Where to buy a bus?
So you want to start a bus company. Well, tip number 1 don't do it, you will lose your shirt. It's a trap. A thousand year old booby trap. Owning a 14 seater bus for sale and running a bus company is expensive. It's also a very fulfilling and noble business. Motor coach companies get a kick out of hauling large groups of people from point A to point B in comfort. Without trying to push a product on any one or trying to roll people on some plan. Bus companies just want to give a comfortable ride on their fleet of land yachts.
Buying the first pre-owned Motor Coach
Investing tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars on a used 14 seater bus for sale is a scary thing. Especially when the buyers don't know which type of bus to buy. One can definitely make a good start on a new bus company or conversion motorhome and get a nice long life out of a used bus, instead of going on a half million dollar debt buying a new bus.
Check the mileage on both Engine and Transmission
Just like purchasing a car, one always needs to make sure to check the mileage. When purchasing a 14 seater mini bus for sale, the body or the chassis, maybe on a second engine or transmission. Don't let that scare you though. Because a motor coach chassis can have a much longer life span in comparison to your personal vehicle. Some are known to have reached up to 2 or 3 million miles and be on its second or third set of engines or transmissions before reaching the end of its life. With that said the mileage on the engine and transmission may be different than the chassis of the coach. Be sure not to rely on the odometer. Obtain records from the previous owners and dealers. Whether the engine and the transmissions are original ones and how many miles on them?
Body damage and rust
It's going to be more likely that a used bus for sale will have more dings and scratches than that of a used car. Buses are 45 feet long and spend a lot more time on the road than a personally owned vehicle. So a scratch on a panel door or a missing bumper corner is not going to be that big of a deal. Because chances are it will be replaced over and over again with more and more trips. When it comes to body damage, pop the luggage bay open and look for frame damage. These are going to be caused by more severe crashes and impact. Any vehicle with a bent frame should be avoided. Rust is a bad thing to have whether a 14 passenger bus for sale, a car or even a radio flyer wagon. Rust will slowly eat away the body, costing a lot of money down the road to repair. Letting it to spread can create more problems down the road. Also rust starts forming on the frame, chances are there will be rust elsewhere on the coach. Most buses for sale these days have fiberglass panels. So rust won't be found on the outside. However, not all manufacturers are making buses with fiberglass panels. So in certain make and models rust may be apparent with a detailed inspection.
Modernized Amenities
Everybody in the modern age has mobile devices, cell phones and tablets. Accordingly the passengers are going to expect the bus to have USB ports and other outlets on the bus. So they can plugin their mobile devices, while they ride to their destination. Many older model buses prior to 2013 or 2014 won't have outlets and USB ports installed on the seats. All motor coach companies try to keep the passengers happy by installing these after-market outlets. Check if the previous owner has installed these outlets and USB ports. If yes, then the buyer has a bonus because chances are the dealer is not going to add that into the final pricing of things. If one cant decide which bus to buy, then take the time to check which has outlets and USB ports installed.
Geographical location of where the bus came from
The geographical location is also an important factor. 14 passenger buses for sale that come from the west coast like California and Nevada tend to have more life because the seasons are not extreme. Thus the seals are going to be a lot better, the tires will be better, also the shocks are going to be warm due to all the snow and ice, there aren't many pot holes on the roads.
Coaches coming from the east coast such as New York, New Jersey are going to experience a lot more temperature changes, they will be sitting under the sun. Moreover running through a lot of salt causes a lot of corrosion of wires, metal frames and suspension. So when buying a used bus for sale find out where it used to be operated.
Bus Interior
A 14 passenger bus for sale will have many features like reclining seats, retractable arm and foot rests. TV monitors, and speakers throughout the cabin. On top of that there will also be a DVD player that powers the monitors. Making sure that each component is fully functional will save a lot of time, money and headache down the road.
Make sure all recalls are done and up to date
Anything complex like a 15 passenger bus for sale is going to have manufacturing defects and recalls. Even if the coach is a used one, the previous owners or the dealers should always have documentation that shows any open manufacturing recalls have been taken care of and not expired. Otherwise the defect caused by the manufacturer, which at one point could be fixed for free now becomes chargeable. And now since the recall has expired it will be cash out of the pocket after purchasing the coach. After dropping a couple hundred thousand dollars, buyers don't want to fix any recalls
Tire treads and spare tire
Not only the tires of the bus cost twice as much as the tires of a car. But there are more of them. A standard 45 foot motor coach has 8 tires plus a spare that costs around five hundred dollars each. That is four thousand dollars every time the tires are changed. And if the company is kept busy the tires will have to be changed quicker than normal. So when buying a 15 passenger bus for sale make sure to get decent tires along with it.
Engine and Transmission codes
Check there are no engine fault codes on the dashboard computers when buying the coach. If there are any kind of lights on the dash. Ask the dealer or seller to plug in a diagnostic computer and show the code. Even better take a diesel tech along to help fix the code and decide the purchase. Sometimes the computer can display a techno babble that only a diesel tech can understand. Take a picture of the code and text it to a friend or Google it. Don't buy a 15 seater bus for sale with a light on the dashboard without finding out what it means first.
Call the previous owner and see why they traded it in
Unlike used cars, in most cases it's really easy to find out which company previously owned the coach. If you are purchasing from a dealer, find out which company previously operated it. Most of the time the previous bus company can be called to speak to their technician or manager. On careful inspection one can find the number the coach was designated by the previous company it used to operate for. Even if all the decals have been removed, chances are there will be an outlier or discoloration of where the number used to be and make out what it is. The company can reveal a lot of history of the vehicle and the reason for selling it.
Ask if the bus can be pulled over a pit or raised in the air
Whenever you go to look at a potential purchase of your shiny new bus. Always ask the seller to either drive it over a pit or lift it up in the air so you can get a nice look at the underside of the bus. This is so important and not out of the question when it comes to the fact that the seller is about to spend tens of thousands of dollars. If the seller does not have a pit or a lift. Ask to drive it to someone who does. Once underneath the bus, look for worn out suspension components, calipers, rotors, listen for air leaks. Also look for signs to see if the coach is bottomed out somewhere. Bent metal is always a bad sign.
Check HVAC system operation
A motor coach relies heavily on its HVAC system to keep its passengers warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Coach buses do not have open windows and turn into an incubator if the AC fails on a hot summer day. Coaches are also not insulated very well. In the winter without heat it turns into an icebox. Make sure the cabin will heat up and cool down accordingly. Also check for any codes on the HVAC control panel.
Test drive
Never buy a coach without test driving it on the interstate or city roads. Check to see if the coach pulls to the left or right while cruising and breaking. Make sure the transmission shifts smoothly without hesitation. Any jerking or shuttering during shifting signals a problem with the transmission. Test the brakes at highway speeds as well as intercity. Listen for clunking or lose metal sounds when hitting bumps on the road as well as rattling. Some rattling may not be an issue but make sure to identify it.
The point is, don't buy a used coach and sink another ten to twenty grand after getting it home. You want something that is road worthy and ready for your passengers when you bring it back to your shop. Also make sure the new second hand coach can pass professional FMCSA and DOT inspections. Thus making profits to pay off the debt. Always bring an experienced technician during the purchasing process.
https://www.quora.com/Where-can-I-buy-a-bus-like-this-one/answer/Charles-Kaufman-8
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