Considering a Bus Purchase

[eagle19952]

It'd be pretty easy for me to justify a deal like that for something within say a few hundred miles.
Just the sort of purchase I'd like to make.

Jim

if a few hundred miles hurts now...it'll really put a twist in things later

[windtrader]

Jim,
When I was hunting for a bus, I put a geo boundary at the middle of the country. The cost and logistics and practicalities of trying to purchase a bus on the other side of the country rarely makes sense if DIY it. If you have brokers looking and you trust them, that makes a larger search more realistic. You'd still need to plan on a few trips but that's the way it goes.

Looking at buses within the designated zone is still a challenge due to costs and time to check out coaches. With careful screening I found one can get a very good sense of what is being sold. A trip at that point is really to verify and just find out if you really like that coach. These costs do weigh on your mind and pocketbook; however, it's simply sunk cost of looking to buy a used bus.

The cost of bringing the coach home never entered into my calculations for a few reasons. Again, simply cost of buying a bus, same as paying to get a professional survey done. Second reason - I had done enough research and preparing to know the outgoing money and sweat and tears one is exposed to the minute you push that start button. So, in the larger view, a thousand bucks to get the coach home was just the down payment on the initiation fee and no more; fully expecting plenty more checks to be written over time. With that expectation, the proper one at least for me, I'm a very happy bus owner. lol

[mmanning]

The cost of bringing the coach home never entered into my calculations for a few reasons. Again, simply cost of buying a bus, same as paying to get a professional survey done.

Is a professional something that many people have done before purchasing?  I think I remember seeing an ad placed by a surveyor in the BCM, are there many people that provide this service?

[lostagain]

To clarify:

The $2300 DL is Clifford's purchase at a Ritchie Bros. auction sale. I don't know where that was. Ritchie Bros have sales all over the world.

The Western Canadian Greyhound DLs haven't sold yet. They are still in service for a few days or weeks. I forget when is their quitting time. I don't know how Greyhound is going to dispose of them. I heard they are taking bids for the whole lot (60 to 80 DL3s, and 1 Prevost X3). So the successful bidder would then sell them one a time maybe... We will see... I will update this info when I know more.

JC

[TomC]

Lugging on a 8V-71NA is determined by what injectors you have. The original 253hp version were N55 injectors and made to be run with your foot into it at all times. Even with N60 injectors at 277hp, the torque was rated at 1,200rpm, so full throttle was acceptable down to 1,200rpm. But if you've increased to N65 (300hp) or N70 (318hp) injectors, these were rated at 1,600rpm for full torque. So running a 4spd manual will get you below 1,600rpm and you have to heed the advice about being able to pull a long hill at part throttle.
Even with my turbo and 7G75 injectors, I let my bus reduce in speed down to pull long grades sometimes in 1st (V730) at around 35mph. As said before, you'll eventually get there. Good Luck, TomC

[Jim Blackwood]

Well it certainly makes for interesting developments. I agree it'd be pretty difficult to justify a trip to the other side of the country to look at a bus, and would essentially require the choice among several suitable candidates with low miles at a price low enough to justify the costs of driving it back across the country. Or having it driven since I don't have a CDL. A shorter trip I'd be willing to chance. I do know delivery is something that can be arranged but it still means a round trip to do inspection and make the deal. For that to work there has to be a very high probability that the deal will indeed go through. That bar is pretty high. I'd be much more interested in similar fleet sales occurring in the East or the Midwest. I would think it would tend to depress sale prices across the country though.

Jim

[luvrbus]

I bought mine in Salt Lake back in June,check the Ritchie Bros site they have auctions across the US in different states,Public Surplus Sales,Iron Planet and so on are all good you will find one in your area.LOL I am waiting on Salt Lake to sell off some J4500's next year.Ritchie Bros is where you get a deal when they have buses those people are there buying high dollar construction equipment and they could care less about a bus or a RV.Last year in Phoenix I saw a 1997 Marathon low mileage conversion sell for under $35,000 @ the Ritchie Bros sell there was only 2 bidding on it       

[chessie4905]

Trouble is, is that the winning bidder would've gone to $75,000 if I started bidding.lol

[DoubleEagle]

I have a truck for sale at Ritchie Brothers right now, the catch is they take a 15% commission, and you can not set a reserve. Some times thing sell cheap, some times you get good money as a seller. It looks like Cliff did well.

[windtrader]

Hot and cold at Ritchie. I bid online on a beautiful converted coach last year. It seemed there were several bidders then it got to just me and one other. It got bid up and up until I finally ran out of credit. LOL, just as well. The next week I flew to Denver and found the coach I love now.
Here's the link to the video I recorded of the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGiWwBIw_ZU&t=39s

[DoubleEagle]

If it was a Custom Coach from Columbus, Ohio, chances are it was a quality coach. The exchange rate would have made it a good deal. I'm surprised the auctioneer only went up a thousand at a time. RB people usually jump up in bigger chunks of your cash, at least at the auctions I have been to in the US. 

[Jim Blackwood]

I set up automatic notice with ritchie for MCI in the midwest, we'll see. Doesn't look like much there.

Jim

[luvrbus]

It is touch and go with Ritchie Bros on buses some times none some times 20+,I have this friend in Canada that ended up with 2 Prevost cheaper than 1 would scarp for there were no bidders.I don't play that bidding on line game you can get sucked in there lol I did on 2 Humvee's.
There are people that will bid for you in person for a 100 bucks at those sales.I told my guy the cut off and he called back in 5 minutes and said you have money left you want to bid on another one   

[Jim Blackwood]

I did just notice they want a 25% deposit before you can bid. That does complicate matters. No point in depositing money until there are buses to bid on.

Jim

[DoubleEagle]

I did just notice they want a 25% deposit before you can bid. That does complicate matters. No point in depositing money until there are buses to bid on.

Jim

The bid deposit is specific to the auction you are registered for, and you will not be a valid bidder without it. If you do not use it, the hold on the credit card is released after a few business days, but it does reduce your credit level in the meantime (you do not need to put up cash). It is best to be at the auction in person, or have a trusted stand-in. Online pictures do not always tell the complete story, and their check-in inspection is not very demanding.