What's your walk away price? Survey Time!

[HamSkoolie]

There was this sneaking suspicion that some cars cant be towed... After a quick call to the dealership, You are correct. Its is an all wheel drive and you must get all 4 tires off the ground in a towing situation... So I'll be trading that in before the build is done. Dang.... I love my Subie... lol
Thomas

Some Outbacks ARE flat towable. I didn't check every year but the 2020 isn't while the 2010 is. Depending on who you talked to at the dealership they may or may not know what they were talking about.
There are motorhome magazine "dingy" editions every year since 1990. I have links to 1990 though 2020. These editions are the actual manufacturers approval lists based on manufacturer inquiries by the industry not the opinion of the person paid to answer the telephone at the local dealership (which is in fact paid little and may or may not know what they're talking about)...... Salesmen want to sell you something, parts counter guys sell parts they don't deal with such things as "can I do this with the car", the service manager only knows how to fix it after you break it, and the mechanic knows how to fix it - he can probably answer your question but the service manager has him far from a phone making the dealership $100+/hr while paying the mechanic $35 or so.
There are also kits out there that you can install on a vehicle that isn't approved in order to make them flat towable without issues. Don't know if the Outback has one or not but a lot of people install such kits because they really like this or that for a TOAD and are willing to have the mods done.

The mods can be as simple as installing a transmission fluid pump that keeps the trans lubricated when the engine isn't turning it. Others have mechanisms to disconnect drive shafts and other methods.
So, you might still be able to have your Outback (or maybe just a different year).

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

i was going to bring up the flat towing subaru thing because i am trying to work around a 2021 outback all wheel drive.
i knew about the driveshaft disconnect thing but never heard of installing a tranny fluid pump.
so which one would be cheaper building/buying a suitable car trailer or adding the fluid pump.
a brand new trailer with warranty for what i want is 3500-4000$
if i build a trailer to get exactly what i want which is double brake axles and full tilt 5000$
if i can figure
out how to do the tranny pump alot cheaper until they void my wifes lifetime warranty? i think
thats touchy there.
my local dealer could say its ok and then in her travels across the country her local dealer could say no we cant touch it because someone added a tranny pump?

 

[HamSkoolie]

I don't know that a tranny pump will make an Outback (or any particular car) flat towable. It's ONE of the things that SOME cars can do to become flat towable.
Best to check with some RV shops that deal with such issues.

 

[TMartineau]

Hey Jolly mine is a 2020. But being in the wheelchair using a trailer is out of the question. It seems like disco'ing the driveshaft is quite the task I'm not willing to dig into often. I might be down to install a pump on the tranny if that is something that works. I guess Ill call camping world tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[TMartineau]

Another idea, why not a city transit bus? Those have tons of headroom, factory AC, and they're low floor, and most already have fold out wheelchair ramps. That way you don't need a lift, you just go right in.

Floors are not flat front to back wheel humps too big to do anything around at my level no under storage under the bus plumbing and grey water tanks almost impossible to mount or install due to clearance. There is a city bus platform that may work the lift is in the steps. its not a fold out ramp. That bus has a bit more clearance or room under the bus for storage. Also room to run plumbing. I need a shower.

 

[Dbacks2k4]

You might check out this one at Midwest Transit.
https://www.midwesttransit.com/auto/used-2008-ic-ce-kankakee-il/52006527/

It's a midwest bus so some rust, not as ideal as Arizona or Texas, but does have a lift up front, about 35' I think, pre-emissions DT466e, and A/C. The nice thing about some of the IC handicap buses is they're flat-floor meaning no wheel wells inside.

 

[Veloc]

On the murphy bed conundrum - a murphy bed does not have to be wasted space.

https://s3.dutchcrafters.com/product-images/pid_44900-Vertical-Murphy-Wall-Bed-and-Desk--170.jpg

You can attach a desk to it, so when you sleep your desk is under the bed, and when you work your bed is in the wall behind the desk. I imagine they can make it electric so it's up and down with a button push, and as you can see in the picture the desk part is hinged so the desktop remains flat as it goes up and down. Might even be able to put in an overhead storage on it, so long as it was able to fold down like the desk without hitting anything.

On towing the Subaru, you can also stop by an offroad shop and see if it would be possible to install hub locks. If they can, then you would be able to unlock all 4 wheels on the Subaru and tow it with no problem provided you never forget to unlock them before towing, and lock them when done.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'd be real careful bidding on or buying a route bus from FL.
Most FL districts have crap buses and maintain them poorly.
I've been here my whole life and never shopped for a bus in-state.

 

[TMartineau]

You might check out this one at Midwest Transit.
https://www.midwesttransit.com/auto/used-2008-ic-ce-kankakee-il/52006527/

It's a midwest bus so some rust, not as ideal as Arizona or Texas, but does have a lift up front, about 35' I think, pre-emissions DT466e, and A/C. The nice thing about some of the IC handicap buses is they're flat-floor meaning no wheel wells inside.

Sweet Find. Yes that could work for me. I'm just not excited about buying a rusty bus for over 9K. The more I'm learning The Bus should be close to mint for 9-10k. With all my needs met.

Side question... Is there a thread that tell me how to look at pictures of gear shifters and be able to tell which transmission is in the bus? I'm now of the thought I should be looking for an allison 3000 series transmission with atleast a 7.6 maybe even the 8.?L for a full size bus pulling a car. Unicorn Right? lol

 

[DeMac]

I'd be real careful bidding on or buying a route bus from FL.
Most FL districts have crap buses and maintain them poorly.
I've been here my whole life and never shopped for a bus in-state.

Local FL residents might source a nice bus, buying directly from a private school/university, transit bussiness or military sale (at market price), but with skoolies, there's not much life left at the public auctions.

Good bus bodys with minimal rust, yes, but drivetrains, tires and paint are well aged. Some districts even cannibalize their auction buses. If you can't go inspect, do not bid on FL buses. Local scrap prices are always the max bid, just in case.

Better yet, buy an AZ, GA, TX or CA bus.

 

[TMartineau]

On the murphy bed conundrum - a murphy bed does not have to be wasted space.

https://s3.dutchcrafters.com/product-images/pid_44900-Vertical-Murphy-Wall-Bed-and-Desk--170.jpg

You can attach a desk to it, so when you sleep your desk is under the bed, and when you work your bed is in the wall behind the desk. I imagine they can make it electric so it's up and down with a button push, and as you can see in the picture the desk part is hinged so the desktop remains flat as it goes up and down. Might even be able to put in an overhead storage on it, so long as it was able to fold down like the desk without hitting anything.

On towing the Subaru, you can also stop by an offroad shop and see if it would be possible to install hub locks. If they can, then you would be able to unlock all 4 wheels on the Subaru and tow it with no problem provided you never forget to unlock them before towing, and lock them when done.

The idea of using the bed as a desk too has crossed my mind. But my work entails hand drawing and light boxes and cutting mats So I really need a dedicated "workSpace" and Plus I want my bed area to be a refuge and really don't want clients who will be in the "workspace" for design meetings in my sleeping area. And it would most definitely need to be electric actuated if I Did decide to do a reverse floor plan bedroom up front.

Good idea about the possible hub locks. Those seem like they would be easy to use. Ill look into it Thanks!

 

[Dbacks2k4]

Sweet Find. Yes that could work for me. I'm just not excited about buying a rusty bus for over 9K. The more I'm learning The Bus should be close to mint for 9-10k. With all my needs met.

Side question... Is there a thread that tell me how to look at pictures of gear shifters and be able to tell which transmission is in the bus? I'm now of the thought I should be looking for an allison 3000 series transmission with atleast a 7.6 maybe even the 8.?L for a full size bus pulling a car. Unicorn Right? lol

Your needs are aligning close to mine, ha ha. I passed up that bus for a couple reasons, one being the rust. I also wanted the bigger 245HP variant of the DT466e 7.6L and the Allison 3000

Allison 3000s are pretty standard on FEs and REs but less common on conventionals. Most conventionals have a 2000 variant, but some districts ordered the 3000. The MD3060 and 3000PTS are pretty distinguishable by their push button shifter, RND on left column and MODE/UP/DOWN on right side. The display will read 5 or 6 depending on if the 6th has been unlocked.

I've had both a green two digit display (select and monitor) Gen4 on a 2008 bus and a red single digit display version on a 2006 bus.

There was a photo floating around FB somewhere that had a picture of the most common shifters and what transmission they're usually paired with for helping differentiate between the AT545, MT643, and the 1000/2000 series. I'll see if I can't dig it up. In the meantime I kinda recall the AT545/MT643 has an RND321 shifter and the 1000/2000 series having a RND4321 or RND421 (Definitely a 4 as an option).

 

[EastCoastCB]

Some school districts ordered 3060's with t-shifters. Not that they're super common but they're out there.

 

[Dbacks2k4]

Some school districts ordered 3060's with t-shifters. Not that they're super common but they're out there.

I Never knew that - I learned some thing new today!

 

[CalC]

CalC with a 2000 Bluebird LTC

I bought a Bluebird LTC 40 from my School District last year and then sold it to a Hocky -Lacrosse team. Now My Bus driver boss has borrowed that bus and I was driving it and it overheated. I have determined that the hydraulic fan will not work and after bypassing sensors and solenoids, I am having to remove the radiator to put in a new hydraulic fan motor. I am looking to visit with someone who has removed a radiator and or replaced a hydraulic fan motor.