Refurbishment and Remanufacturing

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Official BUSRide Maintenance Roundtable Discussion:

Refurbishment & Remanufacturing

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Table of Contents Official BUSRide Maintenance Roundtable: Refurbishment and remanufacturing

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About ABC Companies

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About Complete Coach Works

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O F F I C I A L

BUSRide Maintenance Roundtable:

REFURBISHMENT AND REMANUFACTURING BUSRide Maintenance spoke with a select group of thought leaders, representing OEMs that specialize in remanufacturing and refurbishment for a roundtable discussion.

This high-level discussion featured the following panelists:

Dale Carson, president, Complete Coach Works Roman Cornell, executive vice president, ABC Companies

ABC Companies is able to refurbish vehicles, like the refurbished Van Hool TD925 “Sky Deck” open-topped double-deck sightseeing coach, in order to improve cosmetics and the passenger experience.

What are the key benefits of refurbishing or remanufacturing older buses as opposed to purchasing new vehicles?

Roman Cornell: For one, it’s less expensive to refurbish an existing vehicle. A refurbishment is a viable option when the purchase of a new model coach is simply not an option.

Operators also get fresh warranties out of a refurbished engine, transmission and other components. Warranties can be six or 12-month on components with an option up to two years on engine and transmission in some cases.

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Dale Carson: Remanufacturing offers several advantages over buying a new vehicle. By purchasing a refurbished or remanufactured bus you have cost, training, life-cycle and turnaround time benefits. With the choice between new and used largely being a matter of finances, remanufacturing can bring older buses in the fleet to new standards and add value to the original investment in terms of a longer life-cycle. With a remanufactured bus, the parts inventory is already established, and the learning curve is zero. A new vehicle always requires retraining to some degree.

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If customers do not operate under such strict air quality controls, we can bring their older buses back to the year model of their valves, or bring up a 2007 year-model engine to compliance. Other upgrades and enhancements include, but are not limited to, new paint schemes, interior and media screens, as well as updated electrical systems, ADA compliance, and Wi-Fi for an enhanced customer experience.

What is the public perception of a refurbished or remanufactured bus?

Cornell: I would say most charter and tour passengers rarely notice whether the coach has been refurbished, or can tell it from new — as long as it is clean When Complete Coach Works converts a vehicle’s powertrain from diesel to electric, like in a ZEPS bus, it can reduce emissions to zero and help meet new environmental standards and mandates. inside and out, and offers the features and amenities they are expecting. It’s up to the operator to let their customer What degree of disrepair would prevent refurbishing or know the coach has been refurbished. Again, there are different remanufacturing? Basically, when is either process not a levels to refurbishing, some more noticeable than others. Some of viable option? our customers just want to repaint the exterior or spruce up the Cornell: The first step is to examine the structure of the vehicle, interior. Others want a new engine and transmission, or for us to for any damage like corrosion or hidden accident damage. Don’t go through the entire coach from front to back.

Carson: I don’t think the riding public gives it much thought, forget to look at the roof, they can be costly hidden damages and because after a remanufacture, as far as they’re concerned, the time consuming.

Carson: It is always possible for us to refurbish or bus looks new.

My favorite stories are about remanufactured buses we have remanufacture any vehicle, regardless of the condition, some just may be a bit trickier. Buses and coaches operating in more severe delivered to our clients, in which more than a few CEOs actually climates, such as the brutal winters in the Northeast, can develop confused the rebuilt bus for a new bus when they were parked corrosive, structural issues from the buildup of salts and highway side by side. They were a little embarrassed, but we took it as a grime, making remanufacturing tougher, but still doable. Buses compliment to our work. and coaches operating in more severe climates, such as the brutal winters in the Northeast, can develop corrosive, structural issues What has been the most challenging refurbishment or remanufacturing projectyou have ever undertaken? from the buildup of salts and highway grime.

Vehicles operated in regions where the environment Cornell: I would have to say the 750 MCIs we refurbished from isn’t such an issue are almost always capable of a rebuild or remanufacture. We can essentially take rebuilding to any level 2010 to 2014. We began with the idea of only refurbishing 100 buses. We started the project in a 120,000-square-foot building the operators wish. used for manufacturing modular homes.

We ultimately ended up with 150 employees refurbishing 24 What upgrades and enhancements are available for refurbished units a month at the height of the contract. Our refurbishment and remanufactured buses? plan was challenging, and widely successful for the operator.

Carson: When we started back in the early 1980s, we had one Cornell: By incorporating new front and rear caps with upgraded lighting and bumpers, we can bring older coaches situation where we determined that 40-foot RTS transit buses extremely close to the look of a 2016 or 2017 model. We can actually needed to be shorter – so we cut a few down, took them upgrade to three-point seat belts, as well as add 110 plugs with apart and reassembled them as 30-foot vehicles. It may have USB plug-ins for charging personal devices. We can add contour seemed difficult, but we didn’t look at it that way. It was a new parcel racks, a glass roof or a rear window to enhance the interior; challenge for us, and we just dug in and did the work.

We have taken the same approach with the electrification with new upholstery and flooring.

Carson: In our current rebuilds, in which we are converting process we have developed. We recently had a project in which the powertrain from diesel to electric, we can bring vehicles we fully converted a diesel bus to an electric drive bus within a to zero emissions to meet new environmental standards and 10-day turn around. Our client really wanted this bus for a trade mandates. For example, in California the higher requirement is show that was less than two weeks away; we saw that we could do it and made it happen. to bring emissions control up to 2010 specifications. busridemaintenance.com | BUSRIDE MAINTENANCE

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Coach Down?

Get it back on the road faster.

ABC is your one-stop shop for parts and service solutions for all makes and models. Our extensive in-house parts inventory and highly-trained service professionals get you on the road fast and keep your coaches running longer. strategic parts distribution locations strategic service locations

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PARTS: 877-427-7278 SERVICE: 844-287-3183

or visit www.abc-companies.com

*Subject to applicable terms and conditions. Some exclusions may apply. Š 2015 ABC Companies. All rights reserved.

THE INDUSTRY’S ONLY FAMILY-OWNED OPERATION In an industry dominated by corporate-controlled competitors, ABC remains a family-owned and operated business. Throughout our history, ownership of ABC Companies has stayed with the Cornell family, beginning with founder Clancy Cornell and currently under the senior leadership of Cornell family members.

Since its inception over five decades ago, ABC Companies has grown exponentially to become a leader in motorcoach and transit equipment sales and service. By offering a comprehensive array of after sales support services including live tech support via the ABC CustomerCare call center; live and interactive parts sales and sourcing; complete vehicle maintenance, refurbishment and mechanical services and private and municipal equipment leasing and financing through ABC Financial Services, we continue to sustain our leadership position.

Visit www.abc-companies.com for more information!

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All Of Your Transportation Needs Under One Roof

Complete Coach Works Experience Success

Retrofit

RETROFIT

For over 3 decades the experts at Complete Coach Works have provided peace of mind to thousands of customers by being their one stop shop.

Our work for transit fleets from coast to coast has included the installation of Q’Pod stations to existing buses to minimize disruption to seated passengers, shorten dwell times and simplify the entire securement process. The finished retrofit looks factory new.

Repair REPAIR

Complete Coach Works technicians have the specialized training, OEM qualifications and specialized tooling to properly diagnose and repair your vehicle systems. Our expertise will assure you that your bus will come back properly repaired and ready for revenue service. From locomotive accident repair, to mechanical rehab, from passenger car repair or reconditioning, our team is ready to provide solutions.

Repower REPOWER

CCW can revitalize old or new buses with a simple repower or fuel conversion to either alternative fuels or electric drive systems.

Doing so allows for emission compliance and lower fuel costs when using natural gas or state-of-the-art electric drive systems.

CompleteCoach.com 800.300.3751

Complete Coach Works offers a vast array of solutions for your transportation needs, and for over 25 years we have provided peace of mind to thousands of customers by being their one stop shop. Whether your need is for collision repair, a complete interior rehab, or converting your fleet to alternative fuels, or a completely remanufactured vehicle, we have the necessary experience to make each job a success. Transit & Highway Buses Our team of experts will bring your coach up to spec with today’s demanding new standards, from drive train upgrades that meet today’s stringent emission standards to ADA complaint accessibility, GPS systems for Automated Vehicle Location systems, to full multiplexing PLC based systems. Rail Repair & Rehab Regardless of how small or large your job, our team is ready to provide solutions from locomotive accident repair and mechanical rehab to complete passenger car reconditioning & refurbishing.

We have remanufactured truck assemblies, completely overhauled and redesigned HVAC systems, and have designed specialized bicycle racks to allow riders the ability to stow their bikes vertically on rail cars. Alternative Fuel Conversions When it comes to Green Technology CCW has the expertise that spans multiple transportation modes, from buses to utility and dump trucks, from waste disposal to off road equipment, which have been converted to CNG, LNG, LPG, and Hybrid Propulsion systems.

Complete Coach Works and its affiliated companies have been serving the bus industry for over 50 years. CCW knows all aspects of the bus industry from complete transit bus remanufacturing, clean retrofitting technologies, fixed route service, to long and medium-term bus leasing, and bus sales. Whether it’s on the road, or on the rail, let us put our strengths to work for you today.

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