Hello Everyone,
If you have been following us for the better part of 6+ months my family has been searching for a bus with some bunk beds for our three children and a bed for my wife and I so we can take long weekend trips and vacations around the USA and our national/state parks.
Initially I had my eyes set on a 1977 GMC 4905a out in Phoenix, I still really like the look of that bus but many on here advised against and the Wife didn't like it. I then found a 1990 MCI (TMC) 102A3 in Virginia which I had inspected and had a fluid analysis performed and it found some issues with Glycol and Copper readings but I already had my trip planned up so I flew into Charlotte NC midnight this past Wednesday and drove up to Dobson (Mt. Airy / Mayberry) and spent a few hours at the hotel. I then toured Mayberry (Mt. Airy) which was fun and then proceeded up to the location of the bus in Christiansburg, VA. I spent most of the day there on Thursday and drove the bus and it actually drove pretty good although it did belch out blue/black smoke when accelerating. At the end of the day though the bunk beds in this bus were short (built for kids) and it was missing that third bunk. We measured the height and how much room would be within the bunks and it just wouldn't have been nice for the general environment/morale after all this isn't a USN Submarine! And the big unknown with the engine.
I had seen a 1985 Silver Eagle on Craigslist located in Knoxville TN with four bunk beds but had been unable to obtain additional pictures or video (owner posted one on facebook but we don't facebook) so I decided to drive closer to Knoxville in case he were to call. I reserved a room at a hotel in Abingdon VA and just after I reserved the hotel room the owner of the Eagle called and said he could show me that night but they were leaving early in the morning (Gospel Group) so it was Thursday night or bust. I arrived at the bus just minutes before 9pm on Thursday and it is a neat looking bus. I really like the design of the Eagle and the paint job was 10X better then the MCI and it had four full size bunks. Surprisingly it also had essentially no rust from what I could tell with my flashlight in the engine bay or scanning the bottom of the bus. Engine was started up and I didn't see any smoke and it sounded great. I was unable to take it for a drive as a Prevost was blocking it in but it looked good (yes in the dark!).
With Walter (DoubleEagles) help he quizzed the owners of the bus via a conference call with myself, my wife, Walter, the owner and the owners boss in business and in the Gospel group and it sounded good and everything matched up with what I had seen and previously heard. We will be picking up the bus sometime around the 28th (Sunday) and then taking a trip up to see Walter and show off our new Eagle and he has offered to show me around the bus and provide some tips and pointers.
We will be performing a smaller conversion by adding a bathroom (does not have one now), setting up the back area for my wife and I, redesigning the kitchen area and the front sitting area and other upgrades.
Attached is a picture of the Eagle and I thank you all for your support and especially DoubleEagle (Walter) and we look forward to waving at you as we pass and seeing you at campgrounds and rally's in the near future.
Yea I saw that bus for sale on Buck's F/B page buses for sale,you will like a Eagle they are 1 of the better older buses on the road.
I heard that 1 needed a little front end work it probably a needs a good 3 axle alignment , the radiator needed attention and has some rust,this is second hand information from a guy who looked at it
Have fun and enjoy your new buy
Thanks Cliff, with the boards advice and wisdom I will get it fixed up properly. I am paying $15,500 for the Eagle so I think that is a pretty good price. I didn't see any areas of rust that concerned me but then again it was at night and I was inspecting with a flash light and it's Bus so it has tons of nooks and cranny's.
That not a bad price the guy I was referring to I think he offered $8500 or $10,000 but he low balls everything
I felt the $15,500 was more then fair. Overall it seemed like it was in pretty good condition (body, chassis, engine, etc...) but I guess I will find out soon enough.
Next steps (am I missing anything?):
Pay Gary Hatt some money: http://www.busconversions.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=51_55&products_id=163&osCsid=6c4rk1u8m3p9g6occj9be93sf7 (http://www.busconversions.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=51_55&products_id=163&osCsid=6c4rk1u8m3p9g6occj9be93sf7)
Join FMCA: http://www.fmca.com/join-family-motor-coach-association/family-join.html (http://www.fmca.com/join-family-motor-coach-association/family-join.html)
Join Eagles International: http://www.eaglesinternational.net/wp-content/uploads/application.pdf (http://www.eaglesinternational.net/wp-content/uploads/application.pdf)
Join Coach Net (towing/tires/etc...): https://member.coach-net.com/Secured/Membership.aspx?ProductID=motor&Yrs=1 (https://member.coach-net.com/Secured/Membership.aspx?ProductID=motor&Yrs=1)
Join Good Sam (Great Discounts and towing/tires/etc...): https://www.goodsamclub.com/join/ (https://www.goodsamclub.com/join/)
Am I missing any organization? I also need to call around about Insurance for the bus and will share my findings in a later post.
Coachnet and the BCM is all I see on the list you need,no great savings with Good Sams they are so expensive to began with, the Eagles are a club you can attend the rallies without belonging and FMCA is FMCA it changes like the wind.Lol I belong to all the above mentioned save your money but you have to be a member of FMCA to join the Eagles International
If you can make it to the Arcadia rally after christmas there are plenty of eagles there, arcadiarally.com
Quote from: luvrbus on August 09, 2016, 11:02:38 AM
Coachnet and the BCM is all I see on the list you need,no great savings with Good Sams they are so expensive to began with, the Eagles are a club you can attend the rallies without belonging and FMCA is FMCA it changes like the wind.Lol I belong to all the above mentioned save your money but you have to be a member of FMCA to join the Eagles International
I agree. I am a lifetime member of Good Sam's (before Camping World took it over), but when it comes to Camping World member discounts, even the discounted price is on the fatter side. Coachnet is preferable to Good Sam's according to some, but AAA RV coverage should also be considered, they have many contractors already lined up in advance rather than searching for someone willing and available. I can't say from experience which road service is best for service because I have never had an occasion to use them! I used to be a member of FMCA, but their magazine was too glossy and elitist, the dues were high for what you got, and you had to pay more dues if you joined a subgroup like Eagles International. I would like to support the Eagles group, but not FMCA, unless they have a lower rate.
Congratulations We have Triple AA RV Plus, be sure to get the RV plus. We have used this service 3 times, once to tow the bus 95 miles at night and the final amount I paid the tow service was ZERO AMOUNT. Had another time flat on my trailer late in the day in the middle of nowhere they were there within a hour again ZERO AMOUNT.
Quote from: ScharpeStGuy on August 09, 2016, 09:29:47 AM
Thanks Cliff, with the boards advice and wisdom I will get it fixed up properly. I am paying $15,500 for the Eagle so I think that is a pretty good price. I didn't see any areas of rust that concerned me but then again it was at night and I was inspecting with a flash light and it's Bus so it has tons of nooks and cranny's.
Judging by the owner's comments about running this bus up Tennessee mountains and runs to Florida, and knowing the previous two owners (who were also Gospel Groups), it really looks like this bus will be a good beginning for Fraser. We expect that some things will need fixing, but it will be worth it. I would have seriously considered this bus for myself if it had been for sale when I was looking last year, but I got a 1984 Eagle that was owned by another Gospel Group (I said previously that Eagles were Sacred).
Looks really nice (for an Eagle). If it were mine, I'd remove ac covers and have them painted to match.
Based upon your advice I will sign up for AAA and Coach Net.
When that moment comes and I am sure it will when I find myself coasting to the shoulder who do you call first? AAA or Coach Net if you have both?
Yoy can get your own Michelin Advantage account without joining FMCA for zero.
an online appliction is all it takes and then you can get tires for you and all your friends..busnut or others..
They have discounts on Michelin and one other...maybe Firestone
https://www.michelindealerincentives.com/michelinadvantage/advquestion.aspx (https://www.michelindealerincentives.com/michelinadvantage/advquestion.aspx)
http://www.michelintruck.com/services-and-programs/michelin-advantage-program/ (http://www.michelintruck.com/services-and-programs/michelin-advantage-program/)
The FMCA Medical emergency & travel assistance they brought back is a good deal but it can go away again just as fast when Charlie's term is up in another 1-1/2 years
If you will be using RV parks, We have "Passport America" and frequently save 50% on Park fees. :D
Dave
Just finished with the FMCA governing board meeting in West Springfield Mass. Dues will be going up 10 dollars a year starting Oct 1. I suggest you take the 5 year deal before then at the old rates. The medical assist is a good deal. The way Charlie was stumping I think he will seek another term.
Wayne
Yep Charlie told me in Quartzsite in Jan they had it in place to raise the dues to keep the medical assistance from leaving again lol but that is 5 bucks more a year than he told me.I still like Charlie Adcock he is a all round good guy but a small fish in a big pond some things are beyond his control and I understand that part to well ;D
Quote from: ScharpeStGuy on August 09, 2016, 12:36:02 PM
Based upon your advice I will sign up for AAA and Coach Net.
When that moment comes and I am sure it will when I find myself coasting to the shoulder who do you call first? AAA or Coach Net if you have both?
That might be overkill, one should be enough. I would look at old threads about motor clubs and get a consensus of who gives better service. AAA hasn't been mentioned much in reviews, as I recall. Edvanland likes it, that's positive. The main thing is to have one of them, just in case.
Walter, I thought I had read previously that members had both. I will research/read up on forum history.
Passport America looks really good, nice campgrounds, we are getting excited!
No just one is enough we had AAA RV plus for years before changing to Coachnet.I was at the Coachnet center today in Lake Havasu taking a look at the new technology they are working on you call in the location and they can bring up a photo of your rig and pin point the location and size of the RV and know what to send.
It's neat but they have concerns about security to work out and will it probably be next year before they feel it is safe to use the software
Cliff, how was your experience with AAA? Did you have any claims? How does Coachnet compare? It seems they both have good points, but for someone in an Eagle, which is the best value?
I like Coachnet best, AAA RV Plus when we broke down in Miami Az 12 years ago we had our daughter on the AAA and she called several time for lockout,jump starts and running out of gas.
When we needed it they told me I had used up all the tows because the lockouts,jump start and gas service was classified as a tow, up to then it was never a problem with AAA RV Plus.
I wouldn't go on a hook with the Eagle and Coachnet set me a Landoll when I broke a cam 80 miles from El Paso I told them I wanted to go Steward and Stevenson in El Paso and that is where they took me.
The only other time I used it was when I did a dumb a** thing and got stuck in the sand on a beach in High Island Tex they sent a big boy to pull me out lol the driver spent a hour digging before he pulled me out.I think both are good but I prefer Coachnet from past experiences
Looks like it might be best to use AAA for cars, and Coachnet for Coaches, and listen to the voices of experience. The brochures don't tell the whole story.
Quick update. Owner says coach does not require any work but him and Mike will go through the coach and make sure it is ready for my family. They are both diesel mechanics and are in a Christian Gospel group Eternal Vision (http://www.eternalvision.net/ (http://www.eternalvision.net/)) so I trust they will take care of my family and the coach. I asked them to review the belts, hoses, fluids, filters, tires and if anything was questionable or would be a good PM (Preventive Maintenance) item to call me and let's get it replaced.
We have subscribed to Gary's great Bus Conversion magazine, thank you Gary.
We are now members of Coach Net Premier, thank you all and Cliff
We are now members of Passport America, thank you Dave!
I hope it does not require much to be done, but there is always something to fix on a bus. If they do a good job, you should be able to pass the Texas inspection for the plates.
I am thinking I may not want to register it immediately until I get a bathroom installed in order to qualify as a motor home? Thoughts? Somehow this bus has apparently been registered as a motor home for a long time in Tennessee however it contains no tanks, no water, no sinks, no toilet and I don't know if that will pass muster in Texas, it might and I really have no idea.
I guess you need to find out the Texas rules about how long temporary plates last and whether they are extendable. You will need to move the Coach to be inspected or have work done, quite likely. Whether they check for toilets and sinks, etc., or not, I am sure our fellow busnuts in Texas can jump in. (Fraser this is my 500th!)
If you don't register in Texas in a certain time window they will hit you with late fees and they can be steep ? does Walker County have emission testing now.
The bus is old enough for historical plates in Texas isn't it that would save you a lot of bucks.We enjoy low licensing here 50 bucks for 5 years for our MCI
If the title of the coach currently indicates motorhome Texas should just transfer said info
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You probably won't have to go what I did since it is a motorhome in Tennessee, but you can read this for information:
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/6371.html (http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/6371.html)
It is 12 years old, but still relevant for TX.
You will have to have a Class B license to drive it in Texas. I've heard that The DMV in Livingston is the best place to do all this, not far from Huntsville for you.
David
Thanks for the info everyone. Here is a picture of the manufacturing plaque, per Double Eagle the name "Trailways Manufacturing Group" is a new name for an Eagle.
All the best
No it was just built at Harlingen Tx not at the Brownsville plant,Harlingen is where they built the 10S you see a few model 10's that have that plaque.
Notice the GVW when Eagle went to 11r/ 24.5 tires from the 12r/22.5 they had to drop the GVW from 42,000 pounds to the 38,700
To be exact, it is news to me that the plant in Harlingen, TX, which was set up in 1982 to produce 2 axle Model 10 suburbans, ever produced regular Model 10's. It is stated in several histories of Eagle that Trailways Manufacturing Inc. was the company name of the operator of the Harlingen Plant, but there is no mention of Model 10 production except for 84 Suburbans. Fraser's new Eagle (to him, of course) was produced in July, 1985, the plant was closed in 1985 (what month?). Maybe they used modified Suburban frames to turn out a few buses before they closed? In any event, Fraser's Eagle Model 10 may be one of very few produced in Harlingen.
But, to further stir up the memories of those that might know, my Model 10 Entertainer was produced in June, 1984, and the manufacturer on the VIN plate is listed as New Trails Manufacturing Inc. Where were they located? I thought the names of the Brownsville plant operators were Eagle International Inc. or Eagle Coach Corporation. No where (unless I missed something) in the various histories of Eagle do I see mention of New Trails. It is stated several times that 2217 Model 10's were built, but does that include the Suburban's, and which plants turned out how many? The Eagle history has some missing bits of information. How many Eagle Model 10's out there among us have these two sources, and was there a third manufacturing company name for 10's?
New Trails was the Harglingen plant you see the 10 and 10s with those vin plates
Quote from: luvrbus on August 18, 2016, 06:18:11 PM
New Trails was the Harglingen plant you see the 10 and 10s with those vin plates
Well, that is strange of Eagle, to have two different legal names for the same plant producing the same models. Neither one of our VIN plates show a location, just the company name. This is a bizarre mystery. They have production records of the earlier models, but the details of the newer ones are sketchy. I hope there are some former employees out there that might know. I know Norris at Jefferson retired, but I would not be surprised if he knew. This is like being adopted and not knowing who your parents are.
Looks like our coaches were made a day or so apart. My serial # (embossed into the frame) is 31552 just 5 before yours. Howdy cousin ;D I wish my number was more legible in my model plate. It is a bit worn.
You sure you don't have a Houston metro bus with stainless bumpers replacing the DOT bumpers? I think your coach has an HT740 whereas mine has a Voith DG864 with retarder. I bet just about everything else is the same. I've had mine 16 years and 90k miles, so I guess they are well made. ;)
David
Quote from: David Anderson on August 20, 2016, 12:05:25 PM
Looks like our coaches were made a day or so apart. My serial # (embossed into the frame) is 31552 just 5 before yours. Howdy cousin ;D I wish my number was more legible in my model plate. It is a bit worn.
You sure you don't have a Houston metro bus with stainless bumpers replacing the DOT bumpers? I think your coach has an HT740 whereas mine has a Voith DG864 with retarder. I bet just about everything else is the same. I've had mine 16 years and 90k miles, so I guess they are well made. ;)
David
ScharpeStguy's Eagle has the HT 740, and is an entertainer (at least now). His VIN starts with 1EUAN, does yours as well? You both have Trailway's Manufacturing Group on the plate, I am wondering if they were both built in Brownsville because I saw one post on Eagles International that all Brownsville coaches started with 1EAUN, which has the same letters, but arranged differently. My 1984 Model 10 VIN starts with 1EUAC, and has New Trails Manufacturing Inc. as the builder, which, apparently, is made in Harlingen, TX. It's nice to know who is a close relative, and who is a distant cousin.