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I was looking at Navistar(IHC)47-pass Carpenter w/DT360. But if buy it i will have to sign an "official Notice and Release form" they said Carpenter school buses are under investigation for structural roof defect. Should I walk away?
Most schools are being urged to scrap out any of their Carpenter body buses.
Even with a release, some smart lawyer could tie the school up in litigation if something should go wrong.
While most people would NEVER dream of ever getting rid of their baby, the future value of any conversion based on a Carpenter body could be next to zero.
With so many used buses out on the market, why take on a problem child?
I'm not surprised to see this. Our family owned buses in a PA district for 29 years. The Carpenter bodies we owned up to 1986 were the best money could buy. But from 1987 on, the quality went downhill fast. The first one of these buses we had in the investigation period had the roof rails spot welded to the floor. Whoever was to do the finish welding, did not do it and the front end of the bus body started to collpse after one School term! We sent it back to the dealer to be re-welded, but Carpenter's quality went down fast and It became it's downfall. So this does not surprise me at all. I worked for our business for 13 years and I knopw first hand of the type of workmanship Carpenter did on thier products to have this come to light.
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