It seemed like the bargain of the (LAST) century. Money was tight, and we'd found a “deal” on some slightly used tires. Little did we know…
Publishers Note: This article was written by a retired passenger bus driver. However, I tweaked it a bit to tailor it to bus conversion owners, as the same principles apply.
The tire size was right, they had TONS of remaining tread, and the ply rating seemed appropriate. “Ply rating” was the old way of measuring tire strength…sorta.
So, we blithely began mounting them on our passenger coaches. We weren't too sophisticated back then, so it was a bit of a surprise when one of our geniuses noticed that the sidewalls were stamped “DO NOT EXCEED 50 MPH”. We'd bought used tires rated for transit use, not highway use, and all that extra tread generated too much heat to be safely run at highway speeds.
Publishers Note: School buses could have the same tires, as they seldom exceed 50 MPH.
Athletes understand there's a critical balance between weight and speed. If you're fat, it's hard to go fast and to maneuver.
One thing the regulators are beginning to take very seriously is bus weight and its relationship to speed and safety. For years, most states didn't require buses to be weighed, and as a result, we've been living in a bit of a dream world. More passenger buses will now be scaled, and inspectors will look closely at weight-related factors.
Motorcoach builders and operators have used weight approximations to determine coaches' maximum seating and baggage capacity, but those calculations have been based on what our ancestors weighed. The GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) placard mounted in every coach is a no-nonsense indication of how much that vehicle can safely carry at its rated speed at the time of the build.
We Americans are chubbier than previous generations (and, with luck, we are taller, too). If manufacturers assume that passengers weigh 150 lbs., but the average is closer to 200 lbs. nowadays, and if every seat on the bus is occupied and luggage bays are full, the coach probably exceeds its GVWR. Pull into a weigh station for inspection, and there will be trouble.
Just because (obsolete) estimates allow the manufacturer to install 57 seats in a bus doesn't mean the bus will always be under its designed maximum weight if all the seats are occupied. Don't blame the builders; transportation companies pushed them for more capacity.
A vehicle's GVWR is based on several factors, including some variables, and makes suppositions about operating parameters like speed and temperature. Manufacturers certify a vehicle assuming it doesn't exceed its rated speed and presuming that replacement tires and brakes are at least equal in performance to the ones initially installed.
If a builder rates a coach at 71 MPH and it's involved in an accident while fully loaded at 75 MPH, it was speeding, AND it was overweight, then you are in deep doo doo, and good luck explaining that to your insurance company. Regulators may have figured this out, but the good news is that most of them don’t read BCM. Luckily!
To ensure your safety, and the safety of your passengers, tie your governor down to the manufacturer's original specifications or lower.
When a coach's specifications call for “H” rated tires, and you’re running “G”'s, it's incapable of safely operating at normal weight and speed.
Underinflated tires can't safely carry as much weight as fully inflated ones.
Folks, if I know this stuff, surely sophisticated law enforcement people (and crafty lawyers) do too.
This weight thing isn't just about avoiding fines; it's about safety. Blowouts at increased speed limits and tire fires are serious business. A blowout can cause a bus driver to lose control and careen off the highway, or worse, cross into oncoming traffic on a highway.
Transportation companies can't weigh every coach each time it departs the station or when another passenger climbs aboard. In your case, weighing a fully converted bus is highly recommended. Fill the seats with friends, as customers may take offense at being driven over a scrapyard scale.
You might be surprised to learn how heavy your bus is. Many converted buses are over the limit when fully loaded, especially with full water and fuel tanks. Liquids are heavy, at around eight pounds per gallon. If your bus weighs over the GVWR, you may be putting your life in danger every time you drive your bus. Driving slower than the speed limit may help, but it is not completely foolproof.
When the Sumo Wrestling Club charters a bus, we always leave some seats empty. Since they only wear loincloths, actual luggage weight is not really a factor. When laying out a bus conversion, using 2x4's for studs, or building your walls with sheetrock, is way overkill, as are many of the materials used in today's DIY conversions. But we see it all the time, only adding more weight to the bus.
Double down on tire maintenance and awareness. If bus specifications call for G-rated tires, installing H-rated tires buys an extra margin of safety, especially if you are driving a fully converted bus, and if you added a roof rack or other appendages, you are pushing your limits not only on the additional weight, but also reducing the insurability of your bus. If you run several buses, and some of your buses call for H-rated tires and others G-rated tires, installing all H's eases administration and reduces opportunities for errors.
When air pressure is correct, tires last longer and save fuel. More importantly, they're much less likely to fail catastrophically. Spare tires also need to be correctly rated and properly inflated otherwise you are just asking for trouble.
Rather than shop for tires based on price, find a first-rate supplier who can keep you informed on tire ratings and everything you know a little about. Knowing A LOT is becoming critical as buses become more sophisticated.
On buses with tire monitoring systems, ensure they work correctly and drivers heed any alerts. You should understand that sensors must be mated with the coach the tire is mounted on. Systems get confused when you take a tire from one bus.... and mount it on another bus without a proper introduction.
Besides the Sumo wrestlers, tires seem to be the weight-related item passenger bus owners can control most. For converted bus owners, the stuff you build inside can make a significant difference, and the weight should be evenly distributed, front to back and side to side, for your own safety and the safety of your passengers.
Dave Millhouser started driving buses cross-country for a non-profit Christian organization called “Young Life” as a summer job in 1965. They carried high school kids from the East Coast to ranches in Colorado in a fleet that consisted of three 1947 Brills, a 1947 Aerocoach, and a 1937 Brill. Their fleet grew to 23 buses and traveled all 48 contiguous states and much of Canada.
When Young Life dropped their bus program, Dave ended up selling parts for Hausman Bus Sales. In 1978 Dave was hired by Eagle International to sell motorcoaches and spent the next 30 years doing that… 13 years with Eagle, as well as stints with MCI, Setra, and Van Hool. His first sale was an Eagle shell for a motorhome, and his career ended selling double-decker Van Hools.
Dave had a side career in underwater photography/writing, and Bus and Motorcoach News asked him to do a regular column in 2006. Millhouser.net is an effort to make those columns available to bus people.
If you find value in them, feel free to use them at no charge. Dave would ask that you consider a donation to the AACA Museum aacamuseum.org in Hershey, Pennsylvania. They recently merged with the Museum of Bus Transportation, and maintain a fleet of 40 historic coaches, lots of bus memorabilia, and hundreds of antique automobiles.
If you are anywhere near Hershey… Dave says, “You will love it.”
In May of 2015, the Editor of Bus & Motorcoach News called Dave a Bad Example for Motorcoach Drivers… his proudest accomplishment to date. Read the columns and you’ll see why.
Click here to reach Dave by email: davemillhouser@icloud.com
Click here to visit his website: https://www.millhouser.net/
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