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Mark23290
Senior Member
United States
96 Posts |
 Posted - 09/01/2018 : 10:31:23 AM
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What’s everyone’s opinion on best reliable bus to buy?
Internationals? Freightliner?
I currently run two Freightlines with Cat c7 engines which so far been good buses. Both 2004/2005.
What should I keep an eye out for? |
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RonF
Top Member
867 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 07:18:44 AM
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Since I am not an International fan, I would tell you not to buy any of them, but if you are, stay away from anything that says MaxxForce unless you have an unlimited budget and want to work on it all the the time.
Blue bird is my bus of choice. This has to do with total cost of ownership. |
US Army retired CMBT |
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Sherm
Top Member
USA
621 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 07:40:27 AM
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| If you are running C-7 Cats now with success, I would suggest sticking with them. Look for another Freightliner or a Blue Bird Vision or All American. |
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Bus Tech1
Senior Member
76 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 07:56:13 AM
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| I second what Ron said. These Maxxforce are killing this district. we have went to Birds the last 3 years. They seem good so far. Most trouble I see is electrical, but I enjoy working with electrical best. |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4545 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 10:32:06 AM
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| Come on guys, a VT365 will provide DAYS of reliable service! |
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RonF
Top Member
867 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 12:12:43 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
Come on guys, a VT365 will provide DAYS of reliable service!
Yeah days..... |
US Army retired CMBT |
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Bus Tech1
Senior Member
76 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2018 : 12:53:19 PM
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| I`m not slamming Int. They tried to make a great engine work with an emission system but it did not work out. |
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buster133
Top Member
USA
512 Posts |
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1Dieselman
Active Member
28 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 07:27:30 AM
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| For simplicity and reliability I really like the 05/06 era bluebird A3FE with the C7 Cat. We have several buses here with the C7 but two of them are used on dirt road routes, have nearly 300,000 miles on them and keep on going. We seldom ever have issues with any of the Bluebirds with C7's. |
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aaronwilmoth80911
Top Member
538 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 07:38:31 AM
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| While most of our C7s have done well, we are starting to experience excessive blow by and oil consumption on some. There could be tons of factors that play into this, but it also seems to be a rather common occurrence once they start hitting around the 160K mark. If it were me, I think I'd go with a Blue Bird body on the International 3800 chassis. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 07:54:56 AM
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In order to make a good recommendation, we really need to know if you want to buy new or are you ok with used. We should also be wondering how many miles per year and what kind of routes you are running (country roads with gravel and dirt or city streets). Lastly, I wonder what your terrain looks like. Are we talking the flats of central Illinois with corn as far as the eye can see with slight elevation changes or are we talking mountainous, unforgiving roads with drop offs that would make a seasoned driver quake with fear? Or something in between.
My all time favorite bus is the 1993 to 2003 Chevrolet with a Blue Bird body & Cat engine. There's no bus in history that can touch it. The main thing about them are that they are easy to work on and just run. They can have something slightly wrong in the trans or engine and you can run them for a bit before having to take out of service, as well. The windows actually stay latched and the body doesn't leak.
As a side note here, if I were BB management I would call in the retired guys who made the old bodies and have a heart to heart with them and ask them what needs to change. The first move would be to make the windows in house again. Call the old guys and and get a machine shop on the horn and get the old equipment out of the back yard and in service or get the prints and make new. Good 'ol American can do attitude goes a long, long way! |
Bryan |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 07:57:05 AM
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| Well, crud, I see you are talking used. The other comments stand though. I also have had a couple FS65s and are a close second to a Blue Bird of that era. (still have one on the road with over 200k on it. Freaking hood and windows are the only complaint I have) |
Bryan |
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willism
Advanced Member
United States
250 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 08:28:51 AM
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| We just traded in a 96 bb chevy with a cat that bus was great bwest sadly it broke down on the way to the dealer in a walmart parking lot for a few days. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 1:07:40 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by willism
We just traded in a 96 bb chevy with a cat that bus was great bwest sadly it broke down on the way to the dealer in a walmart parking lot for a few days.
Yep, that's the ones. Great machines! They had it figured out when they made those.  |
Bryan |
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RonF
Top Member
867 Posts |
Posted - 09/05/2018 : 1:33:53 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bwest
quote:
Originally posted by willism
We just traded in a 96 bb chevy with a cat that bus was great bwest sadly it broke down on the way to the dealer in a walmart parking lot for a few days.
Yep, that's the ones. Great machines! They had it figured out when they made those.
I have 2 of them, they are freaking tanks. |
US Army retired CMBT |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2018 : 05:19:07 AM
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| I wonder why we can't get a bus made like that any longer? I know this isn't the thread to talk about this, but they are getting closer with the propane and gas engines. I don't have a lot of experience with other companies but Bird needs to be working on the dang windows. That seems like what I call "penny Anne" stuff but it's like the dang driver's seat, you have to have a good driver's seat to make the driver at least feel like he/ she has a good bus. Otherwise they are complaining about everything. Similar with the windows, if they are coming down on one side or hard to put down and up then they are a thorn in the side that festers. The drivers don't like them, the students look at them as "junk" because of it and the public (tax payer) sees it when they encounter a bus. lol Rant over. Sorry |
Bryan |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4545 Posts |
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black
Active Member
USA
49 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2018 : 05:46:03 AM
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| Blue Bird for years made their own windows and then they decided to have them outsourced and it was a disaster. I believe 3-4 years ago they changed the design and manufacturer of their windows and they are actually really good. Blue Bird just needs to get their paint fixed which I hear they are putting in a robotic paint system much like Thomas currently uses. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2018 : 06:59:23 AM
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| 10-4 on that, Black! |
Bryan |
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waverlybus
Senior Member
94 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2018 : 2:09:17 PM
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I have good luck with my newer Cummins powered IH ICE buses, all of our buses run the rolling hills in south east Nebraska. The two Maxxforces that I have are constant problems as stated above. My old IH 3800 buses with the DT466's are tanks and will outlast any of the newer stuff I have. I still have a few 3800's with the DT360's and they are a reliable bus but don't get in too much of a hurry.
I have two 2012 BB Visions that the bodies are falling apart on, literally vibrating apart. the A and B pillars constantly crack and need to be rewelded and gusseted, along with windshields popping out.
We also have some Pusher Saf-t-liners that are nothing but problems. The main issue is from running them constantly on gravel. I would like to hit whomever on our board that thought a pusher on gravel was a good idea. We have two with Cat 3116's and three with 3126's, the 3116's are complete junk but the 3126's are decent, but they only last about 160k in our environment. Each pusher has had 2 or 3 engines put in them. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2018 : 09:04:42 AM
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| I wouldn't go as far as to say that the 3116 was junk but the 3126 is a better set up. However, the 3116 is a cheaper engine to work on in many cases. It's an old mechanical fuel system vs. the HUEI system on the 26. That computer is expensive if you go to replace it. The injectors are a load as well. Everything else is the same or similar because the 26 is based off of the 16. I have advised Churches and church organizations to buy buses no newer than 2003. Although, those are getting long in the tooth if you are using them daily. Those using daily often have more money available to repair them than an organization that uses them only in the summer or on weekends. So, they could theoretically be able to repair the newer stuff. Anyway, the above was for someone looking at this from that aspect and may not apply to the original posting. |
Bryan |
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Mark23290
Senior Member
United States
96 Posts |
Posted - 11/24/2018 : 7:54:14 PM
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| Well I went with a c2 2007 non emissions. MBE engine. Buster133 maybe you can chime in or pm me of stuff to look for or stuff I should look at before it comes a problem. |
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Fastback
Top Member
1500 Posts |
Posted - 11/26/2018 : 09:04:25 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Mark23290
Well I went with a c2 2007 non emissions. MBE engine. Buster133 maybe you can chime in or pm me of stuff to look for or stuff I should look at before it comes a problem.
We've had good service out of the one we have of that vintage. Good fuel mileage. Great engines till the 2007 emission particulate filters came along. You said non emissions so I assume yours has EGR but none of the aftertreatment.
Only real engine issue on ours has been coolant leaking from a split rubber water pump housing gasket, that happened twice. |
Why yes, the ORIGinal CHARGER is a Fastback |
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thomasbluebird30
New Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 12/23/2018 : 2:22:20 PM
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The fleet I am hoping to purchase here in New York is all international. I'm a Thomas, Bluebird guy at heart. But due to necessity I decided that I will keep the DT466 engine buses and then add on Visions or C2's with ISB.
I've been in the business as a bus driver for nearly 30 years and I am looking to become a owner within the next two years. |
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bwest
Administrator
United States
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2018 : 05:22:07 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by thomasbluebird30
The fleet I am hoping to purchase here in New York is all international. I'm a Thomas, Bluebird guy at heart. But due to necessity I decided that I will keep the DT466 engine buses and then add on Visions or C2's with ISB.
I've been in the business as a bus driver for nearly 30 years and I am looking to become a owner within the next two years.
So exciting! Good luck!! |
Bryan |
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Best used bus to buy
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