| Author | Message | ||
| Curtis (66.68.232.58) Rating: N/A |
Does the extra six inches make much of a differance when converting a bus into a coach? Cheers Curtis | ||
| Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.122.252)
Rating: N/A |
Yes, the extra 6" makes a difference-- that little bit of room does make the bus interior just a little roomier. Numbers don't translate well onto the page-- you really have to go inside a 96" bus and 102" bus to notice the difference. --Geoff '82 RTS CA (102") | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.12) Rating: N/A |
.5' (six inches) x 35' (~ usable length) x 6.5' (~ average height) = ~114 sq. feet. Every little bit helps. Think of it as about an extra leg's width on aisles, doorways, around the bed etc. Course, that little six inches also makes tight cornering that much more fun. . . But if given the choice of 102" or big baggage bays, I'd take the bays. The grass is always greener on the other side. . . If you have deep pockets, you can get 102" AND big bays with a late model Prevo or MCI etc. (Are Eagle 15s 102"? Seem to recall the NJT Eagle 15s as 102" . . . maybe I'm dreaming.) Or an RTS gives you 102" and medium size bays. Scott Flxible New Look (102") (No decent sized bays) | ||
| Larry Baird (Airhog) (66.171.52.125)
Rating: N/A |
An extra 6" in a 35' bus is 17.5 sq. ft. (still makes a difference) and 113.75 cubic ft. and that only makes a difference after dinner. | ||
| Curtis (66.68.232.58) Rating: N/A |
Scott, it makes perfect sense. The extra 6 inches looks better as 17.5 sq. ft. (Larry, thanks for the correction)! I think the Eagle 15 came 102 inches “seated buss" in 1985. The MCI 102A2 “seated bus” was introduced in the mid 80’s as well Provost also in the mid 80’s with the LeMirage. As my pocket are not real deep, but wanting to get the best bang for the buck (with as much storage as I can possibly afford). It looks as though the early models of these units should be looked into. Thanks again Curtis | ||
| Erich (216.132.61.162) Rating: N/A |
What kind of vehicles do the people who are members of FMCA own? Erich | ||
| Curtis (66.68.232.58) Rating: N/A |
I have another one; Is a Stick and Staple set-up, 96 inches or less? Cheers Curtis | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.19) Rating: N/A |
Oops. I meant cu.ft. not sq.ft. in my final figure. I rounded 113.7 to 114. I didn't "show my work" obtaining square feet in between. Scott | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong) (24.127.74.29)
Rating: N/A |
Curtis - Most late-model factory RVs are 102", such as the one you referred to on eBay. . . The 102" width was legalized in 1985/6, so you won't find much prior to that period in a wide-body. The exceptions are the MC-6 and Eagle 07, of which there were only about 150-200 built in 1969-1970, combined, so they're very rare today. RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.122.252)
Rating: N/A |
Well, the RV folks are savy-- the english language is subject to popular change, so if everyone calls a pop-up trailer a "coach,", then it will be included in the next edition of Websters as such. As we get older we see this happen with many words, and especially with slang. --i.e. one day my 19 year old son walked in my bus while I wa working on it and asked me if I was "balling" in the bus yet. Being a child of the '60's, I was shocked (to say the least). So chosing my words carefully, I asked him what the hell he meant!? It turns out that "balling" now means "partying"-- geezz... --Geoff '82 RTS CA | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.23) Rating: N/A |
Hahaha LOL. Thought maybe you had just installed a King-size bed platform with all the extra width the 102" provides and were getting ready to christen the coach. . . Scott | ||
| Mike Stabler (Docdezl) (64.255.109.182)
Rating: N/A |
The 6" is most important between the chairs and couch in the living area (knees). Also adds the "just right " spacing in the bays for tanks,rods,ladders,skis,poles,bars and,Harley. Smoke,rattle &,stink docdezl | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess) (65.130.10.189)
Rating: N/A |
"Course, that little six inches also makes tight cornering that much more fun. . ." Depends on the bus. A Prevost Le Mirage XL (102") turns tighter than the 96" wide Prevosts. | ||
| Jayjay (152.163.205.73) Rating: N/A |
Hey Steve- an XL turns tighter than my 'ol Buffalo too, BUT Monsieur Mark Bourget has shown me the way to correct that. More later! ...JJ | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.225) Rating: N/A |
If your used to boating or camping in a smaller vehicle , any sized bus will have a huge amount of room. If your fresh out of a tacky box , everything will seem way to small , see the posts from the folks that NEED doubble decker articulated's to "camp". For camping up to 6 months a year the smaller sizes will allow getting to many more "pretty places" than the big boxes. More back roads , more old state , county & provincal parks, far easier driving "downtown" hitting the historical sights & museums. For full timing, try a year in a 20 ft buggy , then the buses room will be fine. The difference in interior size usually effects the amount of junk you can bring with you , not the amount of room you get to live with. The big box ,extra volume is great , if you "have to have " your grandmaws wedding album & tons of lifetime memoribelia.Dont leave home with out your first set of ice skates , size 5. Very few folks do so much dry remote camping that the volume is used for consumable supplys. I would worry far more about the actual condition of the coach , RV or shell your purchasing than the inside size. It will ALL get filled up , just with the smaller coach to have a great lifestyle you will need more carefully thought out workmanship. NO Home Depot cabinets , everything needs to be custom built for max room in any coach. First figgure out what you think you want to DO with the coach , then comes the plan on how to do it. FAST FRED | ||
| Ace (24.28.44.126) Rating: N/A |
I beg to differ about the Home Depot cabinets! I have seen many coaches with HD cabinets in them that fit nicely and are affordable for the newbie. | ||
| Curtis, Texas (66.68.232.58) Rating: N/A |
Fred, yes I agree that with the added width a person would have to always keep this in mind when planning an excursion. I'm sure there are places that a 35-45 ft. 102 in. wide bus would have a hard time getting to or around. But were? Fred and All were would a 96-inch wide bus go were a 102 can't? To some, this may sound like a useless discussion, but for Newbie it give a little insight on the pros and cons of buying a 35-45 ft., 96 or 102 wide bus to convert. Humm, do you guys have an obstacle course to see who can out drive, out park, out maneuver each other at these Buss-ins? Sounds like an interesting venue for the next one if not. Cheers Curtis | ||
| Mike Stabler (Docdezl) (64.255.109.203)
Rating: N/A |
IMHO that 6" gives you just enough room to fit a couch either direction w/bed. Cabinets with enough depth for drawers to hold real home stuff with an opposing table that can hold 4 plates and coffee cups. Wine glasses and candles optional. And just maybe it will keep you from punching a hole in the side of your coach for a slide-out. Even though it is fun on sunday afternoon at the campground, watching NASCAR drinking.....tea and watching the slides being pulled "in" with a come-a-long hooked to the magazine rack! Smoke,rattle &,stink docdezl | ||
| Scott Whitney (66.82.9.14) Rating: N/A |
>>[Where] would a 96-inch wide bus go were a 102 can't? I guarantee you that there are turns that a 40' x 102" bus can NOT make that a 35' x 96" bus can make. I like the interior space, but size DOES matter. If you want lower-stress driving/parking, go with a smaller bus. If you want more space, but a higher stress driving/parking experience, go with a big one. There is a telephone pole in Van Nuys and a tree in San Diego that can attest to the full width of my 102" bus. . . (good thing for rub-rails) But then, part of the fun of driving these monsters, is seeing just how far one can push the envelope. . .(safely, of course) Scott | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.225) Rating: N/A |
Cabinets consist of 4 seperate parts , The Box , The drawers , the drawer face , the counter top. On my coach I built the "BOX" as the Home Depot chip board is not designed to hold a Suburban Furnace, a hot water heater or even flat 55 g fresh & waste tanks. Nor designed to be bolted down securly. So 5 ply 1/2 inch ply was used for stiffness and to keep everything as light as possable & still be strong enough to stay in place on a roll over. Std. marine construction. The drawers are all custom built on 150# rollers to fit the cabinets , and feature smooth handles (to not bruise a passing person) and of course great tough button locks to firmly secure the drawers. The drawer faces are from my next door neighbor who was tossing out solid Beach faces from a very large kitchen to get plastic! His choice, or more likely his wife's. (UGH Plastic!) His loss , my gain!!! The counter TOPS too are Formica , from a huge fancy kitchen where someone needed "solid Granite" to feel worthy to reheat the paper cup of Starbucks, and the Chinese takeout. For most folks it is harder to adust the HD cabinet to have a proper "feel" in the coach , than it is just to build the boxes. Most folks are used to a certain scale , and the coach interior can comfortablly fit a full sized person with only a bit of work , and at far less cost & time than comes from HD boxes. FAST FRED | ||
| Ace (24.28.44.126) Rating: N/A |
They do make very good plastic items these days that look and wear as good as wood and sometimes more affordable"! Ace | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.30) Rating: N/A |
To properly mount chip board would require more work than just building a box, no matter what your skill level is. Is it really necessary to have 150# rollers on your kitchen drawers? YES ,unquestionably, with canned goods stowed in drawers , and some roads that have potholes in them , a 2G load factor is being prepared. FAST FRED | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.43.142)
Rating: N/A |
Ok, so I'm not coming back 'til Monday night, so you two behave, ok? That was WAY too much work to fix that!! :-) Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy) (66.190.119.82)
Rating: N/A |
Boy, I@N, that is sure leaving the barn door wide open to give them advance notice of your being gone. LOL Richard | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.43.1)
Rating: N/A |
It was a setup, RB! I NEVER leave, really. ;-) Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| FAST FRED (209.26.115.230) Rating: N/A |
BIG BROTHER NEVER SLEEPS! Sorry you feel you have to edit the posts when the ruckus starts . We try to keep our anamosity clean , even although we seem to disagree on about everything. FAST FRED | ||
| Ace (24.28.44.126) Rating: N/A |
Sorry Fred, but we don't dis-agree on everything. We both agree that you needed smooth handles on your kitchen drawers for one reason! | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.43.1)
Rating: N/A |
Mother said I'd have days like this!! Ian www.busnut.com | ||
| Ace (24.28.44.126) Rating: N/A |
Aw I@N come on! Take a chill! At least we're not using profane lanquage... YET!  Ace | ||
| Johnny (67.241.166.66)
Rating: N/A |
True--we might start using words like @#$%^&, or #$%^&, or maybe #@$%^&. Oh, and you can't forget the ever-popular #$%^&*&^%$%^&**&^%$%^&!!! But did Mother mention there'd be so many? | ||
| Ian Giffin (Admin) (64.228.43.132)
Rating: N/A |
! |