Hey everyone,
I am a long time lurker and first time poster. Consider this my introduction. Name is John. :) I recently finished all of the major parts of the bus conversion of a Blue Bird school bus I was doing.
You can check out a video tour of it here:
Finally, a tour of our bus which is near completion. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugd1-pguIhI&feature=channel_video_title#ws)
So, it must feel great to wrap up a conversion... right?? Well I don't know. All I can think is how I should have waited and been more patient when buying a bus chassis. The school bus was cheap. $3,500 to be exact. It has already needed considerable work though. I have put all new rear brakes on it and new tires among a bunch of other stuff like U-joints. About $7000 in mechanical work basically.
My biggest complaint is how it drives on the road. The suspension is tired and it is only a leaf suspension to begin with. The other issue is there is currently 6 of us, and we are full timing. So more space would be nice so I am dreaming of a 45', but the extra width and height of a coach would be very appreciated.
My thoughts currently are whether it would be economical to buy a new shell and move all the expensive stuff into it. I am eyeing either an MCI 102A3 or a 102C3... and dreaming about a D series. When I built the skoolie, I bought nothing used. So I have brand new everything... batteries, inverter, power converter, furnace, hot water tank, $2000 composting toilet, tanks, etc etc etc... This is kinda funny since I originally cheap and bought a school bus. So my thought like I mentioned is to move all this new stuff into a better chassis.
What would be left is a school bus chassis gutted, and properly insulated and panelled. I wouldn't go to the trouble of ripping out the new panelling, sub floor, custom window trims and insulation. In the canadian market I think I could sell my school bus chassis for 10 to 15 thousand. I know that is high for the US, but here it is hard just to find a school bus to start with for less than $6000, and mine has new brakes and is well insulated.
I have to say this was a hard sell to my wife, but she's also feeling the negatives of the school bus, and she dreams of a more comfortable drive when cruising. She complains because she can't even write on her laptop with it bouncing all over the place.
So... am I crazy?? The other option is I could sell the bus as a whole shebang, but I don't think I could get my money out with the market it is. And who wants to spend the 30 or 40k I would need to get my money back out.
Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated! And thanks for being such an awesome forum!
John
I say, go for it. Though it's a quantum jump in cost and effort. Best to make sure the Wife is fully on board. You've got too many kids to be making Ex's.
There was a guy posting here a while ago who went from skoolie to coach, and he regretted that choice. They had more fun and less worry with the school bus.
Your needs point toward a coach, just make sure it won't break the bank, financial or emotional.
While my opinion isnt worth much, i have had 3 skoolies and 2 coaches. The first two skoolie's didnt have power steering, etc, the last one drove fine across the country and back before i got a coach. I think you should drive both a 35' coach and the 40' or so newer ones, and also consider if you plan on trying to get into small campgrounds, etc. What ever you do, buy the size you want in the best mechanical condition that you can afford, and you might want to keep your expensive conversion parts and maybe put cheaper ones in the skoolie when you sell it. (that's what tightwads like me have done...)
John -
IMHO, look for a "C" or "D" MCI - they are both 102" wide plus they have a 3" taller roof, thus no need for a roof raise.
Nothing wrong with a Prevost, either. There are some awfully good buys out there in today's market. Easy to import to Canada, too, since the chassis is Canadian-built, like the MCI.
A caveat: IF, and it's a big IF, if you like to boonie-bounce amongst the backwood trails, a coach isn't for you - not enough ground clearance.
As Chev49 said, purchase the newest chassis in the best mechanical condition you can squeak into financially.
Also, since the market is in the toilet, you might just find a newer coach with an interior that is perfect "as-is", so you won't have to go to all the conversion work again. Do your homework!
And don't be afraid to have any prospective vehicles thoroughly checked out by a mechanic familiar with BUS chassis.
May take awhile, but you'll find what's best for you & the fam is out there!
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
PS: Check out the BBS and BBS Archives over on BNO, too! Lots of good info, especially the archives. www.busnut.com (http://www.busnut.com)
nice conversion, nice clean layout...still looks tight for 5 though. If it is just the ride that bugs you , maybe change all the suspension bushings and tune the leaf springs/ look into air overs or something....I think the BB crowd do this. I mention tuning the suspension as when I drove schoolies the difference in load really changed the ride, basically a fully loaded schoolie rode real smooth and anything lighter was garbage truck ride. Other than some tile etc you bus looks light so maybe a few less leaf springs is all it would take...med duty truck spring garage will be good at this re info etc...
Nice Job, I would keep it for a while and keep looking, there are a lot of deals on completed coaches. You will take a real hit when you sell I would use it.
I had a S&S for a few years. I had much the same concerns about ride quality as you. Being front engine, it was noisy, bouncy and generally not real comfortable. Once we parked all was good. I modified how I travel and that helped a lot. Instead of tearing a hole in the air down the interstate trying to run 70 all the time, I started driving the state roads. While sometimes they were even more bouncy, I personally was a lot happier as I was limited to 55-60. The S&S liked that speed a lot more, and I did too. Less noise and heat up front. I learned to tolerate the ride over time. In the end, I sold it, and bought my Scenicruiser. I cannot compare comfort of it versus the S&S yet as it is a restoration project/conversion, but I am hopeful I will be pleased with the change. Before you do something drastic, try changing how you travel, and give it some more time. You and the family may get used to the ride over time.
Boyce
ps very nice work on your conversion!
Wow, that's a nice skoolie 8) Classy conversion for sure. I think you guys are the perfect candidates for a Coach conversion. We're in our late 20's and we're doing one and loving it. BTW, your gas detector detects propane and CO no CO2...unless I'm mistaken. If it detected CO2 you'd set if off just by breathing on it :)
John: One other option (cheaper) is to check the Yellow Pages for a Hendrickson (spelling?) dealer. Here for our skoolie, they would charge me about $4,000 to put in a brand new air suspension on the front or rear axle. And about 40% of that cost for us in Mexico would be import duty. If I could only afford one, I would do just the front axle.
Just one more option to consider.
It may be crazy.. but whoever said being crazy is a bad thing? :) The wonderful thing about life is being able to adjust the course as our needs are changing. If something else is calling you, and you can make it work.. why not?
Cheers to another full time younger bus nut,
- Cherie (and Chris)