Pros / Cons Of Different Bus Platforms?

[bus-bro]

If I was doing another bus I'd do a 30 foot dog-nose, they can get into almost any campground. I saw several that went to auction a year and a half ago, with a dt360 and mt643. They went for about $2400, and were in excellent condition. In my state, the state government has slashed money for the districts to buy new buses, and the supply of good buses is drying up.

This is the kinda bus they auction now: http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/state, ... auc=652438 .

An OBTW: the damage doesn't look all that bad, just sheet metal. YMMV.

[Jarlaxle]

Well...considering what has happened to the three at work, I would avoid anything with a 7.2 Cat (C7/3126) unless it had a rebuilt engine.

I would avoid the non-lockup AT545 on general priciples.

[chev49]

i prefer the mt 643 transmissions. they are cheap cores, and less han 2K for a rebuilt one. I also like the 3208 turbo cat better than the 3116, just dont get a worn out one. A couple of main reason i bought the bus i have and sold my coach conversion.

[frank-id]

Allison trans have an Id plate on the passenger/right side of every unit with model number. The tag is easily wiped to notice the numbers....Frank

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by CHEESE_WAGON

Enlighten me. I need details on such things... My bus experience is somewhat limited to dognose gassers, which are all but gone from the market.

I posted it in the Cat subforum...reposted here:

Well, I think it can now be called a trend...we have three 7.2 litre C7 diesels at work, powering box trucks (a 2005 & a 2007 Freightliner, a 2005 Sterling). Two have already been replaced (one due to a dead cylinder, one due to a bottom-end problem caused by a cracked cylinder head), the only survivor powers my truck, a 2007 with 129,000 miles. Judging by the blowby (clouds visible anytime I stop, smoke from the exhaust when accelerating or climbing hills), mine might not be long for this world. Per a mechanic at Ryder (which has thousands of C7's), "150,000 miles in a is about it for a 7.2 Cat. That's when they lose compression."

[Jarlaxle]

Yes...though 2005 & later, it is called the C7 ACERT. It's an upgraded (?) version of the 3126E.