Spring Vs.Air ride

[o1marc]

I thought I was told that this bus had air ride, as it turns out , it is not. I think I have seriously disappointed the buyer. They text me last night after 1am asking the question, I replied with the info I had been given and said yes. I went out this morning to check and see that it is in fact springs.
With that said, after putting 400 miles on this suspension, I find it no different in ride than my long air ride bus. How many of you have shorties with air ride? This has air seat and air brakes. Who has noticed a difference in like buses between the 2 types of springs?

 

[cadillackid]

I notice a pretty decent difference esp when loaded with air ride vs springs in a shorty..



you still get the noise of bumps "bang and clang" but you dont feel them near as much.. I really dont want any bus except a classic I dont drive often to be spring ride..

 

[EastCoastCB]

I thought I was told that this bus had air ride, as it turns out , it is not. I think I have seriously disappointed the buyer. They text me last night after 1am asking the question, I replied with the info I had been given and said yes. I went out this morning to check and see that it is in fact springs.
With that said, after putting 400 miles on this suspension, I find it no different in ride than my long air ride bus. How many of you have shorties with air ride? This has air seat and air brakes. Who has noticed a difference in like buses between the 2 types of springs?

There's a difference. If the buyer is set on air ride I can understand that.
Good thing about selling a bus is that there are plenty of buyers who don't care about those kinds of things.
Your asking price sounds pretty low to me. I'd have listed it for around $5000.

 

[o1marc]

There's a difference. If the buyer is set on air ride I can understand that.
Good thing about selling a bus is that there are plenty of buyers who don't care about those kinds of things.
Your asking price sounds pretty low to me. I'd have listed it for around $5000.

With the interest I've gotten on it, you're probably right. I'm just not being greedy and was trying to help a new Skoolie get started. Not trying to dissuade them, but I found nothing negative about the ride except the washboards that would have been felt either way. After driving both, I think air ride is less important on the shorty, than it would on a full size bus.

 

[Brad_SwiftFur]

Having an air ride on my shorty, I find the rear suspension bumps a fair bit more than my minivan but as long as I'm not driving faster than I really should be, I find the ride quality acceptable. By this, I'm referring to not-so-smooth streets in my neighborhood, speed bumps, and not-so-smooth entrances to parking lots. On the road, it rides fine to me.

 

[Sehnsucht-SKO]

I think leaf springs on a short bus would be an easier concession than a longer full size bus. My reasoning is that leaf springs are rated to carry the vehicle's maximum loaded weight and that would be much higher the larger the bus. Springs don't know if the vehicle is loaded or empty though so driving an empty full size bus is going to feel more like driving a truck. Air ride adjusts the pressure in the airbags according to the current load and have the added benefit of insulating the cabin from much of the road vibrations. I think these two factors together are why H/C buses even short ones are more likely to have air ride - the pax cap of an all wheelchair bus is much lower in relation to its interior volume than an equivalently sized non-H/C bus.

Just my 0.02

 

[banman]

I must add that leaf (or coil) springs can be made to have progressive rates.
Also in the case of my bus, there's the main spring pack, and then theirs an additional "over-load" pack. With my bus now empty of seats the main springs aren't even near touching the overload springs.

Quality of the leaf pack construction is also a factor here. Having teflon sliders between the leaf tips (you could have this done at a spring shop if they're not present or worn.) allows the leaves to move more smoothly.
Speaking of worn! Everybody should check their leaves where the tips ride against the adjoining leaves. If the shorter leaf has started to wear a groove across the longer leaf above it your leaves may be on borrowed time -- this groove will concentrate all the stress (of movement) and this is where the leaf will break. If your leaves are so grooved this really impedes the leaves sliding over each other as they flex -- this greatly increases the "harsh ride" feeling.

 

[Sehnsucht-SKO]

I learned something new! Thanks Banman

 

[o1marc]

Well the buyer did more due diligence than I did. Called the garage and spoke at length about this bus. It does in fact have rear air ride, leaf spring front. He also found out the motor and trans were both replaced not too many miles ago. Had I known all this I would have raised the price. But I'm not greedy and have helped new Skoolie members on their journey. They will be here in 1/2 an hour.

 

[BaconFarms]

I'm confused (which don't take a whole lot), are you the "middle man" in this transaction?

BaconFarms

 

[o1marc]

I'm confused (which don't take a whole lot), are you the "middle man" in this transaction?

BaconFarms

I buy buses and flip them. 5 in the last year.

 

[WIbluebird]

I'd love to do that. Up here in Wisconsin the local bus market is beyond awful and there's defenitely buyers around that would pay good money for high spec rust free equipment.

Our DMV is pretty stingy on curbstoning (selling vehicles without a dealer license). I've always thought it would be a great side business but the real question would be making enough profit to cover expenses such as a lease, insurance, dealer bond etc.

 

[o1marc]

I'd love to do that. Up here in Wisconsin the local bus market is beyond awful and there's defenitely buyers around that would pay good money for high spec rust free equipment.

Our DMV is pretty stingy on curbstoning (selling vehicles without a dealer license). I've always thought it would be a great side business but the real question would be making enough profit to cover expenses such as a lease, insurance, dealer bond etc.

I'm not greedy, but have found that just about every bus bought at auction can be flipped for at least a $1k profit. I have bus purchase price, air fare, fuel, possibly hotel rooms that add to the purchase price.
It's not always fun getting them back here, 2 have been 2600 mile trips, with no time to stop and smell the roses. I'm not bothered by DMV because I don't have the seller put my name on the title, so I just transfer the title to the new buyer. State doesn't know I ever owned it.

I learned a long time ago about rust buckets from NE, so evertime I had a car for sale from the south, I would list it on Craigs List in the North. Sold a couple vehicles sight unseen, full asking price.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm not greedy, but have found that just about every bus bought at auction can be flipped for at least a $1k profit. I have bus purchase price, air fare, fuel, possibly hotel rooms that add to the purchase price.
It's not always fun getting them back here, 2 have been 2600 mile trips, with no time to stop and smell the roses. I'm not bothered by DMV because I don't have the seller put my name on the title, so I just transfer the title to the new buyer. State doesn't know I ever owned it.

I learned a long time ago about rust buckets from NE, so evertime I had a car for sale from the south, I would list it on Craigs List in the North. Sold a couple vehicles sight unseen, full asking price.

You're selling yourself short letting go of high headroom shorties for less than 5 g's man.

 

[SolomonEagle]

I have springs in the front and air ride I the back of my 7 window.. you definitely hit harder in the front than I the back. That being said, the only difference I can tell is that air will ride as well loaded as unloaded where springs will be stiff until they are loaded up..in which case the ride fine. Finding a good bus can be hard enough, I think any potential first time bus owner that let's air ride be the deal breaker is focused too much on finding the unicorn personally.

 

[EastCoastCB]

IDK I've found more shorties WITH air ride than without.

 

[WIbluebird]

All of our wheel chair shorties have air bags on the rear axle.

We had a nice 2010 All American FE that was maybe 10 windows long, had a WC lift in the back. It had regular sized tires NOT low pros which are common in that size range FE. It was maybe a 36 passenger + 3 wheelchair slots.

That was a really nice size bus to have, I always thought that would make a good skoolie (minus the obvious emissions issue)

 

[Booyah45828]

I'm not bothered by DMV because I don't have the seller put my name on the title, so I just transfer the title to the new buyer. State doesn't know I ever owned it.

LMAO

That's called title jumping, and it's a felony in all 50 states. Usually something done by shady people avoiding taxes or selling junk to unsuspecting buyers.

 

[o1marc]

You're selling yourself short letting go of high headroom shorties for less than 5 g's man.

I hear ya, but I'm just not greedy. I couldn't raise the price for these people $1500 after they flew out to buy it. Also, I'm not into waiting for the top dollar, cash flow keeps me able to buy more. I'd rather sell 2 of them and make a grand each than sell one for a 2 grand profit. I tried to teach this to my guys when I was training in sales. The guys who will give you big profit and not as plentiful as though who will give you a smaller profit. If I sell 10 items and make $5 each, I make the same as the guy who sells 2 items and makes that same profit. But on a bad day when one buyer flakes, he loses half his money, I only lose $5.
I'll know better on the next one. I'd rather have $3500 in my hand than wait for someone to give me $5k.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I hear ya, but I'm just not greedy. I couldn't raise the price for these people $1500 after they flew out to buy it. Also, I'm not into waiting for the top dollar, cash flow keeps me able to buy more. I'd rather sell 2 of them and make a grand each than sell one for a 2 grand profit. I tried to teach this to my guys when I was training in sales. The guys who will give you big profit and not as plentiful as though who will give you a smaller profit. If I sell 10 items and make $5 each, I make the same as the guy who sells 2 items and makes that same profit. But on a bad day when one buyer flakes, he loses half his money, I only lose $5.
I'll know better on the next one. I'd rather have $3500 in my hand than wait for someone to give me $5k.

I'd rather go get 2 or 3 buses and triple my money on each one than constantly be getting buses for a percentage profit.
But you're enjoying yourself so knock yourself out man.
I'm not greedy, I'm just an educated seller.