Wanted: Crown Tandem

[eragon921]

Hey everyone! I'm getting into the Skoolie game and my research is telling me to shoot for it since I have the time to invest in looking for the right bus. So here it goes:

I am looking for a tandem Crown, ideally with a center mounted Big-Cam 855, but I'll take what I can get. I don't care which transmission it has. I'm perfectly comfortable driving a manual but if automatic is all that's available then I'll take it. Obviously I want it to be in sound mechanical shape and relatively rust free (I can take care of cosmetic issues on my own so I don't much care about paint jobs). If one even exists with less than 300K miles or even 250K miles I'd be over the moon! That said, as long as I'm not looking at replacing the engine and or transmission in the first go round I'm OK unless the asking price accommodates the need of the replacements. I'd prefer the seats to be out but that is NOT a deal breaker.

I'll be using it for full time living and it will be putting on the miles in the mountains and seeing snow (thus why I want the extra weight and control of the tandem).

Does anyone have any leads or, better yet, a bus for sale that meets the above specs? I'm on the east coast currently so if you're out west (where I want to be back to in the end) I won't be able to pick it up right away.

[Iceni John]

Mention what you're looking for on the Crown Coach Junkies forum on Facebook and Yahoo, and someone there will probably know where there may still be tandems available. Anaheim's are all gone, but some other districts may still have some they're getting rid of. The ultimate monster school bus is a Crown tandem with Cummins 855 and ten-speed Roadranger, especially if the engine's been turned up and if the transmission is the RTO with overdrive. An Allison HT740 is also a good partner to a Big Cam. At our annual CCJ get-together over Memorial Day weekend there was a desert tandem with factory A/C, a turned-up Big Cam and an RTO, and it flies! Last year it did 65 MPH up Cajon Pass in 9th gear, needing to slow for the cars climbing the grade there! Show me any modern disposabus that comes close to that. Fun!

Good luck.

John

[Kubla]

here is a crown auction
https://www.rbauction.com/1984-CROWN...eo-retargeting

[eragon921]

Iceni John,

Thanks for the tip! I posted on there and low and behold someone had one! Question:

It's a 1988 40ft Tandem with a Big Cam 855 and RT910. Repowered in 2013 with the 855 and represented to have 35000 miles on the new power plant. Recently retired from school district service in northern California. Pictures of it are gorgeous, though I'll still have to verify the condition.

The seller is asking $23,000 for it. Is it worth it? Should I offer something less? That's a big chunk of my budget, but I have time to spread out the project to accommodate the expenditure and recovering from it to do it right if so.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by eragon921

Iceni John,

Thanks for the tip! I posted on there and low and behold someone had one! Question:

It's a 1988 40ft Tandem with a Big Cam 855 and RT910. Repowered in 2013 with the 855 and represented to have 35000 miles on the new power plant. Recently retired from school district service in northern California. Pictures of it are gorgeous, though I'll still have to verify the condition.

The seller is asking $23,000 for it. Is it worth it? Should I offer something less? That's a big chunk of my budget, but I have time to spread out the project to accommodate the expenditure and recovering from it to do it right if so.

Always offer less, not many people expect to get their asking price. I'd be willing to bet he actually wants $20k and will start at $23k till you get somewhere between that and your opening offer. He wants $20k, he'll take $18.