| Author |
Message |
Perry W Munger IV (64.81.112.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 2:58 am: | |
You probably get one of these every so often, but I'm actually thinking about converting a 60' articulated bus. I looked at double-deckers, and they end up with short rooflines and so on.
Anyway, I have some questions, of course. I don't mind getting a CDL, and it looks like that is pretty much needed.
I found a MAN for $8900 that seems to be able to handle 52 000 # GVW. Anybody know anything about these buses? I've only found one other conversion in progress and he says he can camp in it. I've also seen people say you can't pull into anywhere with something that long.
Another question: these transit buses are all too short. The MAN seems to be only about eight and a half feet tall from ground up. That's a guess from measuring a bus on my computer from a side-picture and then calculating the height based on the length. Of course, the picture could be screwed...
Anyway, how high can these things go? Can I raise the interior two feet or so to make some basement and put another foot on top, for, say, 12' total height? Keeping it under weight, of course, and keeping all the weight down low...
And, does anyone know how weatherproofed the articulated parts are? |
Earl-8-Ky (199.174.2.189)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 10:43 am: | |
Better check with the DMV. I don't think they are legal on the highways. I am sure they are much more than 81/2 ft. tall. |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 12:28 pm: | |
The massive size of an articulated is certainly appealing. But I think the limitations would outweigh the benefits. Also, parts will be VERY expensive so you will want a phat pocketbook. IFRC, the articulated joint costs something like 25 grand if you have to replace it. . .(someone posted the cost on this BB once - search the archives) All parts shipped from Germany.
If it were me, I'd get a 40 or 45 bus and a nice matching, double or tripple axle trailer with brakes. At least that way you can disconnect it if you have to. And probably heaps cheaper in the long run.
You should go to Las Vegas or San Diego or another city that runs the articulated busses and ride around in one for awhile (if you haven't already) to get a feel for them.
I have no idea about the MANN construction and whether a roof raise is plausible. Of course, with enough time, money and engineering ability, anything is possible. But I can imagine big issues trying to raise the articulated joint area. You would probably have to custom fabricate a new, taller, accordian-looking thingo.
If you decide to go this route, the transit would probably have adequate head room to begin with. My Flxible New Look has about 6'7" or so w/o roof raising.
Storage space can be bungled up underneath the floor with a lot of welding or a rack put on the roof.
Scott |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.30)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 12:38 pm: | |
Here are a few threads to get you started:
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/723.html?
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/1562.html?
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/275.html?
Scott |
Skorpio (Skorpio) (24.92.193.195)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 3:15 pm: | |
I too was fascinated with the articulated idea, however;
1) I don't think the MAN in particular, but a lot of the articulateds are rear axle pushers, as in driven at the rear axle, yes the trailer axle, not a stable design for highway speeds. I don't think the MANs are that way.
2) Federal highway safety law prohibits you from riding in a trailer, so if the back is considered a trailer, I would think you would have to have it physically isolated when you are in motion, if it is not considered a trailer then the bus is too long to be on the highway in almost any state regardless of your licence.
3) I lived in Switzerland for a while and articulateds are very common there. Many have single
tire castored axles on the back. This creates 2 problems, first you can't back them up in any kind of controlled manner, and second the bus itself probably violates the federal bridge formula, since the trailer couldn't weigh more than 10,000 lbs and legally drive on the highway.
4) Articulateds only drive on designated routes in cities that have them, In Switzerland they replaced all the intersections with circles to accommodate them. Just because they seem to be able to navigate city roads doesn't mean they are actually manuverable.
5) You probably can't raise the roof without making the roofs hit each other on any kind of grade change.
6) The MAN seems to be mid engined, so I would guess that the toilet would have to be in the trailer, since you probably couldn't find a place for a holding tank in the front. It's all engine and drivetrain between the axles.
7) The rated weight is irrelevant it's 20K on the drive axle, 12K on the steering axle and 10 or 12K on the trailer axle depending on how the local authorities would care to classify it. I would think you better be legal anywhere you go because I would think they are not going to let a road train slide anywhere. Again these buses probably violate these laws as built.
8) CDL is only relevant if the bus is licensed as a commercial coach and insured as a commercial coach (IE: the insurance annual premium would cost you more than the bus).
Given all the issues, if an articulated is still attractive to you, consider an articulated coach instead of a transit. Prevost and Sentra made them, they have storage, high roofs and sufficient axles for highway legality. Good luck finding one though.
After riding in them in Switzerland I can say that 8 to 10 feet of the Swiss busses was almost unusable, it's this big turntable thingy with ramps on it, so you don't net much more than you would in a 45 footer, its pretty much a standing room only area. I'm pretty radical in my thinking of what can be done, and I think a 40 footer with an air braked trailer would be much easier to do. Put the laundry room, storage and a garage in the trailer, and anything else you can do without when on the road. Hell if you get an extra carcass you can make the trailer out of the your spare bus and get more or less the look of an articulated (well minus the bellows). I've come to the realization that what an articulated transit would probably amount to is a 25-30 foot bus with a 20-30 foot trailer. I think you can get more usable space in a 40-45 footer pulling a trailer. Even a 45 gets geographically locked up from a legal standpoint (you can't get from sunshine state east to sunshine state west without violating state laws).
I understand the MAN is a very well built bus but has zero parts availability "on the road" because it shares essentially nothing with truck or other buses as far as parts. If your not a stocking fleet operation, its a black hole. |
Scott Whitney (66.82.9.13)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 01, 2003 - 11:15 pm: | |
IIRC, the articulated busses in Las Vegas do have a set of seats in the pivot area. Might be able to do something with the space, but any cabinetry, plumbing or otherwise normal conversion stuff would be awfully difficult to place there.
Scott |
Busasaurus (24.69.255.205)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2003 - 12:26 am: | |
Take a look at what a group of volunteers in Seattle did with a MAN 60 foot artic. They built a "state of the art" emergency communications vehicle with all the comforts of home.
www.theaov.com
Bryan
Vancouver BC |
Dale MC8 (66.42.74.119)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 5:39 pm: | |
Take a look at "FOOL BUS"
Among an bunch of other stuff there is a section on converting a 60' articulated MAN.
HTH
Dale MC8 |
Dale MC8 (66.42.74.119)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 07, 2003 - 5:51 pm: | |
Take a look at "FOOL BUS" www.oneota.com/~petersburg/links.html Among a bunch of other stuff there is a section on converting a 60' articulated MAN.
HTH
Dale MC8
Sorry, misrepresented the site before |
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