After a week of figuring out what specification I want for my bus and a couple of days of searching all over North America for suitable vehicles, and sources of the same, I came across an ad' on Craigslist for one that looked almost perfect and it was 'only' 600km's away on the coast. Given Revy's location I knew I probably wouldn't be finding one on my doorstep so was prepared to travel to find the right one and, having friends and family in Van', have no problems finding excuses to go there especially at this time of year as the cherry trees are in bloom and leaves are starting to sprout everywhere. The morning I left it was snowing heavily again when I woke up so signs of Spring were particularly welcome.
I spoke to the seller a number of times before agreeing to drive down and determined that it needed some work to pass inspection but that the seller would be paying for that to be done - approx $1200 worth. He seemed pretty honest and was very open even sending me an inspection report that had the mechanics contact details on it. That, however, was the first point at which I thought he might not be being completely straight with me. He had described some 'surface rust' on the chassis but the report stated 'cross-member rotted threw' (sic). I then asked him to be completely honest so as not to waste the time and money I would be investing to drive so far and he stuck to his story that it was nothing major. Feeling somewhat reassured I agreed to drive down.
The night before I left he started talking about me paying for the temporary insurance and test driver that was required which I wasn't happy about given how much I was investing and felt it was fair that he paid for that as his contribution to getting a sale, or at least 50%. He then suggested that the cost wouldn't be that much as it would be split 3 ways but didn't expand on why when I asked why other than 'Do you like surprises?'. I ended up agreeing to contribute $30 if, after looking it over, I was interested in a test drive. When I confirmed I was coming down on Monday I suggested after lunch for a look over and test drive was better for me. I then discovered that he'd already booked the test drive but hadn't let me know when. At that point I probably should've known how this was going to go.
By the time I left the snow had stopped and it was brightening up which I was very grateful for. It was a pretty uneventful drive down, mostly sunny until I hit the coast range at Coquihalla and the familiar Lower Mainland clouds and rain. One notable exception to that was an LED sign in Salmon Arm that flashed a new message as I passed it.
The bus I was going to look at had air brakes which requires training, certification and endorsement on your licence to operate so I'd researched where & when I could do that. Revy had a course but not until June and the nearest alternative was Salmon Arm in a couple of weeks. If I bought the bus it would take a little time to have the required work done anyway and I enquired about temporary storage if required which apparently wasn't a problem for a reasonable fee. A couple of weeks would allow plenty of time to get all necessary aspects wrapped up ready for a big drive back.
So, as I passed the sign it flashed up 'Airbrakes April 27-29' and I realised I was at the college where the course is offered! Now, I love coinkydinks like that, and it made me feel that the Universe was giving me a little nod to let me know I was on the right path despite my reservations. Had it not flashed right at that moment I would probably never noticed it.
I stopped by the depot location that I'd sleuthed the bus was stored at on my way into Van' because it was just off the highway but there was no sign of it. It was good to know where I would be heading in the morning anyway.
The test drive was booked for 11 so I aimed to be there before to have a good look over prior to any test drive. I took the opportunity to call the mechanic to ask if he remembered inspecting the bus and asking him if he'd mind giving his thoughts on it. He was more than happy to and told me that as a school bus it was on it's last legs, the certification requiring a higher degree of safety & condition that private ownership does, but that as a mobile home it would be fine. He also told me that the seller was a little desperate having not paid storage fees for some time. I arrived at the depot in pouring rain, met Don and was there for 20 minutes, having a chat and a prod here and there, when a couple showed up and I found that they were the 3rd party who were also interested in the bus! This thing had been on Craigslist for 2 months and the day I decided to look at it.. ??!! The bus was a little rustier in the body than I hoped for and the chassis definitely had a little more than surface rust but for '92 it seemed generally sound - they are built like tanks after all. The test drive went well with everything working smoothly and cruising at 100km/h was fine. We got back to the depot and I went to carry on with finishing my checklist. 5 minutes later I stuck my head into the bus to ask a question, to where the couple and Don were talking, and found them shaking hands on a deal! I was gob-smacked. I hadn't even been offered an opportunity to make a bid. I had wondered how this would go if we were both interested but I wasn't expecting that. Having invested all that I had I couldn't believe that he hadn't asked if everyone was interested and, if so, to make their 'best offer', the highest to be accepted.
The old me would have been livid but new me is a lot more accepting that some things are just not meant to be and that's ok. I asked how much they'd agreed on and it was only $6200! He'd told me that he'd already had that offered previously but he'd refused it. I told him that I had been thinking to offer $7000 as a win/win between that amount he didn't like and his asking price so his underhand-ness had meant he'd missed out. I congratulated the couple on their purchase and told Don, with a smile, that he a was a dirty dog. One more blow to the image I had in my head that all Canadians are straight-up, fair and honest people.
In the end, it was the first bus I had looked at, it had been a useful and informative experience and I'd got some other things out of the trip so no hard feelings but I let Don know later, by email, how disappointed I was at how he'd acted.
So, onward and upward from sea level back to 500m altitude in the heart of the mountains and more perusing!
No comments:
Post a Comment