| Author |
Message |
s cole (24.4.252.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 12:34 am: | |
Hi,
I'm definitely all new at this. I'm looking at possibly buying a converted bus mainly because of the weight and balance issues in non-bus RVs. The way they are making them so that they can barely hold their own weight scares me. But are there weight and balance issues with converted buses? If I buy a home conversion how can I tell that it was done properly? Can you theoretically overload a bus conversion too?
Any help would be much appreciated.
Sam |
Scott Whitney (63.151.68.130)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 1:40 pm: | |
I can think of a dozen reasons why a bus conversion is a better vehicle than a standard RV. They answer to much higher saftey requirements in design since they were built to carry passengers all day everyday. I.e. being able to withstand a rollover where an RV will disintegrate on rollover. However, anyone can do a botch job and make a safty issue if they have goofed up the works. Although, I did not heed my own advice when I bought my bus, you might want to pay a professional bus mechanic to look over any potential purchase. If the brakes and drive train are good, the interior is just a matter of opinion, really. Although there are still some safety issues with regard to the conversion part, too. I.e. propane system design. To be really prudent, you could take any potential purchase to a good RV repair facility and have them inspect the propane system for safety, too. Other things when they fail are just a pain and not life threatening. But you know the expression. . .if you want it done right, do it yourself! (especially applies to a bus conversion!) |
s cole (24.4.252.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 9:46 am: | |
Thanks Scott. I think I am definitely going to take any potential purchase to a bus mechanic to check out. Does raising the roof of a bus decrease it's safety during rollover?
Does installing a slide decrease the strength of the chassis/frame? I'm hoping to get answers to these questions next. Since starting to think about a bus conversion as a possible motorhome I have been noticing buses more - there's somthing about a shiny, sleek bus that just seems RIGHT. One of the options I am considering is to buy a shell and outfit it myself but there seem to be plenty of beautiful already converted buses for sale (by dedicated bus nuts) that it would be a shame to let go to waste.
Sam |
FAST FRED (63.215.224.184)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 5:38 am: | |
BE sure to find out which busses can have a slide out installed and which CANT!
The Eagles are best if you want slides , roof raised ,stretches and car garages.
Any can have roof raised , although structural integraty might be questioned, depending on quality of engineering, and workmanship.
DO NOT consider slide out in any GM , as the engineering is way to complex.
Is this for a motorhome?
If your going traveling, consider the overall size and handyness before max room.
IF its a "park " model , 4 slides and a rooftop patio are great.
FAST FRED |
FAST FRED (63.215.236.88)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 7:37 am: | |
IN a rollover you are much more likley to get killed by all the interior breaking loose and chasing you.
IT is very hard to mount the RV fridge and other heavy stuff in an acceptable mannor.
If you do your own conversion , its easy to keep the G loads in mind , but if you purchase a coach , you might consider re- anchoring anything that would look poor on your head.
FAST FRED |
s cole (24.4.252.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 7:48 am: | |
LOL!
Yes, this would be a traveling motorhome with moves about once a week. I would also be boondocking frequently so the bus would have to maneuver in some more remote places (but not the remotest places). How maneuverable is a bus on a dirt road? Will 35 vs 40 feet make a big difference in maneuverability?
Great point about the interior chasing me. |
Steve Fessenden (63.27.88.98)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 6:45 pm: | |
Maneuverability is not just a matter of length. Some 40 footers may be more maneuverable. Hope the real experts give you a more complete answer.
Steve Fessenden |
FAST FRED (63.215.226.196)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 5:45 am: | |
DIRT as in dirt roads is usually no problem.
There is a problem with center clearence if the road hasn't been scraped in a few years, coaches are not too high in the center.
The 5ft of coach that seperated the 35 & 40 is usually between the wheels , so it does take more room to run a 40, even if the wheels can cut to a higher angle {new coach}.
Biggest hassles I find (my 35ft coach) are old small towns where a side road can meet a better road at a very steep hill angle. This can drag the radiator mount , or "high center" the coach , depending on which road is high.
Also many city, county , state and Army Corps campgrounds were lad out with a 30FT rule in mind.
They designed for a car and a 30 ft trailer , so the roads are narrow and the trees are very close to the road.
Private campgrounds have mostly trimmed suff so the 40 ft Winnibuggies can crash arround , but getting such incentive from a public employee is not rational.
Unless there figuring how to seize property,or hide from work, most just vegitate from new hire to retirement.
Coaches do quite well on secondary roads and any place the UPS truck can go , but you will need an International 4 wheel drive Skoolie if you want to follow stream beds, or muck in wet dirt.
FAST FRED |
s cole (24.4.252.6)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 3:55 pm: | |
Thanks for the input.
I'll use my feet to follow stream beds, thank you.
A converted school bus that seemed to have all the right stuff for boondocking (solar panels, big holding tanks, etc) but no fluff like brass fittings and walnut cabinets caught my eye but I remember jouncing around in the back of a school bus. I can't take the thought of doing that on long rides. |
FAST FRED (63.215.228.222)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 19, 2001 - 5:53 am: | |
If $5000 doesnt worry you a Skoolie can be converted to air ride.
The engineered cure is much cheaper.
After the Skoolie is all finished and loaded for the road , get it weighed on each wheel.
Both axles seperatly , side for side seperatly.
The easiest way is to go to a FMCA convention and find the "away we go" folks that make a business of this.
Its very inexpensive for them to do individual wheel weights.
Then go to the local Spring place for trucks and have new springs installed.
A set of sorings is only a couple of hundred {per wheel}and by matching the load , and springs the ride can be much more car like.
But do not overload after the change.
Decide how big a trailer your towing first!
The "Po Boy" method is the simplest and does work, mostly.
Install a set of aftermarket overload air bags on each wheel position.
Then only inflate the air bags to 20 or 30 lbs of pressure.
Experiment.
This lifts you over all the small stuff, and smothes the ride , but retains the stock springs for the big potholes with VW's crushed on the bottom.
This also gives the advantage of being able to raise the body for more ground clearence , while fording the Patomic.
FAST FRED |
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