Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 02-03-2021, 08:05 AM   #1
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 4
Hello from NC!

Hey there!

I have just started my research for building a Skoolie, and am excited to learn from you all!

I have been researching engines and transmissions and am about to make a decision on what platform to look for! I’m leaning towards an inline 6 diesel, with a manual tranny. If auto, surely something that can lock up!

If you have any leads on a place to buy a donor in coastal NC, let me know!

Cheers!

GtrNut2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2021, 02:42 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
welcome
where at in coastal NC?
especially coastal NC they like the 545,the low hosepower motors and reargearing in the 6 range so ask all of those questions up front if buying an NC bus.
my local bus barn in onslow county has some for sale now but dont know exactly what.
good luck
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2021, 05:31 PM   #3
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 4
I am in Pender County! So not far away at all.
GtrNut2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2021, 05:41 PM   #4
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 4
When you mention local bus barn, what exactly are you referring to? The local school districts dispatch/garage? Townships I guess would have a few of these around too right?

I have not been well versed in the possibilities for purchasing a bus! Right now I have been just thinking about the local craigslists, facebook marketplace, and a random guy/gal with a few in their field.

I will take any tips! It sounds like we are close by as well, so it would be nice to pick your brain on the local options available for this kind of thing.

Re-gearing in the 6 range. You mean the rear end? I am thinking I want one of the stronger engines, as I want to be getting out west. It's not set in stone obviously, but an interest of mine!
GtrNut2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2021, 03:27 PM   #5
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
yes the rear end gearing.
NC likes to use the 6.50 rear gears to limit road speed.
pender county might have a few buses that are highway capable.
each county has its own bus barn where they work on and maintain there buses.
what style/size of bus are you looking at?
i bought a second bus last year that is a five window shorty on a chevy 3500 chassis.
it had no problems doing 80mph when i drove it down from raleigh on I40.
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-04-2021, 03:43 PM   #6
Bus Crazy
 
Mountain Gnome's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,222
Year: 1999
Coachwork: BlueBird
Chassis: TC1000 HandyBus
Engine: 5.9L 24V-L6 Cummins ISB
Rated Cap: 26 foot
Quote:
Originally Posted by GtrNut2112 View Post
I have not been well versed in the possibilities for purchasing a bus! Right now I have been just thinking about the local craigslists, facebook marketplace, and a random guy/gal with a few in their field.

I will take any tips!

Re-gearing in the 6 range. You mean the rear end? I am thinking I want one of the stronger engines, as I want to be getting out west. It's not set in stone obviously, but an interest of mine!

look at auction sites, like
publicsurplus.com
govdeals.com
and more.....


I like my 3.56 (I thin it is) gearing.
Mountain Gnome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2021, 07:41 AM   #7
New Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 4
I’m looking for a smaller than full-size bus. I’m not sure on the nomenclature yet, 5 window, 9 window, etc. However, I’d like a smaller bus to be able to go a few more places I have in mind. Not to mention I wouldn’t be bringing a family, so I don’t need all that space!

Sounds like you got yourself another good one!

Any tips for finding the contact info for said county bus depots? Also how does that conversation go?

Hey - have any busses for sale? ��
GtrNut2112 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2021, 08:19 AM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
My experience has been that the bus barn where they do the maintenance (usually, officially, called "equipment management" or "equipment services" or something...) is separate from the inventory and purchasing folks, who decide when and how to dispose of property. At least in the places we've purchased, the mechanics in the yard/shop don't know when a bus is going to be sold...or how. The admin folks look at age, repair costs, replacement purchase timing and then decide to sell a bus...which they do through an auction site. This might be different in small jurisdictions, but usually there are finance folks who require that the sales happen through an auction so it's "fair" and nobody is selling government items to their buddy.

This process can result in some surprising things...like a bus being sold with brand new tires or new batteries or even a recent engine rebuild...because the shop's doing their thing while the inventory folks are doing their own thing. Not always...but more often that you might think.

Anyway, to Mountain Gnome's list I'd also add purplewave.com

Happy hunting!
rossvtaylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2021, 01:55 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 11
If you haven't already seen it, the link below has all of the surplus listings for the state of NC. As has already been stated, a lot of the buses in the state have been geared specific to the school district's specifications. I'm a fellow North Carolinian (Charlotte Area). Best of luck on your search!

Vehicles
SelfGuidedTour is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2021, 02:54 PM   #10
Bus Geek
 
Jolly Roger bus 223's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Swansboro,NC
Posts: 2,973
Year: 86
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Ford B700
Engine: 8.2
Rated Cap: 60 bodies
my local bus barn sales directly off of there maitenance yard and the mechanics are the ones that show you the buses.
they have a sign out front saying buses for sale.
i had no problems.
the mechanic walked me through each bus i wanted to look at and when i bought the bus for there insurance they had to do a full inspection before i could pick it up and they gave me there full maintenance records for it since the day it was delivered to them.
at that time it was a folder of a 20 year maintenance.
they even replaced a few of the plastic brake lines before they let me have it because they had tiny leaks.
all they asked was that i bringing by there when i get finished so they could see it.
and when i was working in the area there is a huge bus barn near GRAHAM/MEBANE off of I40/85 just north of Raleigh and i stopped by there one day and talked to the mechanics about buses and they had no problems answering my questions.
but then again at the time i was driving my companies F350 service bed pipeline truck that had almost everything a big rig roadside service truck would and i was filthy from work. so i might looked the part.
and i did a job for CLARKE power services in NEWBERN.
they are heavy duty diesel mechanics and an ALLISON mechanic as well and after getting to work around them and talking to them they were a wealth of knowledge and could look up and find any spec sheet or part number i needed and one mechanic wanted to buy my old 8.2 detroit and wanted to sale it to him but i didnt have the time or money at the time to transplant another motor and needed the bus running at the time.
but i did get to see all the transmission types either on a table or on a pallet going out and coming in.
i will try to find the number for pender county schools maintenance yard.
Jolly Roger bus 223 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-05-2021, 06:40 PM   #11
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223 View Post
my local bus barn sales directly off of there maitenance yard and the mechanics are the ones that show you the buses.
they have a sign out front saying buses for sale.
i had no problems.
the mechanic walked me through each bus i wanted to look at and when i bought the bus for there insurance they had to do a full inspection before i could pick it up and they gave me there full maintenance records for it since the day it was delivered to them.
THAT. IS. AWESOME! I'm jealous...
rossvtaylor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-06-2021, 01:55 AM   #12
Bus Crazy
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Fraser Valley British Columbia
Posts: 1,043
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner
Engine: C7 Cat
Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor View Post
My experience has been that the bus barn where they do the maintenance (usually, officially, called "equipment management" or "equipment services" or something...) is separate from the inventory and purchasing folks, who decide when and how to dispose of property. At least in the places we've purchased, the mechanics in the yard/shop don't know when a bus is going to be sold...or how. The admin folks look at age, repair costs, replacement purchase timing and then decide to sell a bus...which they do through an auction site. This might be different in small jurisdictions, but usually there are finance folks who require that the sales happen through an auction so it's "fair" and nobody is selling government items to their buddy.

This process can result in some surprising things...like a bus being sold with brand new tires or new batteries or even a recent engine rebuild...because the shop's doing their thing while the inventory folks are doing their own thing. Not always...but more often that you might think.

Anyway, to Mountain Gnome's list I'd also add purplewave.com

Happy hunting!
That's exactly how it worked out for me, one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. State inspections are done in Washington twice a year and the bus yard just did a full service plus new batteries, tires and brakes including drums on the front and new rear brakes less than sixty days before being notified that the bus was timed out and going to auction.
Sometimes you win!
Good luck with the search
Cheers

Oscar
Oscar1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-11-2021, 12:41 PM   #13
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 11
Auction site

Hello,
I'm in Oak Island and got my shortie for a song from ncstatesurplus.com. 64k miles,with great tires, etc. I highly recommend. Sometimes the buses come directly from school districts with their contact info listed for more info.
Happy hunting!
Mama Marge
Mamassecret is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.