New Special Ed Bus

[LifestarFe]

S10701's lease is ending this summer, and I need to plan for a replacement bus. As stated above, the options are;
Keeping S10701
Buying a Thomas Minotaur, probly a slightly used one or dealer surplus.
Buying a BRAND NEW Shorty C2.
I am leaning towards option 2 or 3, but we are only getting the C2 if I will have a driver for it. The specs would be;
14+4 psngr
W/C lift @ back
E-windows (No E-door)
White roof
Extended Skirting
A/C (Most Likely)
Seatbelts
Pushbutton Auto
ETC.

For the Minotaur, the specs would be:
14/1
Ford Chassis
A/C (Most Likely)
Seatbelts
Manual Door

[08 Thomas EF]

My vote goes to the MinotOur (Angelo corrected my spelling at SBC a while back ;D).

The Minotour because we already have 4 "shorties" (S19801, 10402, 10801, and T103) in the fleet, and it'd be nice to have just one bus that's meant to be small! :D

But the C2 would be my second choice. I don't like S10701....

Although, the the most important opinion (besides The Boss's, of course, although it's pretty obvious what he's leaning towards ;)) would be of whoever is to be driving the route, which I believe is Stretch at this point.

[LifestarFe]

Just to clarify, 10801 is not a shorty, it is 40ft. It just has severely reduced capacity due to the seatbelt arrangement.

[08 Thomas EF]

OOOHHHH.... Thanks for clarifying!

...But my vote still stands. :P

[blazer]

I say go for the Mintour, but its gonna have to be the EL model with the weird roof because we need a flat floor. What about a Girardin G5?

[Bryce]

C2!

[C2]

C2 all the way

[08 Thomas EF]

Blase, just wonderin', why do we need a flat floor? ???

A Girardin G5 would be cool, too!

[blazer]

Blase, just wonderin', why do we need a flat floor? ???

A Girardin G5 would be cool, too!

Because it will have to accommodate wheelchairs. Wheelchair capable buses always have a flat floor. This is because the wheel wells get in the way of space used for the wheelchairs. This is also why type C and D's usually have the smaller wheels if they have a lift, depending on where the wheelchair seating area is.

The only thing I wouldn't like about getting a new type A is the chassis. I think the Ford chassis just doesnt look right with some bodies. IMO, the chevy or GMC chassis fits a type A body better.

The one thing I dont like on the Minotours with the lift is that it has that weird roof peak in the front that makes the bus look fat lol. I know Thomas uses a roof hump on high headroom buses, bit this ones a little extreme. Its also why I like the Girardin G5 because the body looks the same, regardless of if it has a wheelchair lift or not.

Thomas Minotour EL on Ford Chassis: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com/gallery/updates/oct04/th_11_frdel_05_ny.htm

Thomas Minotour EL on GM chassis: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com/gallery/special/stn04/th_2_05_gmcel.htm


Girardin G5 without lift: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=30&listing=208&listingmode=detail

Girardin G5 with lift: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=30&listing=1367&listingmode=detail

[08 Thomas EF]

Thanks for posting that info.... The G5 appeals to me more based off of looks, but it's not on our list of choices. :'(

[blazer]

No problem

I think the G5 looks awesome too, and Angelo on SBC said it was the best type A hes ever driven. it also has standard LEDs  ;D Link: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=51&topic=637.0

[08 Thomas EF]

BTW, what's your username at SBC, or are you just lurking?

[Kodie]

According to many people, the G5 is the best type A bus out there.

Since that is not an option, I say for the C2. The biggest reason is safety. If a type A was hit at 55 mph on the thruway, it would sustain MAJOR damage, whereas a taller, larger more heavy duty C2 would sustain damage, but not as bad. Type A's also have some major blind spots that could be dangerous. I'm with Mike on this one, C2 all the way.


(keep in mind.. this is coming from the guy who HATES C2's!)

[blazer]

Me? I dont use SBC because it wouldnt let me make an account. I kept getting an error and the page just kept cycling. I never tried again since then. I will read the posts occasionally though.

[08 Thomas EF]

When you register, your "username" is what you use to log on, and your "name" is what your forum username that everyone sees. Maybe Blase (if that's what you're typing in for a name) is already taken....