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05-15-2020, 06:01 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Reality Check for Buying a Bus
Hi everyone!
I've been lurking around for awhile sucking up everyone else's knowledge but am finally getting ready to climb into the rabbit hole...er...buy a bus.
I'm looking for a reality check on pricing. I've got a line on an AZ International RE3000 84pax with 178,000 - 186,000 miles (there are multiple units...mileage varies), air conditioning, and the DT466E/MD3060 combo. Sounds great right?
Price I got was $9,000 out the door with seats removed and all the "bus bits" removed/covered over. Sounds a bit high to me, but I don't know what/how to compare it to something else.
Does that seem like a reasonable price? It seems like bus pricing is all over the place, with sellers throwing darts to get pricing. My local dealer (NW Bus) had basically the same Thomas RE with MBE engine in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008 all priced at $10,000. Seems to me there would be SOME difference to account for increased wear/tear.
Am I overthinking this? Is this where bus prices are at these days?
Please let me know what I'm missing or not considering!
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05-15-2020, 06:35 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
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Seems steep to me. Maybe by $3K more than auction price. IDK, there’s something about just getting what you want, but $3K is a pretty good solar setup, or all the plumbing and electrical parts.
I probably overpaid for mine by $1K myself, but I got what I wanted.
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05-15-2020, 07:01 PM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danjo
Seems steep to me. Maybe by $3K more than auction price. IDK, there’s something about just getting what you want, but $3K is a pretty good solar setup, or all the plumbing and electrical parts.
I probably overpaid for mine by $1K myself, but I got what I wanted.
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I guess I could always look at it as paying 6 or 7k for the bus and another 2k for seat removal, etc.
Thanks for the reply!
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05-15-2020, 07:18 PM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
I guess I could always look at it as paying 6 or 7k for the bus and another 2k for seat removal, etc.
Thanks for the reply!
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Seat removal takes a day. That’s a handsome paycheck for someone
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05-15-2020, 07:29 PM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
I guess I could always look at it as paying 6 or 7k for the bus and another 2k for seat removal, etc.
Thanks for the reply!
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Never pay $2000 for seat removal. I'll do it for $10 a seat.
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05-15-2020, 08:02 PM
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#6
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Never pay $2000 for seat removal. I'll do it for $10 a seat.
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It doesn't seem that difficult and I'd really prefer not to pay at all. I guess it's back to the original "how much is too much?" question.
I'm just not sure exactly how to figure that out. I suppose it's an individual choice more than anything. I don't suppose there is a blue book for busses is there?
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05-15-2020, 08:13 PM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
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Look on Craigslist around the country and see what the tertiary market is asking.
Probably not auctions right now
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05-15-2020, 08:24 PM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danjo
Look on Craigslist around the country and see what the tertiary market is asking.
Probably not auctions right now
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Does it matter if I can't find the same year/make/engine combo? For example, if all I can find is a 78 pax RE Thomas with the MBE, is that an equal comparison?
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05-15-2020, 08:29 PM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
Does it matter if I can't find the same year/make/engine combo? For example, if all I can find is a 78 pax RE Thomas with the MBE, is that an equal comparison?
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You don't want a bus with an MBE, or any bus newer than 2003 ( maybe 2004).
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05-15-2020, 09:08 PM
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#10
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
You don't want a bus with an MBE, or any bus newer than 2003 (maybe 2004).
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The MBE I understand...would you mind elaborating on why no earlier than 2003/2004?
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05-15-2020, 09:25 PM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
The MBE I understand...would you mind elaborating on why no earlier than 2003/2004?
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New EPA regulations governing diesel engine emissions went into effect for 2004 and the technologies employed to reduce emissions to meet the new standards (for example, exhaust gas recirculation or EGR) are unreliable and extremely expensive to fix (like, more than ten grand expensive). Good for the environment, very very bad for the skoolie budget.
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05-15-2020, 09:28 PM
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#12
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Traveling
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,302
Year: None
Coachwork: None
Chassis: None
Engine: None
Rated Cap: None
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
Price I got was $9,000 out the door with seats removed and all the "bus bits" removed/covered over. Sounds a bit high to me, but I don't know what/how to compare it to something else.
Does that seem like a reasonable price? It seems like bus pricing is all over the place, with sellers throwing darts to get pricing. My local dealer (NW Bus) had basically the same Thomas RE with MBE engine in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008 all priced at $10,000. Seems to me there would be SOME difference to account for increased wear/tear.
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This place wouldn't happen to be called Florida Church Bus, would it? Or perhaps the seller's last name is Archambault or something like that? If yes to either, and/or both, don't walk away, RUN! Crook of the highest order!
Bottom line, I would never pay over $4,000 for even the nicest bus.
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05-15-2020, 10:45 PM
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#13
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
New EPA regulations governing diesel engine emissions went into effect for 2004...
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Ah. Got it. That's why I liked working on marine diesels. Not nearly as much red tape. Thanks for the details.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON
This place wouldn't happen to be called Florida Church Bus, would it?
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No...but I did briefly look at what they had to offer. After I wiped the tears from laughing so hard, I quickly moved on to something else.
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05-16-2020, 05:03 AM
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#14
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Traveling
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Virginia
Posts: 2,302
Year: None
Coachwork: None
Chassis: None
Engine: None
Rated Cap: None
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON
This place wouldn't happen to be called Florida Church Bus, would it? Or perhaps the seller's last name is Archambault or something like that? If yes to either, and/or both, don't walk away, RUN! Crook of the highest order!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jjaj823
No...but I did briefly look at what they had to offer. After I wiped the tears from laughing so hard, I quickly moved on to something else.
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Not surprising in the least. FCB burned a former member here badly about 10 years ago, bus blew the transmission before it made it home if I remember correctly. Gotta love those taillight warranties - last longer when they are on! Then FCB claimed they offered the buyer a used torque converter, as if that was going to fix the problem.
To top it all off, they had the nerve to tell another potential buyer from this site how honorable they were, and that the problem bus they previously sold was worth ten times the purchase price in parts. RUN, FORREST, RUN!
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05-16-2020, 07:24 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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BGA aka "Florida Church Bus" are the worst way to buy a bus. They just spam and wait for uninitiated noobs who've watched some HGTV too much.
We've had two members who broke down on the way home with FCB/BGA buses.
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05-17-2020, 02:11 PM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Anywhere we can park (currently PA)
Posts: 150
Year: 2004
Coachwork: International
Chassis: RE300
Engine: DT466E
Rated Cap: 76
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Thanks all for the responses.
I've found a couple promising busses in the general area. One is a 1995 Thomas RE with a Cat (3116 I assume?) And an unknown transmission about an hour north of me and a 2006 IC RE with DT466E and MD3060 a few hours south in Oregon.
Waiting for some pics of the undercarriage of the Oregon bus because it has chains and Sanders installed...not too hopeful, but you never know!
Probably ride up and check out the '95 later this week.
Thanks again for the assistance!
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05-23-2020, 08:49 PM
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#17
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New Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 5
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That does seem a bit high. I got mine at auction for $2K and took out the seats myself and gave them away on Craigslist so people hauled them off for me. The feeling of self accomplishment was priceless!
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05-24-2020, 07:45 AM
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#18
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Almost There
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 93
Year: 2000
Coachwork: AmTran RE
Chassis: Iternational
Engine: DT530E MD3060
Rated Cap: 80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
Never pay $2000 for seat removal. I'll do it for $10 a seat.
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wish I would have known you when I was doing mine! LOL
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05-24-2020, 08:28 AM
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#19
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mako
wish I would have known you when I was doing mine! LOL
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Ah, me too!
Last one I did was a 35 footer. 2 hours pretty much did it by myself with my wife holding a wrench a few times.
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05-24-2020, 08:47 AM
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#20
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,527
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
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I love MBE.. The 2004 should not have an egr cooler since that is likely a 2003 motor.. May be 4 to 5k max if there is no rust and it is running well. The people bad mouthing these MBE likely never had one and it becomes all hearsay from that moment on.
Good luck .
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