Chance Coach

On Facebook, Dave Rendon asked some questions about a Livermore, CA carrier called Rideo that had an unusual set of “tractor trailer” coaches.

He provided these recollections as our research starting point:

For many years or decades I’ve been searching for photos of the bus I rode to school in. It was an RV style shorter bus with a doghouse engine cover next to the driver. If I had to guess it was maybe a 25 footer. For school runs there was an unmanned trailer that had 4 wheels and the driver monitored the children in the trailer on a black & white monitor. Oh yes, this was a Rideo bus in Livermore, CA. I’ve yet to see either the bus or trailer surface since the 80’s.

The Rideo bus was maybe 25’ long was RV like with the engine up front under a doghouse. The trailer was maybe 30’ long and had a 22.5” wheel at each corner and had a tow bar type set up. Now this is going off my middle school memory…

If I had to place a year range, I would say 1977-1980…

I would have rode this trailer bus from September 1986 to the 1st week of March 1987. After all of these years, I always assumed that they just had one set. I believe the last time I saw it was at the old Rideo yard on Ladd Ave near Junction Ave next to the Junction Avenue Middle School.

– Dave Rendon

Using the PBM hive-mind (mostly Tom Shafer and Eli Bail), we identified these as Chance buses.

There were some Chance buses (it appears to be several) with attachable trailers from about 1985 or 1986 to 1990, mainly on the high school run. These would be closed buses

They were taken out of service about 1990, due to disruptions with the students. One complaint was that students would cover up the camera lens so the driver couldn’t see them in the trailer!

I brought back some Chance brochures to scan and/or photograph and send.

I can’t find any photos of any in service, though.

– Tom Shafer

Pacific Bus Museum Historian found more information:

Chance records show the following deliveries to Livermore—

First was a demo:

RT-50 80-7088 built 5/80

It was returned, but no record when

The production buses were:

6301 RT-50 80-70116 12/80

6302 RT-50 80-70117 1/81

6303 RT-50 80-70118 1/81

6304 RT-50 80-70119 2/81

6305 RT-50 80-70120 2/81

6306 RT-50 80-70121 3/81

Delivery dates from Chance; fleet numbers from Livermore

– Eli Bail