Where to buy so I get an exhaust/trans brake?

[Dapplecreek]

I want to climb some significant mountains and I want to safely go down those hills too. I want a conventional bus with a DT466 and an Allison NOT 545 transmission... but I would LOVE to also have an exhaust brake, "Jake" brake, or transmission retarder as well.

Where in the mid-Atlantic (I'm in SW Virginia) would you go to buy a bus which would be likely to have such a thing? And I've never seen 'em mentioned in auction blurbs - should I call on each one?

Thanks, all...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

I want to climb some significant mountains and I want to safely go down those hills too. I want a conventional bus with a DT466 and an Allison NOT 545 transmission... but I would LOVE to also have an exhaust brake, "Jake" brake, or transmission retarder as well.

Where in the mid-Atlantic (I'm in SW Virginia) would you go to buy a bus which would be likely to have such a thing? And I've never seen 'em mentioned in auction blurbs - should I call on each one?

Thanks, all...

You won't find any jakes on school buses. A real jake costs many thousands of dollars and adds a lot of complexity.
MANY of the buses out in Colorado and possibly Idaho do have retarders, though.
My bus doesn't have one, but I have a 643. I can buy a 643 with a retarder for $750 used (roughly). A trip to the driveshaft shop and that 643 with retarder wouldn't be too hard to do.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

...MANY of the buses out in Colorado and possibly Idaho do have retarders, though...

So if it were worth $1000 to me to have a retarder, I might find myself money ahead buying in Idaho and driving it back to Virginia... in order to gut it, load it with our possessions, and drive it out to Idaho when we move!

Well, from what I've seen of repair shop prices I *do* think buying in the final configuration I want is a very good idea. And I would pick up some more stories to tell, no doubt.

Thanks!

[Tango]

You will find the better "mountain" buses where they have lots of mountains. Colorado is known to outfit their skoolies with the gearing, trannies, retarders and such to deal with their native inclines plus they seem to have above average maintenance programs.

[Dapplecreek]

Hm. And Colorado might be far enough away from the ports and the border to make the exporter competition less severe...

[cadillackid]

are you going to make multiple runs with the bus and hang onto the bus for conversion after you are done moving? or is this mainly just a take out the seats, load it drive it, sell it expedtion?
-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Dapplecreek

Hm. And Colorado might be far enough away from the ports and the border to make the exporter competition less severe...

You can get a NICE bus in Colorado for 3-5 grand. A much "lesser" bus here in FL would be ten grand due to the export market.
I've seen non-running Cat engined buses sell for 10k at eh local auction.
I know a lady who got a decent RE at a local auction but its low spec and high mileage and she paid close to 9k.

[Dapplecreek]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

are you going to make multiple runs with the bus and hang onto the bus for conversion after you are done moving? or is this mainly just a take out the seats, load it drive it, sell it expedtion?
-Christopher

Well, there's HER plan and MY plan...

My plan, of course, is to do it her way because she's almost always right and I would be a fool to ignore her advice.

OUR plan, then, is to move, camping across the country, then sell it after perhaps a short time of using it as a storage unit (or camping in it until we find local housing). It would cost us at least $40 a month for parking, as we will have no place of our own that would work. (Breaks my heart: we have 12 acres here in VA and could park a fleet.)

IF it seems financially prudent, I would enjoy keeping the bus and properly converting it to RV use. But I very much doubt that will happen.

The desire for a retarder or exhaust brake come from our route across the Rockies and my good understanding of physics and emergency medicine: I *really* don't want to pile it in along a downgrade.