ISO: 40+ foot, unconverted bus

[Jdsilverm]

Hey everyone! I've been lurking on the forums for a little bit now in preparation for tackling my first skoolie! This place is amazing, and the people even more so! Thank you in advance for helping me with my request:


I am in search of a 40+ foot, flat-front, rear-engine bus with Cummins engine and Allison transmission. It would be great to have the extra height option as well. Ideally, as per everyone's advice here, it would be located in a rust-free area. I'm located in the Southeast US, but willing to travel for a good deal!


I've been doing a ton of searching on this forum and online for guidance on best places to buy buses, but having a hard time coming up with specific information. I would appreciate any links to reputable sites for browsing, or direct links to sales you might find that fit my search.



Thank you, again, for helping a newbie.

[Native]

The longest school buses are 40 feet. If you want more than 40 feet, you have to go to a transit bus, coach bus, or RV.

[Sehnsucht]

In short, you're probably looking for a team or activity bus from a well funded suburban school district or a non-school bus. A member here recently struck skoolie gold with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bus which has a nice big engine and reasonably gently used. In the world of school buses speed isn't a big factor so unless the bus was spec'd for highway use it is very likely not going to achieve what you expect. As for where to shop, SW states may be the most desirable region to shop for rust-free buses but that's not to say you can't find gems in most areas of you're patient.

[JackE]

I have heard good things about AAA Bus Sales in Phoenix. I hear good service department too. First time I get down there with mine, I'm planning on having them give it a once over.

[Sehnsucht]

Originally Posted by JackE

I have heard good things about AAA Bus Sales in Phoenix. I hear good service department too. First time I get down there with mine, I'm planning on having them give it a once over.

I stopped in there a few years back on behalf of another member who was interested in a bus they had on offer. I found them to be very friendly and informative, not pushy or dismissive since I wasn't a prospective sale. Spent a few hours when it was all said and done.

They usually have good quality (rust-free) buses and often some bigger engine pushers which may just depend on the buying cycle of local school districts. I often say most school buses aren't spec'd for highway speeds but apparently Arizona has a lot of wide open space between stops where faster buses are a thing plus some mountainous areas where those 8.3s and DT530s actually show their worth. So it seems like geographically AAA is a pretty prime location for what I consider a good bus platform but you'll also pay dealer price and have to drive it home which could be thousands of miles.

[Jdsilverm]

Originally Posted by Sehnsucht

I stopped in there a few years back on behalf of another member who was interested in a bus they had on offer. I found them to be very friendly and informative, not pushy or dismissive since I wasn't a prospective sale. Spent a few hours when it was all said and done.

They usually have good quality (rust-free) buses and often some bigger engine pushers which may just depend on the buying cycle of local school districts. I often say most school buses aren't spec'd for highway speeds but apparently Arizona has a lot of wide open space between stops where faster buses are a thing plus some mountainous areas where those 8.3s and DT530s actually show their worth. So it seems like geographically AAA is a pretty prime location for what I consider a good bus platform but you'll also pay dealer price and have to drive it home which could be thousands of miles.

Originally Posted by JackE

I have heard good things about AAA Bus Sales in Phoenix. I hear good service department too. First time I get down there with mine, I'm planning on having them give it a once over.

Thank you JackE and Sehnsucht! In my initial searches AAA in Phoenix came up a lot as highly recommended and I heard good things combing the forums. The only thing is they don't list any prices so I wasn't able to do apples-to-apples comparisons with other sites. But, I will reach out and see if I can get some more info on a few options I really like!

Originally Posted by Sehnsucht

In short, you're probably looking for a team or activity bus from a well funded suburban school district or a non-school bus. A member here recently struck skoolie gold with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bus which has a nice big engine and reasonably gently used. In the world of school buses speed isn't a big factor so unless the bus was spec'd for highway use it is very likely not going to achieve what you expect. As for where to shop, SW states may be the most desirable region to shop for rust-free buses but that's not to say you can't find gems in most areas of you're patient.

Yes, I totally saw that ICE bus somewhere else on here and loved it!

Originally Posted by Native

The longest school buses are 40 feet. If you want more than 40 feet, you have to go to a transit bus, coach bus, or RV.

Yes, I've been keeping my options open with regards to school buses, RVs, and coaches. I actually really like coaches, but they seem unwieldy and unknown compared to relatively "simple" school bus systems. Funny enough, I was actually looking at double-decker buses early on cause of all the space!! But, then I realized that not many are in the US, and if they are, they are European in origin and not easily serviced.