Bus Shopping - I'm so excited!

[tekebird]

not hard to rack up 6k in maint. between shop labor rates and materials.

oil changes on Engine and Genset, A/C service, lubes

thats only 80 hours labor at 75/hr

[lostagain]

If your bus is caught up maintenancewise, it doesn't need 80 hours a year to keep it up. Also like a lot of us, I do my own and that't all part of the hobby.

In my '57 Courier conversion, 10 to 15 000 kms a year, this winter I put new air bags at the rear: about $500, a rebuilt air comp. $600, both of wich amortised over several years, rear tires $400, oil and misc. parts maybe $200 or $300. That's less than $2000. The labor doing it is fun and to me.

In the '95 102D3 of the hockey team's: 40 000 kms a year: a new clutch $9000 incl. prof. labor but that's amortised over many years, 2 oil changes @ $120 each, a rebuilt alternator $1200 again that will last many years, 2 DOT inspections $300, fix leak in A.C. $500, misc. parts $1000. I do most of it myself except things like a clutch. It's still not close to $6000. Sure every year something else comes up that needs replacing like brakes, air bags, tires, side windows that crack, trans. oil, coolant, etc, etc. but it is used commercially on charters as well. That bus is well maintained, we don't skimp on anything. I suppose if we had to pay $100/hr to get it all done, it would get to the $6000 or more. 

So if you buy a bus for $6000, you have to budget for fixing everything that was neglected by the P.O. Then depending on use, see how much maintenance is going to be. Doing it yourself makes a big difference $$wise.

Bottom line is: it is not cheap even doing it yourself. But neither is any form of travel like flights, hotels, restaurants, etc.

JC

[tekebird]

i'm not saying that is a norm (6k) I have gone years with nothing other than oil changes as maint costs.  I think I went 7 years on the 4104 with nothing other than oil changes and that included a PA-CA round trip twice, Two trips to FL and a trip to AL.

but if you are a strick low budget....a bus is likely not the best choice....not hard to have a breakdown with a several thousand dollar bill.

had some work done to the MCI 96A3 I am selling and some of the stuff was particulaly stuborn to get off...requiring alot of heating.....all done at a shop...the bill adds up quick

[lostagain]

Tekebird, I agree. I was thinking about it this afternoon and I bet if I looked at the financial statement for the team bus, yearly maintenance is probably more than $6K, and that's most of it done by volunteers like myself. Insurance I forgot you have to account for as well. But my '57 MCI doesn't cost nearly that because it isn't driven as much for one thing.

JC

[bobofthenorth]

I think when you start adding everything up honestly it doesn't take long to get north of $6k annually and you don't have to hire the labour for that either.  Its surprising how many of those $1500 or $2500 bills you get annually and even though you can amortize that particular bill over 5 or 8 years if there's another one just like it next year for something else then you end up needing some significant coin year after year.  Lots of people operate on depreciation but I refuse to do that.  I like my equipment to be as close to new condition all the time as possible.  Obviously a 25 year old bus isn't "new" but I don't skimp on the maintenance just because it won't fall off tomorrow.  For example - shortly after we bought it I had a hub run warmer than I thought it should so I changed all the wheel bearings - that was a big bill but I won't ever have to do that again.  Last fall I had a leaky airbag on the front so I changed all the bags and the shocks.  Again it was a heavy bill but we won't have to do that again for 12 or 15 years.  The alternative is you wait until it leaves you on the side of the road some day and that can really mess up your day.  We spend quite a bit more than $6k annually in maintenance but I don't think it is realistic to spend much less than that.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

JC, you coming to BusN'USA again this year?

[lostagain]

I would really like to. I will try. If Valerie (my wife) isn't going to a horse show that week-end, she would probably come with me. Also depends what my 2 teenage boys are up to that week. Hanging out with a bunch of bus-nuts woudn't be cool so I'll see if they can hook up with their friends. In any case, I'll let you know. Looking forward to seeing you and your wife and all the others. It was so great last year. So many buses, not two the same!

JC