Looking at a shorty international with t444e

[eekalot]

Okay, I ran across a bus with very low miles. It has the t444e in a 97 international shorty.. I did some reading here and see that these are okay engines. I don't know what transmission is in it. I will most likely set up a time to go see it.

The long range plans are to do travel nursing in it. I would much rather stay off interstate highways in between jobs when we wander around. Most likely it will be pulling a utility trailer (5x9) with a couple of small motorcycles.

Is this bus gonna be good enough for the task?
After all I read, its a bus. Drive it accordingly and ll will be golden?

The other thought was a gasser express shortie. Seems like a logical conclusion would be going diesel.

Just trying to sort out options and start the early planning stages as we have a couple of years to put this all together.

Thank you for any input.

[musigenesis]

The low mileage is almost certainly fictional; International dashboards are famous for giving out and being replaced, which restarts the odometer. Since the engine is an electronic version (that's the "e" in t444e) it can be scanned to get the true mileage. It's a comparatively weaker engine, but on a shorty it's regarded as OK. Transmission is probably an AT545 which is the least-desirable transmission out there, but it's OK if you're not doing a lot of mountain traveling. If the transmission is an MT643, you're golden.

Gasser shorty might be a bad idea. You'll get terrible mileage and the engine will be relatively difficult to work on.

If you go to User CP in the upper left corner, you can fill out your profile details and then people will know where on earth you're at and what kind of bus you have (eventually).

[eekalot]

How does one scan for mileage inquiries?

[eekalot]

I know this is a wide open question...what kind of mpg do busses generally average? Shorts, medium and long. Not looking for a specific but more or less generalized bit of info.

[ermracing]

Originally Posted by eekalot

I know this is a wide open question...what kind of mpg do busses generally average? Shorts, medium and long. Not looking for a specific but more or less generalized bit of info.

Anything with a diesel engine will probably get you 8-10 mpg. I doubt the body length will really change the mpg that much.

[eekalot]

Thank you! I just found an extensive thread on this subject. And that is what I am finding. Guess I should spend more time researching questions about stuff before I ask!

[ermracing]

Better to ask before dishing out $$$.....

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

take a little time and do your homework.
To be honest my wife left this morning to start doing the traveling medical lab tech stuff.
Once she started looking into it we ran out of time to find and build a short skoolie for her that could tow her little car.
the demand for traveling nurses is crazy and if you are just thinking about it and have time then she can help you get started.
as of today she is heading to basin, wyoming
and i am looking for a 6 window shorty that will tow a car either 4-down or a tow dolly.
my old family bus is on hold to find momma a bus and build it for her?
and maybe she finds it out there and i ask someone on here to help build a hitch to tow her car.
to many variables at this point?
traveling medical professionals are in very high demand.
she is new to it also and driving to her first contract now but the last couple of getting the paperwork state to state requirement?
she is just starting but she is on the road now to her first.
if you would like to talk to her to see how her first one goes then PM me.
i will give her your number and she can share her traveling experience. right now she is car camping in a kia soul in a walmart parking lot the bus idea is a wish but time wise she went all in for the traveling lab tech.