| Author |
Message |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 11:52 pm: | |
I attended a very bad ball game tonight so while checking around at the opposing teams charter buses by Busing USA I talked with the drivers.Here is how they rated the buses they run out of the houston hub.
Best bus MCI 45 DL Powerful/dependable/good in wind
2ND Best Vanhool some what dependable good in wind
3RD Best MCI Rensunce dependable not to good in wind.
4TH Best Prevost H3-45 Not dependable/terrlble in wind..
I realize maintenance has a lot to do with dependability, but all the buses where there and they all agreed unanimously about the wind problems on the last two mentiond.
John |
Derek (Derek_L) (172.144.123.115)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 12:36 am: | |
I can speak to the power on this one... when the company is running a bunch of Series 60 engines in different buses, you could find a 102D3 that weighs considerably less than a Prevost H3-45 but has worse power... Cheers, DDEC.
The drivers I've spoken to up here in Canada seem to prefer the Prevost H3 series to the 102D(L) series. They're more driver friendly, and up here, anyway, more dependable. Once again, depends on the company. |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 8:19 am: | |
Derek,
Im out of my class with this one as I have an 04,and must say the Coach USA fleet down here does look a little rough. But the wind was a major concern of these drivers. Do you have any wind in Canada and if so what do your drivers prefer driving in those conditions? |
John that newguy (199.232.244.175)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 8:35 am: | |
They must be all new drivers, huh? Not one mentioned the comfort
and stability of an Eagle's torsion bar suspension? |
James Maxwell (Jmaxwell) (66.81.211.151)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 12:23 pm: | |
Eagles were a dying breed by the time most of the buses mentioned came on the market, except for the D model. Most would argue that the multi-spring, out-board mounted suspension systems that developed in the 90's met or exceeded the Eagle ride, without the porpoising. Add the independant suspension introduced in the 90's on Prevo and MCI. and there is no comparison.
My own non-scientific polling indicates a preference for the H3 among driver's, with a couple prefering the E model MCI. Have only spoken to a couple concerning VanHool and both disliked the hell out of them. Talked to one recently driving a 45' Setra w/ the new 550 Cummins and his opinion was that the entire bunch of all the others were pieces of ---- compared to the Setra! and he claimed to have driven them all on long runs. I don't know how it performed, but it sure was the nicest looking and most appointed that I've ever seen for a charter coach. |
John that newguy (199.232.244.175)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 1:12 pm: | |
That's the funny thing about buses... well... most everything actually.
Everyone's tastes are different, and each vehicle in the same model
range, can be equally as different.
With about 18 Eagles in the fleet at InterCounty Motor Coach
(http://www.gointercounty.com/) each Eagle felt just a little bit
different than the other. I hated to drive a "new" one (back in the '60s)
and preferred to take the oldest one in the fleet. It rode solid;
No "porpoising" at all. The newer models had the bogie in front
of the drive axle and seemed not as stable.. Ahh, but years ago...
My only preference to converting an MC9 rather than my favorite
driving machine, is the view from the floor. If I converted an Eagle,
we wouldn't be able to enjoy the view out the windshield at the
Long Key State park 1st thing in the morning... With the MC9,
we will. Being reasonably level with the windshield does have it's
merits. |
DrivingMissLazy (66.168.175.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 1:38 pm: | |
Porpoising by the Eagle is caused by bad shocks. At one time it was so bad in mine that I was scared to cross sone of the highway to bridge transitions.
On the advice of the Gregory Brothers at Southern Oregon Diesel, I replaced all shocks with Gabriel Adjustable Air Shocks and it totally eliminated all porpoising.
Richard |
FishbowlBrian (Fishbowlbrian) (67.165.212.171)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 1:54 pm: | |
I think everyone's favorite driver, RJ, needs to chime in with his opinions.
I view RJ's posts like the old commercials that said "when so-and-so speaks, everybody listens."
FBB |
Derek (Derek_L) (172.162.140.128)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 3:28 pm: | |
John,
We've got quite a bit of wind and ice and snow up here (I'm talking to bus drivers crossing the rockies daily), and here's what I've heard:
The H3 Prevost, E4500 MCI and 102D(L) are roughly the same... There is no major difference to the ones we have up here.
In the snow and ice, drivers hate, detest, and loath the E4500... The ones we have don't lock the tag axle at any speed, nor can you by driver control (unlike the 102DL3's so equipped).
Once you get onto snow or ice with those, the tail end of it has a tendancy to whip around on you... Next time you're following an E4500, watch when it makes a sudden lane change (into a turning lane, for example). If it's equipped with a steering tag, you should see the rear end whip about a little bit.. not just track behind the front. |
John Rigby (24.174.238.253)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 4:52 pm: | |
Derek
Thank You, that was very interesting.
John |