| Author | Message | ||
| Johnny (63.159.196.247)
Rating: N/A |
I know most of you don't like skoolies, but what about the other stuff: slushbox trannies, gas versus diesel, power steering, etc. What do you think? Personally, I don't see a need for any of that: my skoolie has a 5+2 non-synchronised transmission, manual steering, & a gas engine. I'd rather have a diesel (6MPG sucks!), but I don't want an auto or power steering. | ||
| FAST FRED (63.215.231.154) Rating: N/A |
If you drive over 25 or 30,000 miles every year (200,000 better)a diesel might be less costly , but for the usual 10,000 miles a year , your GAS engine is far better. If you figgure that you might own it long enough to have the engine go south, realize a rebuilt DD is $12,000 from DD , a brand new gas engine is $2,500 with 70 years of improvements , free. An oil change on a gas is 7 Quarts , a DD 7 gallons. A cooling system will hold almost 100 quarts of antifreez mix , thats 25 gallons! Your gasser does not usually rust the cylinder walls if it sits too long , diesels DIE from non use. And many many overweight diesel coaches don't even get the 6 mpg you do. Every coach owner is delighted that the engine is robust enough that it can be run on the gov all day , full tilt , flank speed , and has less wear/harm than ideling , BUT the price for full throttle fun can get high , if anything wears out. Auto tranny , Slushpump, might be needed if the wife drives and the clutch pedal is too heavy for her.Otherwise its a great loss to convert from a stick. Power steering , great if you have the unit overhauled to get the slop out . The thrill of finger touch parking is usually balanced against 12 hour days of hearding , not driving , with a sloppy sterring. Others OPINIONS will no doubt vary. FAST FRED | ||
| Johnny (63.159.189.63)
Rating: N/A |
I don't mean a Detroit in a skoolie--I mean something like a Cummins 5.9 litre, or a Navistar T444 or DT466. I have a T444 (aka the 7.3 IDI-turbo) in my F-350, & I love it: it'll pull a house, & gets 19MPG in a 7000+lb pickup. It would probably get ~10-12 in a skoolie. I wish I got 6MPG--my worn-out 370 is lucky to get 3MPG. | ||
| R. TERRY (64.12.105.181)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny, You remind me of the guy who tried to feed a hamburger to a horse. So what was your point? I have a schoolie and a Greyhound bus and there's scarcely any comparison between the two. It's almost like the difference between coaching Little League and pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks. FAST FRED, a big league player in his own right, gave a fine Devil's Advocate response on behalf of the schoolie argument. But somehow I don't think you see the big picture. However, if schoolie is your thing, I guess it's best to like it -- a lot. After all, who needs a Detroit Diesel when you have a perfectly good Ford? Just wondering. R. Terry | ||
| Johnny (63.159.192.77)
Rating: N/A |
I asked about others' preferences: gas versus diesel, automatic versus manual, power steering or not. I didn't say anything about skoolies versus coaches--I know this board is mostly coach people. I said I prefer diesels due to better mileage & more torque. They also have longer engine life (my 370 crapped out at <200K, the wrecker I drive turned 400K on the untouched diesel last week). He mentioned downsides to the big Detroits. I said I didn't WANT a Detroit, I wanted either a Cummins ISB or an International MDT engine. (Though I certainly wouldn't turn down a Cat or John Deere diesel!) The only reason I have a gas bus is it was FREE. Well, that & 5+ months of searching failed to turn up a diesel/manual skoolie in decent shape. The manual steering, 2-speed rear axle, & A/C are nice bonuses. I physically CANNOT drive a coach (nor afford one) or a transit--it makes me sick. | ||
| Donn (67.193.140.147)
Rating: N/A |
Jonny, For my 2 cents,I vote Diesel over gas for a lot of reasons,initial cost not being one of them.From personal experiance,Diesels are longer lasting and more trouble free.For occasional use in a bus this is not as big an advantage,but still an advantage.I have a dt466 in a tandem dump that I bought new in 1983.It has never been touched accept for oil changes.After 300,000 miles, it still does not use a drop of oil between changes,and breezes through emission testing with13.4% opacity.(50% allowed)I can't think of a better engine for a schoolie.As for transmission,I prefer a manual,untill I'm sitting in traffic for 2 hours,then an auto starts looking pretty attractive.-Donn | ||
| Paul Tillmann (209.23.54.79)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny, I ditto Donn. I just like diesels and manual trans better. They are both simpler to work on, don't require as much periodic service and are generally built for the long haul. Now you have 4 cents. Paul | ||
| George Webber (209.242.148.130) Rating: N/A |
Me Next! Diesel. Very forgiving, nothing to maintain (oil and filter and valve adjustment) DD 2 stroke 4 valve preferred (6-71 or 8-71), you can’t hurt them! Auto Trans. Less complex to operate and service, no missed shifts on grades going up causing a drop to 5 mph, no missed shifts coming down causing loss of braking Jake Brakes. Simple and easy to use, minor cost compared with brake service and replacement, important safety item Power Steering. A great assist when you need to parallel park or manuver in tight streets or campgrounds made for normal short wheel base RVs. Sloppy steering? Never happen if your equipment is in good repair, and all steering gear better be or you should park it My 85 cents based on long haul driving for the last 40 years and owner of several fleets including all the equipment options George Webber | ||
| Paul Tillmann (209.23.54.79)
Rating: N/A |
Wow!! Now you have 89 cents. Almost a dollar!!! | ||
| Johnny (63.159.193.167)
Rating: N/A |
89 cents? Cool--I can buy a cup of coffee tomorrow on the way to work! | ||
| Peter (Sdibaja) (209.242.148.130)
Rating: N/A |
Lets make it 97 cents total, here is my 8 cents: I lean the way George and Donn do, diesels are easy, and regardless of what some think they can take much neglect and abuse... in a boat, sunk in salt water, refloated and not flushed for two weeks... flush all fuel and oils, spin it wit injectors out, put injectors back in; fire it up and put 2ooo hours on it untill the next service. marine salvage operators do it all the time!! Auto Trans... we come a long way baby, they work fine and any extra fuel cost is a drop in the bucket of the big money spent on other areas of our buses. Who has loose steering with power assist? I never heard of anyone who has that problem unless there is a wornout condition or loose suspension that is not detected. Why grunt! My 4905 tracks straight and true in heavy wind and mountian roads, but the tires are good, the suspension is tight, good shocks, all linkage is tight... If someone has a loose condition please let me know where you ate traveling, I will warn family and frinds to keep of that road! | ||
| Peter (Sdibaja) (209.242.148.130)
Rating: N/A |
One thing a diesel can not take is water in the fuel... how come I never see water seperators on highway diesels? (boats and tractors always have them) | ||
| Johnny (63.159.193.156)
Rating: N/A |
Why grunt with no power steering? I wouldn't know--I don't.  I can steer my skoolie easily with one hand unless completely stopped, & with both hands even then. The huge (30") wheel helps here. I have always & will always want a manual transmission. I want to be in the gear I want, not the one my transmission THINKS I want. | ||
| John the busboy (12.82.137.179)
Rating: N/A |
Hi, I have a school bus. It is diesel, automatic, and has power steering. The automatic is going to be replaced with a 5 speed overdrive Eaton. The nice thing about school buses is the variety of engine and transmission combinations that will work in them. You should get a Medium Duty Truck Service Manual for whoever made your chassis. It will be a gold mine. The bad thing about our school bus is the ride quality. There isn't any. Most of the conversion work I have done so far has been devoted to improving the ride quality....sound reduction as well smoothing out the bumps. Our toy will do 55. It will do it up a 5% grade as well as on flat ground. The OD transmission should give us more top end. It will, also, let the engine run slower. A slower running diesel will last longer and get better mileage. Since this is about having fun, you should pick whatever kind engine you want and go with it. John the busboy | ||
| FAST FRED (65.58.191.90) Rating: N/A |
You can improve the ride in your Skoolie two ways. After the conversion is done , have both ends weighed and go see a knowledgeable spring guy. Springs matched to your axle weight are not very expensive , and work just fine , ask any older Wanderlodge owner. Second choice is a set of 4 air bags , with only enough pressure to raise the coach about 2 inches. When you fall into the "big ones" much of the hard shock is taken up by the air bags. Works for many Dodge chasis MH ( only RV with honest chassis rating + hard ride). FAST FRED | ||
| Ross Carlisle (Ross) (207.88.97.26)
Rating: N/A |
For a small class C type rig, I would be fine with gas engine. For a big 40+' 40,000 pound bus, I think diesel is the only way to go...Not that gas is an option. I havent seen many 40 foot gas pushers on the road I prefer an automatic. I drove both. Drove an Eagle stick and MCI autos. The MCI's I drove with Allison HT740 transmissions could hardly be called slush boxes. The shifts are crisp and clean. Much nicer and easier to drive (especially on hills) than a stick. Ross | ||
| Peter (Sdibaja) (209.242.148.130)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny: "Why grunt with no power steering?" I never do (or would) on the road when moving, but I do parallel park, and have repeatedly needed to do a 6 or 8 point turn in campgrounds and on back roads and parking lots. Going down the road I would turn off the power assist if I could, but would never trade it for when I need it. Would I spend the $ to add power assist or decide to not buy a coach without it? Probably not. Auto Trans: it a blessing in stop and go, especially on hilly ground… and my wife can easily drive if I become ill or tired. And I can easily choose what gear I want to be in, and it stays there until I decide to change it. Would I spend the $ to convert to Auto Trans? Probably yes. Would I decide to not buy a coach without Auto? Maybe. Diesel: no question at all, I would never consider a rig (a vehicle of any kind) of over 15,000 combined GVW without diesel. BTW: they can be had cheap if you want to convert, but you may have to change your gearing to compensate for less RPM than a gas engine. Peter | ||
| Bradd B. Smith (Bbsrtbusproject) (208.26.165.29)
Rating: N/A |
Hi Johnny, My personal preference is a diesel, I have a DD, an allison auto, which shifts very crisply, and one finger power steering. My 40' drives like a big car, gets between 6 and 8 miles per. However, I would not change to this set up in your situation. I agree with Fred that gas is the way to go. If it were me, I would use a fuel injected gasser and the brain to go with it. Less compromise than a carb. I have looked at some real nice skoolie's. There is quite a bit to favor a diesel in terms of longevity, but for price, gas. I love my flex and love to drive it! Cheers, Bradd | ||
| ron rice (12.228.117.140)
Rating: N/A |
My wife and I purchased a Crown 35' school bus last year. We removed the seats and windows and the interior wall panels. Our focus of use for the bus has changed and therefore we have purchased an MCI. We now have to sell the Crown. School busses are great vehicles, usually well cared for, easy to drive, almost indestructible. We need an over-the-road coach for the amount of travel we may be doing in the future. | ||
| Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.224.197.10)
Rating: N/A |
Hello John; Nuthing wrong with a schoolie. It all depends how you intend to use the bus. For tight, off road or dirt road use a 5 or 6 window school bus conversion can hardly be beat. Very cool. High ground clearance. Tight turning circle. Good departure angles front and rear. Not too tall. A shortie schoolie is hard to beat in that application. Inexpensive also. Like Fearless Fred (a term of affection!) said, short wheelbase 2-ton school bus conversions with gas engines are also less expensive to maintain. For occasional use, nothing beats the gas V8 engine. Seven quarts of oil. By comparision, my 1974 Crown Super Coach 40 foot 10 wheeler (big cam Cummins) has seven (7) different filtures and requires 52 quarts of oil come change time! $Ouch$ 102 quarts of coolant! Sure you have more room inside, but it is very expensive to run down the road. Only gets 8 mpg. Insurance, maintainence--everything is $higher$ It all depends on want you want. Thanks. Henry | ||
| Johnny (63.159.194.58)
Rating: N/A |
My bus is a big one--40' Ford/Thomas. It has a dying 370 gasser, & is getting a built 460 soon. I only WISH it got 8MPG--average is about 2.5 so far  , probably because the engine is shot. I expect 6-8 with the 460. | ||
| Jim Ferry (209.142.165.164)
Rating: N/A |
Johnny, I have a V-8 Cummins in a '66 Chevy School bus I'm stripping to convert my GMC. Drove it back from Montana 3 months ago, 9 1/2 to 10 mpg. 5 speed with 2 speed Eaton rear. Going to sell the motor and trans and have the rest hauled off. Give me a call if you're interested. 970-731-0604 Jim |