mileage operating cost

[skihor]

Does anyone have any idea what it costs to operate a bus ? I'm looking for a total cost per mile figure, rather than try to figure out fuel+tires+engine rebuild cost++++
Thanks
Don&Sheila

[DaveG]

How many miles a year do you expect to operate?

[robertglines1]

Insurance is fixed (600 yr)for 75000 stated valve towing(250) 500 dedictible on danage....fuel and oil and general maintance $1 a mile...engine rebuild etc is hard to estimate depends on miles on and usage after...its a scary number but weight it against air travel and motels and eating out all the time....I pay 500 a month in fla during winter and as low as 8.50 in a corp of engineers campground(a nite).the people you meet priceless...

[belfert]

I think around $1 a mile when fuel is $4 a gallon is fairly close for me.  Some years I only go 5,000 miles and other years I might do closer to 8,000 miles.  My fixed expenses are around $1,500 a year.

The more you use your bus the less it will cost per mile.  I am not including camping costs because that price can be all over the board.  Besides, I never stay in a campground.

[PP]

Some months I don't go anywhere, and I still sink money into the beast. That's a tough one to calculate on a per mile basis. Maybe there's some kind of algorythm or new math that applies
Good luck, Will

[cody]

What I stress when I'm stealing convert's, I mean discussing expenses over on the rv.board is not how much a mile a bus costs to operate but rather how much a year over a lifetime it saves by operating as opposed to S&S units, if you pay 500K for a S&S unit and keep it 5 years then sell it for 100K, you've spent 400K plus your fuel, etc. I tell them if you pay 20K for a bus and keep it for the rest of your life plus your childrens life, cost becomes a non-issue.

[Tenor]

Great way to put it Cody!  Additionally, if you build it yourself, those payments to add up to say 20 grand get spread out over time.  As an operating expense, I figure about a buck a mile.  As for maintenance, I should be under 500 per year.

Glenn

[skihor]

I need to clarify. We have an opporitunity to use our bus for advertising. I need to figure out a per mile figure for general operation. and for billing purposes. Such as a tour bus or an over the road truck. I know companies use this info for estimating what it costs to run daily.
The IRS allows so many cents for mile for a car which is supposed to represent the total operating cost per mile.

Don & Sheila

[Sean]

Don,

I use a spreadsheet that accounts for engine wear and tear (so many miles between major and minor overhauls), oil and filter changes, coolant, tires, etc. etc..  The biggest variable is fuel price per gallon; I plug in whatever I am paying at the pump, and it spits out my cost per mile (and also genny cost per hour).

At my last fill I paid $2.80 per gallon, and got $0.61 per mile from the spreadsheet.

I can send you the spreadsheet if you'd like, and you can adjust the figures to suit yourself.  For example, I use Transynd in my transmission, which costs more per change but gets changed less often, and my 48,000 lb coach eats expensive 12R22.5 tires faster than many.  The spreadsheet has "factors" for miles between oil changes, cost per change, etc. etc. that you can plug in.

If there is enough interest, I can upload it someplace where all can access (moderators: is there a way to do that here on the board?).

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[skihor]

good stuff all. Sean, I would like to see your spreadsheet, and I think everyone would. We anticipate traveling 50K plus a year, so unlike many of us on this board rebuilds, tires, etc... will be more than most of the casual travelers.

Thanks

Don & Sheila

[cody]

72 1/2 cents a mile

[HighTechRedneck]

Sean, if you would like you can email me the spreadsheet and I'll put it on the server and give you a link to it.  Then you can do a post explaining it and giving the link.  After it has had a few days publicity run on the main board, one of us can move it to the Technical Archives board to keep it easy to find.

[belfert]

If I understand the IRS rules correctly, one can either deduct actual expenses or the per mile rate established by the IRS at least for regular passenger vehicles.  A bus is probably different as it certainly costs more than the IRS per mile rate to operate.

I assume you will be living aboard your bus so the IRS could look at your taxes more closely if you deduct expenses while also using the vehicle as a home.

[Hartley]

I need to clarify. We have an opporitunity to use our bus for advertising. I need to figure out a per mile figure for general operation. and for billing purposes. Such as a tour bus or an over the road truck. I know companies use this info for estimating what it costs to run daily.
The IRS allows so many cents for mile for a car which is supposed to represent the total operating cost per mile.

Don & Sheila

If you advertise on it, Then you will need to be commercial with all that is involved.
Commercial Liability Insurance, Inspections, CDL & everything else.

You need to do more research before adding signs...
Even with a S&S once a sign is on it, It's not a motorhome anymore.

[luvrbus]

Proably no use to you but Arrow leases their coaches for 500.00 a day for a 44 passenger coach with a 1.38 per mile for insurance and fuel plus if Arrow furnshes the driver it is 300.00 a day for him or her plus expenses.  


good luck