The International 3300 is a conventional-style cowled bus chassis made by Navistar from the 2005 to 2024 model years. Derived from the International 4300 medium-duty truck and its DuraStar successor, it replaced the long-running International 3800 and became the basis of most IC Bus school buses, as well as a low-profile version and a cutaway variant.
International 3300 at a glance
| Type | Type C conventional cowled bus chassis |
|---|---|
| Maker | Navistar International |
| Model years | 2005–2024, built from 2004 to 2023 |
| Based on | International 4300, later the DuraStar |
| Replaced | International 3800, the last model of the S series |
| Replaced by | the cowled chassis version of the International MV |
| Body makers | Blue Bird from 2004 to 2008; IC Bus only since 2009 |
| Engines | VT365 and DT466, replaced by MaxxForce 7 and MaxxForce DT for 2008 |
| Cummins | ISB6.7 an option from 2013, standard from 2015 |
| Alternative fuels | propane from 2015, petrol from 2017 |
| Electric | chargE prototype on a 3300 chassis shown in 2018 |
| Low-profile version | 3300 chassis for the IC BE, 2004–2015 |
Based on one source (English Wikipedia).
History of the International 3300
Replacing the 3800
In 2001 International introduced its Next Generation Vehicle trucks, including the new 4000-series medium-duty line. For the 2005 model year the company added the 3300 as the replacement for the International 3800, the final model of the S series that had been in production since 1979. The 3300 shares its powertrain and forward body components with the 4300, the truck that replaced the 4900. The chassis has kept its model number since 2004 but has otherwise followed the development of the DuraStar, including the change to the International MV in 2019. Production ended in 2023, when the cowled version of the MV took over.
Who built the bodies
The 3300 was more closely tied to IC Bus than the 3800 had been. Between 2004 and 2008 Blue Bird also bodied the chassis, offering it alongside its own Vision conventional, and after 2009 IC Bus was the only body maker in the United States and Canada. Navistar built chassis for export too, although body makers outside North America did not produce school bus bodies on it. The close relationship reflected a wider trend of the 1990s, when chassis suppliers bought school bus body manufacturers.
Powertrain and versions
At launch the 3300 was sold only with Navistar diesel engines. For 2008 the VT365 and DT466 were replaced by the MaxxForce 7 and MaxxForce DT; a Cummins ISB6.7 became optional in 2013 and the standard diesel in 2015. In 2015 a PSI propane engine joined the range, and from 2017 the same engine was available running on petrol. In 2018 IC Bus showed chargE, a fully electric prototype bus on a 3300 chassis, with production planned for 2020. From 2004 to 2015 IC also built a Type B low-profile version of the 3300 for its BE series, aimed at operators carrying special-needs passengers; it was the only Type B school bus on a cowled chassis and had a flat floor, but was sold only with V8 engines. The 3200, a cutaway-cab version of the DuraStar, was produced for bus use from 2004 to 2015.
Design and features
- One chassis, many buses: the 3300 underpins most IC Bus school buses and their commercial versions.
- DuraStar base: it shares its engine and front bodywork with the 4300 medium-duty truck.
- Blue Bird years: from 2004 to 2008 the chassis was also bodied by Blue Bird.
- Alternative fuels: propane and petrol engines were added in 2015 and 2017, and an electric prototype followed in 2018.
- Low-profile BE: the only cowled Type B school bus, built with a flat floor for wheelchair access.
International 3300 versions
- 3300 (2005–2024): the standard full-size school bus chassis.
- Low-profile 3300 (2004–2015): V8-only chassis for the IC BE, a Type B bus with a flat floor.
- 3200 (2004–2015): cutaway-cab version of the DuraStar for commercial bus bodies.
- chargE (2018): electric prototype on the 3300 chassis.
The 3300 replaced the S series bus chassis and is bodied almost entirely by IC Bus. It shares its engineering with the International DuraStar; more vehicles are in the International collection.
Sources
- International 3300, English Wikipedia: development, body makers, engines, versions
