| Author | Message | ||
| rdub Rating: N/A |
For anyone who might know...where is the "coolant LEVEL sensor" (read "LEVEL", not "TEMPERATURE") located on a 1990s RTS. It is NOT in the radiator surge tank as I expected. I don't have a whole bus to look at, only the engine. Thanx, rdub | ||
| Pete RTS/Daytona Rating: N/A |
Rdub The Coolant Level Probe "IS" in the surge tank. Part # G1000266 - it is on the opposite side of the surge tank fill cap and below the relief valve send me your email address and I'll email the page from the parts manual Pete RTS/Daytona .____________ /_][][]/____/[]_| 1989 RTS-II T70206 6V92-TA DDEC-II V731 4.10/24.5 *--O-----------O-* Daytona FL.-Hard Beaches/Soft Women (386)672-0571 | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
Speaking of RTS buses...there seems to have been some "long haul variants" made, like this one: http://www.a-zbus.com/listings/l0074.html Note the seats, the overhead racks, the transmission ("ZF 5-speed"? Would that be manual or auto?). Am I right in thinking this is more likely to be highway geared? They want a lot of money for 'em though  . | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Jim - Those RTS's you've linked to are former Golden Gate Transit units out of the SF Bay Area. Several are Suburbans, with only the front door. They were used on the long-haul commuter runs from the Santa Rosa area into the City (which are now being handled by MCI D4500s). IIRC, they have 4.56:1 rear axles, giving them a top speed of about 65 or so. If you look around, some of the old GGT GMC Fishbowl suburbans show up for sale now and then - 8V71/V-730/4.10:1 powertrains - they'll run with "The Big Dogs".  The ZF transmissions are automatics. Yup, A-Z wants an unrealistic amount for them, considering they all sold at auction for $500 - $2500 or so. . . FWIW, RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A |
RJ-- they didn't go that cheap! Minimum sealed bid was $4,000 ea. last year. My RTS is an ex-GGT. --Geoff '82 RTS CA | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Geoff - I remember that auction. Guess I was thinking about one they had three or four years ago. . . Was yours one of the Suburban models? Can't remember at the moment. . . Oh, check your private email. Another busnut sent me a question I can't answer, but I'm sure you can, so I'm forwarding it on to you. RJ | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
Heh...yeah, I probably rode those when I was in the Bay Area, I've taken that GG Transit route up to Santa Rosa from San Fran. So OK, they're really worth maybe $8k-$9k or so tops and with 10 on hand, those guys might take that. Are those buses maybe worth dealing with? Do they have enough undercarriage for 100gallons fresh/100 waste and a small 4kw or so genset? Any guess what milage they might get with that drivetrain? | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Jim - Geoff's the one to talk to regarding these units. He's got a BEAUTIFUL ex-GGT RTS. Click on his name in the above posting of his to send him a note. RJ | ||
| David Hancock (Daveh)
Rating: N/A |
These units are pretty much normal RTS's with the added Parcell Racks and seat riser's. Reading lights, small things like that were added. If they were muzzle loaders(no rear exit door)thats a plus for converters. They were built on the same assembly line, just remove the exit door module, replace with another module. The risers and parcel racks were added off the assembly line because they were a large option.As far as room underneath for tanks and such,others have more expereince, mine is limited to building them not converting. I still think they are way high on price. Hope that helps Dave H. | ||
| Pete RTS/Daytona Rating: N/A |
Jim Don't Underestimate the RTS - Mostly Stainless Steel Unibody construction - comes in 35' or 40 ' and 96' or 102" wide bodies. Mines powered by a 6V92TA / V731 w/4.10 gears My 35' 102" wide '89 RTS has - 140 gallons diesel - 95 gallons waste - 92 gallons fresh - a 7kw Generator - washer/dryer - walk-thru bath with neoangle shower - huge closets (the bedroom closet (over the engine) is 6' wide 20' deep and 4' high). the hall closet is 5' wide 24" deep and floor to ceiling - by the way, my finished ceiling height (with twin 15K BTU Dometics a/c units - fully ducted) is 78" - (and that's with an average of (2 3/4") of insulation in the ceiling Plus an approx 8' x 5' x 20" storage bay (1 in the 35 footer - 2 in the 40 footer) Drove it 2000 miles home from California with the original 5.13 rear and got 7 MPG - I expect close to 9/10 with my 4.10 - IT drives like a "baby carriage" top speed = 78 MPH - cruises at 72 Pete RTS/Daytona  | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
Ohhhkay, sounds interesting enough. They certainly look nice enough, esp. being 102". And the water tanks you managed are good enough. Questions: 1) What did it cost to go to the 4.10 rear end? 2) What's the situation with doing a hitch? Is there anything more substancial to work off of than just the engine cradle? And if that IS all there is, any guess as to what total trailer weight and hitch weight can be supported? I'd need a dead minimum of 400lbs hitch weight and 4,000 towing... | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
1) 4.10:1 rear end gearsets alone run about $2000, plus installation, which should be done by someone who's VERY familiar with rebuilding rear axle gearsets. 2) The RTS was designed by GMC - their engine cradle's basically the same as other V-drive coaches. You decide. Towing weight's not so much an issue as is tongue weight. 300 lbs or less is considered ideal w/ a GMC powertrain configuration. Suggest a "Tuff-Tow" for the trailer tongue, it will help solve lots of the problems you keep running into concerning pulling a heavy trailer: http://www.tufftow.com/index.html Everything's a compromise. . . as I suspect you're beginning to find out. Are we having fun yet, Jim??? RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| Geoff (Geoff)
Rating: N/A |
#1-- A couple of grand for a 4:10 ring and pinion set. #2-- The RTS engine cradle is very beefy-- I tow a 7,000 lb enclosed car trailer off mine or just my 3,600 lb. Sonoma pickup. If you want to have a good 10,000 lb. hitch I would add braces to the bulkhead framework and hitch. In short, the RTS engine cradle and supporting frame is very substantial. If you are interested in converting an RTS there is a great Yahoo discussion group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RTS-bus-nuts --Geoff '82 RTS CA | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
Geoff, give us all a link to your bus site. Hey guys, that is the most beautiful and well converted RTS I have ever seen. I still think someday I might do one of those. | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
You know, Geoff had me digging into the RTS as an option. It's a damned interesting critter. Tough as NAILS and can actually corner . Lots of stainless, rust resistant, unbelievably strong in a crash. With some trickery it seems possible to put over 100gals of fresh water under a rear bed or two and put 125 of waste under the deck. Then you pull the factory AC and put a decent genset in the "back upper corner" above the engine (enough room for at least an 8k diesel and that's enough for me). And the 102" is easy enough to find, although offset by slightly funky inward-sloping walls. Downsides: changing to highway gears can run as much as $2k parts, $1k labor. Runs great down the road when you do though, even with a 730/731 type 3sp auto (which have overdrive). Understorage will still be skimpy although not a total disaster. And a 40ft RTS seems to be about equal to a 38ft anything else due to rear area being eaten up some. Still...the upsides in terms of safety, handling, low cost and easy parts has a LOT of merit. Esp. for somebody like me who plans a trailer anyways which counteracts some of the storage limits. Reading the mailing list FAQ and related was very educational. There's also at least two pro converters specializing in them (more pics of killer RTSs: http://www.candgautomotive.com/ http://limobusmaker.com/ One "problem" was that I was unable to find any pre-converted for sale. Which begs a question: other than not being quite as "streamlined", the Grumman/Flxible 870 seems to be "cut from the same mold" in terms of size, build (monoque aluminum), drivetrain, etc. Walls slope inwards like an RTS but NOT nearly as "steeply". And there's one o' them for sale, right here on this board: http://www.busnut.com/4sale/under.html (close to the bottom of the page) $27k built up pretty nice apparantly, although no generator as yet. But that's OK. Any thoughts on that puppy? More pics of the same unit at: http://users.cwnet.com/~thall/transits.htm Coincidentally, it's less than 100 miles from me, always a happy thing. Anybody have a comparo between the 870 and RTS? | ||
| Don/TX
Rating: N/A |
Jim, you left out one important thing too, in comparison to lets say a 4905, that 40 foot RTS will turn on a dime. Once I think we dug out the figures, it does better than a little 35 foot 4106! Anybody still got those figures handy? (Bet Geoff does) | ||
| Marc Bourget Rating: N/A |
Most RTS converters are missing an approach taken by Pete Plaskove years ago. With guidance from an Automotive engineer, he raised the RTS on the "suspension" and gained all that basement space many claim to be "missing". Talented and consicencious types like Geoff can work around the basement limitation. But it's possible to enjoy the best of both, with a little effort. Onward and Upward | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
Heh. I'm freaky enough that I like the idea of a bus that *corners* . (Heck, I'm warped enough to try and shoehorn an 8V92T @ 450hp in there down the road.) No lift kit for me thanks............. Waaaaaaiiiiiiiit a second. Hold it. My admittedly warped brain just realized something. Something major. How much does that factory RTS AC unit weigh again? The big sucker up above the engine? Believe me, I have a good reason for asking. A *real* good reason. | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
OK, found the answer in the FAQ for RTS-bus-nuts on yahoo groups: "The Air Handler box is very heavy (like 500 to 700 lbs) you will need a Fork Lift to break it loose and lift it off the bus." OK. So what does this mean? Heh. I means solving the storage issue. BIGTIME. Even ditching the trailer. Christ, even out-storaging a freakin' BUFALLO. I'm talkin' about adding a single storage compartment to an RTS, eight feet long, five feet wide, SIX FEET TALL. Without putting another wheel on the ground. Net carrying capacity, at least 1,000 pounds. Say what? OK, we know there's a respectably strong mount point down low, right next to where the grab-hooks are for doing an emergency wrecker tow. The way a big tow truck is supposed to grab these things is by two loops at the under rear, picking the whole back end up. So you come off of that, weld two massive 5ft rods coming straight back off of that same area those rings are at. Same as where you're supposed to put a hitch on these. Now that alone won't hold a small trailer sideways with it's own suspension ripped off. The mount point may be strong enough, but unless it's a damned I-beam from a construction site, they'll fold. But. You punch two holes in the floor of the small trailer body nearest the bus. You put another two such holes in the roof to match. You run heavy tubes down to the two lower supports and straight up in the air. And you weld a hanging cradle FROM WHERE THE AC MOUNT IS, down to those two verticals. Now, you'd have to be able to unbolt this box and flip it out of the way on pivots, so you can get to the engine bay for tuneups, whatever. Not a problem. The point here is that the box would be suspended from the roof from that 500+lbs AC mount AND supported from below off that engine cradle. It would be immensely stable from the broad base of support. You could cut two slots in the rear AC area cap so that it could go back on over the upper cradle assembly and look reasonably good. You could even store something fairly light in there, maybe even a SMALL generator in the 2500watt/100lb range. Mount another small generator down low somewhere; a pair of 2.5kw generators would actually be a damned useful setup. The new "tailbox" could hold one full sized motorcycle plus a moped plus some tools, or whatever. Roll the bikes out, pull up a folding stool, have a small workbench drop down. Extra water, forget it...and no trailer at all, you've used that capacity. But hell, with that size box I could do without. Oh HELL yes. | ||
| James Maxwell (Jmaxwell)
Rating: N/A |
Jim of Cal: That 870 u see on this board belongs to me, The Socialist up North in Anderson. Yes it does have a built in genset, 7kw kohler gas. It also has 4.10 gearing, installed by Southern Oregon Dsl. 7 yrs. ago. Contact me off board if u want more info. | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
Ah. OK, we'll talk in a bit . Yeah, I did finally notice the Kohler in the ad on the other set of classifies, it's missing on this one is all. I noticed the gearing right away, and how useful that would be. | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
Jim in CA - Maybe this would suit your needs??  Seen at the MAK Party in Laughlin NV in 2001 RJ PD4106-2784 Fresno CA | ||
| RJ Long (Rjlong)
Rating: N/A |
OK, let's try again:  | ||
| Jim in California Rating: N/A |
B'Gawd! NICE, but...hmmmm. I'd be concerned with handling, load bearing on that rear axle, basic frame structure modified too much, crosswind compatibility... VERY neat, but in a rig to be retained for 20+ years which is one benefit to the RTS...no...don't think so. |