LAG?

[RJ]

Based on my 25+ years in the bus industry - WALK AWAY from a LAG.

A local operator (and good friend) had three of them - one to use, two for spares - because of the terrible parts situation.  And the one that was used in revenue service spent more time in the shop than on the road.  He finally ended up selling them to a scrap metal dealer, just to get them off the property.  Took the tax write-off and swore he'd never buy anything but MCIs in the future, except for the "G" models.

If you're serious about getting a bus, buy the newest coach you can afford (even if you have to stretch a little), and one that has a good, solid, service and support network.  MCI and Prevost are the big guns in this respect.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[orfunauto/Darrell]

Fantastic information from everyone!

  Thank You!!!!!! 

I'm going to keep looking.  I enjoy a challenge, but this may turn out to be a nightmare that I wouldn't want to participate in.  I will no doubt be asking you about any prospects I look at in the future.  Thanks again!

Darrell

[NJT5047]

Just for giggles, a LAG appears at Denton, NC bluegrass festival year after year.  It ain't fancy on the outside, but there's not rust apparent. 
I'll try to post a pix...this may not work....sometimes it does.
The LAG is the last bus in the row.

[JackConrad]

JR,
   Are you sure that is a LAG?  If you are referring the the dark green bus, I think that is Joe Arseneau's MANN. Joe is from CT. If you see Joe's bus look at his wheels,  "Talk about a different bolt pattern!".  Jack

[Jeremy]

I can't see a dark green bus in the picture; the last bus in the row certainly looks like a LAG, but it could easily be a LAG on a MAN (single N) chassis - MAN only build chassis', not the complete bus.

I'm not specifically recommending the LAG or any other European bus for an American buyer, but I would certainly investigate the spare parts situation myself rather than relying on heresay and stories about other people's experiences in the past - given how the automotive industry worldwide is in a constant state of consolidation it's entirely possible that a seemingly obsure part is actually now obtainable (albeit with a wait for delivery) over-the-counter from the commercial vehicles parts department of GM, Ford or Chrysler. Everyone is owned by everyone else nowadays, regardless of national boundaries.

Jeremy

[JackConrad]

I should not write before finishing my morning coffee. I was looking at the dark vehicle at the exteme end of the line of buses (around the corner of the line of vehicles).  Jack

[Dallas]

Jeremy,

I was asked to look at a bunch of MAN transit coaches for sale a while back and could find nothing that would indicate they were built by anyone but MAN.
The emblem on the front was MAN, the horn button had MAN and the ID plate was from MAN.

Are you sure there are no coaches built by MAN? I would be interested in finding out who did build these transits.

By the way, I had to tell the guy to pass on these coaches because of the MAN engine and the Renk transmission. Neither of which was supported in the U.S. In fact, I talked to the tech who was in charge of overhauling the transmissions and he told me he had spent weeks in Germany learning about the transmissions and when he got home would commonly wait 3 or 4 months before ordered parts would be shipped.

Dallas

[Jeremy]

Dallas

I certainly cannot say for sure that MAN have never built their own bus bodies in the past, but I've never come across one myself, and it is clear from their website that they only sell chassis now. MAN do build 'complete' trucks, so it's probably more likely that if they were to build a bus body it would be a transit rather than a coach - for example Leyland (a British manufacturer of complete trucks and bus chassis') once offered a transit, the front end of which was clearly closely related to their truck cabs.

The badging issue can be misleading - for example, you very often see Plaxton Paramounts (like mine) with very prominent Volvo badges on the body, because I guess Volvo is a name which is respected by the general public. You will see that the bus shown below has two badges on the front, one for MAN (the chassis) and one for Ayats (the body):



This second image is taken from MAN's website, showing one of their chassis - the chassis obviously includes the complete dashboard assembly, so I guess any badges or switches would also naturally show 'MAN'



Several years ago I communted to work between Birmingham and Cheshire every day, which was a 70 mile or so trip up the M6 motorway (freeway). I would regularly see bus chassis being driven up the motorway by themselves, which just a temporary perspex screen in front of the driver. They were obviously being delivered to a body builder somewhere, and I always wondered exactly where they were going.

MAN's coach/bus website is here is anyone is interested:

http://www.mtbm.com.my/bus/index.htm

Jeremy

[Lee Bradley]

Dallas

I certainly cannot say for sure that MAN have never built their own bus bodies in the past, but I've never come across one myself, and it is clear from their website that they only sell chassis now. MAN do build 'complete' trucks, so it's probably more likely that if they were to build a bus body it would be a transit rather than a coach - for example Leyland (a British manufacturer of complete trucks and bus chassis') once offered a transit, the front end of which was clearly closely related to their truck cabs.

The badging issue can be misleading - for example, you very often see Plaxton Paramounts (like mine) with very prominent Volvo badges on the body, because I guess Volvo is a name which is respected by the general public. You will see that the bus shown below has two badges on the front, one for MAN (the chassis) and one for Ayats (the body):



This second image is taken from MAN's website, showing one of their chassis - the chassis obviously includes the complete dashboard assembly, so I guess any badges or switches would also naturally show 'MAN'



Several years ago I communted to work between Birmingham and Cheshire every day, which was a 70 mile or so trip up the M6 motorway (freeway). I would regularly see bus chassis being driven up the motorway by themselves, which just a temporary perspex screen in front of the driver. They were obviously being delivered to a body builder somewhere, and I always wondered exactly where they were going.

MAN's coach/bus website is here is anyone is interested:

http://www.mtbm.com.my/bus/index.htm

Jeremy

Just a side note on Leyland, they were bought, along with DAF, by PACCAR based in Seattle. PACCAR builds Kenworth and Peterbuilt.

[Jeremy]

Just a side note on Leyland, they were bought, along with DAF, by PACCAR based in Seattle. PACCAR builds Kenworth and Peterbuilt.

So, I would guess that an American should be able to buy a part for an 'obscure British truck' like a Leyland Roadtrain just by going into any Kenworth or Peterbuilt parts store - just like I can apparently buy Detroit Diesel parts from a local supplier where I live. Globalisation is a wonderful thing! I do appreciate the comments about long waits for parts to arrive etc though



Jeremy

[Lee Bradley]

Jeremy,
Thanks for posting the photo. I like seeing trucks from around the world. What do you call that type trailer in UK? Here it is a 'single drop lowboy' in OZ they are 'floats'.

[Jeremy]

I would just call that a lowloader - but no doubt there are technical variants within that style of trailer that I wouldn't know about - I'm not entirely clear for example on what a 'Landoll' is, execpt that it is the type of trailer you need if your bus breaks down!.

I remember when I was quite young I saw a family leaving a Steam Rally one sunday afternoon, with a big traction engine on a lowloader behind their truck. I thought it was really cool to have a hobby that required your own lowloader! There is actually a special taxation class in the UK for heavy trucks used purely for recreational use (ie. not running them for profit). The road tax on a regular 40 tonner artic or whatever is cripplingly expensive here

Jeremy

[NJT5047]

JR,
   Are you sure that is a LAG?  If you are referring the the dark green bus, I think that is Joe Arseneau's MANN. Joe is from CT. If you see Joe's bus look at his wheels,  "Talk about a different bolt pattern!".  Jack

Nope...the dark green bus is an Eagle....look at the white coach on the end of the row...it's definitely a LAG.   I have no idea of who the chassis manufacturer is...but it has LAG on the front end.  I've tried to catch the owner, but he's rarely around the bus...must be inside or camped out at the stage.  Bus has no exterior "RV" trappings.  Partially converted interior. Still has the "basement" bathroom door.  I'm  gonna see how that door works someday.  
The dark green Eagle is a band bus...I forget their name. 
I'll find out who owns the LAG May 9th...time to go again!
Best, JR

[gr8njt]

Here's a MAN conversion I saw for sale last year.
It surely resembles a LAG

[belfert]

I didn't know MAN ever sold any coach buses in the USA.  Our local transit agency bought MAN transit buses sometime in the 80s to replace the GM buses they were running.  All of our non-articulated transit buses are Gillig now.  The MAN have long been retired.

Brian Elfert