Should I buy ex-corrections bus? 30k miles. Doesn't start.

[Geeze-SKO]

This bus is on facebook marketplace for months. Think the original price was over 5k. I've been looking myself for a flat nosed bus myself. Havent determined in really want re or fe. But seen others on the eastern pa. For sale at that price or a little more. That from ad sounded like we capable on running and driving. But unknown on rust issues

 

[JackE]

If I do go the RV route, what could I salvage off of it? If I couldn't get my entire investment back it wouldn't be worth it.

Also, I'm very amused by the 'Gary's, but my name is Gray and I have t*ts.

I apologize Gray. I have selective dyslexia, but it usually only involves numbers....

Here's a list of things I salvaged from my motor home;
Engine and trans (sold for $3000)
Hydraulic leveling system (sold, too small to pick up 36K lb bus)
6 good tires (sold 19.5", too small for bus)
6500 watt generator
Grey, Black, and Fresh water tanks
4 RV windows (would have had 8 but neighbor kids broke the rest)
2 roof top A/C units
Couple hundred feet of 12/2 romex
Frame mount Propane tank
3 swivel pedestals
7 basement storage hatch covers (probably only use 2)
75 gallon fuel tank (will give me 175 gal capacity when I figure out how to tie it in to my bus)
Roof top access ladder
3 burner cook top
Circuit breaker and fuse panel
Hundreds of feet of 12V wire
Class 3 trailer hitch
Fiberglass front roof cap for my roof raise transition piece

A few other possibilities that I probably will not use;
3 way fridge - it's too small
6 gal water heater - using on-demand
Oven - door was busted
Toilet - getting residential size RV toilet
Tub - too small for me
Interior furniture - most of mine was damaged by fire
20' awning is junk, but frame will probably still work so I may use that

I'm sure I missed something, seems like every day I'm working on the bus I take something off the donor. Just in tanks, generator, and A/C units I have probably save $5000. Plus I got about $5000 in selling the tires, lift system, and engine-trans combo.

I really don't think I'll ever build another bus, but if I do, I will start by buying a donor RV to salvage. If you look around, you can usually find an old RV with the engine pulled out that the owner is willing to give away just to have it gone.

 

[Gray-SKO]

I apologize Gray. I have selective dyslexia, but it usually only involves numbers....

Here's a list of things I salvaged from my motor home;
Engine and trans (sold for $3000)
Hydraulic leveling system (sold, too small to pick up 36K lb bus)
6 good tires (sold 19.5", too small for bus)
6500 watt generator
Grey, Black, and Fresh water tanks
4 RV windows (would have had 8 but neighbor kids broke the rest)
2 roof top A/C units
Couple hundred feet of 12/2 romex
Frame mount Propane tank
3 swivel pedestals
7 basement storage hatch covers (probably only use 2)
75 gallon fuel tank (will give me 175 gal capacity when I figure out how to tie it in to my bus)
Roof top access ladder
3 burner cook top
Circuit breaker and fuse panel
Hundreds of feet of 12V wire
Class 3 trailer hitch
Fiberglass front roof cap for my roof raise transition piece

A few other possibilities that I probably will not use;
3 way fridge - it's too small
6 gal water heater - using on-demand
Oven - door was busted
Toilet - getting residential size RV toilet
Tub - too small for me
Interior furniture - most of mine was damaged by fire
20' awning is junk, but frame will probably still work so I may use that

I'm sure I missed something, seems like every day I'm working on the bus I take something off the donor. Just in tanks, generator, and A/C units I have probably save $5000. Plus I got about $5000 in selling the tires, lift system, and engine-trans combo.

I really don't think I'll ever build another bus, but if I do, I will start by buying a donor RV to salvage. If you look around, you can usually find an old RV with the engine pulled out that the owner is willing to give away just to have it gone.

Absolutely no problem, I have the same thing.

This is an awesome list, definitely something I will consider doing to lower my cost. Thanks for the great advice. :biggrin:

 

[musigenesis]

Here's one in Philly for 4 grand.
https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/rvs/d/pottstown-fleetwood-pace-arrow-92-rv/7126280688.html
You'd be able to harvest the tanks, appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc.

I'm surprised at how not awful that looks for $4000. There's a place near me that sells used RVs - priced at over ten grand and you'd have to take a shower after walking into one.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Should I buy this bus?

https://imgur.com/a/e2azl7M

(The photo of the engine is OLD and from the ad, parts have since been removed, see below.)

Looking at a 2001 flat nose International with a dt466e and Allison. It was a corrections department bus, so no stop and go and I would assume decent maintenance. It has 30,000 miles on it! The body is in pretty good condition with minor scrapes, the chassis has minor rust. The tires are all from '07 but they're in fantastic condition and I would feel confident driving on them unless there's strong opinion that I shouldn't. (Someone even wants to buy them for $2k, they're Michelin.)

The perks for me are the absolutely massive headroom (6ft 6in) because I'm quite tall and the length, 35 feet.

Cons are that I was hoping to find a rear engine as I'm a mountain lover, bothered by loud noise, the dog house is kind of annoying to work around, and would have preferred a side emergency exit door.

The big caveat to this absolute gem is that it doesn't start. The belt tensioner snapped off in January and it's been sitting since then.

I'm actually purchasing it from a diesel mechanic whose client abandoned it at his shop when it broke down 100 miles after buying it at auction. It was driven into the yard, overheating, and started and ran until they disabled it. The guy seemed really honest and decent, and is willing to give me a used front cover along with the purchase.

Everything is disassembled at the moment. The outer side of the front cover needs to be purchased and replaced. (Found some used ones for $350.) The radiator, air cooler, front cover in both parts, front cal, and bumper need to be put back on.

He recommended I have the radiator cleaned as well, and told me all this with the oil change would cost $2,800 'on a good day' and $3,300 'on a bad day'.

The asking price of the bus is $2,250, but he told me he'd be willing to take $2,000. It's taking up a ton of space, he's busy with more lucrative projects, and never wanted it to be his problem. I'd have to get it towed 2 hours off of his property to where I can store it, which as I understand it will be a hundred bucks an hour. (Please tell me if that's accurate.)

My budget is $4k with an absolute cap of $4.5k. I know I will never find headroom this good or mileage this low again. Do you think it's worth spending $5k? It would be most of my savings. As I understand it, an engine with this little wear will last an extremely long time.

Other issues with the bus include the emergency exit door not closing due to the handle being seized. Some of the seal on the windshield looks questionable. The battery compartment is rusted to the point it'd need reinforcing at the least, but the batteries have been replaced. There's some scrapes on the body which you can see in the photos. Some of the windows appear not to shut fully, I think the slides just need to be lubricated. Of course I can't test drive it, but what I could see of the engine looked decent, no leaks, mostly minimal rust.

I'm fairly confident I can flush the radiator myself, and like I mentioned I found some used front timing covers for ~350 bucks. Will it really cost $2.5-3k much just to have everything put back together (with the oil and filter change) if I have the parts? I have family I can ask for help. Is this something an amateur car mechanic unfamiliar with diesel could do? Is there any aspect of reconstruction you'd recommend only a professional handle? With some DIY, how much do you think I could get the cost down?

I understand this is a risky purchase. I'm willing to risk something for that low, low mileage and amazing headroom, but not everything.

Is there anything else that seems questionable here or advice you could give me? Should I buy this bus? I have to decide and get it towed before Monday, other wise the guy is gonna rip the engine out, sell the tires, and scrap the rest.

Driven in overheated, with no belt, means no water pump. That's a situation that can get really hot. If you pull the trigger on this be ready for a rebuild or replacement engine. If I just bought the bus at auction I wouldn't abbandon it for a 500 dollar repair , if I really believed the miles.
Won't start? Be very cautious. Without the belt it should start just fine. It just shouldn't be run long. But long enough to show that it doesn't now have pots and pans or water in places it shouldn't.

 

[DavidWJ]

Offer him $1000 and get it delivered to your house. That is, if you're expert enough to repair anything this bus needs and have the money to do so.

 

[lyleapgmc]

Rust accumulation is a function of how much time the metal spends in direct contact with water. If you take a bus fresh from the factory and leave it in a parking lot for a couple of decades, the underside will never get wet and it won't rust (there would be a tiny amount of corrosion from moisture in the air, but not enough to make a serious dent in the galvanized coating). Bus undersides rust because the buses drive around in the rain and snow and get a regular soaking - in NY/NJ it's a salt bath, too. If the bus is not kept clean, the bolt holes and nooks and crannies of the underside accumulate dirt and mud which holds water against the chassis and accelerates the rusting. Or also (as in the case of my bus) if the body above it leaks and rusts through and allows water to regularly soak the chassis.

Direct contact with water is not necessary at all. I had a car in a garage that needed some work to get running. I didn't get to it until someone wanted to buy it. I looked it over and the frame had rusted through. It would not be safe to drive.



Direct contact with water is not necessary for rust to develop. Damp air or air born moisture from a concrete floor will cause rust.

 

[Dirtdoctor]

Walk away- there are plenty of good running u it’s for sale out there in your budget range. Don’t settle untilYou find the right one. Seriously there are tons of good busses. Find a tall one. And then go for it.

 

[Sp6saz]

I'll tell you what I tell my son don't buy it if it don't run unless you get it for almost nothing cuz that's what it could be worth.