Ye of educated opinions, I respectfully call upon you for assistance!

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by bp1791-unleashed

(sorry for double-responding, still getting used to multi-quote and forgot to hit this one too, and didn't want to rewrite everything)

No worries, it's so nice of y'all to share your knowledge!

This is a very good idea, and I've heard of a few others with similar plans. In my own case, the land is already there, I just need something to live in for a few years before building something more permanent, at which point the bus would become a camper.

Lucky you! Are you planning to just build (homes) for you, or are you planning a community, as well?

Dog nose vs flat nose is very much a personal preference. As someone else pointed out, your living space in a dog nose will tend to be a smaller percentage of vehicle length than in a flat nose. For a front engine flat nose, you might find your cats enjoy laying atop the engine cover for the warmth. A rear engine tends to lend itself to a rear bedroom setup fairly handily. It's all a matter of where you want to make the tradeoffs.

I have a rear engine, flat nose bus that is 34' total. I have almost 30' of "behind the driver" space to convert. The rear engine compartment does take a few feet of that at floor to window bottom level, but it is clear to the back wall above that. My bus has the MD3060 transmission. Proper care and attention was NOT put into the selection of this bus.

You won't be unhappy with a 466 (mechanical or electronic) or an 8.3L Cummins. If you get the 466, especially the electronic version, you might want to check into the Beta program that Power Hungry is doing (the thread the calculator I linked earlier is within).

Driveline wise, I think I would focus hard on engine and transmission combo as changing one of those is a serious endeavor, and a huge time and money sink. It can be done, and has been done, but is a big project to jump into. Rear end re-gearing can be done by any competent medium duty to heavy duty truck shop. While certainly not cheap, it's not as expensive as an engine or transmission change.

As for serviceability of the engine... a dog nose has the mechanic working around the steer wheels and steering shaft, but everything is accessible from the outside. A flat nose front engine has the mechanic working around the steer wheels and steering shaft and having to do the majority of the work from inside through the engine access cover beside the driver's seat. Also, that area tends to get quite noisy and warm for the driver. A flat nose rear engine bus tends to have easier access from the wide open rear door, but there is a lot of stretching and squeezing involved. There are some rear engine busses that have access from the sides instead of the back, and I suspect they're a little more difficult to work on.

I'm definitely considering the REs now. And I'll keep Power Hungry in mind if I go with the DT466E.

Good choices and good reasoning. I know some prefer mechanical engines, and others prefer electronic engines. There's a sweet spot of a few years with electronic engines and not much emissions stuff before nearly all the diesel manufacturers basically kept beta testing stuff in production vehicles. Personally, I'm just not that inclined to do much of my own engine work, so I prefer an electronically controlled engine where it's (potentially) possible to retune the engine with a simple (hah!) programming change. An electronic engine also makes it easier to add a "glass dash" with something like the BlueFire LLC software and hardware interface.

The tuning sounds interesting. I'm just as happy with electronic engines, too, as they seem to get marginally better gas mileage.

CATs seem to be everywhere, though I've been avoiding them because they're not quite as powerful, aren't wet-sleeved, and seem to be expensive to repair. I'm really curious about your experience with your bus--34' seems more manageable than a 40'. Are you happy with your CAT? Have you done any towing with it? How does it do up hills? What would you do differently if you had to do it over? Oh, and what kind of work have you done on your bus?

I already mentioned the 545/643 and 2000/3000 series points in the other response. I want to mention that while it's nice to find a bus with a retarder of some sort already installed, it is also possible to have them added aftermarket. I want to add one to my bus at some point. I recently learned about the KLAM retarder, which uses an opposing electromagnetic field to slow drive shaft rotation and does not cause any of the noise issues that exhaust braking does (and hence is legal to use in municipalities that declare use of exhaust braking is illegal). It looks like adding one would be relatively easy for a good MDT or HDT shop. Again, not cheap, but not impossible either.

It never occurred to me to think about having a retarder installed. I just assumed that they were somehow permanently built into the transmission.

Also, I'm still getting retarders and exhaust brakes sorted out.

Air brakes for sure!

For tires, I really would not trust any tire that is 7 years old or older.

I talked to a tire shop in Flemingsburg, KY last year about tires for my bus, and they recommended that the best time to get them is around june/july time frame, because that's when all the school systems get their tires replaced when they're "too old" or have too many miles. Many times they have plenty of life left in them but just aren't "good enough" for the safety for the kids. I'll be doing that this next summer. Their sister shop in Mount Sterling, KY recycles hundreds of bus tires each year that have plenty of life left on them.

I'm hearing a lot of differing opinions about tire ages! From what I gather, 7 years sounds reasonable.

So, you're saying they recommend buying used tires from school systems? Does this mean the school systems sell their old ones to private shops, or do you go straight to the schools for them?

I'm still struggling with the gearing and ratios and such myself. My bus tops out at about 68mph, and I've learned that when it is at that speed, it's running all out at around 2400/2500 RPM. I'll be making changes to lower that RPM range.

This may answer one of my previous questions. Those RPMs sound high to my barely-educated self, but I'd bet it would have more "go" with better gearing.

I'm still interested in whether your experience with towing, hills, etc...

Personally, this would be outside my comfort zone. 23 years in service sounds a little unusual to me. With that age and mileage, I would expect something to give soon, and potentially be an expensive repair. This is just my gut speaking, and this specific bus might be a hidden gem just waiting for you.

Nah, I agree. I looked at an '84 Wanderlodge (the only brand of RV I've seriously considered) early in the year, but the power driver's seat went kaput with me sitting in it. The poor seller was so embarrassed. And the A/C in the 2000 4Runner I looked at a couple of years ago... With age there are just so many unknowns. I'm still not opposed to something that old, but it gives me more pause than a bus like yours would.

I think with your specific set of criteria, there will be a limited selection, especially with the retarder thrown in. You'd be likely to find a good combination in one of the western mountain states, or even some place like KY or TN. I'd avoid a bus from OH due to salt. Same for most of the northeastern and midatlantic states north of Virginia. Virginia busses I would be careful with, there are some great ones, and some real rust buckets.

Being in too big a hurry to "get it and get started already" can cost you. The way I ended up with my own bus is a cautionary tale. I'm into it about $6500 or so at this point (8K with the conversion stuff as well) and it is finally mechanically sound enough I am comfortable driving it 700+ miles.

Should you search for newer busses or busses with fewer miles? Certainly, because it never hurts to have more options to choose from.

Thanks for this. I think my family thinks I'm nuts for spending so much time on this part, but my gut is telling me that I'll make a better decision in the end. Although, I do tend to be a bit neurotic about buying vehicles...

The 2000 or 3000 series is likely to be based upon the GVWR of the vehicle as much as anything. Some of the 2000 series can go up to around 28,000 pounds GVWR (and GCWR), others top out at around 26,000 pounds GVWR and GCWR. Above those values, you'll probably see a 3000 series transmission. For towing, I think you would want the 3000 series more than the 2000 series. See this page about the 2100/2200 series which shows applications, weight limits, and also mentions a 6th gear option: https://www.allisontransmission.com/...).pdf?sfvrsn=2


Yes, they're fine for towing as long as you stay within the weight ratings. Some models have 6th gear, some do not. Do not count on it having 6th gear unless it has already been unlocked.

Those spec sheets are pretty helpful, though translating them is a different story. S'ok. I already have a list of questions started for Allison.

Hah! You should see some of my posts, I do tend to ramble on a bit. Again, welcome to the madness, Sam.

Jim

Jim, thank you for the welcome, and for your helpful insight here. I'm hoping to hear back from you again!

Sam

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker4449

I understand, it's definitely not easy. Thankfully if you see an electronic shift pad, it will be a good transmission. One thing that I love about Thomas Buses is that this information is well displayed on the data stickers, below is one from one of my buses.



The engine line can be confusing, but ER means Rear Engined. 3126 refers to the Caterpillar 3126B and 210 is the horsepower rating. IIRC a Mercedes engine will be displayed as ME906. I don't recall what the 8.3 is referred to, but it seems they are usually rated for 250HP to 300HP.

A word of caution, the model numbers for the axles will not tell you the gear ratio.

I'd seen the tranny on some bus plates, but it was random enough that it didn't register that it was just on Thomas buses. If that makes sense??

I'm honestly not sure what their numbering scheme is and it really is confusing. I've even seen 1000 be used refer to a AT545. A MD3060 is, to the best of my knowledge, indeed a 3000. I've also see MD3050 be used to refer to a model programmed for 5 gears. MD might refer to transmissions built for vocational use (which does include school buses) with certain internal parts and gear ratios.


You could try poking around in the Allison Unlock Threads, I'm pretty sure the topic was discussed there. IIRC the MD3060s came out in the mid to late 90s. The 2000s were not possible to upgrade until about 2004ish iirc. Even without 6th gear I would still consider it a fine transmission for towing a car and highway use with good gearing.

You could try calling Allison, but Allison hates modifying stuff for liability reasons. You might have more success calling a truck shop that is an approved dealer. You would most likely need a serial number for either or a picture of the transmissions data plate located on the side of the transmission.

I did read some about unlocking the 2000, but don't remember finding many definitive answers. I think some of the 2000s can be unlocked, but it depends on how the stars are aligned? I have a growing list of questions written down for a phone call to Allison in the near future, and that is on it.

Try this one, I like it and have been using it for a few years.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Nice! I'll definitely play with that some.

I hope we're not overloading you with all the great information and opinions!

Oh, not at all. I'm just soakin' it all in!

[bp1791-unleashed]

I'll try to keep it shorter this time.

Originally Posted by sambulate

Lucky you! Are you planning to just build (homes) for you, or are you planning a community, as well?

My parents, myself and my nephew are looking to set up a homestead/mini farm type environment, something that can sustain itself and help fund my parents' retirement. I'm a few years from retirement myself, but I'd like to have this working by that time so that I can benefit as well. So basically 3 households planned, but not much thought put into building a planned community.

Originally Posted by sambulate

I'm definitely considering the REs now. And I'll keep Power Hungry in mind if I go with the DT466E.

There are specific use cases where a RE bus is an absolute problem. For example, someone wanting to make a flatbed at the back of their bus. If you don't have a specific reason not to get one, then it makes sense to at least consider them. When you look at one, you may hate it, or love it, you just don't know.

Originally Posted by sambulate

The tuning sounds interesting. I'm just as happy with electronic engines, too, as they seem to get marginally better gas mileage.

Fuel economy is an interesting discussion. It is really a function of keeping your engine in the sweet spot for RPMs as much as anything. Higher speed = less economy in general, all other things being equal. I personally feel like an electronic engine will more easily make better fuel economy, but that's my gut speaking without empirical evidence.

Originally Posted by sambulate

CATs seem to be everywhere, though I've been avoiding them because they're not quite as powerful, aren't wet-sleeved, and seem to be expensive to repair. I'm really curious about your experience with your bus--34' seems more manageable than a 40'. Are you happy with your CAT? Have you done any towing with it? How does it do up hills? What would you do differently if you had to do it over? Oh, and what kind of work have you done on your bus?

My first RE bus was 39 feet long. I really can't tell much difference in the drivability between the two. Mine is only 210HP, and it feels a little bit wimpy at speed. It has a LOT of low speed pull however. I agree with your assessment of CAT engines, although they are tunable, and this model will go up to higher horsepower settings with programming.

Am I happy with it? That's a tough one. I don't love it. I don't hate it. It is there, it is what I'm stuck with for now, and I am trying to learn everything I can to make it last a long time.

Have I towed with it? Yes, I have a 7x14 cargo trailer (dual axle, 7000 pound weight rating, 7' tall interior) that I have had behind it both loaded and empty. Frankly, the bus drives the same whether it is back there or not. I'm glad I have a camera to make sure it didn't decide to go exploring on its own.

How does it do up hills? The worst part of my trip from VA to KY is from Frederick MD to just south of Morgantown, WV. That's I70, I68, and I79. On some of those mountains, I'm doing 35mph with the pedal on the floor, and trying to get the horse to gallop. I'm pretty sure that's because I have bad gearing for highway/mountain use.

What would I do differently? Pretty much everything. We bought this bus in a hurry, ignoring the obvious rust issues and corroded wiring issues, and we've had to deal with them. So to do it differently, I would attempt to practice patience, get a bus from somewhere further south or west or southwest, and I'd probably try to avoid another CAT. I would have LOVED to get a Cummins 8.3L. Right now I envy the T444E people because of what Power Hungry is doing for them. I also wish I had found another 38-40 foot bus rather than this 34 foot bus. Every foot helps when you're planning your interior.

You can see the little bit of work I've done so far in my build thread, linked in my signature.

Originally Posted by sambulate

It never occurred to me to think about having a retarder installed. I just assumed that they were somehow permanently built into the transmission.

Also, I'm still getting retarders and exhaust brakes sorted out.

Ok... Exhaust Brakes and Retarders are all auxiliary braking systems (separate from the primary braking).

Exhaust brakes work by choking the exhaust forcing extra drag on the engine, through the transmission, to the driveline. Some are integral to the engine, some external. There are different designs. They tend to be VERY loud when engaged, and have invoked the ire of people living in small towns and speed trap areas over the years, resulting in their use being banned in a lot of municipal regions.

A retarder basically resists the rotation of a component in the driveline. There are transmission integrated retarders (such as in the MD3066R someone recently got in a Utah bus) and there are external retarders that are along the drive shaft. Retarders basically turn that rotational energy resistance into heat. The integrated ones rely on the transmission cooling system to keep them from getting too hot. The external ones tend to be air cooled. All the external ones I'm familiar with use a really cool effect of passing aluminum through magnetic fields, which causes opposing magnetic fields that can be adjusted via electromagnet field strengths. How cool is that?

It is possible to add an exhaust brake after purchase. It's possible to replace a transmission with one with a retarder built in. It's possible to add an external retarder. Anything is possible with sufficient time and money and a shop willing to tackle the project. The KLAM information I read talked about increased heat and wear on the engine for exhaust braking, and increased heat and wear on the transmission for the integrated retarders. Obviously, they are marketing their own product, so of course it is better than the other options. But, they also make good points in my opinion.

Originally Posted by sambulate

I'm hearing a lot of differing opinions about tire ages! From what I gather, 7 years sounds reasonable.

I used to regularly participate in an RV forum where the Gospel according to the old timers was to replace any tires older than 7 years old, regardless of tread level. The reason was that after 7 years, the likelihood of a significant issue starts to rise dramatically. A blowout on a rear tire can tear out tanks, body panels, and cause damage to other vehicles and any human nearby. A blowout on a front tire can cause worse damage, including total loss of control. If it's the leading front tire when going around a curve on a mountain pass, odds are you'll be taking the quick trip down the mountain. Unpleasantly so. It just isn't worth the risk.

I also saw the recommendation that if you're going to be traveling and the tires are older than 3 years, you should replace them so you are at a known quantity. This is good advice, because you have no idea what was done with those tires in those 3 years. Perhaps they experienced every pothole in their region, and the internal belts are excessively worn.

Originally Posted by sambulate

So, you're saying they recommend buying used tires from school systems? Does this mean the school systems sell their old ones to private shops, or do you go straight to the schools for them?

Well I have looked up the place, it was Tire World in Flemingsburg, KY. I misremembered which town he said the sister store was in, it was Maysville, KY not Mount Sterling.

Many bus fleets will outsource some or all of their maintenance. In Maysville, each summer all the busses in need of new tires go to the Tire World there for their service. The tire shop is then left with all the old tires. Many of the old tires are within the 3 to 7 year range and have enough tread on them for casual travel. I do intend to explore that when I get my conversion done. I do not know how the summer of Covid will affect that.

Originally Posted by sambulate

This may answer one of my previous questions. Those RPMs sound high to my barely-educated self, but I'd bet it would have more "go" with better gearing.

Yes, basically I've been unknowingly pushing my engine to just below redline and holding it there for 12-13 hours of drive time. This explains why it runs towards the warm end of the scale with the new radiator core, and gets only 7mpg or so Best is 9.6mpg so far, with a total average of 7.6mpg the entire time I've had it.

Unlocking 6th gear should let me hit the 60-65MPH range around 1800-2000 RPM, which is a reasonable place to be. I'll know better once I know my actual rear end gear ration. This is one reason I want to re-gear this bus, but I need more data before I know what to re-gear it to.

Originally Posted by sambulate

I'm still interested in whether your experience with towing, hills, etc...

Well, my bus has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 33,050 pounds. Right at this moment, with a full fuel tank, it weighs 19,640 pounds with me in the driver's seat, all seats removed, and some extraneous plywood inside. The up to 7,000 pounds of the trailer behind the bus makes no practical difference in its driving or handling. I already talked about the hills. I do try to get a running start, but there's only so much running start you can get when 68mph is your max speed.

Originally Posted by sambulate

Nah, I agree. I looked at an '84 Wanderlodge (the only brand of RV I've seriously considered) early in the year, but the power driver's seat went kaput with me sitting in it. The poor seller was so embarrassed. And the A/C in the 2000 4Runner I looked at a couple of years ago... With age there are just so many unknowns. I'm still not opposed to something that old, but it gives me more pause than a bus like yours would.

Any used vehicle will have issues, it's just the nature of the beast. Heck, even new ones do at times. The older the vehicle, the different the scope and depth of problems you might encounter. My daily driver is a 2005 suburban, that I traded a 2011 taurus in for. I deliberately chose an older vehicle to step up to a bigger class in my budget range. It didn't hurt that the suburban would accept an aftermarket stereo without needing $1500 worth of interface gear to keep the HVAC system working (that's why I hated that Taurus, that and SYNC just sucks).

The thing you need to decide for yourself is whether your comfort level fits the level of vehicle you pick. There's nothing inherently bad about the older mechanical engines, and they'll survive an EMP and keep on ticking.

Originally Posted by sambulate

Thanks for this. I think my family thinks I'm nuts for spending so much time on this part, but my gut is telling me that I'll make a better decision in the end. Although, I do tend to be a bit neurotic about buying vehicles...

I believe that when skoolie.net was started, busnuts was already taken by a coach bus conversion group on yahoo groups. But the term fits.

There's nothing wrong with taking the path less travelled.

Originally Posted by sambulate

Those spec sheets are pretty helpful, though translating them is a different story. S'ok. I already have a list of questions started for Allison.

I've not interacted with Allison directly for any reason. I really hope that when you do, that they are helpful. The skoolie path isn't exactly mainstream and supported by the vendors out there.

Originally Posted by sambulate

Jim, thank you for the welcome, and for your helpful insight here. I'm hoping to hear back from you again!

Sam

You're welcome.
Jim

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by RolesvilleMarina

Some more random food for thought.

I couldn't find the bus I wanted, so I built my own. Towing a boat I had some weirder criteria (mostly fitting in ramps)

and so I chose what is prob the least liked bus

I have a 7.3 flat nose Vista bus and it came with the AT545. It was a VA bus and it has air ride, cruise, and was well taken care of. I paid $3500 for it. Top speed with the speed control removed was 57 at 2600...

so

I custom swapped out the AT545 with an Allison 2000 by myself in less than 3 weeks and working alone (physically, but a LOT of help from this forum and others)

I will say it wasn't so hard as I thought it would be. would you be able to pay a mechanic to do it? prob not, and I only can speak from my 7.3 world. I know nothing about buses, nor the other kinds of engines. But swaps can be done.. just research HARD as you already.

Our gear ratio is 4.78 and with the allison I hold on flat ground 65 MPH at 2000-2100 revs which is right the sweet spot she wants to be at.

our "climb speed" when I reach a mountain that requires me to downshift to 4 and keep revs at 2000 is 50mph which is not bad.

We just came back from the first trip in it and had to pass both up and down the dreaded fancy gap inclines.

had no issues, despite worrying myself to death.

In fact the trip was to a friends place who helped me design and build the hitch. We plan to tow, one at a time of course, one of the following items depending on where we go.

1. 22 ft sailboat - Including the trailer is around 2200 lbs loaded with gear
2. 17.5 stingray ski boat - weighs in around 2900
3. 1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ - yes the square headlights, so up yours to them haterz , and it weighs in at 2800 and would be flat-towed as it already has the hitch for so.

Inside the bus, in the stern is a 2001 Yamaha V-star 650
and on the stern outside on the mount is a Kawasaki 100 grocery/errand runner


My tires are low profile 255-70-22.5

Towing a 4k vehicle besides your engine and tranny combo make sure you build up your hitch well for the weight as well.

You are doing it right, by asking questions and doing research... The bus I wanted wasn't out there, so I built it custom instead (driveline wise)

cheers

Originally Posted by RolesvilleMarina

I see now you said you are near raleigh NC?

We live in Wake forest, which is top of raleigh

if you ever are in the area reach out and you are more than welcome to come and see ours in person and have a pint and a chat

Wow, that sounds like a heckuva job! I don't have the facilities (or the patience) to do something like that myself, but I admire anyone who does!

Thanks for this information, and for the invite. Wake Forest is a hop and a skip for me, so not far at all. I'd be thrilled to see your bus, have a drink, and to pick your brain! I will say that I'm a bit nervous about COVID-19, given that my dad is an older fella and has some health problems. So, we'd have to be masks-on close proximity, and taking precautions if we met. I think we can make it happen, though. I'll PM you once I get closer to being able to get up there.

[RolesvilleMarina]

Originally Posted by sambulate

Wow, that sounds like a heckuva job! I don't have the facilities (or the patience) to do something like that myself, but I admire anyone who does!

Thanks for this information, and for the invite. Wake Forest is a hop and a skip for me, so not far at all. I'd be thrilled to see your bus, have a drink, and to pick your brain! I will say that I'm a bit nervous about COVID-19, given that my dad is an older fella and has some health problems. So, we'd have to be masks-on close proximity, and taking precautions if we met. I think we can make it happen, though. I'll PM you once I get closer to being able to get up there.

I don't really do the mask thing and it would be difficult to do the distance in a shorty lol

however if you wish to wear one and all is fine. Basically I avoid people anyway so I don't worry a hella lot about it. Not much in my semi-retired life has changed...have always been homebodies.



but I guess not for here... so pm me and we can go from there.

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by banman

You've been given some good advice by many here to sort through -- glad you're getting the magic I've found this site capable of.

A wee couple things to add:
The Allison 2000 debuted in ~2001-2002. My transmission(XMSN) tag says "2000" on it. But it is only one example of a series of xmsn models -- all the 2000 series will have the same outter case but different internals; stall converters, gear sets, pto set-ups.
I don't believe the 6th speed option existed until ~2005 so it's probably not economically feasible to convert my xmsn for example to a 6sp.

Likewise the MD3060 is one example of the 3000 series xmsn -- a dumptruck has need of some different internals than say a schoolbus...

Changing the rear-end is way less complicated than changing the xmsn, and you can find a reliable used 3rd member for ~$500 so a reliable gear change can be made for less than a $1000.

Not impossible but rear engine buses are usually harder to set up a tow hitch.

Figure the weight of your Xterra with camper shell is closer to 5000 lbs and will it really be empty or will you have "a few things stored in it..." when you're towing it? This to say I'd highly recommend the idea of flat-towing it to save weight and also if you're alone, it will be much easier to unhook a flat-towed (toad) and not have a trailer in the way as a large third object in your foot-print. Much easier to park the bus after dropping the toad compared to needing tractor-trailer parking to park a bus with a car-trailer behind it...

RE: tires and rpm calculators. You found you could simply measure the diameter of a bus tire to plug in a number to the gear/rpm/mph calculator.
It's more accurate to measure the radius of a tire from the ground up and multiply this by 2 to get the working diameter of the tire. Observe how flat the bottom of the tire is with the weight of the bus on it -- that doesn't change -- and the bus is only riding on the center of the hub down to that flattened area at any given moment in time -- so that's the actual working size of the tire.

See if there isn't a "maker space" near you where you can use tools for some of the parts of your project. There will certainly be one (or more?) in Raleigh. Might save you from buying some of the larger tools you don't need after you're done building. Might even provide a place to work on the bus...

You didn't mention it so -- high roof (6½ feet interior height) or low roof, only ~6' high.
If you're planning a roof raise regardless then this is irrelevant but otherwise I think it's crucial for interior comfort. A low roof bus should cost less at auction -- this could be to your advantage if you're a shorter person and need to accommodate taller peeps...

You've made a lot of good points here, not least about the REs and tow hitches. And what you said about towing a trailer and having a third thing taking up space? Didn't occur to me at all.

As for what you said about tires, that's really helpful, too.

The "maker space" is also a good idea. I've got plenty tools, and if I have the money and a place to put them I don't mind buying more. The biggest problem is not having a suitable place to work (yet). Either way, that's a tidbit that might really come in handy.

Thank you, so much, for your two cents here!

Sam

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by RolesvilleMarina

I don't really do the mask thing and it would be difficult to do the distance in a shorty lol

however if you wish to wear one and all is fine. Basically I avoid people anyway so I don't worry a hella lot about it. Not much in my semi-retired life has changed...have always been homebodies.



but I guess not for here... so pm me and we can go from there.

Eh, no worries. We'll work it out! I'm too curious not to come see it!

[RolesvilleMarina]

Originally Posted by sambulate

Eh, no worries. We'll work it out! I'm too curious not to come see it!

no worries.. again we did not socialize much pre-covid so little has changed here. lol

and I don't make a habit of swapping fluids with anyone either

mostly I just stopped shaking hands an hugs I guess.. we never went to "gatherings" or clubs and bars... not our thing

but yes, I will pm you the address... weekends we are at the sea at our summer place, but sunday afternoons we are usually back. Weekdays always home in afternoons.. I am semi-retired

Cheery bye
dave

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by RolesvilleMarina

no worries.. again we did not socialize much pre-covid so little has changed here. lol

and I don't make a habit of swapping fluids with anyone either

mostly I just stopped shaking hands an hugs I guess.. we never went to "gatherings" or clubs and bars... not our thing

but yes, I will pm you the address... weekends we are at the sea at our summer place, but sunday afternoons we are usually back. Weekdays always home in afternoons.. I am semi-retired

Cheery bye
dave

Sounds like a hard life, Dave!

I'll look forward to seeing you soon!

[sambulate]

If my brain was fried before, it is definitely fried again!

So, um, REfried??

But in a GOOD way, I promise! Seriously, your awesome (I am totally using that word as a noun) is shining so bright here in this thread. Thank you, thank you for your words, advice, encouragement, and for the warm welcome. Aside from the valuable technical advice, it was so nice to hear that I'm not crazy!



So, I definitely have a lot to think about, and there are still a lot of questions. Towing the Frontier may prove to be too much, regardless of the engine and tranny combo I end up with. I'm considering more seriously the option of selling my Frontier and buying something smaller. Except I have grown to prefer an AWD in a car if I can't have a 4x4 truck.

Also, while I don't have as much against a RE bus, I've been given some food for thought regarding those and towing, garages, etc.

Obvs, I'll have to make some concessions somewhere.

That said, I was looking at auctions and found a bus that might suit me if rust isn't a problem. It's in WV, and the auction folks say that there isn't major rust on it. It's a 2004, 77-passenger Blue Bird dog nose with a DT466 and an "Allison 3000." It has 167K miles.

It seems crazy to pass this up. Only two other people have made a bid on it (it's at $3050), and the auction ends at 3 this afternoon.

I'm totally on board with this one. That is, if y'all think it's worth it, coming from WV, which is so near to OH...

How much is too much to pay for it?

eek.

[RolesvilleMarina]

Originally Posted by sambulate

looking at auctions and found a bus that might suit me if rust isn't a problem. It's in WV, and the auction folks say that there isn't major rust on it. It's a 2004, 77-passenger Blue Bird dog nose with a DT466 and an "Allison 3000." It has 167K miles.

Just one word about "rust"


people who live in rust belts, and area's with snow and what not have a whole another idea what "light rust" or "no big deal" is when they are "selling" for sure vs us that live in non rust states.


we live in NC... WV is a salt state.. so it depends yes.

just be wary.. For me no rust is what I was after.. nothing from the salt states for me ever

but, sometimes you get lucky yes.

[Bon Voyage]

We’re currently pulling our 4500 pound 2006 Honda Pilot through the Alberta Rocky Mountains in Banff and Jasper. We can cruise at 70 or more no problem on flat ground though I usually keep it to 65 as per Honda towing guidelines. When we hit the long steep inclines in some cases we slow to 25 and maybe even 20 mph at a few points. It’s not always that bad though, but that’s probably the worst we’ve seen a few times. And no overheating issues at all on the hills (I do have a heat issue to figure out like if I leave the bus to idle for a while but that’s a different story). My differential is 5.4 and 6th is “unlocked“ on my md3060.

Check this link for good info about towing your toad. Having a flatbed trailer will be a pain I think but if you can tow 4 wheels down it’s much easier to connect and disconnect. And no extra weight with a trailer. Store : Remco

My dad was in the tire industry specializing in heavy duty trucks since the 70’s. He’s not concerned about my 19 year old tires yet and neither was Washington state when they passed the bus inspection when the tires were 17 years old. The important tires to consider are the front steer tires, rears not so much.

One more tidbit of info; it’s generally cheaper to buy the bus as you want it to be than it is to add things later. If you spend the time looking for highway friendly buses you’ll probably get most of what you want. I’m not one to buy from a dealer typically but it could be much easier to find a good highway friendly bus that way.

[sambulate]

I bid, and I won the auction!

I got it at $4650, not counting fees. I know that a lot of you will cringe at that number, and that I could probably have been able to find one for less. But at this point in my life, I have to get back to work for a variety of reasons. Once I do, I won't be able to take off to WV or Utah or Colorado or wherever to get the right bus.

Besides, I needed this. As soon as the seats are out, it's a clean slate, and as long as the damned thing runs and drives:

It's FREEDOM, y'all. It's priceless.

And I know, I may be thinking differently once I have to replace all the tires. And I'll definitely have to figure out what to do about the toad.

For now, though, I'm ecstatic. Thank you all so much for your help. As with all of you, this first (expensive) step is just the start and I expect you'll hear plenty from me in the future about how to do about ten million different things...

You're the best. Seriously.

[bp1791-unleashed]

Congratulations! and welcome to the insanity.

[tlzimmerman]

Congrats....you are now contractually obligated to post pictures.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by sambulate

I bid, and I won the auction!

I got it at $4650, not counting fees. I know that a lot of you will cringe at that number, and that I could probably have been able to find one for less. But at this point in my life, I have to get back to work for a variety of reasons. Once I do, I won't be able to take off to WV or Utah or Colorado or wherever to get the right bus.

Besides, I needed this. As soon as the seats are out, it's a clean slate, and as long as the damned thing runs and drives:

It's FREEDOM, y'all. It's priceless.

And I know, I may be thinking differently once I have to replace all the tires. And I'll definitely have to figure out what to do about the toad.

For now, though, I'm ecstatic. Thank you all so much for your help. As with all of you, this first (expensive) step is just the start and I expect you'll hear plenty from me in the future about how to do about ten million different things...

You're the best. Seriously.

Now that you have a bus, go to the UserCP and fill out your profile. Knowing where you are/ what bus it is, helps tremendously when answering your questions.

[Bon Voyage]

My first bus was from a rusty place and I ended up selling it rather than dealing with all the rust. That was definitely lesson learned for me. If yours does turn out to be rusty, it’s a pain but don’t hesitate to sell it. Hopefully it’ll be ok.

My second bus is rust free from Washington.

[sambulate]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Now that you have a bus, go to the UserCP and fill out your profile. Knowing where you are/ what bus it is, helps tremendously when answering your questions.

Yes sir, I will!

[peteg59]

Congratulations on your "Leap" into the skoolie life.

You are a brave person buying one "Sight Unseen"!
Hope it is all you dreamed it would be, and as already said: Post up pics when you get it.

[Native]

ongratulations! Remember to ask for all the documentation they have on the vehicle.