| Author | Message | ||
| John Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 1 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 66.190.12.133 Rating: N/A |
Hi all. Just wanted to make certain I was able to post. My wife and I recently acquired a MC5C Saudi and are looking forward to the conversion process. I already have gleaned a lot of knowledge from the archives and am looking forward to making some new aquantainces through this venture. Thanks so much for the help I already have received from current bus owners! | ||
| Austin Scott Davis (Zimtok)
Registered Member Username: Zimtok Post Number: 177 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 216.37.73.226 Rating: N/A |
Welcome to the bus NUT world.. Post some photos of your "baby" for us to look over. And don't be afraid to ask any question. The only stupid question is the one NOT asked. | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 137 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 64.40.222.139 Rating: N/A |
Great to hear you took the plunge! Welcome and enjoy the ride! | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 742 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.117.21 Rating: N/A |
Welcome and enjoy the joy and sorrow of having your own conversion- the good days and the bad ones- the times you will want to sell it for a dime, and most of the time that you wouldn't sell it for a million dollars..... well ...maybe 20,000 dollars. There is nothing like piloting one of these babies down the highways.We won't talk about turning around on a dead end road for now.  | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Registered Member Username: Rjlong Post Number: 1301 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 67.181.189.94 Rating: N/A |
John - Welcome aboard! Did you find one of the rare single-door Saudi MC-5Cs, or is yours one of the front/rear configurations? There are a couple other bus bulletin boards you might be interested in, besides this one. First is MAK Publishing's: www.busconversions.com . Second is the MCI busnuts group on Yahoo Groups. Lots of info on all three boards, along with lots of "interesting" characters, too! (You'll soon really understand the term "busnut"!) Again, welcome aboard! | ||
| John Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 2 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 66.190.12.133 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the enthusiastic welcome. I have already met quite a few "busnuts" and to a person they have all been decent and more than helpful. Thanks for the links RJ and my Saudi does have a side door also. It seems according to the MCI info I found that they only had about 40 with the double doors out of a total of 175 or so. We are considering using the rear door as the entry and that would allow me to put a floor all the way to the front and use the front step area for my house batteries and inverter. Yeah or Nay? | ||
| Bob Symonds (Bob_symonds)
Registered Member Username: Bob_symonds Post Number: 27 Registered: 5-2006 Posted From: 146.235.66.52 Rating: N/A |
You might want to pull an inside skin either behind the front door or behind the drivers seat to see what your frame looks like. These 5C's are known for rust problems. | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 519 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 66.217.105.39 Rating: N/A |
Congrats on going totally iNsAnE... Re: "We are considering using the rear door as the entry and that would allow me to put a floor all the way to the front and use the front step area for my house batteries and inverter. Yeah or Nay?" Yea! Yeah, I'd do that. Then the wife, significant udder, etc, can have a seat beside you, and won't have to yell directions and "how to drive" comments from a row back! Lotsa' luck, ma'man! I get inspired to try to finish my mess, every time I see someone starting new! I wish you luck. | ||
| Simon Ayriss (Design_dog)
Registered Member Username: Design_dog Post Number: 47 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 69.227.68.21 Rating: N/A |
Just a thought. May not apply and be a stretch here but one thing to consider. If the front is floor and you use the back for entry, if you can not easily open the front after whatever work is done and get out, then you might deal with DOT regulations. Requirements are that you have to be able to get out of the back easily in some case of emergency, such as fire. Thus the standard MCI escapable windows and hatch. [which as a sidebar I was wondering if you replace your back windows with RV windows are they required to be escapable even given the hatch?] Anyway. Standard is you enter a bus from the front, in case of emergency have escape in the back. From what I understand if you get pulled over or go through inspection they will cite you and tag it. So the front door I assume must be functional still. If there is a fire in the back your out of luck. Although you could floor up the steps all to the front. Personally though, thats some nice space. I dont think I would put my batteries there. Actually you could take out all your steps and you would get a great deal of space. Dont forget the battery compartment should be vented. Congratulations. | ||
| Rick Johnson (Plywud)
Registered Member Username: Plywud Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 76.104.236.71 Rating: N/A |
John, Using the front entry for your house batteries and invertor would work for one or the other but not both. If you use gel cell batteries you can put both in the same area, but not if your using acid batteries that have to breath. The fumes will destroy your inverter over time. Your looking at a minimum of 4 house batteries and I think you could put two side by side and two on top of each other in that area, but you wouldn't get the inverter in the same space. I put mine in that area in the front bay between the coach batteries and old condenser room. I used 4 gel cel and put my inverter on the side wall next to them. I went the inverter route instead of a gen set, becuase of the 250 amp alternator. What you'll find is the cost of one way is about equal to the cost of the other design, except you already have this hugh alternator as part of your engine configuration. I live in a moderate climit and it works very well for us, I use the portable gen set once or twice a year. We can go about 2 days on batteries and we're mostly electric. We don't do alot of boon docking so this works very well for us. There's trade offs in almost everything you do. I have a 79 5C, the previous owner had already reskinned the back door area so I didn't have to deal with that. I didn't find alot of rust, the triangle windows behind the drivers seat and front door, in that area and alittle around the front wheel wells, mostly on the passenger side. Have lots of information if you need anything give me a hollar RJ | ||
| Ednj (Ednj)
Registered Member Username: Ednj Post Number: 171 Registered: 3-2003 Posted From: 67.85.229.150 Rating: N/A |
Is that SEAN MORMELO's Bus? | ||
| John Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 3 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 66.190.12.133 Rating: N/A |
WOW, I am amazed at all the response to my posts. This is such a great forum to learn on! I am not sure what the protocol is, whether I am supposed answer each person via their email or just answer here in the forum. Until someone tells me "stop using the forum for all this personal business" I will continue to post here. John, that is exactly what I was planning on doing and making the driving area more "user freindly" for us during travel. I am considering leaving the door operational just in case of emergencies. I would rather twist an ankle bailing out over the new floor than be stuck in there. Simon, I am hopeing that this satifies the requirements for emergency exit in the front. Rick, Thanks for the good info about the batteries. I had figured on venting the area, as I know about hydrogen gas build up, but hadn't thought about the effects of the gas on an inverter. I have a 20kw gen I plan to put in where the factory air is now just aft of the drivers area, but figured I would need house battery power also. SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT! And Ed, yes, that is Sean Mormelo's bus. After a couple months of prep work, getting a radiator and getting in installed and fixing some other problems that arose, I met Sean out in South Dakota a couple weeks ago and I drove it back home (Wisconsin). Sean is a great guy and we had a nice time as we are both musicians. The bus came home in great shape 65 mph or better (not counting the hills) and I got over 7 mpg in wind and rain towing my van, so I am very encouraged with the drivability of it. Thanks for your interest everyone! (Message edited by bigrigger on September 27, 2007) | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Registered Member Username: Drivingmisslazy Post Number: 1993 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 75.108.72.199 Rating: N/A |
Are there really DOT regulations that apply to an RV, especially concerning exits and emergency exits? Few RV's have emergency exits as Simon discusses. I suspect this is for vehicles in commercial operation such as buses for transporting paying passengers. Richard | ||
| Rick Johnson (Plywud)
Registered Member Username: Plywud Post Number: 4 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 76.104.236.71 Rating: N/A |
John, what engine tranny combination do you have? Mine is a 6V71 and 644, are you in the 8V71 manual 4 speed environment, or did you pull that toad with a 6V71. We just got back from 5K miles between Seattle and Houston. Averaged alittle over 8, with mountains, heat and head winds, but no toad. The co-polit wants a toad, but I'm wondering if I have enough horsepower to handle the additional load. | ||
| John Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 66.190.12.133 Rating: N/A |
Rick, 6V71 and automatic and no problem. I never knew the van (Honda Odessy) on a dolly was even back there. It was a much better trip than I expected. Had the oil changed before I left Rapid City and didn't need to add any at all on the trip back. If you idle it much though, it really smokes for the first few miles afterward. The only other thing that concerns me is the fact that after it has been sitting several hours and loses its air pressure, it takes an inordinately long time to build air pressure again. It may take 10 minutes or more to build enough air to release the brakes. I imagine maybe this will mean a rebuild of the air comp. as in all my years of driving truck I have never had a vehicle build air so slowly. (Message edited by bigrigger on September 27, 2007) | ||
| Jim & Linda Callaghan (Jimc)
Registered Member Username: Jimc Post Number: 39 Registered: 2-2004 Posted From: 66.175.206.159 Rating: N/A |
welcome we can always use more Wisconsin bus nuts. Jim Oconomowoc Wi | ||
| Rick Johnson (Plywud)
Registered Member Username: Plywud Post Number: 5 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 76.104.236.71 Rating: N/A |
John, I found in mine that if I kept the oil level halfway between the full and the add marks on the dip stick, that I didn't use or blow as much oil overall. I used 2 gallons on the trip to Houston, but it was really hot and normally I don't use any oil between changes. If your bus has sat idle for a long period of time, in reference to the smoke after idling, there are alot of bugs that get worked out simply by using it on a regular basis. Your air compressor sounds alot like mine. If I let it sit over night it will loose 60 pounds of air, and it takes about 10 minutes to air up completely. Some guys say their busses will stay up for several days, not mine, and I've had it seven years now. But some of these busses were designed to kneel, and they are constantly looking for level. Mine has a tendency to lean to the passanger side regardless of level or not, unless I put a 2x6 under the front and rear tires. If I do, they she'll settle down even, if not, lean to the right. I've broken more things that weren't really broke, than what's really needed fix'n in the first place, it's like a big ole elephant, just drive it and don't worry about it. |