Day 1 Making a Deal

Author: Justin Dunn

The Test Drive That Sealed the Deal

The weeks following my decision to buy a school bus were anything but smooth. Just as I was preparing to cash out my stock to fund the purchase, the market plummeted. My in-vestments lost a significant portion of their value, and pulling the money out would’ve meant losing thousands. I tried waiting it out, hoping for a rebound, but the prices only got worse.

By late March, with no other options, I asked my wife for a loan. It wasn’t easy to admit I needed help, but she understood. By then, the bus had been repaired and cleaned up, and I decided to visit BGA Bus Sales to take a closer look and go on a test drive.

First Impressions on the Road

Greg, the owner of BGA, offered to take me on a test drive. I asked him to drive first so I could watch how everything worked and capture some video footage of the bus in action. We cruised down State Road 52 with the air conditioning blasting, and Greg walked me through every detail of the engine, transmission, and maintenance requirements.

We pulled into a Winn-Dixie parking lot, where it was my turn behind the wheel. Greg gave me a crash course on air brakes, emphasizing that holding down the brake pedal while the brake switch is engaged could blow out the cylinders. He also demonstrated how to operate the school safety lights and disable them using the door switch.

Driving a vehicle with air brakes was a first for me, and I was surprised at how responsive the system was. The brakes were so effective that it took some getting used to—pressing too hard could easily send passengers flying forward.

Getting Comfortable Behind the Wheel

I started by maneuvering the bus around the parking lot to get a feel for its size and mo-bility. It felt massive, but surprisingly nimble. When I was ready to hit the road, Greg in-sisted on standing rather than sitting in the air-ride seat—his back was bothering him. For me, though, the seat was a revelation. It felt like riding on a cloud, cushioning every bump in the road.

Out on the back roads, I was overly cautious about the bus’s width. Hugging the right side of the lane, I noticed in the mirror that one of the rear tires was off the pavement. Greg pointed it out, gently reminding me to trust the bus’s size and stay centered in the lane.

We eventually made it onto Little Road, where Greg suggested a stop at Checkers. He of-fered to buy me a burger, which threw me off a little. I’m never sure how to respond to gestures like that—part of me wanted to decline, but I also didn’t want to be rude. In the end, I accepted and ordered a double cheeseburger.

Sealing the Deal

After lunch, I practiced backing the bus into a parking spot. The space had room for the tail to hang over, and I managed to reverse it straight in on the first try. Greg seemed im-pressed, which boosted my confidence.

Back at BGA, I made an offer of $6,500 out the door. With the market conditions being what they were, Greg accepted, and just like that, the bus was mine. They handled the paperwork and even got the title reclassified as a motorhome. For insurance, Greg rec-ommended Mike Kennedy at Allstate, who made the process straightforward. Now, all I had to do was figure out how to get the bus home.

Bringing the Bus Home

I called my dad, who agreed to come with me and drive my car back. When he saw the bus for the first time, he was impressed by its full-size chassis and the fact that it was a short bus. True to form, he immediately started inspecting the mechanicals, pointing out a loose exhaust pipe barely hanging on.

One thing that disappointed him was the lack of a traditional door handle. It reminded him of Forrest Gump and the iconic image of Dolores the bus driver swinging open the door. Instead, this bus had an air actuator that opened and closed the door with a switch. If the bus was off, you had to release the air pressure manually using an emergency han-dle.

Before heading home, I let my dad take the wheel. He drove it down State Road 52, re-marking on how smoothly it accelerated and how easily it handled turns, even making a U-turn with no trouble.

The First Drive Through the Neighborhood

The drive home was comfortable, though the air conditioning decided not to cooperate. The air-ride seat made up for it, offering support despite its worn upholstery. Visibility was excellent, except for the driver’s side mirror, which was awkwardly positioned behind the windshield divider. I had to lean slightly to see it clearly.

When we pulled into the neighborhood, I could feel the eyes of curious neighbors on me. Driving slowly, I finally parked the bus in front of my house. The air brake let out a loud “shhh” as I stopped, adding a dramatic flair to my arrival.

A Warm Neighborhood Welcome

The neighbors wasted no time coming over to inspect the bus and ask questions. My dad suggested parking it behind the fence, but that spot was occupied by his car, which had a locked-up wheel. After some dinner and brainstorming, we discovered a hole in the car’s tire. The only solution was to remove the tire and get a replacement, but by then, the ex-citement of bringing the bus home overshadowed the inconvenience.

What’s Next?

This bus isn’t just a vehicle—it’s the foundation of my mobile studio and creative workspace. Driving it for the first time, sharing the experience with my dad, and fielding questions from curious neighbors reminded me of the endless possibilities ahead. The real adventure is just beginning. Stay tuned!