I have finally taken the plunge and joined the rest of you.
While I have been allowed to join and particapate in all the bus boards for years, I was not truely a "BUSNUT" until now!
Up until now I have only been a motorcoach owner. (having owned 10 fully seated charter buses over the last 11 yrs)
But I have finally completely lost my mind and made a deal to get me my first bus to convert. While it's NOT the Scenic Cruiser of my dreams, and it's not one of my beloved Setras removed from service. It is just the right bus for me to start with!
It's a NO CASH transaction! It's a straight up even swap for "Dino" our 1997 Dina.
It's a 1992 Neoplan Cityliner 45' X 102" 60 Series Detroit/748 Allison.
I has 2 entrance doors the standard one up front that I will eventually do away with and one in the middle in front of the drives, that will become my only entry door. (has a restroom just inside the door downstairs which I think is ideal for camping and for people asking to use the restroom. "Sure there it is right inside the door" don't have to go thru the whole coach to get to it!)
I will take and post pictures soon!
The TRADE is done! (and it sits in my driveway as I type this!)
;D BK ;D
No way! I thought you would always sit on the edge of the lake, not ready to jump in. Good for you! I have no idea why you would want to join the craziness, but hey. You are in good company.
Have fun!
No John I have always been silently looking for a Scenic that wouldn't bust my piggy bank wide open before I could get it road worthy. And since that wasn't likely to happen I always hoped dad would take a month or two long trip and not notice one of the Setras missing when he came home.
But that didn't happen either.
So back in December we were over booked an I leased a bus from a company we work with in MO an the bus I got was this Neoplan.
Dad went an drove it here for me to take on my trip to Gatlinburg, and made the comment to me about how it drove as nice as a Setra and got better fuel mileage too! (Dad averaged over 9 mpg, when he drove it from Poplar Bluff, MO to Huntingdon, and I averaged 8+/- on my Gatlinburg trip fully loaded)
Mom & Dad both commented about how nice of platform it would make to base a motor home on.
So I asked you mean if I were to find away to "acquire" that bus with out it costing us any $ out of our pockets you won't be mad?
They both said no, so I immediately called the owner and offered him a straight up trade for my Dina that we haven't insured or used since August of 2014.
He took his time deciding to make the trade but came over and had his driver take us out for a test drive, then he an his driver went home "to talk about it."
Then this week he an his mechanic came over an his mechanic went over an under it and gave it a thumbs up! So they went home "to talk about it."
(I told him to let me know something quick because I had a big trip with a regular customer coming up on a weekend that his dispatcher an I were maxed out on an if he didn't take this bus I was going to have to put it back on the road or something rather than lose the customer!)
He called that night an said he'd make the swap even up bus for bus an send a driver over Friday.
Later I spoke with his dispatcher an told her I might be gone on Friday, but somebody would be here to handle the paper work and swap. She asked if Thursday would be better an I told her yes!
So she sent their driver an mechanic over Thursday in their old bus and I sent them back home in their "new to them" bus!
So I'm now an official BUSNUT !
I'll be taking pics and posting them soon! (1st thing I'm gonna do is get it titled as a Motorhome!
;D BK ;D
I'm wondering why you didn't just convert the Dina? A Neoplan is probably just as hard or harder to find parts for than a Dina.
Cityliners are very cool buses and it's very nice to see something a bit being converted.
Jeremy
Since I have a transit with two doors, I can tell you from experience you should keep the front door as your main entrance (mainly since it is right by the driver's seat-the walk back to the mid door everytime you want to go the driver's seat will get old) and like me, build your bathroom around the rear door for direct access from the outside to the bathroom. Good Luck, TomC
Congrats BK. When is the Rally?
We want to see it in person. We could watch that person we can't mention make sawdust.
Rick
Hi B-K,
It's good to see that you're jumping in with both feet.
I'm not familiar with that bus so quite interested in seeing the photos.
Frank
Bout time, I'm surprised you didn't keep Dino and convert it.
Y'all have a happy Easter
Brian and Don,
I wanted the Neoplan for the mid door it already had!
If I were going to convert one we already had it would have most likely been a Setra.
But seeing that mom & dad liked the Neoplan as a start as much or more than me, I decided to go for it before they changed their minds!
Don I talked to you the night I made the offer on the bus. So you knew what I had up my sleeve. (Of course if he hadn't taken my deal. I probably would have converted the 95 45' Setra.
Looking forward to getting started just not sure where to start other than yanking seats out and getting her ready to title as a motorhome instead of a bus! (I plan to keep it useable most of the way thru the conversion so if the urge hits we can jump in it and use it as a steel tent!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: Rick 74 MC-8 on April 05, 2015, 07:59:50 AM
Congrats BK. When is the Rally?
We want to see it in person. We could watch that person we can't mention make sawdust.
Rick
Rick anybody is welcome ANYTIME ask Ned, Gary or Don they just show up and tell me it's a rally!
But now even if it's just one coach that shows up it still can be a rally as mine will be here too!
OH and I'll mention Cody's name (I ain't skeered), he's welcome to come put his handy work in it anytime he gets ready. (but he might wanna hurry, I have plenty of Amish customers/friends that are getting interested in the idea of helping me convert it too!)
;D BK ;D
"ideal for camping and for people asking to use the restroom."
All you need is a sign with an arrow on it saying "restroom". LOL
Oh baby, now you've done it!!
Good for you!
Happy coaching!
buswarrior
B_K,
Stoked for you. I love the look of the Neoplan city liners. Now you know the deal....if there are no pictures then it never really happened.
Best wishes. Can't wait to see what you do.
-Sean
Do only some Cityliners have a mid entry door? I looked at a bunch of pictures online and none of the Cityliners I could find have a mid entry door. The Cityliner is a single level like a standard highway coach is it not? It doesn't appear to have two levels like Odyssey.
Congratulations BK! Great choice. I am just completing a 1991 Cityliner 40 foot 102 inch 8-92 748. As it was already tall enough, I lowered the floor to the low point of the aisle, where the stairs from the side door come up. Good luck.
Having trouble getting pictures into computer to upload will get them on here soon!
;D BK ;D
Quote from: belfert on April 05, 2015, 08:22:01 PM
Do only some Cityliners have a mid entry door? I looked at a bunch of pictures online and none of the Cityliners I could find have a mid entry door. The Cityliner is a single level like a standard highway coach is it not? It doesn't appear to have two levels like Odyssey.
Photo of a Cityliner with side door.