Family of 6, ticket to freedom

[Latch]

Hi all! So excited to be starting this journey. We officially decided to start a bus conversion. We have been doing a ton of research. So within the year, we are hoping to buy, convert and move into our bus. At some point we're going to relocate from Boston to his family's property near Albany to start working. We're a family of 6 so we know it will be challenging but it feels totally right. Neither me or my husband are necessarily skilled in mechanics or construction but we have grown up with family in those field and we are pretty good at figuring things out. His dad is an amazing autobody guy that restores classic cars (who also has also owned and worked on several rv's), we have a brother in law that actually works on school buses for a living and an another who is electrician that specializes in solar work. So we're not totally horrified but we're looking forward to connect with the community and see all the brilliant work that other people are doing as our muse. We are so impressed by all the creativity that goes into this sort of project and are really looking forward to the task.
Any advice on how or where to buy? Craigslist, Ebay? Dad has a lot of access to auctions, have many had luck with that or other source ideas?
Pretty sure we are leaning toward a Flatnose bus but we would consider a motorcoach type bus if the price was right.
Thanks!
The Latch's

[PNW_Steve]

Welcome,

Take a look at:

www.govdeals.com
Public Surplus: Government Surplus Auctions

[M1031A1]

I concur with Steve. Your best bet will be the auctions. I've been in government surplus since '99. Bought and sold a number of vehicles in that time. I've learned a thing or two about how to buy and what to avoid. Best bet is to call the site and ask if there's a mechanic or the vehicle records available. That will help you avoid the bondo-buckets and Band-Aid/Duct-Tape buses. Look to California/Arizona/Colorado/New Mexico/Texas regions for the best rust free buses on the market. If you buy local up there, plan on LOTS of Ospho and LOTS of effort in repairing the rust holes in those buses. Me, I'm lazy and bought my bus in CA, flew from TX out there and drove her home. Sure beats years of never-ending bodywork.....

Just my 2 cents...

M

[Latch]

Originally Posted by M1031A1

I concur with Steve. Your best bet will be the auctions. I've been in government surplus since '99. Bought and sold a number of vehicles in that time. I've learned a thing or two about how to buy and what to avoid. Best bet is to call the site and ask if there's a mechanic or the vehicle records available. That will help you avoid the bondo-buckets and Band-Aid/Duct-Tape buses. Look to California/Arizona/Colorado/New Mexico/Texas regions for the best rust free buses on the market. If you buy local up there, plan on LOTS of Ospho and LOTS of effort in repairing the rust holes in those buses. Me, I'm lazy and bought my bus in CA, flew from TX out there and drove her home. Sure beats years of never-ending bodywork.....

Just my 2 cents...

M

Great advice, Thanks!

[MarkyDee]

We are a family with 4 kids ranging from mid-teen down to 2 and we decided on a coach bus over a skoolie. I was more comfortable with eBay than the school bus auction sites and the "right one" popped up about 3 months into our search (although I had been 'lurking' for about 5-6 months prior).

So my take is that eBay is a possibility if you are looking for a coach or transit bus. If you're sticking w/ a skoolie, then you should stay with the auctions (eBay school buses are generally priced at a premium over the auctions). But don't discount eBay completely as every so often a great deal shows up. If you don't search eBay consistently you won't know when a "great" deal appears....

[EastCoastCB]

I can't believe CL is doing so well in the poll, granted there are only 5 votes so far, but man that's the last place I'd look for a bus.