Howdy from Texas!

[orbes]

Hello Skoolie folks.


We are ready to buy our first school bus and wanted to get ya'lls opinion before committing.



https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/...193056390.html


We looked at it in person and really liked it. It comes with the seats already all ripped out.


Mileage is 184k.


We like that it's a pusher with a DT466 engine. The plan is to drive it to New England so driving over mountains is a must.


Thoughts? Thank you all in advance!

[orbes]

Wish us luck

[WIbluebird]

Interesting, the engine data plate shows a model year of 2004. Hopefully that means no EGR even if the bus MY is 2005.



A tad high on price but rust free pushers with factory AC and understorage are some of the best starting platforms for skoolie builds out there.



DT466 should handle mountains just fine. If you can see if the Allison 6th gear is unlocked. There is a slight chance that it could be, if it isn't I would prioritize getting that done (I am unsure what the process is for IC buses).

[Native]

Congratulations on the purchase.


I have noticed the base prices for school buses has been on the rise, so as long as it is in good mechanical condition, you made a decent purchase.


Have fun, partner! (Yeah, fellow Texas resident here.)

[orbes]

Originally Posted by WIbluebird

Interesting, the engine data plate shows a model year of 2004. Hopefully that means no EGR even if the bus MY is 2005.



A tad high on price but rust free pushers with factory AC and understorage are some of the best starting platforms for skoolie builds out there.



DT466 should handle mountains just fine. If you can see if the Allison 6th gear is unlocked. There is a slight chance that it could be, if it isn't I would prioritize getting that done (I am unsure what the process is for IC buses).

Can you elaborate on the EGR you mentioned? Not familiar.

Final price was almost $7k all in. Definitely on the high side but we had a diesel mechanic bless it. No major issues and like you said it had some of the more solid features we were after so that justified the cost.

[orbes]

Originally Posted by Native

Congratulations on the purchase.


I have noticed the base prices for school buses has been on the rise, so as long as it is in good mechanical condition, you made a decent purchase.


Have fun, partner! (Yeah, fellow Texas resident here.)

Thank you!

I also noticed the price hike. Higher demand for skoolies seems to be a sign of the times.

We are very happy with the purchase. It’s a very smooth and solid ride and should serve us well for a long time.

[Bus'n it]

Honestly, I think rear engine buses that are rust free won't be found for 5k anymore. You did very well. To find a good bus in AZ of that type will be in the 8k and up range unless it has issues.

[orbes]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

Honestly, I think rear engine buses that are rust free won't be found for 5k anymore. You did very well. To find a good bus in AZ of that type will be in the 8k and up range unless it has issues.

Thanks! We thought so too. Plus having all the seats already removed? Big bonus. Definitelefinitely lucked out.