| Author | Message | ||
| Le Roy Achoy (Roy_achoy)
Registered Member Username: Roy_achoy Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2008 Posted From: 69.231.221.193 Rating: N/A |
The wife and I looking to fulltime. I am looking at getting a coach but have some Questions. We are looking to bring along with Us a Suzuki Samari and my 19ft Power Cat boat. I have seen a 1991 BLUEBIRD ALL AMERICAN 84 PASSENGER BUS 186,361 MILES ON A CUMMINS DIESEL 8.3L ENGINE& AN ALLISON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. for sale in AZ. I was thinking that a small rear garage to hold the Samuri and two Endruo motorcycles that way I can tow the boat my wife likes to fish. (the boat and trailer are less than 1000lbs.) I need some head room as I am 6'4" do these 84 pass bluebirds have much head room? What mpg can I expect? I have a cabinet maker buddy that can build the interior. I have years of experianace working on Cars. including engine building. Am I looking at this the wrong way wanting to bring my boat and a Samuri. Any Input would be great. Thanks Roy | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 530 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.91.40 Rating: N/A |
Roy, the standard height is 6ft2in they have a 6ft5in don't that model have a forward engine and leaf springs and with the low gearing I would not count on good fuel mileage | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 142 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.90  Rating: N/A |
Don't think I would do it but a friend had a trailer set up to haul his Jeep with the boat on pivots over the top of the Jeep. Once the car was unloaded the boat lowered to a more normal position to launch it. Was pretty heavy, but then he built everything that way. Jim is no longer with us, and I don't have any more details, it's was quite a few years ago. Good luck Don 4107 | ||
| Mel La Plante (Mel_4104)
Registered Member Username: Mel_4104 Post Number: 62 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 154.5.112.191 Rating: N/A |
with what you are thinking of doing you are looking at the right type of bus as it has a heavy frame in it where any gm has no frame. be sure that you can mount a heavy tow hitch on it as you will have to work around the engine so that you can remove it if required at a latter date. it looks like you intend to use it on some gravel type roads so this is a good bus for that as those school buses are for rural use as well as town driving, this gives them good clearance from the road. you would be better off with a stick shift than the auto for getting in and out of places like boat ramps and driving steep hills and you would get much better milage with the manual gear box. however they are hard to find as schools find it very expensive repairing manual trannys because the drivers cannot shift gears, this goes for the new breed of grayhound driveres also. not to say all those drivers only know how to steer and stop but it sure covers a lot of them. i looked at doing this when i first got the bus itch and bought 3 to make one good one however the wife changed that idea [ i liked it] good luck on what ever you do, and as FF will say do it your way. | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Registered Member Username: Drivingmisslazy Post Number: 2086 Registered: 1-2001 Posted From: 75.108.85.14 Rating: N/A |
My son in law had a double deck trailer that he used to transport two sand rails. Drive the first one on, put up the rails and then drive the second one on. It worked real great until one time he forgot to put the rails on before backing the top unit off. It ended up standing straight up but really didn't hurt anything except his ego. LOL Richard | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 455 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 208.100.193.14 Rating: N/A |
A stock bus of any type will be a chalenge for your hight. Check out the campers bus that went thru a roof raise , a better chance at 6.6 inside. You definatly want a non monocoque coach (NOT A GM) as a base if its going to tow many tons of goodies . FF | ||
| Tom Christman (Tchristman)
Registered Member Username: Tchristman Post Number: 12 Registered: 1-2006 Posted From: 66.218.33.156 Rating: N/A |
One of the reasons I bought a transit was because of the 6'10" headroom (I'm 6'3"). But-the engine/transmission on most transits are built on a sub frame or engine cradle that the trailer hitch is attached to. I pull my turbo diesel MB but don't feel anything more could be pulled. What you are looking at will work well since the bus is built on a truck frame. Raising the roof on such a bus is a big job but not impossible. For the price, I would use that. Personally, I'm using my old Kenworth for my next conversion and having a 32ft custom box made for it. Good Luck, TomC |