Possible new purchase

[Chp10_8]

Hello everyone. My 5 yo daughter was involved in a real bad accidEnt earlier this year, and is now undergoing a lot of therapies and rehabs. At this moment since we’re an outdoor and traveling family, I am looking at a possible bus purchase and motor home conversion. This purchase will be a 2013 Setra Comfort Class S407. However, upon start up there seemed to be DEF related issues as well as a no start without starting fluid and no throttle response. Being that I have been out of work for the past 5 months, not wanting this to be a guessing game and cannot spare $550 off the bat for a diagnostic at the current moment. The bus is in overall good condition appearance wise and aside from these mechanical issues she runs good. And all advice and direction is appreciated.

https://youtu.be/twM1ra9FYVI?si=g2eC4bP54-XSmayv

2013 Setra DD13

[SJ-Chris]

I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter, and I hope she has a quicker/easier recovery than expected.


It's not entirely clear what your motivations are for buying an RV or bus to convert at the moment. But if right off the bat you don't have $550 to fix some problems that you know about, I would caution/warn/advise against buying any such RV/bus. These things can get very expensive very quickly. Often times sellers will not disclose all known problems. They might also know of a significant problem that they aren't telling you about. You will only truly know what the problems are once you put 100s or 1000s of miles on the vehicle, and/or live in it for a week or two or longer. Some problems can cost $1000s. A new set of tires can cost you $1000-$2000. New brakes/rotors/etc could cost you a few $1000. Flushing/replacing fluids could cost you a chunk. Fixing a leaking roof could uncover $1000s in damage and repair cost. Engine issues could cost you $1000s. Replacing a bad generator with a new one could cost you $5000-$8000. Leaking waste tank could cost you a bunch. Broken slideout could cost you a few $1000 to fix.


If any of those things would sink you, then this might not be a good path. I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on your ideas of buying an RV/bus. I'm trying to help you understand the potential risks/costs that many of us have had to pay.


Everyone here would STRONGLY suggest you get a profession inspection done prior to buying. That might cost you $700-$1000. They will test everything and hopefully be able to tell you any issues. If you can't afford to get such an inspection, then it kinda means you can't afford any of those above mentioned, fairly common, fixes that might come up after you purchase. If the inspection does find issues, it is possible you could negotiate the price down with the seller (....but maybe not, because maybe they will just try to sell it to the next person without disclosing it).



Questions are always welcome here. We are here to help. Best of luck to you and your family.


-Chris

[SJ-Chris]

Originally Posted by SJ-Chris

Everyone here would STRONGLY suggest you get a profession inspection done prior to buying. That might cost you $700-$1000. They will test everything and hopefully be able to tell you any issues. If you can't afford to get such an inspection, then it kinda means you can't afford any of those above mentioned, fairly common, fixes that might come up after you purchase. If the inspection does find issues, it is possible you could negotiate the price down with the seller (....but maybe not, because maybe they will just try to sell it to the next person without disclosing it).

I see now from your video that this is an actual bus. I guess it is pretty easy for YOU to do an inspection of the interior items on the bus. One thing I would recommend is to have a mechanic inspect the engine to see if they find anything obviously wrong.


I heard you say "I'm going to bid on it" in the video, so it sounds like you won't know whether or not you are the buyer until after some sort of auction. If that's the case, it does become harder (maybe) to have a mechanic inspect it, and might make it harder to justify spending money on an inspection before you even know if you are going to be the buyer.


Best of luck to you!
Chris

[windsorbill]

you mentioned bakersfield in video, so that means your registering it in California. With a DEF related issue, you'll need to get that resolved before registering. An older commercial bus may also not be able to be registered, until you convert it to a private coach.

Lots of questions, I'd do my research before the auction. You may end up with something you can't title.

[d23haynes57]

Originally Posted by SJ-Chris

I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter, and I hope she has a quicker/easier recovery than expected.


It's not entirely clear what your motivations are for buying an RV or bus to convert at the moment. But if right off the bat you don't have $550 to fix some problems that you know about, I would caution/warn/advise against buying any such RV/bus. These things can get very expensive very quickly. Often times sellers will not disclose all known problems. They might also know of a significant problem that they aren't telling you about. You will only truly know what the problems are once you put 100s or 1000s of miles on the vehicle, and/or live in it for a week or two or longer. Some problems can cost $1000s. A new set of tires can cost you $1000-$2000. New brakes/rotors/etc could cost you a few $1000. Flushing/replacing fluids could cost you a chunk. Fixing a leaking roof could uncover $1000s in damage and repair cost. Engine issues could cost you $1000s. Replacing a bad generator with a new one could cost you $5000-$8000. Leaking waste tank could cost you a bunch. Broken slideout could cost you a few $1000 to fix.


If any of those things would sink you, then this might not be a good path. I'm not trying to throw a wet blanket on your ideas of buying an RV/bus. I'm trying to help you understand the potential risks/costs that many of us have had to pay.


Everyone here would STRONGLY suggest you get a profession inspection done prior to buying. That might cost you $700-$1000. They will test everything and hopefully be able to tell you any issues. If you can't afford to get such an inspection, then it kinda means you can't afford any of those above mentioned, fairly common, fixes that might come up after you purchase. If the inspection does find issues, it is possible you could negotiate the price down with the seller (....but maybe not, because maybe they will just try to sell it to the next person without disclosing it).



Questions are always welcome here. We are here to help. Best of luck to you and your family.


-Chris

I think you are trying to be very polite.
Tires can be $1,000 each
DEF heads and other issues can be a $5K event
Doing a conversion who knows.
Yes it will likely need to be reclassed for it to be used privately.
Does he have the license to drive it?
Seriously. He should look for a complete RV ready to use and deal with repairs as needed.

[Sam 3]

Can't access the link to utube. Maybe he wants a bus to be able to have wheel chair access for his child. Need more information.

[NLOVNIT]

I'm going to say that if you can't afford the $ for diagnostics & you are out of work, you can't afford an RV. An RV is a want, not a need.

[jacwjames]

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

I'm going to say that if you can't afford the $ for diagnostics & you are out of work, you can't afford an RV. An RV is a want, not a need.

This is a valid response, blunt, to the point, but 100% true.


Conversion of a bus like this would be a time consuming and expensive project to do it right AND a person would need the skills to do it. Not saying it can't be done but it would not be something for the faint of heart or budget oriented family. Just having a place to park it to be able to do a conversion would be a challenge.



I did a quick search and found this https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/200...+DB-5034110894


Something to consider.

[Gooma]

NLOVNIT beat me too it. Out of work? Medical bills? Why would you even think buying a broke down bus a good idea?

[Chp10_8]

Good morning everyone, I would like to thank everyone for your input, they are definitely not taking lightly as this is a new venture for me. As far as me being able to afford and not afford it at the current moment, as in right now I am bidding on this bus, this isn’t a full purchase where I know what the price is gonna be. I was simply curious to know if anybody has dealt with these DD 13 engines and can point me in the right direction as to what some common problems are that caused no throttle response. I myself in a diesel mechanic however I have not worked on a Mercedes diesel or Detroit diesel. I’m more of power stroke Navistar as well as Cummins. I have two mechanic shops in Bakersfield. I have plenty of room to store this coach as well as do the repairs when the future comes in business picks up. The mechanic shops are 24 hours a day and they are new and have not yet opened, I’d rather buy this bus for pennies on the dollar now have it sitting for a few months to a year or maybe even longer as I do minor repairs to it on my weekends or time off.

As far as items go for purchase, I have a wholesalers license we sell tires. We do alignments and electrical diagnostics. However, with the bus sitting at the auction site, we are not able to do any of those due to having to carry an outside insurance in order to do any repairs on site.
As far as registration goes, I’m looking to possibly register in Montana or Vermont and have it in California for the time being. I have a friend that lives in Vermont. That’s willing to hold title for me until everything gets situated. Please keep your input coming, I truly do value it. As far as finances go, correct, right now yes we are scraping financially, however, I think the purchase of this bus will allow her freedom at a later date. I have several people that are willing to help me get this situated however, I don’t wanna purchase something. That’s a huge paper week where I have to drop $15,000 into the engine at a later date because it’s no good. Thank you.

[SJ-Chris]

Chp10: Please don't misinterpret these comments. They come from good intentioned people with literally decades of experience on these things, and from people who just want you to understand the risks/costs so that you don't do something you regret later.


None of us know your exact situation based on your post.


If money isn't really an issue for you and you are looking for an expensive project that you can customize for the needs of your family so that you can comfortably go on vacations, then your idea of buying a bus to convert could be fine (...as long as you are aware it will likely be very costly). But if you are thinking of buying the bus because you need a place for your and your family to live because times are tough, then buying a bus with unknown problems and then converting it into a livable space will very likely be incredibly costly and a horrible idea.


I'm hoping everything works out for you and your family.


-Chris

[jacwjames]

Originally Posted by Chp10_8

Good morning everyone, I would like to thank everyone for your input, they are definitely not taking lightly as this is a new venture for me. As far as me being able to afford and not afford it at the current moment, as in right now I am bidding on this bus, this isn’t a full purchase where I know what the price is gonna be. I was simply curious to know if anybody has dealt with these DD 13 engines and can point me in the right direction as to what some common problems are that caused no throttle response. I myself in a diesel mechanic however I have not worked on a Mercedes diesel or Detroit diesel. I’m more of power stroke Navistar as well as Cummins. I have two mechanic shops in Bakersfield. I have plenty of room to store this coach as well as do the repairs when the future comes in business picks up. The mechanic shops are 24 hours a day and they are new and have not yet opened, I’d rather buy this bus for pennies on the dollar now have it sitting for a few months to a year or maybe even longer as I do minor repairs to it on my weekends or time off.

As far as items go for purchase, I have a wholesalers license we sell tires. We do alignments and electrical diagnostics. However, with the bus sitting at the auction site, we are not able to do any of those due to having to carry an outside insurance in order to do any repairs on site.
As far as registration goes, I’m looking to possibly register in Montana or Vermont and have it in California for the time being. I have a friend that lives in Vermont. That’s willing to hold title for me until everything gets situated. Please keep your input coming, I truly do value it. As far as finances go, correct, right now yes we are scraping financially, however, I think the purchase of this bus will allow her freedom at a later date. I have several people that are willing to help me get this situated however, I don’t wanna purchase something. That’s a huge paper week where I have to drop $15,000 into the engine at a later date because it’s no good. Thank you.

OK, the background information helps. Have the shops and a place to park it is a big plus.

Since you have a diesel mechanical background you know what could go wrong.

I watched the video but missed if you stated how many miles on on the bus.

Can you pull an oil sample from the engine, transmission, and coolant. I buy 3 kits at a time from JG Lubrication for ~$100. Once I send a sample in it takes ~4-6 days to get the results, could speed this up with shipping. I'd have get a sample analyized and see what it says.



Do you have any type of code reader that would work on the engine, this might help explain the issues. Not sure what kind of throttle control you have but mine is thottle has a TPS that sends signal to ECM for throttle control



In the video the engine was running, what kind of oil pressure did you see at start up and after it got hot. At start up I usually see ~80 psi and once warm running down the interstate 58 psi and at idle hot ~20 psi.



Can you pull the air filter and inspect the in front of the turbo, looking for buildup of dirt.





The reality is this is a passenger bus that has outlived that purpose, miles and age, and the impending air quality testing is probably why in being auctioned so it may go cheap enough to make it an option to convert but I'd suggest you sit down and come up with a estimate to do what you want to do. I think it will be an eye opener. Then you can decide on what the best option is.

[Chp10_8]

Correct, the bus goes up on Friday for auction. There’s two buses that are there if I can get them cheap enough I would like to purchase both of them, however, that’s unlikely in my current financial situation depending on the price. And just to be clear, I take nobody’s advice to heart as being offended in anyway, I definitely take it from coming from a good place as this is something you guys do daily. This is a new venture for my family and me, and I could totally be going into it irrationally at this point. So I definitely appreciate everyone’s advice. I will see if I can get back out there on Thursday to check all those other items out and bring some tools with me. Maybe I can sneak in a few diagnostics here and there. However, that may be unlikely as well as the bus is three hours away from me.

[Chp10_8]

So here are some photos of her accident and her. I get to some this may not be a valid reason for such a purchase, to me it is, and unfortunately you may very well be right. At the current moment, she is my first biological daughter after three boys. I was an OTR truck driver until her accident. I drove coast to coast for several years. I do possess a class A driver license, she used to go with me the majority of the time until her accident obviously. Since her accident, we have not taken any trips out of town unless it’s to Los Angeles for her doctors appointments, but outside of that nowhere else. I want to get this bus up and running, so I’m still able to take her places such as Yosemite the redwoods Texas, New York and she’s able to be comfortable. I don’t want her sitting inside a wheelchair at all times and I don’t wanna have to have additional expenses or inconveniences of searching for a specialized hotel that can cater to her disability needs. If I’m able to build the bus around her needs such as the restroom and shower, to me it’s a wind.