Newbie Looking for a Bus

[bdperry1]

Hello.  I need some help.  I am looking for a bus to convert.  Looking for something with frame and mileage.  Age not necessarily important.  Looking for something that will hold value when finished.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[Dreamscape]

First of all WELCOME,

Your question opens up a can of worms.

First, How old, what length, what brand, auto or stick shift, how will you use it.

Second, have you searched MAK for what he has for sale, looked on ebay, done a google search and on and on.

Value only depends on what someone else is looking for and willing to pay for it.

EAGLE, MCI, PREVOST, GMC are only a few to look at. Know what you are looking for, rust, mileage, recent work done etc. etc..

Make a list of everything, ask lots of questions.

Many more on this board are very qualified to help you out, but the final decision rests with your choices.

Paul

Dreamscape

1968 Eagle 01

[bobofthenorth]

The first thing I would do is phone up Bus Conversions and order 3 or 4 years of back issues.  When they arrive curl up with an adult beverage and your stack of magazines and read until you can't read any more.  Once you get done that you will have lots more questions but you will likely have a better idea of what you are looking for too.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

The first thing I would do is phone up Bus Conversions and order 3 or 4 years of back issues. When they arrive curl up with an adult beverage and your stack of magazines and read until you can't read any more. Once you get done that you will have lots more questions but you will likely have a better idea of what you are looking for too.

RJ,
I want to do that and, I allready have a bus...LOL
Nick-

[JerryH]

Hello.  I need some help.  I am looking for a bus to convert.  Looking for something with frame and mileage.  Age not necessarily important.  Looking for something that will hold value when finished.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the board.
Not sure what part of the world you're from but ... if you're thinking about making the "investment" into a bus ... make an investment into an airline ticket or fuel in your auto and drive to Arcadia, Florida in a few weeks for Bussin' 2007.

There you will see probably more buses in any one location of all types, sizes, configurations, values, etc.

You can wander around with notebook, camera and questions.  Talk to the owners of various buses -- you'll find us a pleasant and eager to chat bunch of people.  Most will open their doors, cargo bays and engine compartments to show you what they or someone else has done.

In a day or two, you'll walk away (I would think) with a wealth of knowledge, but also knowing you've just scratched the surface as to the possibilities.

Hope to see you down there.  And yes, purchasing back copies of Bus Conversions is a good start too.

Jerry H.

[RJ]

Hello.  I need some help.  I am looking for a bus to convert.  Looking for something with frame and mileage.  Age not necessarily important.  Looking for something that will hold value when finished.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Mr Perry -

The very first question you should ask yourself is:

"What do I want to DO with my bus conversion?"

This is the most serious question, and the one that really takes the longest to answer.  Reason being is thati the answer will help guide you to the correct type of shell for the application.  Here are just a few of the questions you need to ask (and answer!):

Do you want to crawl around on backwoods logging roads to hunt & fish?

Do you plan on living full-time in the bus?

Do you plan to travel 300 - 500 miles a day enroute to your destination?

Do you plan to stay at campgrounds every night with full-hookups?

Do you plan on boondocking for days at a time without hookups?

How tall are you?  (Don't laugh, it's a serious question!)

Each one of the above questions relates to a type of coach:

A skoolie lends itself best to backwoods boonie-bouncing, due to it's high ground clearance and steel springs.  Slow and rough-riding, hard to get insurance for, "hippie" mentality by campgrounds often thwarts efforts to stay.  Often simply a box on a truck chassis, except for the transit-style models.

A transit is a good choice if you're tall (over 6'1"), often interior can be completed w/o having to raise the roof.  Most are geared for relatively good acceleration (for a bus), which stifles top end performance - if you don't mind running down the highway sitting on the governor at 57 mph. . .  They can be regeared for 70+ mph for around $3K.  Usually have no basement storage, but that can be fabricated.  Interior wheel wells present design challenges, nothing that's insurmountable.

A highway coach is considered the top-end of the market.  These are designed for long-haul runs, and are the most comfortable running 70 mph down the highway.  Huge basement storage, compared to the transits and skoolies, plenty of room for house essentials and "stuff".  May require the additional expense of a roof raise if you're over 6'1" and don't want to feel like you're stooping all the time.  Often the most expensive to purchase up-front, but with better residual come time to sell.

"Looking for something with frame and mileage."

Of the three types of coaches listed above, only the skoolies have a "frame" in the traditional sense of the word.  Transits and highway coaches are built with a semi-monocoque type of construction, where the exterior skin is the frame (GMC, MCI, Prevost,  New Flyer, etc.) or a "birdcage" with the exterior panels hung on (Eagle, current MCI & Prevost, RTS, etc.).

As for mileage. . . You're talking about a vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick, with fuel mileage that's appropriate for trying to push that brick thru the air at speed.  5.5 - 6.5 mpg is normal average for a forty-footer with an automatic, altho the newer models with the electronic engines are getting 7 - 8.

"Looking for something that will hold value when finished."

You're kidding, right?

Have you EVER owned a vehicle that appreciates in value?

You will NOT get anywhere near the amount of $$ you sink into one of these things if there comes a point where you have to sell.  Don't even think about that - it just doesn't happen.

However, from a "big picture" point of view, the highway models have a better resale than skoolies or transits, but you're still going to take a big hit.

These things are a labor of love, not an investment.

I suggest you pick up a copy of Larry Plachno's "Beginner's Guide to Converted Coaches".  Altho somewhat dated, it covers a tremendous amount of material that a newbie should consider when contemplating getting into this hobby/madness.  Available at Amazon, sometimes on eBay, or direct from the publisher (www.busmag.com).

Another good source of info, besides this particular BBS, is here:

http://www.busnut.com/home.html

Click on the BNO BBS link in the LH frame, then click on "Articles of Interest".  Lots of good stuff to help a newbie.  Surf around the site for more - particularly the books by Dave Galey and George Myers.

Altho spending money on books, magazines and newsletters may seem unproductive, it's much less expensive than making the wrong choice of shell.  Buses are easy to buy. . . but a LOT harder to sell. 

Attending bus-oriented gatherings can be a real eye-opener to the possibilities that abound.  Then next big one is coming up over New Year's weekend in Arcadia FL.  Well worth the $$ spent to attend, even if you fly in.  There's also a big, similar rally in the summer in OR, also well worth attending.  Go - you won't regret it.

But be careful - being a busnut becomes an incurable disease!!

FWIW & HTH. . .