steps

[berrybus]

we have a mci 9 we bought steps off ebay. the steps slide out horizontally if we mount them they will have 3.5 inches clearnce to the ground with airbags inflated.will this work ?or will we tear them off ?

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hello Berrybus,

I belive that 3 1/2" is not enough, My factory air step sits 9" off the ground when retracted and it scrapes quite often on Driveway entrances,

Ramps, and also when I'm not aired up, it sometimes toutches the ground.

Are the steps heavy steel or, just like the RV type?

Nick Badame

[HighTechRedneck]

Based on my experiene driving my bus 2500+ miles, getting in and out of occaisonal parking lots and moving around other obstacles, I would end up smearing the steps off on a curb, speed bump or something.  Also, if it is 3.5" inflated, what would happen when the airbags settled out.  Even if the steps withstood the weight, the mounting area might not.  Keep in mind there are certain points of the frame that are recommended for jacking/blocking.

[Ross]

I had an electric step on my MC9.  HAD being the key word here.  I had 5" of clearance and ended up dragging it going up a driveway and damaging it to the point that it would not work anymore.  That said, I really miss the step.  That first step up, especially when the bus is aired up, it a big one.

Look at the air steps on the 102's.  They don't hang down nearly as far as the aftermarket electric steps.

Ross

[Skykingrob]

Hi Berrybus
I had a double step installed on my Prevost. After it settled onto the airbags, I had 3" from ground to the bottom of the step and 5" to the top of the step. Not really practical. I took the double off, bought a single and with the bus aired up, the top of the step is 10"  when extended off the ground. Not as low as I would like, but there seems to be no alternative unless you engineer and build your own. Hope this helps.

Rob
91 LeMirage XL
Missouri

[DrivingMissLazy]

With only that much clearance, I can assure you that you will tear them off.

I installed a set of electric retracting steps designed for the RV market. I installed them on my Eagle and they went up under the frame about 2 inches. Fully retracted I had about ten inches of clearance i believe.
 I bent them several times and had to completely replace them once. I had to have them so that my wife could get in the bus. They were great, but even being careful after bending them a couple of times I still had some trouble.

 I just learned to live with it and straighten them occasionally. I would say that 10 inch clearance, at a minimum, is required.
Richard

we have a mci 9 we bought steps off ebay. the steps slide out horizontally if we mount them they will have 3.5 inches clearnce to the ground with airbags inflated.will this work ?or will we tear them off ?

[berrybus]

thanks every one .jim

[TomC]

A sturdy step stool will work everytime, not drag, and can use it for else things. Camping World has one that is advertised as supporting 500lb-it is the one I have since I'm a light weight 300lb.  My transit is low enough where I can just use the step for washing the windows.  Good Luck, TomC

[scanzel]

My 2 cents added. I have a Prevost that came with the kneeling option on it and it is great. No need for steps. Press the switch to kneeling and it drops the nose of the bus down to a nornmal step height, press switch to Hi-boy postion and it returns to driving height, press switch to inbetween and it will let you stop a any height you want. The only bad part is you must remember to return to Hi-boy after kneeling otherwise you are driving around with the front very low. Scraped the bottom a few times already. If your buying a bus look for the option, I seen some others with it advertised.

[HighTechRedneck]

The only bad part is you must remember to return to Hi-boy after kneeling otherwise you are driving around with the front very low. Scraped the bottom a few times already.

My RTS has the kneeling feature too.  On it when kneeling the brakes are applied and the accelerator pedal is disabled so there is no chance of doing that on it.  The RTS has so many interlocks that sometimes it is annoying.  But some are handy.

[DrivingMissLazy]

Tom, I tried the stool for a while but it really got to be a pain in the @$$ after a while. Always having to get out first and place the stool and then always having to be the last one in and picking up the stool. Electric is the only way to go in my opinion. FWIW
Richard

A sturdy step stool will work everytime, not drag, and can use it for else things. Camping World has one that is advertised as supporting 500lb-it is the one I have since I'm a light weight 300lb.  My transit is low enough where I can just use the step for washing the windows.  Good Luck, TomC