Greetings, from a bus-owner wannabe!

[Double K]

So, I think I have made some progress, albeit small. I have looked at a few coaches and have been shopping both the online dealers' inventories and Ebay. I have been doing this for years, but now I have some knowledge and I am actually shopping to purchase. I have spoken to a broker. It appears to me that it is a "seller's market." I see many coaches priced less than $400K selling rather quickly.
I have seen a few coaches located out of state. If they were in Florida, I would go look at them. I cannot seem to evaluate a coach from pictures and descriptions on the internet to an extent necessary for me to buy a plane ticket to see it in person.
And what about pricing? I know there is no "blue book." The dealers post a price, which you can compare to other posted prices for comparable coaches, but how do you know the selling price? How can you determine the market value of a coach, or a fair price? Or, should I just form an opinion on the value of the coach to me (what I am willing to pay for it) and not worry about whether I got a "good deal?"
I have looked at a couple of coaches that are represented as "needing nothing" with good/new tires, batteries, etc., recently serviced by Prevost, etc. I would like to avoid incurring any significant maintenance expense for at least a couple of years. Is that a realistic goal?
I would think that an independent evaluation of the entire coach would be prudent, regardless of the seller's reputation for truth and honesty. Does anyone have any recommendations for this service, and how much should an independent evaluation cost?
Thanks to all for your generous guidance.

[Joe Camper]

I think U should form an opinion on the value of the coach to U. Find one U like in your budget. But U defiantly SHOULD be concerned about getting a as U mentioned "good deal".

U should have no problem finding something U like in that year at that price and U also mentioned the H and the XL R both options. Lot out there with those parameters.

Have U narrowed down any preferable converters??


Find one that is being sold out of inside storage. A bus that has its complete history traceable. A bus that was stored inside and plugged in by all its owners. A bus that is being sold by an owner that has had a few others previously. And I bet U would be surprised just how many there R They R everywhere.

Id also be looking for one with some miles on it to both bring the price down further. To get chiseled down to 125 for a beautiful97 Liberty XLV just for 300,000 miles was a travesty for the seller and a real bargain for the buyer.

[dale farley]

Double K, I agree with all of Joe's comments. Once you have looked at a number of coaches, you should be able to determine approximately what a particular year should be worth. Make sure it has the layout and main features you are really looking for. There can justifiably be thousands different in the fair price for the same year and model if one has been well maintained and the other has not.

There are probably very few coaches that really won't need "anything" once the purchase is made, but there are many that have all the expensive things up to date such as tires, batteries, etc. Of course the newer the coach and the more extensive the past service increases your odds of getting one that will require significant repairs up front. It is still a buyer's market, but I think "maybe" it starting to slow down a little.

[garyde]

Some Dealers will tell you what they have done to the coach in terms of servicing. Others will just give you a general sense of what Service has been included. Here's the issue. Very few will spend the time and thoroughly inspect and service all the systems on a bus. The more specific the answers to your specific questions, the happier you will be.

For instance, a 10 year old coach which has its original water heater and pump may not last much longer. Air Bags on a 15 year old coach should have had the air bags replaced by now.

Batteries are good for 5 years if they were well maintained and are a dependable brand. Tires 5 - 6 years. Hoses and belts, the same.


Refer to the pre purchase list available on this site and you will get a better idea of what is involved.
Its not a deal breaker either way, it just gives you the information to offer an informed price for a coach.
In terms of Price, all convertors have a different number . Those price levels you can see in the different Web sites .