doing so, is simply waiting to be outbid. Not saying that is true in all cases, but not everything that glitters is gold, either.

I would be especially cautious with light-duty diesels from '04+. Engines with EGR-only were enough of a PITA, but DPFs and DEF take the stupid to a whole other level. A gasser, I might consider, it depends on the circumstances.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by beschool

LOL. I was thinking it was more cabin~esque than casket~esque but I hear you, it's a lot of wood. I would have personally left the windows in but was thinking I could replace them later if I could not take the closed in feeling of it. I am just not sure how much hassle and cost that would end up being though.

I think it looks like a sauna in there.

[HazMatt]

With no working A/C, it will be a sauna. Just need to pile some volcanic rocks in the middle of the floor...

[beschool]

I really appreciate all the advice. I am on the fence about "woody" In the meantime I saw this one on craigslist. He is asking way too much right now imo, but he dis say he would take off 1500 for the front cab ac unit issue and I would think maybe 5k would be closer to where I would be at. Keep in mind I have not seen it in person and would be coming in from Saint Louis, MO.

The ad reads:
"2007 Chevy Mid Bus – 114,000 miles on 6.6L Duramax Diesel, Allison Transmission with torque converter. Drive Train is in excellent shape. This is a 12+1 passenger with 2 wheelchair locations. Seats have seat belts. Wheelchair lift. Dual air conditioning units. This bus is in great shape. The handicap lift can be used for a grill, tools, etc. Near new tires. Handicap tie downs can be used for cargo. Convert to a Party Bus, Tailgating Bus, Service Van, or Travel your Little League Team. My 4 kids don’t allow the time to work on it. I was going to convert to a Tailgating Bus.
I’m hoping to get my money back out of it, but would consider reasonable offers. $8,500"

https://desmoines.craigslist.org/rvs...896514440.html

I emailed him some questions and this was his response:

"It was a full service school bus up until last year and they sold it, yearly maintenance was done to maintain it for school use. Other than what I have listed in the ad, just fluid changes. I do not have service records, the school would not turn them over for their liability. They were the original owner and I am the 2nd. There is the cab AC and the rear AC. Right now, the evaporator fan isn’t working which I’m chalking into the wiring. If I don’t get time before it is sold I told another person I would take $1,500 off. There is rust underneath the bus, just like any other vehicle driven with salt on roads."

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by beschool

yearly maintenance was done to maintain it for school use.

I'm new at the bus thing, but I don't think "yearly" is what you're looking for as far as bus maintenance is concerned.

[peteg59]

Even with his $1,500 "discount", 6K seems way too high for one with rust issues, IMO...

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by peteg59

Even with his $1,500 "discount", 6K seems way too high for one with rust issues, IMO...

And it's an 07

[CHEESE_WAGON]

Rust, wiring issue, questionable maintenance and the interesting 'drivetrain is in good shape' - meaning the trans and rear. What about the engine? Certain Duramax engines, BTW, are known for incessant fuel pressure loss at the engine, some kind of air leak (maybe at the filter housing) that no one can seem to figure out most of the time. I've heard there is an aftermarket solution, not sure of the cost or difficulty.

The "school wouldn't give over maintenance records for their liability" is a red flag to me, to be honest. The only reason I went through with the deal on the ex-police car I mentioned earlier is that they gave me a service record in a manila envelope that indicated a lot of things had been replaced, so it stood to reason that the engine might be all the car needed for a good long time.

I think you can do better, just my $0.02.

[Danjo]

I think that if someone starts a bus build and doesn’t finish it that it devalues the bus. I know that people have stuff happen that changes their priorities, but the suspicious side of me asks, “what’s wrong”. So for me it’s like a non-running car. It’s not worth more than parts. Is that harsh?


Why delete so many windows on a short bus and turn it in to a hobbit hole? Kills the charm. My opinion.

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

The "school wouldn't give over maintenance records for their liability" is a red flag to me, to be honest.

I agree, why would the school not release the maintenance records? Makes no sense, they won't need them any more. I think the more likely scenario is that the next owner forgot to request them (or dealer, if it went through one). I asked for the service records for my bus and they were happy to hand me a rather thick folder - a manila envelope would not have held it all - going back to day one of their ownership.

[beschool]

Thank you again for all the feedback. All good points on the maintenance records. And it does sound sketchy.

I just saw this one and seems like a really good deal but I know nothing of the 6.2L engine.

https://staugustine.craigslist.org/r...910263260.html

1991 Chevy P30 School Bus
6.2L Chevy Diesel motor
Starts, runs, drives
Have had mechanical work done on A/C unit, new tires, brake job, new radiator, etc.
Because it's a Chevy, parts are super cheap and easy to come by.

Build-out:
Gutted the interior down to the bare metal floor.
New sub-floor with vapor barriers, and all custom furniture/cushions built from there.
Futon slides out into a bed, and lifts up for storage.
Rear benches connect to form a queen size bed and offer ample storage underneath.
Custom butcher block style counter tops with high gloss bar top resin finish.
Mini fridge.
Electrical room consisting of GoalZero 1200 plus 2-125 ampH batteries daisy chained for 350ampH total.
Marine water pump to pump water from onboard water...but also connect to city hookups.
Electric can be supplied from onboard battery bank and/or city hookups.
16'x7'6" rooftop deck is AMAZING for sunset views, dinner platform, SUP storage, etc...

[o1marc]

No mention of any insulation in that one

[Danjo]

Cute. I’ve always liked that body style. Nice size too. Jumbo Shorty. I wonder what he did for paint. If you’re going to paint it again, you’ll be dealing with that.

Price might be right for what’s in it. Looks like it’s a park setup, made to be tethered.

Don’t have that deck on there when you try for insurance.

[Sleddgracer]

Originally Posted by beschool

Thank you again for all the feedback. All good points on the maintenance records. And it does sound sketchy.

I just saw this one and seems like a really good deal but I know nothing of the 6.2L engine.

https://staugustine.craigslist.org/r...910263260.html

1991 Chevy P30 School Bus
6.2L Chevy Diesel motor
Starts, runs, drives
Have had mechanical work done on A/C unit, new tires, brake job, new radiator, etc.
Because it's a Chevy, parts are super cheap and easy to come by.

Build-out:
Gutted the interior down to the bare metal floor.
New sub-floor with vapor barriers, and all custom furniture/cushions built from there.
Futon slides out into a bed, and lifts up for storage.
Rear benches connect to form a queen size bed and offer ample storage underneath.
Custom butcher block style counter tops with high gloss bar top resin finish.
Mini fridge.
Electrical room consisting of GoalZero 1200 plus 2-125 ampH batteries daisy chained for 350ampH total.
Marine water pump to pump water from onboard water...but also connect to city hookups.
Electric can be supplied from onboard battery bank and/or city hookups.
16'x7'6" rooftop deck is AMAZING for sunset views, dinner platform, SUP storage, etc...

the 6.2 and the 6.5 do not enjoy a good reputation - the 6.6 does enjoy a good reputation

[Sharee100]

I have a 2001 Chevy Express Cutaway 6.5L turbo diesel. The engine is the only thing that was in good condition. I love the way it runs. It prefers to be driven at over 40 mph. I have replaced the brake lines (it was kept on a farm with dirt roads), the starter, front grill and headlights, and the transmission. I replaced all 6 tires. Some of dash components were replaced. So my opinion is 6.5L turbo diesel can be a good choice. But when we replaced the odometer unit we discovered that a prior owner has rolled back the odometer. So, my advice is look at the history of the vehicle. I just used the vin number you showed to see the specs of your vehicle. Chevy Express 4500, 6.6L. Diesel, etc.