Entertainer Bus for Sale Buyers Guide
Entertainer
bus for sale sign caught your eye? If you think you are ready to buy one to
use as a recreational vehicle, live aboard unit or business, one should be aware
of some of the advantages and disadvantages of this particular platform. If you
haven't read our Seven Commandments for buying ANY
bus - read that first! These commandments of advice will save you thousands
of dollars and a lifetime of headaches. If you haven't seen our bus
make and model quick reference chart - read that next! It identifies most
major makes and models of buses used as conversion candidates, complete with a
list of advantages and disadvantages. For instance, older coaches offer huge advantages
in quality and longevity over traditional RV's, parts are readily available for
the most popular brands, and they are easy to locate and purchase. However, they
can be substantially more expensive than an older Class A RV so you should compare
the value.
Bus Conversions offer the easiest chance
to make huge mistakes in your choice and purchase. You have two MAJOR issues
to investigate. Firstly, the bus foundation itself, secondly the quality and sensibility
of the conversion process. If you are purchasing an entertainer bus
I highly recommend you work with a professional in accessing your needs, finding
the right bus, and investigating it before purchase. I know alot about buses and
conversions and I can attest to the fact that there is a check list over 100 items
long that need to be addressed. You need the help and advice of
a professional salesman, bus dealer or broker. See Bus
Links for dealers I know are reputable, experienced and intelligent enough
to be worth every penny they may cost you in "markup". I say
"may" cost you because usually they SAVE you money. They have purchased
the buses wholesale, can mark them up for a fair profit, and still offer them
to you retail for less than you might find on the street.
Many argue that a properly built and
maintained entertainer bus does not depreciate much if any after its 10th year.
This is due to the prices for new ones being so extravagantly high. Buy a 10 year
old conversion, use it for 5 years, and probably sell it for what you paid for
it. Bus to RV Conversions ADVANTAGES include: body, chassis, engine, and
transmission are designed and built to last a lifetime. Many call the MCI's, Prevosts,
and Eagles "million mile coaches" and they are. Hollywood movie stars,
rock stars, politicians, and wealthy travelers call these coaches home for much
of the year so they offer the most prestigious of choices. Entertainer bus
conversions are nearly indestructible, exterior maintenance is minuscule due to
solid stainless steel, aluminum or fiberglass skins. Conversions are solid, the
safest of ALL vehicles on the highway for the occupants, quiet, offer a smooth
comfortable ride due to air ride or torsimatic suspension, do not get blown around
in bad weather, and are the best cold-weather vehicles to live in (due to the
occupants distance from the ground with storage bays and additional insulation
underneath). Parts for the major brands are available for even 30 to 40
year old buses from licensed dealers. More obscure brands, those made in foreign
countries and imported, and models only produced one year, present problems however.
See Bus Commandments for more detail. Bus
to RV Conversions DISADVANTAGES include: most expensive option for full time liveaboard
comfort. It is easy to underestimate the total costs for enjoying this finest
of motor home options. Huge, heavy, scary for some to drive, steer and backup.
Parts & service can usually only be obtained from big bus & truck repair
shops which may be difficult to locate. Parts for less known brands may be impossible
to find at any price. Size - When it comes to buses which are
going to get nothing but heavier as you modify them, longer and wider (like the
102" wide models) is NOT always better. Sure the bigger bus gives
you more room, but remember the bus might have been already maxed out before you
added 20,000 pounds of modifications. Weight issues for your entertainer
bus should not be ignored, or underestimated. Build it too heavy and it won't
steer right, will destroy the engine and transmission, will eat up the tires,
smoke the brakes, flatten the suspension, burn extra fuel, and be slower in traffic.
Make sure the company or individual had a plan for weight distribution and that
they followed it. You MUST conduct a thorough test drive to get a handle on acceleration,
fuel mileage, steering, braking, etc. Slide Outs - are of particular
importance on conversion buses. Most buses get a majority of their structural
integrity from the body, not just the frame. If the slide out is not done perfectly
and the welding overkill, the bus will buckle, sag and eventually the slide will
be impossible to keep airtight, use properly, or keep working. Slides need to
be literally "blueprinted" by a structural engineer. My advice, unless
your rich, is to NOT purchase an entertainer bus with a slide-out. Most of the
buses with slides cost over $250,000 and these are among the most incredible land
machines in the United States. NOTE: After evaluating the information above on SPECIFIC issues related to this particular platform you may find the prepurchase checklist helpful. It covers GENERAL issues you should be aware of for ALL platforms. It will serve as a very valuable resource to assist you in evaluating a bus, motor home, or RV for purchase. Take a copy of it with you when shopping. Just
follow our advice, buy wisely, do your homework, build smart, and stay within
budget, and you will enjoy your entertainer bus for sale.
Our bus for sale prepurchase checklist is helpful when shopping for a coach. |