Serta -vs- MCI -vs- Vanhool

[Geoff]

Yes, I was behind on the news.  I am voting GMC, since my RTS was built by them.  BTW, my RTS was considered a Suburban because it was set up for highways, not curb rubbing!

[RJ]

Disnow -

Altho I am a huge GM PD4106 fan (the "original" Sports Car of Buses - like a '61 Corvette), and tease Geoff about his RTS being the next generation (equal to an '82 Corvette), my preference nowadays is for the MCI (of which I own one.)

I'm not fond of the Eagle, Prevost, Setra and Van Drool design of having the driver sitting with his butt on the pavement and the main salon two feet above him.  May be fine for a revenue service coach, but not for an RV.

MCI is the only manufacturer currently in production that puts the driver basically on the same level as the main floor, thus allowing the navigator to sit alongside and be able to carry on a conversation.  May seem like a simple thing, but ask Mama for her thoughts.

FWIW & HTH. . .

 

[luvrbus]

RJ,Eagle had the option of a passenger and driver on the same level for years they were called high drivers my 15 was a high driver all the Country Coach,Marathon Eagles,and about all entertainer shells were floor level from the front to the rear,the down side some don't like with any make of floor level buses it adds 1 extra step  FWIW & HTH  

[DKO]

Quote:MCI is the only manufacturer currently in production that puts the driver basically on the same level as the main floor

I have not been in a Prevost X3 but the XL and XLII has the driver on the same level as the rest of the floor.

Davy

[luvrbus]

Gary's X3 Prevost is floor level

[chessie4905]

Yes,Cliff, the later RTS models had Zephyr angle drive transmissions. Nick at Nimco had takeout of these and V730's there. They had better gearing than the Allisons, but opinion at that time was that they weren't as reliable and parts were expensive and could be hard to come by in a couple years along with service and repair.

[luvrbus]

The later RTS's had a right turning engine also I have a right turning 6v92 from a RTS

[lostagain]

The advantage to the driver's seat being lower than the pax floor is that there is peace and quiet down there Be it in a revenue coach or a conversion. I do prefer being up higher where the view over the traffic is better though.

JC

[luvrbus]

The advantage to the driver's seat being lower than the pax floor is that there is peace and quiet down there Be it in a revenue coach or a conversion. I do prefer being up higher where the view over the traffic is better though.

JC

I see the MCI J's come both ways, most of the drivers at Arrow prefer the drop down they don't care much for the level seat or the spiral stairs the new J's are plush I would love to have one for a conversion 

[DoubleEagle]

I think we need fewer steps in our coaches because some of us are getting older and we even have visitors that are even older coming on board. We might even need an elevator at some point. We also need more votes for Eagle and Crown. I thought GM's were more difficult to convert, and that parts were scarce. 

[chessie4905]

Just change the entrance steps to an escalator with reversing switches at both ends.

[Iceni John]

We also need more votes for Eagle and Crown.

OK, I've cast my vote, guess what for?

Much though I like Crowns, I'll be the first to say they're not the easiest buses to do a full conversion on, even a pusher like mine.   So saying, they can make very good conversions if enough thought and ingenuity is applied!   Apart from a few body parts, almost everything is still available from NAPA or truck dealers  -  Crown was a small manufacturer, so they bought in almost everything.   Every piece of glass is flat, so no problems there either.   There's virtually nothing I can't still get for now, and I'm also harvesting some spare parts off Crowns like mine that are being stripped at Zachers in Harbor City CA.   Exclusivity is another bonus reason I like my Crown  -  mine will probably be the only fully-converted Super II in the whole country, i.e in the whole world.   Yeah!   It's much rarer than Bugatti Veyrons:  there's two of them in Newport Beach alone!

John