I cannot stress this enough, I got lucky, very lucky. As mentioned before, I made about every mistake I could have made but was able to land on my feet. I purchased a bus sight unseen from a district known for junk busses, drove it 2700 miles with a cursory mechanic check and made it home with no major issues. Keep in mind, it is not uncommon for people who do their research and are patient to drive the same distance without having issues. The average seems to come out to a 50/50 shot.

You do have another option, which is going through a dealer. Not every dealer is created equal however. Some dealers are mechanics that meticulously comb a bus for any issues. They stand behind their busses and if you have any issue on the road, they will go out of their way to make sure everything is good for you. On the other hand, some "dealers" power wash the bus, jack up the price 2 or 3 times the original purchase price and put it on the market. Do your research and look up reviews! The dealer I interviewed for this video is the most reputable dealer I have found. Don't just take my word for it, look up AAA Bus Service and try and find a bad review. Obviously, he is going to be team dealer. But he does have some good points that you may find useful.

Online Auction Sites To Find Busses:

Govdeals.com

Publicsurplus.com (Where I Purchased My Bus)

422sales.com

Onlinepros.com

Purplewave.com