The Journey to Buffalo Our RV-ing experience all started in 1980, we had purchased a new Ford truck, put on a shell, and shoved a mattress in the back. In 1981 we switched to a tent and 750 cc Suzuki road bike pulling a little trailer with all our gear. A new job in 1984 allowed us to pursue our dream of buying land, designing and building our own home.  This is a process still on going and evolving in 2001. During the 80's we had 2 different campers, a 19' self-contained travel trailer, and finished the decade with a 30' self-contained fifth wheel trailer. We had intended to pull doubles, a boat behind the fifth wheel, but it never happened. We had thought about designing and building our own travel trailer. Just could never find the right floor plan we liked in already built units.  We thought our home building experience qualified us to design and build our own RV, just never found the time to act on our ideas. After the birth of our second child we decided that a motor home might be the way to go.  We looked around and in 1991 found a 1972 25' Sportcoach motor home. It has A/C, awning, and 4kw generator. All the comforts of home, almost, we are not "campers" any more.  The motor home was the way to travel only one problem, it was difficult to go places after camp was set up and docking the boat could be difficult in places. In 1992 I began driving school buses as a part time job.  The school District sells their older buses every year by sealed bid.  Usually 12 to 14 year old well maintained buses sell from $600 to $1000.  I thought about converting one but didn't like the stigma of a "school bus" conversion. Desiring more room, the ability to disconnect, and willing to attempt to pull "doubles" again. we found a 1977 26' fifth wheel trailer, flipped the axles and installed a rear hitch to pull the sailboat or personal watercrafts.  Purchased a New Ford truck, this one was a puller, V-10 6.8 liter crew cab. It was better unhook the boat, park the trailer, dock the boat, and still have a vehicle to cruise around in. However, while traveling, potty and meal breaks required a "stop."   I am a point A to point B driver and like to do the speed limit whenever I can.  These doubles tend to wag their tail if you drive too fast and we had a couple of close calls, so we're looking for motor homes again. In 1999 I met a Busnut where I work, he had heard me talking about converting a school bus. He told me about and showed me his GMC 4106 conversion he'd been working on. He turned me on to the idea of converting a motor coach, now just to convince the wife!! We looked through his collection of Bus Conversions magazines, and tried to determine which shell would suit our needs.  There were lots of considerations, especially price $$. We looked at a couple of articulated Crown buses 65' long but how could you pull your toys?  We determined that the GMC was probably the most widely available in our area and price range, so our search began.  From all the stories I had read, determined that $5,000 would probably be the least we could expect to find one for. Then we found it.  We were camping at Bear Lake in Idaho/Utah area; a 1966 GMC 4107 pulled in to the campground.  I couldn't resist the urge to talk to the owner.  The greatest thing that caught our eyes was the (look) Buffalo hump and all that storage in those huge bays. He had all his stuff loosely stowed in the bays, a portable generator, a Yamaha Fat Cat motor cycle and more. Seems like his bays were all open to each other but I can't remember.  The owner had done an open conversion using curtains for privacy, just a kitchen, bedroom and toilet behind other curtains.  He left the 1st row of seats in for the family. Very unique, something out of the 70's.  The wife was now convinced that a bus conversion would be the answer, but our conversion would be much different!!.  The buffalo hunt is on.  We wanted to stick with the 4107 or 4108 35 footers because we though it would be easier to get in to smaller camping sites. In mid October 1999 on our way to Disneyland, we stopped and looked at Le Bus in Salt Lake City Utah, and Lake Shore Motors in Provo Utah, we seen some pretty sorry busses and some not too bad coaches, all had seats still in them. Looks like $5,000 won't buy us any thing to drive home though. In November we took a trip to Twin Falls, Idaho and looked at a 1978 GMC 4905 40 footer, thought this might be too long but the price was $3,500 and only a 2 hour drive. We liked the extra room the 40 footer would give us and this bus looked promising if they could get it running.  But it's nearly winter and I don't think this bus is going anywhere, so we'll hold off for now. Now my new bus friend /co-worker had put out feelers out to find us a bus.  Intermountain Coach in Monument, Colorado returned his call and said they had none for sale but knew a church in Colorado Springs that had a buffalo for sale.  They thought it was a 4107 but weren't sure. We followed up and called the driver / caretaker of the bus, he told us it was a PD4905 and arranged to E-mailed us some photos, we got quite excited. Was this too good to be true???, the price would be $3,500 obo. We asked for a possible video to be sent to show us more.  The trip to Colorado Springs was ~700 miles one way and we wanted to be sure and have all the information we could get before hand.  After receiving the video, the trip was on.. but that weekend a big storm hit the Denver / Colorado Springs area and we would have to wait till the next weekend, weather permitting. That next week I arranged hotel reservations and checked on airfare and one way car rentals.  If this ran good enough to drive home we were getting her.  That whole next week I was so excited I about peed my pants.  We left Friday morning Dec.10th, and drove to Colorado Springs. We decided it made better sense to drive a vehicle both was incase we had problems and needed additional transportation. My Dad came with us to help drive and check the unit out.  We stopped on our way in Rock Springs Wyoming to check on some of Jim Zanetti's busses (Le Bus) that were located along the interstate just to compare.  He wanted $2,500 to 7,500 per Phone calls to him in the past. These busses had broken and missing windows and looked like they had been home to transients, I'm sure these were the $2,500 variety, onward to Colorado Springs.  We had arranged to see the bus Saturday morning, I couldn't sleep at all that night, even after driving 700 miles that day, the excitement was building.  We got to the bus the next morning and it looked better than the photos or video, now could we get it started?  Charging the 2 4D batteries and hooked up to his diesel pick up batteries, and with the addition of ether (after figuring which side the air breather was on) we got her running. She was leaking air and wouldn't hold enough to release the spring brakes. She had sunken into the earth where she had been parked for the last year.  Finally enough oil in the air system sealed most of the leaks and the breaks released. With a big Tug (Jerk) from the Ford Power Stroker and the mighty 8V71 Detroit Diesel, we pulled her up from the ruts she had been resting in. We inspected all the fluids and got her ready to road test, oh I hope she's not a wobbly old horse.  He drove her down the road a ways to show me how she shifted, you could tell he enjoyed driving her. He said I'd better give it a try so I did, just like driving a big Lincoln Continental er a I mean a Cadillac. He said $3,000 and I could drive her home.  I had to ask if $2,500 would be enough but was I was already writing the check for 3K she was coming home with us. After filling her up with Diesel, (165 gallon tank) and getting the Insurance binder, My Dad took off and said I could drive her when we got to Pocatello Idaho, 30 miles from home!! We had radios to talk from vehicle to vehicle but only a 2-mile range. We got separated going through Denver at about 8 PM. Saturday night. After we got back together our 1st and only problem revealed itself.   The Linkage jammed up in 3rd gear and would not shift out.  We stopped and looked and wiggled the linkage and it came unstuck, decided to skip 3rd gear for now and go on.  We stayed in Cheyenne Wyoming Saturday night. We left about 10am the next morning and I finally got to get behind the wheel around Rawlins Wyoming.  I continued to skip 3rd gear, just shift down to 2nd when going up a grade and from 2nd to 4th going down the other side, and no other problems. Got her home around 10 PM Sunday. Inspected the linkage and determined that the 3rd and 4th linkage stud was loose. The bus mechanic for the School District I work part time for helped me replace it and it works fine now. We removed the seats; they were in pretty good shape so we sold them to a local bus company for $750.00.  They said a new set cost around $10,000 so we both got a pretty good deal.  I wish I could have kept the 1st set of seats but I have found some others to use for Phase I of the conversion project. There is no doubt the 40 footer was a better choice for us than the 35' and after a few preliminary plans, I am now looking for a 102" 45' for our next conversion project, Maybe next decade!!!! I would like to offer a Special Thanks to Chuck Hughes (BUSNUT) for all his help in finding the 4905 Buffalo, his instruction, advice, and parts sale / trades for the conversion so far.  Also Thanks to Galen Sasser who helped replace the loose shifting stud and charged up the batteries. The Saga will continue..   Dale B. (Busnut) Stuart

STORY INDEX The Journey to Buffalo Conversion Phase I Maiden Voyage Disaster: Coming Soon Our Dreams and hard work DESTROIED?: Getting the wounded Buffalo home just to have the transporter destroy her? Soon to be published

Our Dreams and hard work DESTROIED? Getting the wounded Buffalo Home just to have the transporter destroy her? soon to be published

Maiden Voyage Disaster: coming soon

Conversion Phase 1 Phase I will consist of framing in the back for a bedroom and installing walls for the bath shower room. Hope to get a toilet and sink installed if not we will have to use a porta potty. Forward of the bathroom we will build two sets of bunk beds and sofa and dinette across from each other in the front of the coach. There will be 4 bus seats in the front. The trip will be to Southeast Missouri with stops in Kansas. A total of nine family members will be together for this voyage east, we will see how close we are after this 10 day voyage. We are planning on a generator and at least 1 roof air. Would like to find out if we can run A/C off an inverter and try to go that way. Feb. 2001 We began the planning stages long ago, however the plans have changed and changed and changed    We are building sleeping accommodations for 9, and hope to have a toilet, sink and a/c installed. The 1st requirement was to clean, clean, clean  I removed most of the original side panels and heat &a/c ducts, but left the ceiling in place.  Bought some inexpensive (cheap) paneling from Home Depot and installed in the place of the removed panels.  Left the insulation in place for now and will foam insulate later Phase II or III. Started in the rear sealing and framing off the engine compartment, left access to the engine starter and other opening on the floor by framing around them. Used 2x2's and 2x4's with wafer board and lots of caulking to build the head board and pedestal for the "king" mattress that will be installed.  Hinged the deck with a piano hinge to access under the pedestal.  Carpeted from the back window and the entire pedestal and deck with a Berber roll end we picked up. Decided the bathroom would be a walk thru and have separate rooms for the vanity / toilet, and tub shower / closet.  We framed the first wall and calculate the positions of the tub and toilet and came up with about 71/2 feet for the rooms.  We picked up a couple of unassembled vanities and sink top for less than $100!  Some parts were missing but were able to make the missing pieces and they went together fine.  The 30" will be the sink vanity and the 36" will go across form the tub and use for storage and future closet on top of it. We measured and determined that to have a tub shower on the outside wall to accommodate my 6' 4" height, we would sink the tub about 12" into the bay below.  This required careful calculation to miss the bulkheads and fit into the rear bay. We will end up with a 4' tub to install in the next phase.  Installed the wall at the other end of the room, the middle wall that would go between the shower and toilet. Would be left out for this trip. Doors were built and installed to close off the rear bedroom and the bunk bed area from the bathroom. Two sets of bunk beds were built across from each other, the curb side will eventually be the kitchen area. As it was getting warmer we started working on the outside and determining what type of A/C we could install. Had the coach A/C checked and determined we could recharge and use for traveling. 10 pounds or so of R-22 and a new valve and the coach air was working fine. Now we had to build a ducts as we removed all the original ducting.  Framed in supply ducts in the area that would be under the sofa and dinette. Used the walls on the bunk beds as a duct way to have the discharge in the upper part of the coach.