Looking for advice about first bus

[Jvig]

Hey everyone,

My girlfriend and I are looking into getting a bus to convert. We found a bus that we really like and need some advice on whether or not it is a good deal. It is a 2005 International School Bus with 200k miles. It has a VT365 Turbo Diesel Engine, an Alison 1000 transmission and hydraulic brakes.


Any thoughts or opinions about the engine/transmission combo or bus overall would be greatly appreciated as this is our first time getting to view a bus!

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'd not own one with that engine myself. They're known to have problems and you have to spend several thousand to fix them of their inherent issues.

 

[Placeholder Bus Name]

Personally I would stay away from hydraulic brakes on a bus. That's just my 2 cents, but by the time you load them up and put your family in them, it's going to be heavy and air brakes are just safer.

Also, 2005 might be emission controlled and all of that stuff is prone to breaking and it's all expensive to fix.