Can you afford a bus ?

[luvrbus]

It's only money guys you can't take it with you but as my brother said you sure as hell can't go any place without it. I still cannot figure the term hobby when used with bus ownership LOL I don't call my boat a hobby that thing is bottomless money pit

good luck  

[boxcarOkie]

The Eagle club members have a network if a member has lost his drive train on the road one of the members has a complete set differential and drop box on a frame ready to ship to a member in need then they rebuild their unit and return it saving the member the $10,000 hicky on the road pretty neat huh.

good luck

Gawd, it is getting to where I am almost afraid to pull it out of the shop. 

Didn't Byron Pigg shell out a rear-end last year Clifford?  If I remember right, he had to get the parts he needed from outside the club, and they had to be shipped to him back east where he had the bus at the time. 

Isn't that right, am I recalling this correctly?

He has one of the nicest Eagles around, but still, it broke down on him and we both know, he takes great care to maintain the coach.

BCO

[Van]

Hey, someday my lil' red wagon will grow up to be a full bus conversion. Right now we just make believe, but this is what we will be shhotin' fer.

[boxcarOkie]

Hey, someday my lil' red wagon will grow up to be a full bus conversion. Right now we just make believe, but this is what we will be shhotin' fer.

Wow, Dejavue!  I started out with a red wagon myself.

Okay, okay, so it aint actually "red" but whadya expect for free.  How is the GM prototype coming along, the Red Ryder one is that right?

BCO

[luvrbus]

Yep Don that did happen to Bryon he is the one that came up with the idea he will ship the rear and drop box to you all he asks is rebuild yours and send his back can't beat that deal anywhere.
I shipped Bryon few parts I don't think any thing came from outside the club except labor on Bryon's breakdown
It would have saved Larry a few thousand if it was in place when he lost the rear gear in Tenn our buddy Sonnie delivered a 3rd member to Jim from Texas to my place for a 1/3 of what Jones paid on the road keep it in mind if you lose one it is pretty neat network and system Bryon came up with for the Eagle's Club.
We pretty much hang together on breakdowns on Eagles 
I can always put a 2 strokes together in a few days for a Eagle and get it shipped now a MCI that is a different story I don't have a MCI engine really don't want one lol  .


good luck

[boxcarOkie]

Yeppers, I thought that was how I remembered it.  Jones cost him over $8K when he broke down in Memphis, that is a lot of coin, in anyone's book.

BCO

[artvonne]

  So the drop box, diff, and tranny can/could/might blow up. Which means it might not be such a bad/stupid idea to pull them and go through them now, in the yard, rather than a big bucks gotcha, later, in Timbuktu??? Is that what yer sayin???

[luvrbus]

Drop boxes don't give many problems but with you bus I would remove it and check the bearings and lashes not that hard to do just nasty.
FWIW the 8 grand was for just for the rear gear nothing was wrong with Larry's drop box like every thing on the road he got ripped big time the ring gear and pinion cost less than 1500 bucks for him to buy if he was home he complains more about a 500 dollar tester they stole while his bus was there than the bill lol

good luck

[artvonne]

Drop boxes don't give many problems but with you bus I would remove it and check the bearings and lashes not that hard to do just nasty.

  Any good reason not to pull the differential??

[rampeyboy]

With exception of brakes, I'm more a fan of if it ain't broke don't fix it. Having said that and hearing what things cost, I would buy a running driving parts bus. Sounds like cheap insurance. Buy a shell for $2000-$6000 and have everything you need for future parts swaps. Then if you break down on the road, catch a ride home, get your parts and go back to the bus with them. If necessary pay someone to install your parts. No way around paying the labor, except to get a quote upfront and accept it or decline the repair.
Boyce

[artvonne]

With exception of brakes, I'm more a fan of if it ain't broke don't fix it.

  I used to think that way. I remember seeing an ad in a flyer for the local parts store with water pumps on sale, buy it NOW!!

  I thought then, why would you buy a water pump when its working fine? Then I was working out at this old dusty airport fixin the puddle jumpers. One day we were working on a Beech Baron that was flying passengers for hire and thus was under part 135. Things like landing gear motors, flap motors, IIRC even alternators, were specified to be replaced at something like 250 hour intervals. Apparently the FAA could care less what you do on your own or with free flying passengers, but the minute you hang out a shingle and start holding out your hand to get them into your plane, the rules change. But also, by operating that way you bring inflight failure rates almost to zero.

  While I really wouldnt cherish the prospect of pulling the differential and giving it a once over, I would much rather pull it here in the yard and fix anything questionable here, rather than have it rear its ugly head 1500 miles from home headed for Alaska. Gaskets and seals and bearings are lots cheaper to replace in your driveway than gears and housing assemblies away from home in someone else shop.

  And while a parts Bus sounds good, just like a parts car you just have a bunch more unknown used parts with a hulk in your yard. Better would be to strip a Bus of its major components you might use, scrap the shell, freshen up the goodies and exchange yours for those, then freshen yours and shove em under the workbench for spares.

[rampeyboy]

Better would be to strip a Bus of its major components you might use, scrap the shell, freshen up the goodies and exchange yours for those, then freshen yours and shove em under the workbench for spares.


now that idea definitely has merit!

[Ncbob]

I was terribly impressed with Johns' opening comments. I guess that's what makes us Busnuts.

I was in the chat room this evening with a young man (who shall remain anonymous) who's hoping to buy and finish a bus. Yes, I challenged him about how much effort and talent he had and was willing to put forth to achieve his dream and as to whether or not he had the support of his wife.  And I was totally reassured.

While I played Devils' advocate I got all the right answers...and felt that he had not only the talent but the dedication to see his dream come to fruition.

I might be in the autumn of my days...and my bus and I might go to graves in the not too distant future I am bouyed up with the fact that there are young people who would like to join us in this rare but rewarding brotherhood.

As long as these old buses run the spirit will live on.

Bob

[wal1809]

Hey, someday my lil' red wagon will grow up to be a full bus conversion. Right now we just make believe, but this is what we will be shhotin' fer.

Call me crazy for asking this and it will be OK.  Van where is your driver seat?

[Van]

Wayne,  I had to barter off the drivers compartment refurb to furnish the brass stripper pole in the bedroom