Looking for a skoolie.....

[gumpy]

Ok, before anyone on here shoots me....

I'm looking for a skoolie.  Here's what I would like to find. 

30-35 footer
Front engine diesel, preferably long nose.
Equipped with a wheelchair lift toward the front of the bus.

I have a specific idea in mind, and am wondering if such an animal exists and what one might have to pay for it. The wheel chair lift is a must, and I don't know if I've ever seen a schoolie with a wheel chair lift.

Another option is to find a takeout wheel chair lift from someone's conversion project and install it in a skoolie.

Any leads? Any ideas?

[HighTechRedneck]

While the ones I've seen with lifts were the smaller short buses, it seems like some larger ones would have got them too for some of the more rural areas where running separate handicap buses would be less practical.

One place you might be able to ask around would be over at http://www.skoolie.net/forum/ .

[Paladin]

Look on the school district and city auction sites, I can't remember the url right off. I used to see them around, some even did have lifts.
A local district here had a bunch about a year ago.

Prices were usually pretty cheap and some were decent but most were pretty thrashed.... and they were skoolies!

[Old4103]

http://www.publicsurplus.com/sms/browse/cataucs?catid=402

Not Skoolies, but a possible: http://www.lonestaronline.com/listings/categories/index.cfm?category=847406703

[letz4wheel]

Take a look here http://www.floridachurchbus.com/ This guy aparently loves to talk busses. Give him a call and he will know if it can be found!

[Lin]

This guy might also be one to talk to.  He is in Fresno, CA.  The name is Patrick and email is wheelchairbusproject@yahoo.com .

[buswarrior]

Call the school bus dealers/manufacturers/distributors.

Yes, I have seen the configuration you speak of.

They know who bought what, and know what has been ordered as replacements. Many of them take trade ins and then sell off or export the old ones. In the least, they'll curry favour with the fleet, if they direct you to them to buy an old one. Getting rid of skoolies isn't easy for a fleet.

You REALLY want one that carried the last kid on Friday, not something that has been against the fence somewhere.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Airbag]

You don't want the long nose for most of those have hydraulic brakes. There are several really nice buses that are just what you need on e-bay. Low milage and selling for pennies on the dollar with wheel chair lifts.

[BG6]

Just be careful you don't buy one of New Orleans skoolies.  After Katrina, "Admiral Nagin's Submarine Fleet" got flushed out with fire hoses, then sold off into the private market.  There were some 265 of them, and I've seen several for sale since then.

[RJ]

Craig -

Is this similar to what you're looking for?

http://www.blue-bird.com/product.aspx?category=school&item=Vision  (Click on "Special Needs" button in the middle of the page.)

Or would one of these work?

[steve5B]

   Craig,


    North of Indianapolis, Indiana there is a used school bus sales lot.  I think the name is MIDWEST TRANSIT.

   You might check it out, I would assume they would have a website.

   
   Steve 5B......

[Iceni John]

Where I work we have a small fleet of school buses:  one of them is a 1992 IH 3800 / Ward with a front wheelchair lift.   It is between 30 and 35 feet long, and it seats 16 passengers and holds 8 wheelchairs.   I am guessing it has a DT466 engine and a MT643 Allison.
So yes, they do exist, and are readily available for sale.   Just make sure the lift works OK  -  we found that the lift itself was made in the late 70s (NOS that Ward bought cheap?), and we can no longer gets parts to fix it!
John

[BG6]

we found that the lift itself was made in the late 70s (NOS that Ward bought cheap?), and we can no longer gets parts to fix it!

Most likely Ward bought a bunch of them, and it took 15 years to use them all.  There are a bunch of different lift configurations, and this was obviously not a popular maker or model, or it wouldn't have gone out of production.  Ward may have had a deal going for, say, 120 buses with this lift, then bought another few for future need, or found that they could buy 150 for less than the cost of 120, going up to the next sales tier.  Then, when they had to meet a price point, they put that lift into the quote rather than a more expensive newer model.  After all, in a 1992 (probably built -- or at least contracted -- in 1991), a 1979 lift is only 13 years back.  13 years isn't all that long in the bus/truck business.

The last thing that they would do is buy NOS of a lift built a decade earlier.  When it stops working, you don't gripe about the "Acme Lift Model SUX," you gripe about "that crummy Ward with the busted lift!"

[Bob Gil]

The link to lone star auctions above is a good place to look.

I am still around but have been busy. 

I have been working on a 1 ton E350 that I bought from them for $775.00.  At the time I was hoping to put a lift in the rear door but have found that I could not find one small enough and I made a hoist to lift power chairs into the back door in stead.

My in-laws have decided to move down from AR after they wrecked their handicap van.  I am trying to build some thing i can carry them and both of their power chairs and the 3 of use around in easier.  I made a trip last week up there to get the first load of their stuff and the old van did a pretty good job and they seamed to like getting in and out of it better than having to climb in and out of my suburban. 

At the time I bought mine there were 4 or 5 of the blue bird 72 pass buses up for auction they were in pretty good condition, other than the one that had a little damage from an accident.  They sold for $800.00 - 1200.00.

They came from the Ft. Worth ISD and they said they were going to have some more up for auction in June or July.

I am not sure what you are thinking of BUT I have seen the UVL installed in the side of a bus and a special door or doors made for the wheel chair entrance. (If you are thinking of converting one it might be cheaper to add one to your bus.  Should not be as much as adding a slide unit. ) The Under Vehicle Lift Is a good option that does not take up space inside the vehicle.  It is what I have in this wrecked van I am about to try to get rid of.  It also has the transfer seat that raises, side back and truns around to allow the handicaped person to get out of the wheel chair for long trips.   If you are looking for the standard lifts they can be found for about $300. or so depending on the style, they seam to be one of the things you you have a hard time selling used.

If I can be of any help let me know.

[gumpy]

Thanks all.
There's some good info in here. I'm going to have to digest it.
The skoolie RJ posted is similar to what I was thinking. Found one like it on ebay but it was gas.

We've been doing some brainstorming and have decided there might be some other ways to do what we want. Found something on ebay that might work, with a bit of modification to our ideas. So we're doing some thinking.

Will go through these links and posts and add more to the thread if more questions or needs arise.

thanks