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NEW HERE and a question or two!
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Topic: NEW HERE and a question or two! (Read 15668 times)
steve5B
Sr. Member
Posts: 272
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #30 on:
January 28, 2009, 05:42:47 PM »
When I spoke with Doug this morning I mentioned could it be possible that the impeller on the water pump could be malfunctioning.
Steve 5B......
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WWW.WINNERSCHOICECORPORATION.COM
"It's all in the name the name says it all"
busshawg
Sr. Member
Posts: 495
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #31 on:
January 29, 2009, 03:00:44 PM »
are we going yet??
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Have Fun!!
Grant
John316
Hero Member
Posts: 3548
MCI 1995 DL3, DD S60, Allison B500.
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #32 on:
January 29, 2009, 04:17:07 PM »
I'll second the question...
God bless,
John
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Sold - MCI 1995 DL3. DD S60 with a Allison B500.
JohnEd
Hero Member
Posts: 4571
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #33 on:
January 29, 2009, 07:51:06 PM »
Jamie,
Did you understand the part about NOT LETTING IT OVERHEAT? At 212 or 214 or some low number compared to cars, the DD will crack the heads. Not might....WILL. This results in a multi thousand dollar repair bill.
Get together with a GM savvy guy on here and discuss "How To Drive a DD 2 stroke". You can destroy the engine in less than an hour driving it the wrong way....lugging on a hill or accelerating. These things are as strong as a mule and tough as nails but they have their soft underbelly, also. Learn! You have no real choice and it is rewarding.
Some where down the road you will get a chance to pay back. Did you program a visit to JR and his mech friend yet? Great opportunity, that.
John
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"An uneducated vote is a treasonous act more damaging than any treachery of the battlefield.
The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
—Pla
mom28sofar
Newbie
Posts: 7
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #34 on:
January 29, 2009, 08:58:50 PM »
Hey everyone,
Sorry for the delay. After much thought, prayer and a good long conversation with the guys at the shop. It seems we were sold a bill of goods. The bus it seems already had a problem with overheating and was spewing out oil from the side( I think thats what he said, sorry I am not good at this) Doug will have to post tomorrow. Anyway, I want to Thank Dallas, John, RJ, Arthur and Tom( I think I got you all, if not I am sorry) for calling us and supporting us on the phone and walking us through all of this. The help you all gave and were willing to give was so very generous of all of you. And you guys here on the board, your advice has been so helpful. THANK YOU !!! If I could get you all together and cook you a great dinner I would!!
After being delayed 5 days in El Paso, we have decided that our bus is probably not going to be something we will be able to afford to fix. Dallas you are a real sweetheart for offering to come and fix it for us. To stay here any longer is not possible. We are way over budget and overdue in getting home. To wait here another 7-10 days isn't possible.
We are a BIG family with 1 income. And right now Doug is not working. Our naivete has been quite humbling and we realize now that we should have done more research, asked more questions and then NOT bought this bus. I don't know if Texas has a law against selling someone a lemon or not, but simple Christian decency tells me that you don't sell a family with many small children, who drove over 2000 miles a bus that has NO hot water, NO heat, NO way of cooling its engine when that same family has to drive it back another 2000 miles. That is pure and simple WRONG and DISHONEST!.. That isn't even mentioning the horrible trailor he sold us that could have killed us, or someone else. Its only because of God's Holy Angels carrying us to the RV park in EL Paso with that wheel/rim/bolts missing that we made it there safely.
ok, thanks for listening to my rant. I am so angry. Doug is feeling like a fool. Poor guy. We took the bus and put it into storage. We are going to put it for sale. We will actually TELL any interested party ALL that we know is wrong with it. I am thinking maybe it should be for parts? I don't know. We are still just reeling from all of this... this changes everything and we don't know what we will do next. I will continue to keep you posted.
Thanks again so very much!
Jamie, Doug and the kiddos.
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Barn Owl
Roanoke, VA
Hero Member
Posts: 2082
PD4106-1063 "Wheezy Bus"
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #35 on:
January 29, 2009, 09:52:56 PM »
I am just sick after reading your post. Maybe this will only delay your dreams, not kill them. I know how fast children can grow up, and you must have felt a sense of urgency to get things going. I wish we could have had more time to help you avoid some pitfalls before you bought the bus. I tell my wife often that I would rather try and fail, than to have never tried at all. Has the previous owner been much help? Do you have any photos of the bus? If you PM me with a way to contact you I will do what I can to help you list your bus. I know of some ways you can do it for free. I know money is tight with a family of that size. I have six children, homeschool, one income, so I can somewhat relate.
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Blue Ridge Mountains, S.W. Virginia
It’s the education gained, and the ability to apply, and share, what we learn.
Have fun, be great, that way you have Great Fun!
Van
Hero Member
Posts: 3263
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #36 on:
January 30, 2009, 05:31:27 AM »
Jamie Doug and family,this is terrible news to hear.where was this bus listed and who listed it(just curious)and how much did you spend on the purchase.I too had a similar venture with over heating,and am on the second go round with the cooling issue's.as it turned out I ended up here looking for answers .the folks on this board are well versed in these type of problems and can help you guy's by advising the correct coarse of action to take when wanting to purchase a bus .don't let the actions of some tear your dreams down,just back up and regroup.Know this ,now that you have found this valuable resource the next time you start out there are plenty of resources available to you here .Good luck and stay safe.Van
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B&B CoachWorks
Bus Shop Mafia.
bigjohnkub
pd4903-188 and now pd4107
Full Member
Posts: 246
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #37 on:
January 30, 2009, 07:08:00 AM »
Jamie, I live in Texas, and am service manager at a Tractor dealership. You have 72 hrs, not including holidays or weekends, to recind any contract. Contact your salesperson, keep written documents, and see if he will help. The sales paper probably reads "as is ,where is" but the 72 hr rule supercedes this.
I am not a lawyer, so this is not legal advice. We have a very active Texas Attorney General. If other contacts do not help, call his office, or a complaint can be made over email.
Big John
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Big John Tyler Tx PD 4903-188 & 4107
871 dd, 4 spd Fuller.
LOVE MY BUS!!!!
9035304497
zubzub
Hero Member
Posts: 1212
'53 4104. Roadworthy but rough around the edges.
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #38 on:
January 30, 2009, 07:24:49 AM »
Sorry to hear things aren't working out. If possible try to get someone in the area who knows about buses to asses the problems, all may not be lost. BTW the first time I went to get my bus, because of various issues mechanical and schedule I made a 2 thousand mile round trip came back with no bus....second time it all worked out. If you guys regroup, read all the archives here, and contemplate what you have, you will be able to make some informed decisions about this bus or the next one.
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more pics of bus stuff
http://s392.photobucket.com/albums/pp3/zubzub_photos/prevost%20scrap%20and%204104%20interior/
busshawg
Sr. Member
Posts: 495
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #39 on:
January 30, 2009, 07:36:28 AM »
I'm with Barn Owl, makes me sick. Don't give up on your dream! It's maybe just not the right timing. Time has a way. In this case I would definitly follow Big John's advice, try what ever you can. It would be nice if you could simply just cancel the chq. Anyway if there is a way to recoupe even some of the costs I would do it , the seller must have really mis-represented this bus. I too would be curious where the bus was listed, as Van mentioned. I don't even know what to say really, I feel bad for you guys, giving up all that time , effort and $$. Stay in touch with us, and don't be scared to ask LOTS of ?? the next time. There is a huge bank of knowledge here, and the willingness to help from these guys keeps a persons morals up, and a reassurance that not everyone is a #### .
Grant
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Have Fun!!
Grant
Runcutter
Hero Member
Posts: 624
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #40 on:
January 30, 2009, 07:40:17 AM »
Jamie, Doug - I am so sorry to hear how things worked out. I'll second the notion that it's better to have tried, done your best - and that's quite well shown by Doug's efforts to work on the vehicle.
I'm in DC right now, but will be back in Dallas next week before I leave again. There are a few of us around Texas, please let us know if there's something we can do to help.
Does anyone have Texas Border Dude's contact info? I think he's based in El Paso but don't know what part of the country he may be in now. We can't speak for him, but if he knows a Detroit mechanic in El Paso he may have some ideas for replacing the orignal hydraulic fan. El Paso is a good town for getting relatively cheap labor. I suspect a used fan/drive may be available from Dean's Coach. Without seeing the 4106, we can't make a call - but I wonder if you'd be better to make a reasonable additional investment rather than lose what you've put in so far.
My story on our 4107. When I flew to New Hampshire to look at it, it obvously needed radiator work and a new fan. The starter didn't work every time, so we had the starter rebuilt. In the end, we bought the bus for $7500, put in another few thousand to get a reliable vehicle --- and our end cost was about what it should have been in the first place. Our first trip was somewhere around 3000 miles, New Hampshire to eastern Canada, then back to Dallas - with no problems. What we had going for us is buying the coach from a bus dealer that was also a maintenance expert, and he was willing to manage/supervise the work. How does this apply to your situation? Possibly finding someone trustworthy in El Paso that can supervise/manage/do the repairs and get you back where you want to be.
Arthur
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Arthur Gaudet Carrollton (Dallas area) Texas
Former owner of a 1968 PD-4107
Working in the bus industry provides us a great opportunity - to be of service to others
Sojourner
Jesus Love You!
Hero Member
Posts: 894
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #41 on:
January 30, 2009, 01:31:59 PM »
I am very sorry the way that salesman took advantage of the sale instead of the concern for the family with minor children to meet their need with only one household’s income.
It true that we need to inspects before we purchase a dinosaur of problem. However, if any business want to have good feed back to increase sales or just to break even until economy get better, they should inform the customer the problems to maintain that bus while traveling on the road. Especially to first time prospect buyer about purchasing a bus.
Is there any hope from whoever sold the lemon that he or she would help this family get most of the money back or give them a reliable one for a reasonable extra cost over the previous purchase price? Even exchange engine or repair at cost via negotiation with the seller.
I think this MAK BB need a list of files that indicate a customer rating system for seller and repair services. It can be updated such as E bayer already has in their system. A post labeled “Customer Satisfaction” for anyone to volunteer their input. It would serve 3 purposes. One is where to service in case of emergency and two is where to buy and third is satisfaction results.
I am praying for things will work out well for the family.
Gerald & Lynette
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Ps 28 Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him
Freedom Rider
Freedom Rider
Newbie
Posts: 20
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #42 on:
January 30, 2009, 02:42:11 PM »
Jamie & Doug,
So glad you and the family made it back home safely. I too am looking around for my first bus and to hear of your experience is not good for any of us who are in the market. I don't know how much you paid for your bus but now I understand why so many of the veterans on this BB encourage people to have an experienced bus mechanic to check it out first before buying. To be honest at first I probably was not going to do that but now I deffinitely will.
I am sorry to hear of your experience but it has also helped a few of us out there who are in the market to have it checked by one of these experienced experts first before buying. I'm sure their cost is a lot less than the cost of even the cheapest bus to buy out there.
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Freedom Rider
John316
Hero Member
Posts: 3548
MCI 1995 DL3, DD S60, Allison B500.
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #43 on:
January 30, 2009, 05:39:48 PM »
Jamie and Doug,
First off, I think that I gathered from your post that your are still in El Paso. Second, I am praying for you.
I was just wondering what your options are. You said that the bus is in storage. Does that mean that it is in El Paso? Have you contacted the guy that you bought it from? And I would also assume that you all are going to drive back home in the van.
Don't let this discourage you. If you are ever able to take it back to your house, then it would be a great project for Doug and your sons (I am guessing that you have sons
) to work on. Also, I don't know what your financial status is, but if Dallas was coming your way, he would be able to get you started and pointed in the right direction. Provided the funds were there, you all would be able to eventually get that bus up and running. The biggest thing mechanically, right now, would be whether the engine is sound. I would think that it could be damaged, especially if it overheated ever, and was low on oil.
Don't let this be the death of your dream. It would be best if you could "return" the bus, but I doubt whether that will happen. I also don't think that your bus is a "lemon". Just old and not maintained, and not serviced (still the seller should have told you all of that).
So how much did you all pay for it? And (just a curiosity question) how did you get bit by the bus bug (commonly know as a "bus nuts disease" which BTW is incurable
)?
Well I could say more
, but nobody will read the post otherwise
.
I still extend my sympathy. Don't let this discourage you. This is just a bit of testing.
God bless,
John
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Sold - MCI 1995 DL3. DD S60 with a Allison B500.
Van
Hero Member
Posts: 3263
Re: NEW HERE and a question or two!
«
Reply #44 on:
January 30, 2009, 06:11:49 PM »
Good points John,But I am still a little curious as to who the seller(s) are?and how Doug and Jamie came to find out about this bus being for sale?how was it listed and where?it's all in the details that are yet to come we hope .And right again John ,just what I was thinking,a great family project .Good luck you guy's and don't let this first experience deter you from the ultimate family experience (ask any one here).We too have fallen on bended knee the first time out last June when we purchased our first bus and limped home 1,700 mi ,bad cooling system,not knowing the systems on our eagle,but having met the folks on the bus boards all is under control right now ,not resolved yet,but under control. There is still hope ,so hang in there you guys.
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B&B CoachWorks
Bus Shop Mafia.
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