Choosing Between Shuttle Bus and Mercedes Vario for Off-Grid Conversion

[*Dani*]

Hi everyone,
I’ve been planning my transition from apartment and home rental living into a fully off-grid bus conversion for the past few years. I don’t have the bus yet, but I’ve been designing layouts and researching systems, and I’m leaning toward either a shuttle bus or a Mercedes Vario.
I’m here to learn, connect, and start building friendships within the community as I move closer to making it happen. Looking forward to being part of the journey here.

 

[OscarLaVista]

Are you in the US? (Clearwater Florida?) That Mercedes is pretty uncommon. I don't recommend anything uncommon unless you're a serious enthusiast of oddball busses and know what you're getting into. Parts must be scarce and so are mechanics who know that bus. I wouldn't do it in a million years.

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

Are you in the US? (Clearwater Florida?) That Mercedes is pretty uncommon. I don't recommend anything uncommon unless you're a serious enthusiast of oddball busses and know what you're getting into. Parts must be scarce and so are mechanics who know that bus. I wouldn't do it in a million years.

.
As long as he has a Cummins 5.9 (¡8.3!), fUSA-pattern wheels, the minimum of computers, and geared for a combination of reasonable highway speeds and climbing mountains at something other than a walking pace, he should be relatively OK.
.
Would I Mercedes?
That depends on intended use.
We boondock exclusively, our focus is durability, reliability, and getting parts at any rural hardware store... so 'probably not'.
.
.
My perpetual suggestion:
.. acquire a suitable candidate
.. toss in some car-camping gear
.. go have fun.
Our first few rigs are for learning and refining our RequirementsStatement.
Heck, we are into our second decade in our current rig, and it is constantly evolving to fit our changing needs.

 

[Rucker]

I have a shuttle bus and found it pretty easy to convert. It has plenty of headroom, is somewhat stealth, and it's easy to drive in the city...ish.

 

[OscarLaVista]

It appears the Vario was never officially imported to the US. A quick search found none for sale in North America, except possibly a fully converted one for $220,000 that I didn't click on. Yes, two hundred and twenty thousand.

They have 4-cyl and 5-cyl Mercedes diesels, with the largest being 4.2L.

I continue to maintain unless Dani is already an expert in the Vario, or is in some country where they were commonly available (iirc I saw about 30 for sale worldwide), I strongly do not recommend.

 

[*Dani*]

Are you in the US? (Clearwater Florida?) That Mercedes is pretty uncommon. I don't recommend anything uncommon unless you're a serious enthusiast of oddball busses and know what you're getting into. Parts must be scarce and so are mechanics who know that bus. I wouldn't do it in a million years.

You've made a very wise point. Respectfully received. I initially thought the same but, I'll remain open to possibilities. I have thought of the alternate shuttle bus. But I'm not sure which model is most reliable. I'm going for 23' - 25' max in length.

 

[*Dani*]

Are you in the US? (Clearwater Florida?) That Mercedes is pretty uncommon. I don't recommend anything uncommon unless you're a serious enthusiast of oddball busses and know what you're getting into. Parts must be scarce and so are mechanics who know that bus. I wouldn't do it in a million years.

You've made a very wise point. Respectfully received. I initially thought the same but, I'll remain open to possibilities. I have thought of the alternate shuttle bus. But I'm not sure which model is most reliable. I'm going for 23' - 25' max in length.

.
As long as he has a Cummins 5.9 (¡8.3!), fUSA-pattern wheels, the minimum of computers, and geared for a combination of reasonable highway speeds and climbing mountains at something other than a walking pace, he should be relatively OK.
.
Would I Mercedes?
That depends on intended use.
We boondock exclusively, our focus is durability, reliability, and getting parts at any rural hardware store... so 'probably not'.
.
.
My perpetual suggestion:
.. acquire a suitable candidate
.. toss in some car-camping gear
.. go have fun.
Our first few rigs are for learning and refining our RequirementsStatement.
Heck, we are into our second decade in our current rig, and it is constantly evolving to fit our changing needs.

It appears the Vario was never officially imported to the US. A quick search found none for sale in North America, except possibly a fully converted one for $220,000 that I didn't click on. Yes, two hundred and twenty thousand.

They have 4-cyl and 5-cyl Mercedes diesels, with the largest being 4.2L.

I continue to maintain unless Dani is already an expert in the Vario, or is in some country where they were commonly available (iirc I saw about 30 for sale worldwide), I strongly do not recommend.

Nope, not an expert. But seeing as there not really scrabble here in the states, I do accept shuttle busses just the same. But in not sure which model to start with.

 

[*Dani*]

I have a shuttle bus and found it pretty easy to convert. It has plenty of headroom, is somewhat stealth, and it's easy to drive in the city...ish.

What model shuttle do you have?

 

[*Dani*]

.
As long as he has a Cummins 5.9 (¡8.3!), fUSA-pattern wheels, the minimum of computers, and geared for a combination of reasonable highway speeds and climbing mountains at something other than a walking pace, he should be relatively OK.
.
Would I Mercedes?
That depends on intended use.
We boondock exclusively, our focus is durability, reliability, and getting parts at any rural hardware store... so 'probably not'.
.
.
My perpetual suggestion:
.. acquire a suitable candidate
.. toss in some car-camping gear
.. go have fun.
Our first few rigs are for learning and refining our RequirementsStatement.
Heck, we are into our second decade in our current rig, and it is constantly evolving to fit our changing needs.

While I respect your response, I am female. ️

 

[Slapdash]

That Vario looks like a sweet rig. I saw one in camper trim at 'German Car Day' at a museum in Boston. It wasn't an exhibit though, was actually used. They are super, super cool. Like others have mentioned parts and mechanics are rare, but you only need one, right? Not sure if Mercedes's's's legacy program works for the Vario, but if it does, I'm sure there are parts sitting in a warehouse somewhere in Germany. I know a few people in stage rally who know and work on quirky stuff, but they're in Rhode Island.

Anywho, if you have trouble on the shuttle bus route, I went with a regular shortie bus that has been very reliable and awesome, once we fixed all the bad things. It's a 5-window GMC Savana 3500 with a 6.0 liter gas that can take the hills and mountains in New England like any other van. Ours is nose-to-tail 23' and is a really comfy drive.

 

[Rucker]

What model shuttle do you have?

It's a Ford E-450, V-10 gas engine with an El Dorado body. About 130K miles on it, runs quite well.

 

[OscarLaVista]

Mine is a 2018 Ford E350 V10 chassis with a 2019 Starcraft Allstar body and 159,000 miles. I think all the gas engines should be pretty equal in reliability, and diesels are more trouble and expense than they're worth. And I _like_ diesels. Edit: actually, if I was buying something older, like 97-04, I'd definitely want a Chevy/GMC. Older than that, I'd be ok with any brand.

After 2011 iirc they were required to meet school bus rollover safety standards, so they should all have sturdy steel frames in the body. Older ones may have nothing at all.

Buy the nicest, newest one you can afford, try to get maintenance records, and inspect carefully for water leaks and damage to the wood floor and walls. I bought a really nice bus and still had to repair the floor and replace the wood in the walls and ceiling.

The Fords with the V10 got a 6-speed automatic in 2011, which is a very nice transmission. In 2008, all the Fords got improved front suspension and rear brakes. I prefer a V8 Chevy/GMC but they seem to be much less common than the Fords.

Try to buy a bus made by a company that's still in business. I like busses that have the van front passenger (copilot) door, but they're much less common. If you don't have use for a wheelchair lift, getting a bus that doesn't have one gives you several fewer hassles. The rear AC is expensive to fix, so if it matters to you, try to find one that works.

All shuttles have pretty good headroom, usually better than school busses. Mine was 6'6" or so inside.

There's a guy around Ocala whose side thing is selling used busses from whatever county that is. They seem like well-maintained busses and he seems like a knowledgeable and honest seller. The busses are gray.

 

[*Dani*]

Mine is a 2018 Ford E350 V10 chassis with a 2019 Starcraft Allstar body and 159,000 miles. I think all the gas engines should be pretty equal in reliability, and diesels are more trouble and expense than they're worth. And I _like_ diesels. Edit: actually, if I was buying something older, like 97-04, I'd definitely want a Chevy/GMC. Older than that, I'd be ok with any brand.

After 2011 iirc they were required to meet school bus rollover safety standards, so they should all have sturdy steel frames in the body. Older ones may have nothing at all.

Buy the nicest, newest one you can afford, try to get maintenance records, and inspect carefully for water leaks and damage to the wood floor and walls. I bought a really nice bus and still had to repair the floor and replace the wood in the walls and ceiling.

The Fords with the V10 got a 6-speed automatic in 2011, which is a very nice transmission. In 2008, all the Fords got improved front suspension and rear brakes. I prefer a V8 Chevy/GMC but they seem to be much less common than the Fords.

Try to buy a bus made by a company that's still in business. I like busses that have the van front passenger (copilot) door, but they're much less common. If you don't have use for a wheelchair lift, getting a bus that doesn't have one gives you several fewer hassles. The rear AC is expensive to fix, so if it matters to you, try to find one that works.

All shuttles have pretty good headroom, usually better than school busses. Mine was 6'6" or so inside.

There's a guy around Ocala whose side thing is selling used busses from whatever county that is. They seem like well-maintained busses and he seems like a knowledgeable and honest seller. The busses are gray.

Wow, thank you for all of the information that's good to know.Is rust something that is something to look out for and this guy in Ocala who is he?
So I thought diesel was always the best thing, especially if you're traveling is better with gas and stuff. But you're saying those are more trouble?

 

[OscarLaVista]

Diesels get better mileage but a diesel bus cost more when new and they still cost more used, and the fuel costs more, so it takes a long time to get ahead financially.

The v8 turbodiesels that come in shuttle busses are generally physically larger than the v8 gas engines, so they’re harder to work on. Van engines suck to work on anyway, so diesel ones will cost more to do the same job as in a gas engine bus. The diesel emissions controls get more complex as the vans get newer, and diesels have components that are far more expensive than gas engines’ comparable parts or that gas engines don’t even have. Every mechanic knows how to fix gas engines but many don’t know about diesels. They will cost more to maintain and repair even if something major doesn’t go wrong.

The most generally respected diesel in our busses is the Ford 7.3 Powerstroke, which hasn’t been made since 2003, so you’re looking at a 23 year old bus or older. Something that old will tend to have greater needs.

Just like the Mercedes, my recommendation is diesel is fine for an experienced enthusiast who knows what they’re getting into and preferably can fix it themselves.

The guy in Ocala sells his busses on FB. I can’t remember his name but there probably aren’t many guys selling multiple gray busses in Ocala.

Rust is always something to look out for. The bus bodies tend to be fiberglass and aluminum, but the chassis and the van parts should be checked for rust.

Also look for water leaks. These busses leak around windows, doors, body seams, and mounting holes. Many have roofs made of paper-thin fiberglass which can be damaged by tree branches or careless mechanics and cause leaks. I looked at a bus for sale that if you pushed on the outside wall, water literally squirted out the bottom.

 

[*Dani*]

Diesels get better mileage but a diesel bus cost more when new and they still cost more used, and the fuel costs more, so it takes a long time to get ahead financially.

The v8 turbodiesels that come in shuttle busses are generally physically larger than the v8 gas engines, so they’re harder to work on. Van engines suck to work on anyway, so diesel ones will cost more to do the same job as in a gas engine bus. The diesel emissions controls get more complex as the vans get newer, and diesels have components that are far more expensive than gas engines’ comparable parts or that gas engines don’t even have. Every mechanic knows how to fix gas engines but many don’t know about diesels. They will cost more to maintain and repair even if something major doesn’t go wrong.

The most generally respected diesel in our busses is the Ford 7.3 Powerstroke, which hasn’t been made since 2003, so you’re looking at a 23 year old bus or older. Something that old will tend to have greater needs.

Just like the Mercedes, my recommendation is diesel is fine for an experienced enthusiast who knows what they’re getting into and preferably can fix it themselves.

The guy in Ocala sells his busses on FB. I can’t remember his name but there probably aren’t many guys selling multiple gray busses in Ocala.

Rust is always something to look out for. The bus bodies tend to be fiberglass and aluminum, but the chassis and the van parts should be checked for rust.

Also look for water leaks. These busses leak around windows, doors, body seams, and mounting holes. Many have roofs made of paper-thin fiberglass which can be damaged by tree branches or careless mechanics and cause leaks. I looked at a bus for sale that if you pushed on the outside wall, water literally squirted out the bottom.

Thank you so much. You have really helped me to narrow down my bus choices and what to look out for. ️

 

[nikitis]

Gonna have more power with a Gas vehicle as well. I chose diesel just because they age better.