Just bought our first bus!

[DriverGT5]

I've been lurking for years and we finally purchased a conversion bus! Now I realize how much I don't understand about old buses so I'm hoping you can educate me or point me in the right direction. Prior to this we have never owned an RV, Bus, or the like so it's all new to us.

My wife and I own an auto repair shop in Charlotte, NC and I'm an ASE master tech (not diesel) and I'm very handy with electronics and mechanics so I figured we could slug our way through bus ownership but there is so much to learn right off the bat I figured some of you could get us a running start or point us in the right direction.

The bus is a very pretty 1968 Silver Eagle 05 that was converted in '88 by a pretty meticulous owner. From what we hear the entire bus was pulled down to the bare chassis and gone through. The underside has been coated and aside from a small spot on the front under the spare tire there doesn't look like there's any rust damage at all. Since then the bus has gone about 160,000 miles. The engine is a 8v71 with an Alison 4 spd auto. Some of the wood work needs to be redone and the closets and some paneling need to be worked on but the exterior paint is less than 2 years old.

From what we know the generator is a 10KW unit plumbed into the main tank. The bus has two small propane furnaces for heat and two roof units for AC. The engine powered AC stopped working a few months ago and we will need to find out why. The stove and water on demand are also propane powered and the fridge runs off 110AC from the inverter and large battery bank under the bus. It has 200gal fresh, and 100gal grey and black tanks.

So with all that said, any thoughts or things to be on the look out for right away? I've heard some good but mostly bad things on the 8V71 engine. I'm expecting to get about 6mpg (reasonable?) and we've thought about a repower but I'm not sure what I would go with and if we want to shoulder the cost. Any maintenance tips on these old Eagle buses or 8v71 engines? The previous owner had the roof rino-lined two years ago because it was leaking where the panels joint together. I believe he said it's a fiberglass shell? Are they strong enough to walk on or will that cause damage? We'd love to clean it and if the roof units need service we want to know if it's safe to go up there.

Also, where the heck do I get parts for this thing? 

[Hawkeyenfo]

Nothing like starting at the top!  Well done, wishing you many fun memories ahead!

[uncle ned]

Welcome to the wonderful world of bus nuts

uncle ned

[luvrbus]

The roof is metal you can walk any were on it the front and rear caps are fiberglass so many buses hitting the scrap yards parts are not a problem, for new parts Jefferson Truck and Bus in OKC OK is the place if you don't have heart problems   Your bus is closer to a 01 than the 5 you don't see many 68 early Eagles still in tack pretty neat 

The 71 is a tough engine they leak a little if not maintained I am not going to the oil deal just use a straight 40 w you can get plenty of help here rare bird you found enjoy does it have power steering ?

[eagle19952]

Yes you can walk all over the metal portions of the roof...any where there are rivets there is steel framing under it...that's the strongest place to stand.
Now for my opinions...
160K miles on the motor is not a lot if it has been treated right...IMO.
The 8v71 is adequate provided you understand that on some hills you will be able to step out the door at full speed and never skin a knee...if you can run at all you will be able to catch the bus...
That said...you'll get the same result with a bigger engine on only slightly steeper grades...
the money spent on a re-power will buy a lot of diesel and it's money you'll never recover.... And you will buy more fuel for a larger engine ie: 8v92.
My 71 series suits me just fine.
Had I super deep pockets I'd still be happy.
The only draw back I can fathom at the moment regarding the 71 series DD is you won't be the one telling the biggest believable fibs around the campfire...
Welcome and enjoy what you got....the coach will tell you when it needs something if you don't notice it first.
Call and get roadside service and put a dedicated to the coach credit card in the glove box...

[Boomer]

If you have not done so you should get up and running on the Eagles International forum and also join the club.  Every question you will ever have about your Eagle will be answered there.  Any part you will need can be sourced there too.  Lots of used Eagle parts available, no problems there.  Hope you got the manuals with your purchase, if not they are available, you will need them.

[luvrbus]

If you are on FaceBook there is a large gathering of Eagle owners at the Sliver Eagle Owners Group page and the Bus Nut F/B page those seem to be where the Eagle owners are hanging out nowadays plus photos are a snap to post even I can do it there    Then with the help of a couple of friends well versed in the 2 stroke engines we have the 2 Stroke Detroit Diesel Page on FaceBook to help with questions right now it is a closed group to keep the spammers away it's invitation by email only. When we are up and running it will have a lot of info on how to DIY and parts sources at a reasonable price lol with photo's 
good luck

[DriverGT5]

Awesome info! Thanks for getting us started. I'll check out the Eagle sites you mentioned.

The body basically sold me on the bus. Like I said, I could only find one spot of rust repair on the whole chassis! From what I can tell the early series 05 was basically a series 01 with the tag axle moved forward.

The whole roof has been rino-lined so I have no idea where the rivets are but i'll give it a bath when I get it home this weekend and I'll tread carefully up there to get it all washed off.

The power steering I never thought about but I believe it is. The wheel is pretty easy to turn in the parking lot.

We are just assuming the engine was rebuilt in 1988 given the detail the rest of the coach was put through but there's no way to know. It leaks like a sieve but starts right up and has plenty of power going on level ground. Up hill has yet to be seen.

How much trouble is towing a trailer going to be with this thing? We are thinking about pulling a 24' car trailer behind it. Am I going to need to put flairs out when I go up slight hills on I-85?

[luvrbus]

The Texas Border Dude (Doyle) has towed his 24 ft behind his Eagle with a 8v71 and 740 all across the USA with no problems,with a 3.36 rear gear and the 8v71 set at 2500 rpm they are not that bad in the hills because 3rd gear is wicked with the 3.36 gear and the 740  
One thing important about that model of Eagle is be aware of the brakes give yourself plenty of stopping distance Eagle was out to lunch and dinner on brakes for the 01 and early model of 05  

[akroyaleagle]

Welcome!

As others have said, if you need help, ask?

[luvrbus]

Fix the leaks most will be minor the 8v71 does not have to leak,old joke in the marine world why do keep the manuals on deck answer to keep oil from leaking on them

[eagle19952]

The body basically sold me on the bus. the ride comfort sold me, a Mercedes to me.

Up hill has yet to be seen. I might have exaggerated a little

How much trouble is towing a trailer going to be with this thing? I have pulled a 16 foot almost everywhere including Tioga Pass, I personally would rent one and see if I liked it....parking for 68feet of rig might be hard to find in a lot of places 

[DriverGT5]

the ride comfort sold me, a Mercedes to me.

I might have exaggerated a little Smiley

I have pulled a 16 foot almost everywhere including Tioga Pass, I personally would rent one and see if I liked it....parking for 68feet of rig might be hard to find in a lot of places 

We currently own a 28' trailer that is about 30' in total length. We got a longer trailer to store the grill, mattress, etc while we were at the race track and could sleep in the trailer at nights.

With the bus, the trailer just needs to hold the car and tools really. I think in NC if the whole rig is over 60' I need a CDL so we are trying to weigh the options of selling our current trailer (which is really bigger than we need now) and buying a smaller one, or buying a really small trailer (16') and keeping the total weight and length down to avoid any potential length issues. The downside with the latter being a 16' trailer is too small for a real car.

The good news is right now we just go from home to race tracks and they are all equipped to handle 70' rigs as long as we stay on the highway and hit all the major truck stops for breaks. Although I doubt we will need to make potty stops with a bathroom on board or snack runs with a full kitchen. And with almost 400 gallon tanks I don't think we need to stop for fuel that much.... man. Whole new world....

[harleyman_1000]

 Welcome and enjoy. Great looking bus! Do you have any inside pictures?

[akroyaleagle]

You can tow a trailer. Make sure to have a strong hitch installed. Do not attach it to the miter box!

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