Maybe this is a good buy?

[TeacherJoe]

Originally Posted by Kaleth2

Thanks for all the input. I want to make sure we buy the right bus that fits our need and don’t want to feel rushed into a decision...especially driving across country! Went out and remeasured area where we want to park it and have realized it will be like threading a needle every time we back her in:/. Have you all seen many, or any!, short school buses that are 22 foot with the high roof in them and a body like this Freightliner? PNW Steve, where are you buying your buses. We were told at Western bus sales that there is a shortage of shorties on the west coast because of some legislation that required schools to scrap the old buses in order to get the funding for new buses. My other half is becoming convinced that I am chasing a Unicorn!

Check my profile pic. This is a 2005 Thomas FS65, Cat C7, Allison 2000, high roof, overall length 23’. It was a federal government bus, and we bought it off a used car lot in Texas.

Joe

[plfking]

Originally Posted by Kaleth2

He said he doesn’t know if it runs 65 because he bought it from the school and he’s in rural area...no highways home:/. How much does it cost to change a govenor setting? To change gearing?

Thanks,
Karen and Todd

As others have mentioned, that is a nice bus, with a lot of desirable amenities. However, when searching for my bus, I talked to 3 NC bus garage managers who all said that NC buses are geared to 45-50 mph max......mostly rear diffs in the 6.50-7.00 range.

I think you'd need to verify top speed before going any further. The VIN, and a call to Freightliner/Daimler for the build sheet, would tell you the ratios. And they'd also tell you whom it was sold to........Reidsville is only about 20 miles from the Virginia state line, so it might be possible it lived there. An inspection by a certified mechanic sounds like a solid plan if the owner lets him take it out and wind it up.

A set of gears will run about $600-800 for a used pumpkin, plus shipping, plus labor......the mechanic might have software to remove the electronic governor.

My 6 window 3800 is 23'9".

Good luck!

[banman]

Originally Posted by Kaleth2

Thanks for all the input. I want to make sure we buy the right bus that fits our need and don’t want to feel rushed into a decision...especially driving across country! Went out and remeasured area where we want to park it and have realized it will be like threading a needle every time we back her in:/. Have you all seen many, or any!, short school buses that are 22 foot with the high roof in them and a body like this Freightliner? PNW Steve, where are you buying your buses. We were told at Western bus sales that there is a shortage of shorties on the west coast because of some legislation that required schools to scrap the old buses in order to get the funding for new buses. My other half is becoming convinced that I am chasing a Unicorn!

Install a back-up camera.
It's okay to press the easy button!

[musigenesis]

It's probably not badly rusted as the seller says, but they included no pics at all of the underside. I wouldn't buy a bus remotely unless there were a lot of photos of every part of the bus.

Edit: I see that there is one photo you included of the underside. Looks OK for rust, but I would personally still want to see more of it.

[Kaleth2]

Spell check:P. Sweet bus!

[Kaleth2]

Thank you. We’re having him check fir that at mechanic. Turns out he bought it at auction 8 miles down gravel road from his house! No plates, stickers. He’s looking into getting temp travel tag, diagnostic. We’re waiting to see how that goes. Trying to get a bead on insurance now. Our company wont cover it.

[Kaleth2]

Love that idea! I have no shame for taking advantage of technology that way

[Kaleth2]

We asked him to estate us more and he was very obliging. Looks great underneath.

[Kaleth2]

Thank you PlfKing! We looked up the VIN and real axle ratio is 7.17:/. We’ thinking that by the time we fly, pay for hotels, drive back across county, and do mechanical changes to the bus, we might as well by an expensive one in Oregon! Wish there were shorties for sale here with the length and ceiling height we need! THink we might have to let this one go.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Kaleth2

Thank you PlfKing! We looked up the VIN and real axle ratio is 7.17:/. We’ thinking that by the time we fly, pay for hotels, drive back across county, and do mechanical changes to the bus, we might as well by an expensive one in Oregon! Wish there were shorties for sale here with the length and ceiling height we need! THink we might have to let this one go.

Yeah you'd be driving like 45-50 across the country and that would be at redline!
Wise to pass.
The BEST buses are in your back yard out there on the west coast.

[Mountain Gnome]

Patience my friends. Took me roughly 6 months of searching all over the country for the right bus for me.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by Kaleth2

Thank you PlfKing! We looked up the VIN and real axle ratio is 7.17:/. We’ thinking that by the time we fly, pay for hotels, drive back across county, and do mechanical changes to the bus, we might as well by an expensive one in Oregon! Wish there were shorties for sale here with the length and ceiling height we need! THink we might have to let this one go.

God Lord, I'd hate to drive that rear gear across country. I would be patient, there will be more buses coming up in your area in the spring.

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Yeah you'd be driving like 45-50 across the country and that would be at redline!
Wise to pass.
The BEST buses are in your back yard out there on the west coast.

According to the gear calculator/rpm you'd be doing 2440 @ 55mph.
And I'm sure you wouldn't have to slow down for any hills.

It's a hassle for sure but you could have the rear end changed before you drive out.

I'm thinking that engine has seen no stress with an axle ratio that low (numerically high...)

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

According to the gear calculator/rpm you'd be doing 2440 @ 55mph.
And I'm sure you wouldn't have to slow down for any hills.

It's a hassle for sure but you could have the rear end changed before you drive out.

I'm thinking that engine has seen no stress with an axle ratio that low (numerically high...)

It makes zero sense for OP to do this.

[banman]

duplicate post...

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

It makes zero sense for OP to do this.

I have no real idea -- MY bus found me -- too easy...

If a high roof shortie is in high demand and runs $6000 to $8000 as (I think) the OP said on the west coast...

Then paying $3000 and having work done up-front could be worthwhile --

"You people" finding great deals on buses clearly devote a lot of time to the search and wait...


Personally -- if I needed a mobile home -- I'd buy a crewcab (a Loadstar 1800 would be awesome!) with flatbed. Put a shipping container on the flatbed. A shipping container is a much easier to deal with 'blank slate' for building out a tiny house...

So it's really hard for me to evaluate what's worth what to somebody that really wants a bus...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

I have no real idea -- MY bus found me -- too easy...

If a high roof shortie is in high demand and runs $6000 to $8000 as (I think) the OP said on the west coast...

Then paying $3000 and having work done up-front could be worthwhile --

"You people" finding great deals on buses clearly devote a lot of time to the search and wait...

not at all. I can pretty much go on PS or GD and find a decent deal on a bus any time.
Some folks don't like the format and pay 2-3x the price as a result of their preference.
I'd probably not take less than ten grand for my shorty. But I only paid 16% of that and prob wouldn't pay much higher.
Having looked at buses for sale since about 2002 I've noticed the buses out there on the west side of the US sure seem a lot nicer than the stuff over here. I mean- they got CROWNS out there! The nicest buses I've ever seen were from CA, WA, and OR. I just don't see the logic in going for a NC bus when one is in bus hunting heaven. Getting a common low spec bus and then having to regear it to do highway speeds isn't a good approach, IMO.

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

not at all. I can pretty much go on PS or GD and find a decent deal on a bus any time.
Some folks don't like the format and pay 2-3x the price as a result of their preference.
I'd probably not take less than ten grand for my shorty. But I only paid 16% of that and prob wouldn't pay much higher.
Having looked at buses for sale since about 2002 I've noticed the buses out there on the west side of the US sure seem a lot nicer than the stuff over here. I mean- they got CROWNS out there! The nicest buses I've ever seen were from CA, WA, and OR. I just don't see the logic in going for a NC bus when one is in bus hunting heaven. Getting a common low spec bus and then having to regear it to do highway speeds isn't a good approach, IMO.

Like I said: I don't really know from buses -- I just happen to own one...

[EastCoastCB]

Here's nice one in AZ, they have a bunch of nice ones.
https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/au...ew?auc=2495743

[Kaleth2]

Thanks for the PS tip! The link you gave me has Allison 543. I’ve heard more about the 545. How’s that 543 run?
We’re not familiar with PS. There’s several buses that look like they’d work. We just need to find out their length and interior height And gearing. Surfing the site to figure out how to get that information.
We’re thinking this one looks good.
https://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/au...ew?auc=2495765