Aspiring bus maniac needs some advice, please!

[Postorganic]

Hello everyone, I'm a new poster. A little background - I used to live in a converted bus that I rented monthly while living in Olympia, WA. That bus didn't run, just sat in the woods and had a wood burning stove for heat and a kitchenette that ran off propane gas. It was a large Bus from the 1960's and that's all I know about it.

I am now living in New Mexico and recently found a converted bus for sale in Ft. Collins, CO for $750. Supposedly the bus runs fine although it has a "small leak in the carburetor" and the tires seem to be in decent shape from the pictures, but the guy selling claims that a few of them have minor "flat spots that may or may not affect it on the highway." He said the bus has primarily been sitting in one area for the last 10 years, but in the last few months he's taken it out a few times and it's performed fine.
So, the thing here is that I want to live the converted-bus life again, but have a few questions..

To get a few things out of the way..
-I do not plan on traveling in the bus, i would just need to make it down from Ft. Collins, CO to Santa Fe, NM. (approx. a 7 hour drive) I may relocate with it a few times beside that in the coming years, but plan on doing some work on it once I buy it. It is an automatic transmission.

I will be using it almost entirely for living purposes, not travel.

So one thing i'm wondering is - from the pictures that i've posted does this seem like a fair deal to you guys? It comes with a fridge, queensize bed,futton and space heater included in the price.
another thing I'm very inexperienced about is how I will properly run electricity; the best way to heat it without a wood burning stove (I'm assuming small space heaters would work best since I will need electrcity anyway,) the best way to go about finding land, renting land, keeping it parked, etc.

The idea of it breaking down en route from CO to NM is also a concern as I would have very few options in event something like that happened. However, the seller claims that the engine is in good shape and that it runs.

So any advice, tips, or feedback would be much appreciated, no one who i know has any experience with this kind of thing whatsoever, whatever advice you veteran and pro busers can give me would be very helpful and much appreciated.
postorganic@gmail.com

I'm very torn on making this decision! My heart says 'yes' but everything else seems to be saying 'no', ever been in that position, what would you do?



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[Griff]

Hello Postorganic!

From the pictures it seems in fair shape however, you may want to get a few more details as there are not many photos, and image details are sketchy.

You state that you won't be travelling much with it, but it can't hurt to know exactly:

What engine is in it (from a reliability / parts availability / carburetor leak stand point)

What transmission & rear end gearing does it have (same as above plus fuel economy / land speed considerations)

How many miles on the drive train, has any major work been done on it

How solid is the chassis, body, etc.

Is the carburetor leaking fuel or air (fuel leak = potential fire hazard, air leak = poor performance / fuel economy), either way, it's gonna need fixed

I wouldn't worry too much about converting it from wood burner to other heat, that's a piece of cake and we can provide many resources to help you with that no matter what you choose (electric, gas, etc.). You're top concern (as I'm sure you're aware) at this point should be mechanical condition / reliability.

If you buy any bus, I would heartily recommend joining Good Sam Club so you can take advantage of their emergency road service. It is one of the most comprehensive plans available (only to members) and can be had presently for $79.95 / year (again, member's only). For my money, it is money well spent. If you paid that $79.95 for twenty years (about $1600.00) that is still less than what it would cost for a heavy-hauler to come, hook up, and tow it to your destination after a single break-down. Here's a link to check out f you're interested:

http://www.goodsamers.com/index.cfm?sid=284585

(please note: this is a direct link to Good Sam's Emergency Road Service page, not my affiliate link)

Hope this helps, any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

[Postorganic]

Griff-
Image details can indeed be sketchy in pictures, however I was sent about 20+ pictures but only posted a few on here. there were multiple pics of the engine, almost all of the tires and some pictures of the underside of the bus too.

Me and the seller actually worked out an agreement yesterday and he said he would rebuild the carburetor (which he said is usually between 60 - 80 bucks plus the labor of course) for free since I would be coming up from another state and using way more gas than anyone in that area buying it would be.

I will ask him about the engine and body chasis though, thank you for recomending Good Sam Club, that seems like a great way to go for anyone with a converted bus. Thanks

[Griff]

Sounds like you have the situation well in hand. I hope it all works out for you the way you plan!

If you have an image gallery on the 'net, give us a link so we can see all the photos, we LOVE pictures!

I haven't had to use the Good Sam E.R.S. yet, knock wood (*raps knuckles on head*), but my bus doesn't move without it, and I don't worry on the road. While my bus is in very good condition, ya just never know. . .

[Mark R. Obtinario]

It the carb is a 2-barrel the engine is most likely a SV345. If the carb is a 4-barrel the engine is most likely a SV392. The only difference between the two is the 392 will climb hills just a little bit better but it will use more fuel to do so.

Regardless of the engine, it is not going to break any speed records going anywhere, even downhill.

Most IHC buses of that vintage had rear gears that had a top speed of 47 MPH or 57 MPH with easy crusing speeds of 45 or 55 MPH, respectively.

If it is geared for a top speed of 57 MPH be prepared to slow down on any kind of a hill. If it is geared for a top speed of 47 MPH, it will go that speed up pretty much any hill if the elevation doesn't get very high and the grade doesn't get very steep. The slow bus will climb every hill one gear higher than the fast bus.

Back in the day we had two identically equipped buses with the only difference being one would go 47 MPH and the other would go 57 MPH. On ski runs they would arrive at the top of the hill at virtually the same time. Going home the slow bus would arrive home about ten minutes later. Fuel mileage was virtually identical.

Fuel mileage will be in the 4-6 MPG range with the average closer to 4 MPG than to 6 MPG, regardless of the which engine is under the hood.

IHC has made and continues to make really good chassis and power packages for school buses. Given even sporadic care they will still give yeoman service for many years.

If the bus has a tach, try not to cruise any faster than 3000-3200 RPM's and don't run it up past 3400. The IHC engines will designed and built to run all day at the governed speed. But due in large part to the massive construction of the IHC engines, they don't like to over-rev like a small block Ford or Chevy will.

Good luck and let us know how it all works out for you.

Mark O.
Castle Rock, WA

[Postorganic]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. This is crucial information and these are all things that I will talk to the seller about. I will indeed post updates...i'm strongly leaning towards making the trip up there.

I will post more pics after I repaint the exterior and interior come early spring! I think that's one of the first things i'm going to do with it...I found out things I would have never guessed about painting a bus on www.skoolie.net

Any more ideas in the last few days before I make the final decision? I'd love to hear em! I think project will be exciting and gratifying. Thanks all

[Mark R. Obtinario]

I saw an air compressor in one of the photos of the engine compartment. The presence of an air compressor leads me to assume the bus is equipped with air brakes.

Before you go driving off into the sunset, if you don't already know the proper use and maintenance of air brakes you should familiarize yourself with them. There is a reason why it requires a special endorsement on commercial driver's licenses allowing drivers to drive air brake equipped vehicles.

Proper brake adjustment and proper brake use is very critical for the rest of us that might be seeing you in our rear view mirrors.

The proper use and maintenance of air brakes is pretty simple and elementary. But not knowing what the proper use and maintenance is could get you into some real problems.

If you already know all of this, please don't be offended.

But the fact of the matter is, anyone who can afford to can purchase an RV with air brakes without anyone saying yes, no, or maybe. Which is of some concern for those of us who have seen the results of the improper use of brakes on a heavy vehicle.

If you have some specific questions, e-mail me directly.

Mark O.
Castle Rock, WA

[Griff]

Good eye and great advice, Mark!

I was focusing on the area of the carburetor trying to see evidence of a fuel leak and didn't even notice the compressor.

[Sharkey]

When I saw the air compressor, I considered the bus having air brakes to be a point in it's favor. Trying to keep the hydraulic brakes working on a vehicle that sits all the time is no fun. I've overhauled the brakes on my Housetruck more times than I care to remember.

The two most important things to keep track of on air brakes is making sure that they are properly adjusted by checking the slack adjusters, and draining condensation out of the pressure reservoirs.

Air brakes don't give you any feedback in the pedal when they are so far out of adjustment that they are close to not working. The pedal will travel the same distance, and feel the same, only you will have no stopping power. Checking (and adjusting) the slack adjusters is the preventative maintenance that prevents this nasty surprise.

Draining the condensation is simply a matter of opening the drain petcocks on each of the reservoirs while they are under pressure. School buses usually have supply, primary, and secondary reservoirs, each with it's own drain.

I'd suggest that if you have additional questions, that you post them up here for answering. Emailing Mark will enlighten you. Doing the Q&A here will enlighten us all...

I have some Bendix air brake manuals in PDF format that I could post up if anyone is interested.

[Postorganic]

Sharkey,

I am interested, please post the PDF! I don't know much about brakes, Mark I will be emailing you. I emailed the seller about some specifics covered within this thread and havn't received a reply yet unfortunately. Hopefully I didn't scare him off, I don't think i asked for anything unreasonable.

[Griff]

. . . I emailed the seller about some specifics covered within this thread and havn't received a reply yet unfortunately. Hopefully I didn't scare him off, I don't think i asked for anything unreasonable.

If he IS balking (and I'm not saying he is), but IF he is balking, then perhaps this is not your bus.

As I don't know how long you have been waiting, just make sure you give the guy a reasonable amount of time to respond to your questions, he may be trying to compile specifics for you before he answers, or something came up requiring his immediate attention (I can give you a 1st-person example of this).

Just my $.02

[Sharkey]

OK, here's two files of air brake information:

Air Brake Handbook (2.7 Mb)

Slack Adjusters (635 Kb)

These are for Bendix brand brake hardware, but the principles should be similar to other systems. Be sure to confirm any adjustment procedures with the manufacturer of your own specific brake systems.

[Postorganic]

Sharkey,

those manuals are extensive! My eyes and brain are going to be busy for the next couple days. Thanks for posting those. I should have my brakes system covered for the rest of my life.

Oh, and it's been about 6 or 7 days since I e-mailed him, so I suppose it really isn't anything to worry about, i'm hoping that ,as you said, he hasn't replied yet because he's still checking things out. Trying to stay confident that things will work out... man...I really hope so..

[dadeo]

on my truck, they check the slack adjusters 1 time a week. I don't know if that would be necessary if you don't drive it a lot. Its not too hard, it only takes them like 5 minutes and my truck has 14 of them!
the air tanks i try to drain every time I get fuel, and whenever else i think of it. I just pull the wire attached to the drain and keep it open till the water vapor stops and only air comes out.
One other thing: sometimes the water in the air lines freezes and the suspension bags wont fill. This can be remedied by adding special alcohol to the air lines. on mine i put it in the hoses to the trailer, but sometimes vehicles have a reservoir in the engine compartment. I seem to remember someone saying something about putting it in the compressor somehow, i don't remember if thats right.

[Postorganic]

dadeo,

thanks for that info. I'm curious though as to who "they" are? Where do you take your truck once a week? I'm assuming you do a lot of traveling in it?