| Author |
Message |
Michael J Ryan (Mjryan) (67.41.243.42)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 24, 2003 - 10:37 pm: | |
I am going to sell the 4104 and convert the AM General. Do any of you know if a slide-out is possible? Also how do I find out what the bus model is? I know it’s a 1978 AM General. I look in the Yahoo groups and the only thing I was able to find was the GM Fishbowl group. Is this an AMG fishbowl? I guess the better question would be where can I find information on the AMG’s.
Michael former 4104-4008 |
Dave S (66.183.111.78)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 1:25 am: | |
Might find this helpfull
http://www.omot.org/roster/AMG/ |
Phil Dumpster (12.230.214.167)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 3:30 am: | |
Short answer on slide out - NO!
Now the long answer - if you are a structural engineer or know someone who is, or are willing to pay a professional automotive engineer (which is probably not economically feasible) to do the design work, and you follow their design to the letter, then yes you could probably put a slide into an AM General.
Cutting a hole in the side of a structurally sound bus is not something for an amateur bus converter to do, as there are a whole host of issues you have to account for. You have the forces on acceleration, decceleration, twisting forces from the road (the skin of the Am General is riveted so that the body panels can flex with the rest of the bus when going over uneven terrain) as well as vertical pounding forces when you go over bumps.
Think of your bus as a tube. Cut a hole in the side of that tube and it weakens it considerably. You can do the same thing with a piece of thin wall plastic pipe to get an idea of how much the structure is weakened.
Slides tend to be more of a problem than they are worth. They help sell sticks and staples RVs and high end bus conversions, but I have never seen a slide that was still operating without any problems or leaks 10 years after it was built. There may be a few out there, but they are definately in the minority. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.16)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 25, 2003 - 8:06 am: | |
You might ask Bob-- he has a 77 AMG and loves it. He goes by the signiture line of Bob77AMG, and his e-mail is :
bneely1@flash.net |
jmaxwell (66.81.40.205)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 28, 2003 - 11:45 am: | |
Phil: I have to respectfully disagree with you. There is a gentleman in our chapter that has an AMG, he is not a structural engineer nor did he consult with one in design or construction, and he has a sound, well operating 12' slide, full 4' extension. His bus is well-traveled and has presented no major problems with the slide. It has malfunctioned on rare occasion, but it is still structural sound and operating after several yrs. and many thousands of miles over just about every part of the US. I have been in his bus with groups of 12-14 people for meetings: space afforded by a slide unit. |
don (Bottomacher) (216.130.152.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 28, 2003 - 4:39 pm: | |
Can you get photos or more information about the installation process? |
jmaxwell (66.81.212.97)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 28, 2003 - 9:16 pm: | |
It was featured in BCM in May or June 1997 I believe. |
Phil Dumpster (67.2.25.111)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 29, 2003 - 7:47 am: | |
As I said, there may be a few 10 year old homemade functioning slides out there, but they are in the minority.
If someone asks me my opinion on slide outs, I'll give it, and my opinion is that they are more trouble than they are worth, especially if you use your coach mainly for traveling.
Maybe, some day, I'll try building a slide in a coach, but for now at my minimal level of bus conversion expertise, I wouldn't even consider trying it on my first bus. |
Michael J Ryan (Mjryan) (67.41.243.42)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 29, 2003 - 11:32 am: | |
But Phil, This is not my first conversion, I started a Crown ten wheeler back in 1991-1992 with a slide out (no internet help in those days). It was an over the road bus not a school bus. About half way though the conversion crooks stole ever tool, all the conversion stuff even stole the trash and all the pictures of my progress, wipe me out no insurance. So I ended up buying a Revcon and stripped it and built all new living quarters inside. Stripped off all the paint outside and repainted. I like this motor home as it looks like a small bus been living in it since 1994. So after the 4104 problem (see my new ride in the ebay section) I decided to start my own conversion, just looking for ideas.
Michael |
jmaxwell (66.81.58.115)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 29, 2003 - 12:36 pm: | |
You can see a pic of the AMG w/slide at www.affordablervsurplus.com |