Already overwhelmed. Need help narrowing it down!

[jake_blue-SKO]

What's the daunting part - the distance alone or driving it with an unfamiliar vehicle? The price seems very reasonable to me for the vehicle spec.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I had seen a few of those ones and really liked them but not the price. I just found this one and called, they're asking $7800, $2000 down (which I can do) we just have 45 days to pick it up and pay the rest in full. It has a md3060 trans and the DT530 engine...not sure how hubby will react to it being all the way in Phoenix though...that's a long drive with a new bus haha

What do you think?

10392 - aaabussales.com

Worth the drive. That 530 is badass.

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

What's the daunting part - the distance alone or driving it with an unfamiliar vehicle? The price seems very reasonable to me for the vehicle spec.

I agree it's a reasonable price. It's about $3800 more than we currently have saved...obviously our cash budget goes up over time as we add to it. Husband not having time to take off work to go get it, not to mention the cost of flights and gas and that I'm 22 weeks pregnant and stay home with our 2.5 year old lol. I am finding more of what we want on the west coast though. All it means is that we may just have to push back our hopeful time frame until we can get our budget to that price range.

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

Worth the drive. That 530 is badass.

Gosh you make me want to leave right now!! I have a standard Washington state drivers license...would that on top of insurance cover me ok on the drive back!?

 

[EastCoastCB]

Gosh you make me want to leave right now!! I have a standard Washington state drivers license...would that on top of insurance cover me ok on the drive back!?

IDK, but I'd get insurance on it and bring it on home, man. That's not a bad price for a helluva bus.
I came home 800 miles without a tag and never got even a glance from the fuzz. KY doesn't give temp tags so I just drove it on back. No way was I coming all the way home just for a tag.
If you're buying it out there at a dealer they'll almost surely give you a temp tag, so that's one less thing to hassle with.

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

IDK, but I'd get insurance on it and bring it on home, man. That's not a bad price for a helluva bus.
I came home 800 miles without a tag and never got even a glance from the fuzz. KY doesn't give temp tags so I just drove it on back. No way was I coming all the way home just for a tag.
If you're buying it out there at a dealer they'll almost surely give you a temp tag, so that's one less thing to hassle with.

Wish I had a few extra grand lol! The gas alone home would be a couple hundred Why can't it be in Atlanta! Hahaha! I'm gonna talk to hubby tonight and see what we can make happen.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Wish I had a few extra grand lol! The gas alone home would be a couple hundred Why can't it be in Atlanta! Hahaha! I'm gonna talk to hubby tonight and see what we can make happen.

Yeah, I spent a little over $200 on fuel from KY to central FL.
Ask the dealer how much to deliver it to Atlanta. Can't hurt to ask!

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

IDK, but I'd get insurance on it and bring it on home, man. That's not a bad price for a helluva bus.
I came home 800 miles without a tag and never got even a glance from the fuzz. KY doesn't give temp tags so I just drove it on back. No way was I coming all the way home just for a tag.
If you're buying it out there at a dealer they'll almost surely give you a temp tag, so that's one less thing to hassle with.

Would you happen to have an idea of what kind of mileage I would get seeing as it would be empty and going through flat land down south? Trying to figure cost of deisel on the way home

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

Yeah, I spent a little over $200 on fuel from KY to central FL.
Ask the dealer how much to deliver it to Atlanta. Can't hurt to ask!

I did ask and they do pick up only

There is a swell place in Florida that I'm subscribed to their new inventory updates and they deliver to me for $700...so if I can find one through them I can do a 3 month free layaway and have it delivered. This one seems like a freaking killer bus...but the cash amount concerns me. Not sure we can find that much at this moment.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Would you happen to have an idea of what kind of mileage I would get seeing as it would be empty and going through flat land down south? Trying to figure cost of deisel on the way home

Figure between 8-10 mpg roughly.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I did ask and they do pick up only

There is a swell place in Florida that I'm subscribed to their new inventory updates and they deliver to me for $700...so if I can find one through them I can do a 3 month free layaway and have it delivered. This one seems like a freaking killer bus...but the cash amount concerns me. Not sure we can find that much at this moment.

Well more buses will come along. Watch Public Surplus and GovDeals for buses out west. I've not seen a regular school bus that had a 530. I know they're out there, just haven't seen one till this listing.
That FL company is probably BGA. I've seen their buses. Their inventory consists of way overpriced east coast buses almost exclusively.

 

[skoolie_n00bie]

What's the daunting part - the distance alone or driving it with an unfamiliar vehicle? The price seems very reasonable to me for the vehicle spec.

Worth the drive. That 530 is badass.

what they said....

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

Well more buses will come along. Watch Public Surplus and GovDeals for buses out west. I've not seen a regular school bus that had a 530. I know they're out there, just haven't seen one till this listing.
That FL company is probably BGA. I've seen their buses. Their inventory consists of way overpriced east coast buses almost exclusively.

Dang! They got such great reviews! Good to know though! I'm so thankful for this forum! I'm learning so much so fast!

 

[EastCoastCB]

Dang! They got such great reviews! Good to know though! I'm so thankful for this forum! I'm learning so much so fast!

There are folks that love them.
I recently saw a gas bluebird that someone paid like 8 grand for from them. Too rich for my blood.

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

There are folks that love them.
I recently saw a gas bluebird that someone paid like 8 grand for from them. Too rich for my blood.

Can you explain to me why some Allison trans will say the series and some will say a model type? How do I know if it's the right trans based on the series listed? I'm seeing a MXXFORCE DT engine with an Allison 2500 series transmission and if that is comparable then I'll contact them for a price.

 

[skoolie_n00bie]

There are folks that love them.
I recently saw a gas bluebird that someone paid like 8 grand for from them. Too rich for my blood.

Yeah....When i first started looking, i was so happy there was a bus dealer, literally 10 minutes away from my house, and they had a beautiful TC1000 just what i was looking for....for $8-9K.

Those (dealer buses) are nice if you have the money, and don't mind spending it on the bus itself.
On my project, that was already $3K over ENTIRE budget

 

[jake_blue-SKO]

I don't understand why GA/FL buses are that pricey when they are virtually identical spec to Midwest buses which are half the price and equivalent to Western buses which are superior.

BTW, been in California for the last two weeks bus-spotting - amazing the variety and I finally saw in real life a tandem axle Crown! I can die happy now.

 

[Roadschooldreamer143]

I don't understand why GA/FL buses are that pricey when they are virtually identical spec to Midwest buses which are half the price and equivalent to Western buses which are superior.

BTW, been in California for the last two weeks bus-spotting - amazing the variety and I finally saw in real life a tandem axle Crown! I can die happy now.

All of our family is in Washington and California. I'm really tempted to just pay them a visit to find our bus and drive it home with my roommate. However I was just offered a bus well within our price range. It's got the MD3060 and a Cummins engine but it's only a 5.9L. I know people are boasting about the DT466/530 or Cummins 8.3 but is this engine good with that transmission to tow a car?

 

[EastCoastCB]

I don't understand why GA/FL buses are that pricey when they are virtually identical spec to Midwest buses which are half the price and equivalent to Western buses which are superior.

BTW, been in California for the last two weeks bus-spotting - amazing the variety and I finally saw in real life a tandem axle Crown! I can die happy now.

FL buses are ok, but not worth any kind of premium at all. Many are beat to death.

Never ever seen a Crown in the flesh. :bow:

 

[EastCoastCB]

All of our family is in Washington and California. I'm really tempted to just pay them a visit to find our bus and drive it home with my roommate. However I was just offered a bus well within our price range. It's got the MD3060 and a Cummins engine but it's only a 5.9L. I know people are boasting about the DT466/530 or Cummins 8.3 but is this engine good with that transmission to tow a car?

Sure, man. Nothing wrong with the 5.9

Well- I'd avoid the "53".