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03-29-2016, 11:46 AM
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#1
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
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Pusher price
I'm looking around the Internet, trying to determine what our budget is going to need to be for this project. Someone has suggested (my research suggests the same) that I might need a flat nosed pusher to get the interior space I would like. A quick look around online shows those go for around $8,000-10,000 on the low end. Is that about right? Any resources for finding them any less expensive?
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03-29-2016, 12:00 PM
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#2
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: SW New Hampshire
Posts: 1,334
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Gaaah! Get yourself signed up with PublicSurplus.com and GovDeals.com and set up a daily search named "school bus" or something creative like that. They go for $2500-3000 if you buy them directly from the school system.
As with most everything bus, it's been discussed here many times before. What to look for, what engines and transmissions people like and don't like, how to read the secret codes on tires to see how old they really are, etc etc. There's a "sticky" thread for listing bus vendors and places to buy IIRC but I can't find it just now. Can anybody help me out with that?
Really, you can find a bus that someone else has stripped out and repaired already for less than that.
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03-29-2016, 12:01 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
Posts: 1,444
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
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TM,
We got out bus for $2K, and after a good service, driving for almost 2K miles, we came home with a wonderful bus for around $3K including fuel, food, hotel, et.al.
Look around at GovDeals.com or publicsurplus.com for some good deals. Talk to the lead mechanics about the buses you're interested in and be prepared to walk away from some. Avoid the northern buses (rust and corrosion). California buses are some of the best to get. That's where we got ours. So if someone wants $8K to $10K, the bus needs to be rust free, VERY low mileage, AND VERY low hours on the engine to be worth that kind of money (i.e. 50K miles and 4K hours or less), in other words a *unicorn*.
Hope this helps.
M1031
__________________
Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence. — George Washington
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03-29-2016, 12:14 PM
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#4
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: EHT New Jersey
Posts: 1,134
Year: 2003
Coachwork: AmTran
Chassis: International 3000RE
Engine: T444E/AT545
Rated Cap: 75
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Agreed, get on GovDeals.com and PublicSurplus.com. You can occasionally find a deal on Fleabay or Craigslist, but as CUCV (M1031) pointed out, as rare as unicorns. Buses'll start going to auction in a couple of months as they age out.
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03-29-2016, 12:29 PM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texasmom
I'm looking around the Internet, trying to determine what our budget is going to need to be for this project. Someone has suggested (my research suggests the same) that I might need a flat nosed pusher to get the interior space I would like. A quick look around online shows those go for around $8,000-10,000 on the low end. Is that about right? Any resources for finding them any less expensive?
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Get one at an auction.
A FE has plenty of space and a rear door to boot, fwiw. Cheaper too.
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03-29-2016, 12:41 PM
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#6
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
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Thank you, thank you! Music to my ears I knew that had to be too high. I was starting to think we may have to wait two years or more before we could even buy the bus!
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03-29-2016, 12:52 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,764
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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03-29-2016, 01:08 PM
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#8
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
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Good thought. It wouldn't take long for the whole thing to go up.
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03-29-2016, 04:04 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Valley - Arizona
Posts: 644
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freight-shaker (Freightliner)
Engine: Cat 3126b 250 HP
Rated Cap: Only 1 seat
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03-29-2016, 04:28 PM
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#10
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 13
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Definitely.
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03-29-2016, 05:59 PM
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#11
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Dowdy Lakes, Colorado
Posts: 1,444
Year: 1989
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner ER
Engine: 3208 CAT/MT643 tranny
Rated Cap: 87
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texasmom
Thank you, thank you! Music to my ears I knew that had to be too high. I was starting to think we may have to wait two years or more before we could even buy the bus!
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Read my thread "Heavy Fuel". That should give you a good idea of what to look for and where to look, such as California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
Just my opinion.
Oh, and good catch Scooter on my name originating from the CUCV series of military vehicles. I still own my M1031! LOVE HER!
__________________
Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence. — George Washington
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03-29-2016, 07:20 PM
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#12
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 50
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Like the others have said, Govdeals and Publicsurplus. Also, google First student. They are a huge school bus contractor all over the us.
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