Hello from Eugene OR

[SlowJoe]

Hello all,

My name is John and I am, hopefully, days away from purchasing a bus to convert into a Coffee Cafe/Bus. I have been a coffee roaster for several years and, in addition to selling bags of roasted coffee, have provided coffee pour overs from my '79 VW Westfalia.

https://www.slowjoecoffee.com

For the better part of this year I've been working towards opening a brick and mortar, but due to way too many things to mention here, I opted for a mobile cafe instead. I was very much inspired by what Skool Beans has done in Iceland

https://www.skoolbeans.com

To my knowledge she remains the only Skoolie Coffee Cafe on the planet. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I've received a great deal of, what appears to be, 'sound advice' from the community and so with that advice I've determined that a shorter bus (under 32') and pre-2004 is the way to go. The shorter bus to be able to maneuver it into place and the earlier engine choice mostly because I do not intend to drive it for long periods of time and from what I have gathered, a diesel engine with a DPF will likely cause me headaches.

I'm super stoked for this project. I'll also mention that I am a designer/builder with lots of experience and am looking forward to sharing my build with this community.

Cheers!

 

[BarnYardCamp]

welcome to this community. As you likely already know, lots of good info here and plenty of knowledgeable folks to answer your questions.
I'd recommend you try and find a bus with a gas engine since you will mostly make short trips...

 

[SlowJoe]

1997 re 3000

I'll be having a look at this 1997 International today. It checks most of the boxes, as far as I can tell. Was thinking a front engine would be best but could work around that I suppose. The guy is asking $5k and says the motor was rebuild recently, but I have my doubts about that, though I guess its possible. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[cadillackid]

I know of a couple different mobile coffee houses.. one in an old step van and a couple in trailers... obviously the licensing and insuring is a big piece dependong on where you are planning to serve from.. Food truck groups are probably the most helpful for that..


DPF came along in around 07/08.. anything prior may have EGR (04+).. and of course to me the best which are before )$.. (some 04s didnt have EGR)..


aparently espresso machines travel better than I thought they would since mobile coffee shops are a real thing.

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

John in Eugene,
.
A couple-three months ago, I saw the Tea-n-Kombucha bus in storage at the boat-yard at Highway 99 and Irvine (or Clear Lake, but not Airport).
Maybe you could get a turn-key operational business instead of fussing with the building of it?

 

[mmoore6856]

I'll be having a look at this 1997 International today. It checks most of the boxes, as far as I can tell. Was thinking a front engine would be best but could work around that I suppose. The guy is asking $5k and says the motor was rebuild recently, but I have my doubts about that, though I guess its possible. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

if the motor was rebuilt he would have shown you documentation . no documentation it was not done

 

[Danjo-SKO]

There was a cute 3 window espresso bus at the Tucson gem shows a a couple years ago. Great way to go

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

if the motor was rebuilt he would have...documentation . no documentation it was not done

.
Agreed.
.
"LM showers with friends!"
Video, or it didn't happen.

 

[SlowJoe]

It wasn't even worth my time.

 

[SlowJoe]

1987 Crown purchase.

After searching for quite a while for the perfect bus for my Coffee Bus/Cafe, I think the perfect bus has presented itself to me. I know this is going to stir up a lot of attention and maybe even a little bit of controversy, but I'm feeling pretty set on buying this 1987 Crown from a tour company in Central Cali.

Lot's to consider but the price is fair and the seller, employee/maintenance man of the tour company assures me it will get me home to Oregon. I have scoured this site for as much information as I can manage, including several very lengthy and thorough posts from 'The Crown Guru' himself, and am beginning to feel somewhat confident in driving it the 750 miles.

There is a diesel mechanic around the corner from the pick up location where I hope to bring it to have the fluids checked out and if needed, replaced. The rig hasn't been driven in a couple of years, which concerns me.

But hey, not guts no glory... I guess. Trying to use smarts over guts whenever possible, so any wisdom is greatly appreciated and desired.

 

[cadillackid]

I didnt figure the ceiling in a crown was tall enough for a cafe where the barista will be standing up 95% of the time..

 

[SlowJoe]

Or 100 percent of the time. Being 5’10” I’ve got loads of room, but will just have to stay away from hiring volleyball and basketball players.

 

[mmoore6856]

when your head is up against the ceiling you will feel the trapped heat . one thing i love about my raised roof it seems lots cooler inside.

 

[Tejon7]

Crowns have a double-wall configuration where the windows slide into a pocket between the outer and inner wall. If your plans call for any sort of window service where you interact with folks on the street from inside the bus, that "wet wall" design might complicate things. You can't easily cut a chunk of wall out of a Crown like you could on a step van (not without causing lots of leakage headaches, anyway).

Headroom in most stock Crowns is pretty good at around 75"-76", but I'd say keep the center aisle clear for your taller customers as well as for access to the maintenance hatches.

 

[SlowJoe]

This window info is good to know. I've been playing around a bit with different layouts and configurations. There is a rear emergency door on the drivers side, where I thought I might be able to use as a window service spot. Ideally, I wouldn't make any drastic changes to the opening or the door, but simply open the door and add a free standing or mounted counter inside to serve from. Early days, for sure, And thanks for the insight. It's much appreciated.

Here are some early layout ideas.

73182

 

[Tejon7]

Looks like a cool concept. I'd drink coffee there!

Tell us a bit more about the bus. Looks like a 35 footer, but is it Detroit or Cummins? Auto or manual?

 

[SlowJoe]

36' DD 6-71TAC Allison Auto 4 - Picking it up today. Stay tuned.

 

[84chevyguyid]

https://youtu.be/REu6P64NuFY

 

[mmoore6856]

i would try to keep the entry on the right (passenger) side so sif you are parked along a street a customer dont step out into traffic

 

[SlowJoe]

What an amazing rig! Drove it 750 miles back home, purring like a hungry old lion that just got fed a full meal. What can I say… I did good. A huge thank you to Mike, CrownGuy, for talking me through and provided me the necessary push, “Go get that ******* bus, John!”. He’s pure gold to have around here.

I’ll step away from this post and start a new one in the appropriate section for builds.