| Author |
Message |
jared (209.237.13.146)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 10:45 am: | |
I am very intrigued by some of the earlier discussions here regarding the RTS buses, so I thought I would ask a few questions.
Does anyone know the exact structural makeup of the RTS?
Is it 100% aluminum?
Is it 100% stainless steel?
Is there any regular steel in the structure?
Does this construction apply for every year the RTS was made, or were some years built with much more rust potential than others?
Has anyone ever experienced a serious rust problem with an RTS?
Has anyone ever attempted to raise and RTS roof? 6'8" is nice, but it is tempting to raise it another 8".
Does anyone know of any good West Coast dealers?
thanks again everyone, and nice work here.
Sincerely,
Jared |
Geoff (Geoff) (64.1.0.144)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 11:10 am: | |
The RTS uses a unique construction of either 96" or 102" 5' 409 stainless steel modules welded together to form the bus shell. One center section can be left out to construct a 35' shell, and the rear door section can be replaced my a center section for Suburban buses. There is mild steel that houses the rear end and front suspension, and some of the later RTS had mild steel bulkheads. With 7,500 spot welds and 440 feet of arc welds the body is very solidly constructed.
You can't raise the roof easily on an RTS like other buses due to the modular construction. Some people had added another roof to their RTS to have a "double-decker", and one brave soul actually did raise the body and the floor. I have never seen this project.
Even though the body won't rust, there is a rust problem in the mild steel frame sections with buses that are run on salty roads in the winter. There are several bus dealers in California that sell RTS's, but the best place to buy an RTS is at an auction, otherwise you are paying a hefty middle-man markup.
If you want more information on the RTS and possible places to buy or look at one join the RTS Yahoo group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RTS-bus-nuts
--Geoff
'82 RTS CA |
David & Lorna Schinske (Davidschinske) (64.24.236.56)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 11:21 am: | |
Get what you really like. They all have drawbacks and they all have alot going for them. The RTS folks LOVE their RTS's, the MCI folks LOVE their MCI's,the GMC folks LOVE their GMC's and the Eagle folks LOVE their Eagle's. The responses will be a bit biased. We looked at an RTS that had the entire baggage bays rusted away. Decided that an Eagle (first choice) couldn't be any worse. Ended up buying an Eagle 05 that was well within our budget. Kept telling hubby when the time was right one would come along! An Eagle was the look David wanted. He had looked at them for years when we would travel. Given what we do for a living, we also decided that we could do a better job than most commercial "sticks-&-staples" jobbies out there. I got my windows out of a Winnabago that had rolled over. Side windows were still good as the sides had just laid down flat (along with everything inside) when it rolled. THAT was a reassuring sight! And folks keep saying we could buy a motorhome cheaper than converting a bus...yeah, at what risk!
Lorna |
Joe Beleskey (204.225.67.17)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, January 29, 2003 - 2:53 pm: | |
Transit Sales International, Riverside Ca. has a yard full of RTS. Contact Don Prather www.transitsales.com |
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