Looking for an opinion too

[oldog12]

I'm considering this TC2000...





Cummins 5.9, air brakes, 4.44 rear end...

I'm just a little concerned about the cancer, (rust), around the wheel wells...
The vehicle is a bit out of the way for me to have gone and looked at it,
so all I have are the pictures to go by....

Anybody have any opinions ???

[crazycal]

I think you should buy that bus, but that door on the right side looks really bad. Close it in. I know someone that would take that ugly door off your hands.

Seriously, if the rust is bad, I would pass. You will always be fighting it. Unless you are getting it for dirt cheap, look for a bus from the south or southwest. Mine came from Arizona and there is no rust. I have looked at many sites where people are cutting out the cancer and replacing frame sections (MCI type busses) and I think of all that time bringing the bus to normal condition that could be used for the conversion. They do make something that stops the rust called POR 15 or something like that if you decide to buy the bus.

[wmah]

That is a very nice spot for that lift door. Most of the longer tc's seem to have rear lift doors. Probably cause that way they are out of the way and walk on passengers won't be tripping over the securment straps in the floor. I like rear lifts for many reasons and that is one of them. But for a skoolie front lift door in my opinion the way to go.

[oldog12]

Well, here are some better pictures of the rust that have me all concerned:







I like the under body storage boxes.... But that rust is just scaring me...
And oh yea, it has an MT643...

[crazycal]

That's not rust, it's cancer. I would pass. Every nut and bolt is probably the same way. Think how hard it will be every time you want to work on something.

[Steve]

Definetly pass, my bus is three times older and doesn't have rust like that, hold out and you will find a much better bus.

[oldog12]

Yeah... Like I said, the rust was scaring me....
Had a lot of nice stuff on it, and I was really liking that 4.44 rear end....
Bummer.... Did I tell you it has a tilt steering wheel too....
Grrrrr.... I don't think I can handle that rust, POR 15 or not...
AND a cold weather package.... ARRRRRRGHHHHH....
It sort of hurts.... But that RUST!!!.... I dunno....
Maybe they'll give it away for 1200.....

[Griff]

Act in haste, repent at leisure! It's tough to wait for the right bus to come along, but I'm with these guys. . .save yer money for the RIGHT one and I don't think this one is it.

[oldog12]

Internal block heater..... SIGHHHHH

Tow hitch too..... WAHHHHHHHH

[lapeer20m]

i bought my first bus on an impulse! I was extraordinarily happy.

If the price was right, i wouldn't pass this bus up just because of the rust around the wheel wells.....it's pretty bad rust though!

body work on a bus is pretty easy...mostly because it doesn't have to look like a cadillac when you're done. The big concern would be if you start to find other parts of the bus that are rusting through....like the floor. At some point you could end up doing major surgery.

[Steve]

Body work is also easy because for the most part its all flat!

[oldog12]

...Yeah, nice, straight, flat, right angles, doesn't have to look like a Cadillac,
it ain't no spaceship, it just has to look just good enough...

Therein lies my dilemma..... Delay, or Launch.... Light that candle, or stand down... S#!t or get off the pot....

. Its torture I tell you.... TORTURE !!!! ARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH

[oldog12]

... Yeah, the drive train IS pretty close to what I want...

... And I AM planning on doing a total floor tear out and install a radiant floor...

... And it IS the right size ...

... Need to negotiate the price... My pockets are NOT bottomless...
In fact they're rather shallow... If the price is right... Maybe then...


.

[oldog12]

. Here's a picture of the rear...



... Doesn't look TOO bad...
... Looks like the normal amount of rust on the hinges
... I actually think its sort of clean...


.

[Les Lampman]

So just how far away is the bus from you? The reason I ask is that it seems like it's very close to what you want but there's the rust issue and likely other "condition" questions lurking. I think it's one of those situations where you'd know for sure if you could just see the bus in person and get an overall feel for it. What's it look like in the engine compartment, what's the interior look like, what's the driver's area like, how are the tires, what's the underbody look like, just how bad is that rust in real life, etc?

I know it's tough to make the trip sometimes, I bought my first bus just east of Denver, CO and I live in NW Washington (nice 1600 mile test drive! ). I talked to the seller several times and felt I had a good sense of the guy selling the bus and we had a good rapport; he seemed to volunteer information about the bus (good and bad) without having to ask specific questions and seemed forthcoming. I took the chance that the bus was what he said it was and flew from Seattle to Denver where he picked me up. I was however, ready to leave the bus where it sat and fly home if it turned out to be a bad deal. It was actually better then he said, he was being conservative in his description. That was a very pleasant surprise and the bus drove home flawlessly, passed a DOT inspection with no trouble (not required, I just asked for it as it's a good way to assess the bus' condition), and has made many 1400 mile round trips to our vacation spot. So these situations can work out well in the end with a bit of work in the beginning.

[oldog12]

Hey Les,
. Thanks for your input... This baby is only 500 miles away...

Here's a picture of the inside of the bus that they sent me...



. As far as the dealer being forthcoming...
Well, he said they're good runners, just a little rusty.... A LITTLE !?!...
It seems as though they haven't been, how should I put it...
eager to pursue this sale...

I'll see what's going on with these people
and see if I can get a better feeling about this whole adventure...

.

[pete c]

I'm with les on this one. Pica are nice, but, you can't poke that picture with a screwdriver to see if it goes through.

If it is the bus you want, drivetrain wise, I would think that a little rust or even a lot isn't that big a deal. The frames on these things are pretty beefy. They can stand a little rust. And the floor is flat as a board, so who cares if you need to replace a few acres of it.

There is a DT444/643 rig up in vermont that is described as a little rusty. If I was ready to buy, I'd be headed up 91N as we speak. Maybe next year.

[oldog12]

... Well Vermont is about 1800 miles away...

... But, yeah... Curiosity killed the cat, so I might as well go up there and check it out... If just to settle my own curiosity...

... But I'm really waiting on a reply from those folks

[the_experience03]

There are some nice ones at United Truck Body here in Duluth. It's not a bad drive from Chicago if you drive during off-peak hours. We left downtown at 6:00 am and I was back in my apartment by 3:00pm with a breakfast stop.

http://www.unitedtruckbody.com

[oldog12]

... Yeah, those are the folks I've been trying to deal with...

... They say its a good runner... Should I trust them on it ?...