Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to remember a unique family member here, the bus.

The bus is no more. We drove it last Sunday home from the park. And it has sat here in the driveway minding it's own business since. We have been plauged with rain, and canceled soccer practices, and games, and over all, not real fitting for going out really.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=47991&d=1193543811

Tonight, I was helping out with bed time routine, and the neighbor came over to bang on the door, to which my son yelled, "it's the neighbor, the bus is in flames." Quickly I moved my service truck, and our camry, and proceeded to do the best with controlling the fire with a garden hose. The fire was localized under the hood, and worked it's way up the dashboard. The neighbor tried fire extingushers before becoming overcome with smoke. The fire department showed up in short order, but it is a total loss.

No idea.... everything working fine, no problems, no electrical issues, but the fire began in the passenger front section, where the a/c relay center was with the main power junction. That was the best the fire marshall could offer, and said that he didn't see anything malicous.

Many folks may be upset at a situation like this. I can't say that I am not upset, but I can say, I'm very thankful... here's why:

1. The neighbor was going to watch a movie. He changed his mind and decided to go out. That's when he saw the flames and ran over to our house. Thank you Lord.
2. I was the last to drive the bus, I back it in. Dear wife does not. That would mean we could have lost the house too. Thank you Lord.
3. It was at home in the driveway, not with just the wife and kids only and catch on fire on the roadway. Thank you Lord.
4. Quick response of the fire department. Thank you Lord.

There are so many other things to be thankful for, but over all: Thank you Lord. It's times like these we need to change our reactions from "why me" to gratitude of what could have really happened here.

So, here's the final chapter. She's done. She will be going. She will be missed. Thank you all for your support and making her all that she was. She was slated for some improvements, but as you can see, that will never happen now.

One last thankful... they doubled our registration fees here. I just took it through inspection, but was putting off re-registering until the tags were due. That would have been another $150 out the window for 8000 lbs.

Cars can be replaced. Glad everyones ok.

Sorry too hear about your unit, it looked like quite cruising unit.

Glad to hear no one was in or near it. I think I'm gonna start parkin' my rig on the street, instead of beside my house!

Over 3000 posts...........are you leaving us?

Glad your house didn't go with it. Praise the Lord no one got injured!!

So sorry to hear that. Glad everyone was ok..Got any plans for a replacement?

WOW:eek: sorry to hear about your loss but good thing everything worked the way it did and no one was harmed. what ya gonna do now?

Thanks all for your thoughts. The twin to this bus just went to auction a few hours before this.... I had wondered about going to the auction for the "what if" department one day... not thinking that "what if" would be today....

I'm not giving up on ya'll just yet.

Plans are still pending. I have no idea where to go from here, but I do know, it ain't far, unless a bicycle with child seat and trailer is involved at the moment. :)

that sucks that you lost your rig man but glad that nobody was hurt and that the house wasnt damaged.

Sorry for your loss.

I'd be interested to know what the cause was.

I'm sure its not quite on your mind just yet but any idea what a suitable replacement will be?

Sorry to hear about your loss...at least you're staying positive about it...just as you stated, it could have been A LOT worse...

...are there any plans for what's left of the 'ol gal yet?

...are there any plans for what's left of the 'ol gal yet?

The fuel is coming out of the tank into my fuel oil tank for my boiler. I'm keepin' the Optima batteries. They were safe in the slide out compartment. My fuel cap still had a slight vacuum on it.... not bad. Anyone care to bid on that?

Might stick the PMD on ebay with a 10 second warranty. The heat sink didn't survive and it's kinda looks like a victim of heat soak. Guess I should have remoted it out of the engine bay instead of the air filter box. :rolleyes:

"The heat sink didn't survive and it's kinda looks like a victim of heat soak. Guess I should have remoted it out of the engine bay instead of the air filter box."

Thats funny

Gotta find some humor somewhere....

Out of the tragedy will come something positve Kev, just the way the Lord works, sorry to see it happen, but could have been much worse.

Out of the tragedy will come something positve Kev, just the way the Lord works, sorry to see it happen, but could have been much worse.

I always like to have a plan... but didn't have this one sized up. As I sit here and look at the pictures, I realize that the Lord has something... just when, how, and all that, I don't know. That's just where the whole faith thing kicks in. Don't know just how yet, but waiting on the journey between here and there.

knkreb -

Sorry to hear of the loss. If there is a "good" way to lose a vehicle this is probably the best, as you had indicated, with no injuries or other losses.

Regards,

glad everyones okay and no one got hurt, id say now you have an excuse to buy yourself a D-max.:D

Wow, glad everybody is in good. Sorry to hear it, that is a very nice bus.

knkreb
Really sorry & because I own a 97 (not a van/bus) somewhat apprehensive now about my own rig.
Whatever you do for the future re vehicles etc certainly hope you stay with the forum.

Sorry to hear about the bus, hopefully you had full-coverage on it and wont be paying for a replacement out of your pocket.

Sorry for your loss knkreb :(

It is good to remain positive, my wife tells me to be a Tigger not an Eore, good to see the upside of a bad event, Very glad all the positives out weighed the one negative, and no matter what a veh can be replaced, family cannot.
Keep the Faith

Could have been worse.....get back up and find another bus!

R.I.P. big bus.:sorrysign:sorrysign:sorrysign

Sorry to hear about the bus. Glad no one and nothing else was hurt. Happy to see that you are keeping your spirits up as much as possible about the whole thing. Says a lot about ones character the way situations like these are handled after the fact. Hope you find a suitable replacement soon. Good luck.

That's quite a loss, my friend - my sincere condolances to you on the loss of a much needed family vehicle.

On the bright side, that's top-side damage, only - the engine and drivetrain is transferrable to another similar rig - should be any number of 'em sitting around with a bad 6.5 - you know how that goes.

I,m sorry to read this and sorry for your loss, as gmctd says its a much needed family truck in your case,.i,ve 5 kids at home and we have to rely on our gasser '91 conversion van (tbi.. p'tooey!) to haul the whole clan around,. Keep your eyes peeled for a 15 pass late model van,. when the motors go bad in those they often come available for exceptionally good prices, (after getting a retail replacement cost quote) and the heart of the old bus could still carry on for you,.best of luck to you.
Nick

thanks all for your thoughts and sentiments.... still in disbelief over this whole thing... just totally out of no where, boom, gone.

I wouldn't get too worried just yet fellow van/bus owners. I've never read of one of these just going up in flames like this... but failure analysis to follow... starting a thread to pick ya'lls brains (http://http://dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2096245).

I'm sorry to hear about the demise of the Bus, knk ... but wafully happy that the Bus was the only casualty!

Like the others said, this is just one of those tests sprinkled on our path through life... and the only way to pass is to get up and go forward.

Hang in there, buddy.

Jim

Knkreb, that certainly could have been a whole lot worse than it was. I'm glad that you, the misses, and all the little ones are ok.

Don't lose faith. It is really nice to hear you sounding so grateful and positive, -even though it is so easy to fall in the other direction.

Like you said, if it would have been parked nose-in in the driveway, that could have been a very bad situation for you and your family.

Fire is one of those things that scares the crap out of me. I almost lost a house to a 55 gallon drum wood stove in a garage, -I vividly remember the fire burning up into the rafters of the garage. If it would have been one or two minutes later, there would have been no way I would have got the fire put out, -the lord was on my side that day.

Keep the faith.

Rich.

Sorry to hear of your loss, glad you and your family are Ok. When I was 8 my family lost our house to fire. We just got out in time. Fire still scares me.

All the best,

Navek

that sux, gonna have to change your avatar. if you are looking for a new bus might i suggest this, http://www.phone-forensics.com/forum/images/smilies/extra4/mysterymachine.gif low mileage mystery machine. might also throw in a dog named scooby do http://www.phone-forensics.com/forum/images/smilies/extra4/scooby-doo.gif . Ed

Very impressive pictures, I must say. Sorry. In all the reasons given here to either buy or not to buy the second bus, no one came up with "it might catch fire in your driveway".

I feel your pain - I've been busless for six months now (blown engine) and getting around by bicycle... but then I don't have a big family to carry around.

As I was told once after an accident - don't sweat it - it's ony metal and plastic. Look on the bright side - you're gonna get a new van! Maybe the next one will be fire-engine red from the git-go. :)

Sorry to hear the news KnKreb. Good to see your keeping a positive attitude on the situation given the circumstances. It's definitely good to know that nobody was injured and that your house was spared. I too am curious as to the cause of the blaze. Just sitting there for almost a week and then self-combusting is quite strange.

I only had to see the pic of the baby seats to know the bus means nothing.
You kiss and hug whoever sits in those seats alittle longer tonight.

Sorry to hear about it. I was sitting in a Komatsu 220LC Excavator when it erupted in flames. I have seen what fire can do. If I had to guess looking at the pics and area burned maybe battery cable rubbed through on the frame ?Just a guess. You'll never know though burned that bad. Had a 89 GMC hitop van with a 6.2. Loved it wish I still had it .

. In all the reasons given here to either buy or not to buy the second bus, no one came up with "it might catch fire in your driveway".


Actually this discussion took place here tonight already. Even if we had gotten another bus just like it, it just looms in the back of your head of "when will it happen again..." even though it may never.

if i was in your shoes i'd be looking for a suburban.

sorry to hear that kevin...its hard to even imagine and swallow when something like that happends though. :(

However its strange how some things happen...like you said, it just so happend that you backed the bus into the driveway when the fire happend etc...

As long as the family is ok...new busses roll off the line each day!

ben

Sorry to see & hear about your situation:eek::(. I am glad everyone was ok and safe. Like the other guy said. Maybe a good replacement is a burban or a 4x4 van with a diesel. good luck on what ever you go with;).

Hey buddy,

Your post is dead-on. Praise the Lord for keeping you and your loved ones safe. I am glad you are fine, and we'll look forward to seeing how the Lord will provide you with transportation going forward.

Sincerely,

Rob :)

Way to look at the positive side of a sad situation. Makes me want to move my old rigs outside on the street. Also thinking about going upstairs and giving the wife and kid a big hug. I have been stressed latley and a little hard on the wife and kid. Makes me feel kinda bad now after reading this. Well, mabey we all can learn from this and appreciate the life we all have and give alot more thanks to the Lord.

Sorry you lost your ride. No one hurt is the bright side indeed. I always said if I build me a garage, it would be separated from the house because of this situation. Thank God you didn't wake up in the middle of the night and find your house a blaze. Makes you want to go snuggle with the family and remember what we got. Check your batteries in your smoke alarms.

Seeing those baby seats in a burned vehicle is chilling.
Sorry about the van, glad to hear no one got hurt, and I look forward to hearing about your new ride too! Take care.

Wow thats ashame and glad no one got hurt . I had to kind of reflect on the situation and thought to myself when I go I hope i'm at home and around my loved ones . But not in flames :eek:. Sorry about your loss

Been working out of a borrowed suburban... greatful to get around, but 5 car seats is not easy... I have a get in the back door and lean over the seat to get the back two in. I've got three across the middle bench seat, so I can't drop the fold down to get into the back from the side door. Gotta get the one remaining stroller out that wasn't destroyed and get them fastened in, and then put the stuff back in the back..... really miss the bus.

Went to look for vans, or anything of any size.... nada, nothing, it's like there is nothing out there... at all. There are only 2 vans total on lots across the state. One salesman told my mom and dad, which are helping out with the search "most folks keep 'em till the wheels fall off, or they catch on fire...."

I have a lead on a bus about 200 miles north of here WITH A 6.5!!!! Maybe maybe, maybe......

One of the twins to our old bus went to auction just a few hours before the fire. Total price it went for: $525.00. Dear wifey asked "why did you just have to put yourself through asking?" I knew I shoulda woulda coulda, but oh well.....

After working out of a suburban with cloth seats and flooring, you miss the bus... able to wash it out and all the animal cracker crumbs get swept up and move on. Hose it out when necessary. I really miss the bus.

Hate to hear that you lost your ride that way.

I'm happy that your were able to report that everyone is safe and unhurt.
I agree with lcgarage, kinda chilling to see those babies seats in the back.

Hang in there and God Bless.

Well she's gone... my morning started out with these pics:

This era of the family is now over... thanks to all for making her all she was... one of the most memorable modes of transport the kids will ever have... the second oldest is holding out for another bus... a diesel too.... maybe one day we'll come back to another one... we'll see.

Thanks again all for all you did to make her what she was...

shame,. i did send you some links to buses on e-bay and at some various different auctions,. any of them catch your fancy? i never heard back so i guessed you'd bought one,..
Nick

sorry for your loss

I saw a 15 pax van on ebay with a 6.5 in it, it was going for a little over $500 this afternoon. Check it out if your interested

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1999-Chevy-3500-School-Bus-with-wheel-chair-lift_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33716QQihZ016QQite mZ260192378281QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Heres a replacement. Just promise you wont paint it. lol

Thanks for looking there guys... I do have my eye on something... a very unique something at that... as seems to be our (or my) style, just one of those things I didn't want to further advertise, unless I was the one to get it... we'll see what happens...

sorry for you loss dude

Keep us up to date with what you get knkreb..

I don't know what I would do if that happened to me!

Actually i do know, Id do this :duh::banghead:Censored:shootself:wtf:
but seriously man i'm sorry and i am amazed in the way you handle yourself in this unfortunate situation

Thanks for looking there guys... I do have my eye on something... a very unique something at that... as seems to be our (or my) style, just one of those things I didn't want to further advertise, unless I was the one to get it... we'll see what happens...

KNKREB, it's been a few days since you hinted that you had something up your sleeve. Without giving away the surpriseCensored:secret:, can you give us an update.

BTW, I like surprises:drool::drool:

It just went over "my limit" on what I was going to spend so not for my driveway....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190181185576&rd=1

That's to bad, that was definitely very unique!

Wasnt a bad price either!

Was pretty nice... but between cost to get, time off of work, and attempting to live debt free, it just didn't work out... still on the hunt. Patience....

Seen this and thought about ya. Hope you and the family had a good Holiday.

Best,Bud

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01Chevy-3500-LIMO-PARTS-bus-6-5-turbo-diesel-PARTS_W0QQitemZ280187425542QQihZ018QQcategoryZ6783 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

knkreb, Sorry about your loss. Would like to say, If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I have an idea. We could start a "replace the bus fund". I would be happy to make the first donation. Funds should not be a factor in replacing your van and providing transportation for your family, and as a double member of the 6.5 family, I would like to help out. I know money is tight for everyone, but as a Christian 6.5er we need to support oneanother. I hope this not out of line. If it can be done through this site. Great. If not, please PM me. I would still like to send you a check, it may be small,but If we all send something.... Think about it. BHall

knkreb, Sorry about your loss. Would like to say, If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I have an idea. We could start a "replace the bus fund". I would be happy to make the first donation. Funds should not be a factor in replacing your van and providing transportation for your family, and as a double member of the 6.5 family, I would like to help out. I know money is tight for everyone, but as a Christian 6.5er we need to support oneanother. I hope this not out of line. If it can be done through this site. Great. If not, please PM me. I would still like to send you a check, it may be small,but If we all send something.... Think about it. BHall


x2

I'm in.........That's a great idea!

Louis