New bus owner needs to get his bus home

[Calumet]

Hello,

I received the title today for a bus I purchased out of state so I am now an official bus owner.  I've always been a bus nut but now I own a bus.
I have enjoyed watching the community through the years and hope to join the fun and hope I can pull it off.
Pictures are at the following link for anyone interested.
www.calumetcoach.info/pics

It's 2500 miles or about 3 days drive and I'm soliciting ideas on how to get it home.  The bus is located in Riverside California which is east of LA zip 92324.
Here's an idea...find someone who's moving from California to Florida who is planning on renting a truck.  I'll let them borrow my truck.  They pay for fuel and give me the truck back when they are done. Know anybody moving to Florida?

Has anyone hired a driver to drive a unit for you?  How did it work out?

If I end up flying out and driving back I may decide to take a week and see a few sites on the way.  Try to get my moneys worth for all that diesel I'll be buying!

Thanks!

[Dreamscape]

If it was me I would want the experience of driving it to it's new home. That way you get to know her and how she reacts to the road. When I bought our Eagle I drove it from Shelby Ohio to Burbank California in 03. I enjoyed the trip and it felt good to sit behind the wheel.

If you do drive it and something goes wrong then you are better able to take care of it. If someone else drives it you are still responsible to get it fixed.

Paul

[TomCat]

Congrats! Or you have my sympathy...talk to me in a few months. LOL

If you have enough floor space inside your new coach, you might check on one of those web sites where folks are looking to have items hauled from X to Y. If you planned it carefully, you could make your trip, learn a lot about your new machine, not spend a penny of your own money on fuel, and make some people happy all at the same time.
Here's one I found,  http://www.dnrdispatch.com/ but there are more if you look.

Hope that helps.

Jay
87 SaftLiner

[scanzel]

I picked up my bus in Reno,NV and drove it back to Connecticut across I80. Had a chance to get a feel for it and had a great time except for blowing the power steering pump in Wyoming. No power steering the rest of the way. A friend met me their and we drove back together. I spent about $1800 for flight, fuel, food and cheap hotels. Would I do it again, yes. Great way to see alittle country along the way.

[Calumet]

I like the idea of driving myself but work keeps me very busy right now.  I do appreciate the fact stuff breaks.  Years back I had an MCI7 and one morning in a walmart parking lot tranny fluid was all over the ground.  I was fortunate to find a great shop close by who had me in and out with a new hose in an hour!

I really like the idea of hauling stuff, and this vehicle could do it with the garage door on the side and lift gate.  It has a GVW of 38,000 lbs.  I think it has two full axles in the back not just a tag.  I've even thought of leaving space in the floor plan for palets.  But that would mean I would have to insure it commercially and have a special license I think.  That's where if I found somebody casually who was moving something and would pay for fuel not for hauling maybe that would work.

[eznuff]

What was that bus previously used as?  Haven't seen one with a rollup door on the side before!

[Calumet]

The bus was a mobile medical unit.  I contained an MRI or cat scan.  Hence the 480v 3 phase genset.  If that unit works I'll be amazed.  From some research I've done it might be as much as 70KW - I could light up my whole neighborhood!
The equipment was pulled out leaving just the cabinets.
The gate on the side was a patient lift, lower the gate, wheel on the dolly, up and into the MRI.

[HB of CJ]

Calumet---congradulations on your new coach.  You is one of us now.  I purchased my Banana Boat 2 (long story there!) in Southern California and drove her home to SW Oregon where I live.  The trip was a minor adventure with me spending one night inside (illegally) sleeping on the floor using an air mattress and cheap sleeping bag.  I froze!  Stopped at the Eye Five rest stop North bound North of Sacramento with all the Eup-pa-lip-us trees.  My speeeling sucks.

Also blew the Victor's VT-42 right hand drive power steering pump on the Crown.  Since I had forgotten to pack the correct tools (don't we LOVE fun?) I cut the belts and drove her home with no power assist power steering.  No problem at speed, only rolling slowly and turning hard was the manual steering difficult but doable.  Crown designed the coach to be driven with no pump.  About one-half inch steering play-only with about 50 pounds of effort needed.

The point of this post is that I at first did not think I was physically capable of driving the Crown close to 900 miles in 2 days.  Well, I surprised myself--managed quite fine thank you.  She ran like a top (except for the pump) and I averaged over 10 mpg driving at 60 to 65 in 10th gear.  Have you considered driving you new prize home yourself?  Take your time, learn your coach, have fun, stop to smell the roses and enjoy your new hobby.  Worked for me--it may work for you.  Thank you. 

[Charles in SC]

I would deffinatly drive it home myself. That side door and lift will be great for getting a bike or mother in law in. I bet it does not have many miles on it being a med bus. Most of us had to deal with a tube that had a million miles on it. I was lucky, the BS Express only had 395k when I got it. Take the trip and enjoy!

[bubbaqgal]

I don't think I would want someone else driving it like that.  If there is some kind of problem would they recognize that something is wrong?  Would they be willing to sit while help came and repairs were made, even if it was a day or two?  Would they just drive off and leave it sitting alone and forlorn ?  Would they be honest if there were repairs made and not take some off the top of any repair bill?  Not trying to be a downer here but I tend to think of the what if's in this type situation.  Cat

[captain ron]

Dream Scape, Who did you buy your bus from in Shelby, Oh.? I'm originally from Mansfield and my Ex is from Shelby. Was it an entertainer? Owned by the Spencer Family?

[JackConrad]

Calumet,
    Where in Florida?  Why don't you bring it to Bussin' 2008 in Arcadia, FL.  I am sure everyone would like to see it and you could probably get a lot of your questions answered.  Jack

[Dreamscape]

Charley Davidson,

No it was not the Spencer Family who I got it from, they may have been a previous owner. Don't think so though as far as I have been able to trace previous owners. I bought the coach from a guy who had owned it for a couple of years. He bought it from a bluegrass singer in Florida. It was originally owned by the Dixie Echoes Gospel Singing Group in Florida, bought new by them in 1968.

Paul

[Calumet]

Hopefully I will have the bus here by then.  The seller says "no worries" he has plenty of space so I can take my time finding someone to work on it.  The plan now is to try to have it looked over - houses belts etc. as suggested - and then fly out to drive it back.
I posted pictures up at http://www.calumetcoach.info/pics/ when I get some time I'll make a real web site.  Sorry if I already posted the link...