What would you do ? Need some HELP with Coach Specs.

[H3-45]

Zeroclearence,

  Its going to be more of a STAR bus than a regular band bus,the maximum people it will carry will be 8 and preferably 1 or 2. As far as the slides,they will only be out at venues. I will take into consideration deleting the passenger side slides,I am just wanting the maximum floor space at the venue with a workable floor plan for going down the road!!!! It is hard to find the perfect coach,I have been trying to find it for over 25 years LOL!!!!! Thanks for your reply.


Robert

[DKO]

4 slides will probably mean no over the road bus air and heat as well. That sure comes in handy with 6-12 people on board.

DKO

[Jon]

Robert,

The weight issue is not just to deal with who is on board. I know that entertainers usually dictate how much bay space they are to have available so that suggests you will also have to define what and where you intend to carry their gear in any contract with the converter regarding weight. I suspect the converter will not build it for you.

Also, having owned both slide and non-slide coaches you really need to get to see a four slide coach before you make a decision. Two slides make use of the coach while driving less than convenient. They are nice when extended, but compromise the interior space when on the road. I can only see four slides as being less than fun for a group. They are OK for a couple of motor home owners because it is just the two of them and usually they are up front. That will not be the case with your coach.

Bottom line I think you need to go back to the drawing board.

[Iceni John]

Just my 2 cents' worth of ideas:

REDUNDANCY!   Have two water pumps wired and plumbed ready to go, so if one decides to not work you won't be up a creek without any way to flush loos etc.

1/2" water lines will flow better and with less restriction than 3/8".   Besides, if you need to make a quick repair en-route, where will you find 3/8" fittings or pipe?   Any Home Depot has 1/2" plumbing supplies, but usually nothing 3/8".

Mind you, this second pump and larger water lines may put you over GVWR . . .

John

[Zeroclearance]

Jon,

Two slides on the non curb side can be do-able..   On mine the drivers wall/sound rack butts up against the forward slide wall.   The kitchen/galley fridge makes up the rear wall of the front slide.   With the slide 'IN" it is useable ALL couch space..  The rear bedroom with a rear slide can work well with a queen,  a King makes it tight to walk around when going down the road..

Robert, mine was set up as a star coach.   6 bunks and a rear bath/shower and queen bed with dressing table..  As you know with 8 to 10 people on board movement front and rear is going to be tough with more than two slides.. 

[robertglines1]

Looks like your getting a list!  Make sure the shell you get has the heavy engine cradle to pull the big trailer or that will be big $$$ later.   As far as personal use later on when you retire you need to decide if that will be pole to pole most of the time or boone docking. or combo.  You might find at that point you could loose one of your gen sets.  Bur might want to add things like washer dryer and a deep freeze in bay or bigger kitchen area in coach. If you could find away to make your floor plan expandable/fixable now to allow for that it would make things easier then. Example run extra electrical/water etc supply to kitchen area now for future use. Also think when you design your restroom of being able to expand it into a larger area with more spacious daily friendly use.  Rear lounge--I guess this is what you had intended? or bunks. need to  make easily convertible for  use for 2 with hanging closets for your personal belongings for all seasons. Lots of things you could run in and cap off for use in future.  I need to reread your whole post. I did and saw you did a King bed in the rear instead of a lounge. Think your going to run out of space length wise or have to small of spaces for you 2 baths and later your kitchen area is really going to be small for extended leisure living. Take to heart the keeping in mind being able to extend these areas later by reducing or eliminating some features when you retire the coach from revenue service.  Old converter practice is to lay a area out in the shop about 95 " by 43 1/2 ft then build you some cardboard furniture /fake cabinets etc and lay it out on floor.. you can use tape also.. don't forget to allow for steps and dash.   95 inch is finish inside walls.  I'll stop rambling now .   Bob

[luvrbus]

I don't think I ever saw a Hemphill Bros Entertainer coach with more than one slide I would say 95 % of theirs are non slides you are just hauling people from point a to b aren't you ? they are always parked at motels and hotels with no one aboard I see

[H3-45]

Luvrbus,

 I have had non-slide STAR coaches in the past and my star stayed on the coach,NO hotel,venue to venue. Occassionally a hotel on a day off,So I want this to be as big floor space wise as can be and still be functional going down the road. I am not trying to build a typical 12 sleeper entertainer coach!! I am trying to put together a large floor space Star coach with a maximum passenger capacity of 8 and preferably 2 or 3. I am just wanting the extra room slides give,1 because nobody else is doing it to any regular degree so that makes me have something special[of course there may be reasons nobody is doing it] 2 Because people with money to waste always want the biggest and best to a degree,even they for the most part dont know what they are talking about they just know what you tell them. In my expierence the average star cant tell the age of a prevost LeMirage or a X-3 if theyboth are in the same condition,they dont know there is a 30 year difference in there age LOL . It's all in what they are told,And because this is a project that I am trying to build new I want to have all the biggest and best things to start with as I am sure others will catch up. I will how ever have one of the first like it for a little while and that gives me a marketing advantage that not everybody can equal. A quad slide Star coach along with a driving/assistant team with everything being first class all the way I will have several years of above average service to gain above average revenue. If it is one of the only ones like it,I can charge more because there is no place to get another one like it. And once they see it they will want it,It will sell itself along with my explanation of the service that comes with it!!!! I am looking for a niche' market that not many are covering at this time,This will not be like most 12 sleeper band entertainer coaches that can haul the star with a convertible rear lounge.This is a purpose built coach with one thing in mind,giving the Star that leases it the utmost in luxury accomodations with a driver/staff to match the coach!!!! I am working on the weight issue and discussing the interior function with all 4 slides closed in the riding position to see how it will work for night travel. As far as bay space,I dont think we will be carrying much gear if any just luggage. The caliber of person that leases this coach will have other coaches for the band and crew and maybe tractors and trailers to carry gear in. So I am not worried about bay space,Just axle weight being legal. We can always put a 16' Heavy-duty trailer behind it,I have driven quite a few miles pulling a trailer with everything from band gear to sound equipment to t-shirts to motorcycles to cars and anything else that would fit so that is not a problem. Just more money for the trailer,more money for the coach pulling the trailer and more money to the driver driving the coach pulling the trailer,Plus the trailer lease. I was going to have a trailer built and painted to match the coach anyway,Just to have it available. Thanks for the input and keep them coming I am taking it all serious!!!!


Robert

[luvrbus]

I really don't know I just see the buses empty when they come to Laughlin,Toby Keith was here the 19th his buses were all empty

[Utahclaimjumper]

 In the "keeping up with the jones" attitude among celebs, the trend now is to the 50 to 52 foot coaches, the 45s are being "dated".>>>Dan

[Hobie]

Just be sure to send up pictures !!!  Sounds like you have really done your homework.  And congrats to get yourself connected to the folks who will spend $$.   Will be a fun adventure. 

I was thinking:

1.  I am intrigued with the reflection at night from interior lights on the front window making it hard to drive.   I'm taking a page out of the airlines but how about most of the interior lights to be focused downlights or task type lighting to be used while under way.  Then while stopped you could have led strip lights or other diffused light for brighter ambiant illumination.  Another idea would be to have a tilted glass window where the jumpseat would have been.  Much like the windows of a traffic control tower to directed the reflection back to the ceiling.  Need some clever design here but you get the idea. 

2.  Rather than have 6 roof airs sticking out of the top, how about the new transit type low profile units that and long and not too tall.  They have nice well designed shrouding that run the length of the coach which makes the unit look like part of the original coach design. 

Best of success in you venture! 

[belfert]

As as reflections from driving at night goes, I still have the original 24 volt fluorescent aisle lights in my bus.  At night my friends usually like to have one of the lights on.  To combat the glare a friend of mine bought a black rug to put down the aisle.  We also keep the sun shade lowered at night.  The best night driving is actually when all of the interior lights are off.  I've considered a piece of dark plastic as a partition like older transit buses, but that would isolate the driver even more.  (New transit buses have a solid partition behind the driver now.)

I plan to install dimmable LED strip lighting in the future plus possibly reading lights to reduce the lighting issues.  I would like to figure out how to separate the LED strip lighting into sections that can be switched on and off without a mile of wiring and a huge bank of switches.

[H3-45]

Belfert

As far as night driving goes,The way I have designed the interior there is a solid wall behind the driver with a air operated pocket door for entry.The only thing in front of the wall is the drivers area and the jump seat for my wife. I have had this arrangement on another coach and it works out great!!! That way the client has there privacy and we have ours for safety and sanity. In addition to blocking the light it also deadens the sound to a point so when they are listening to musuc loud or watching tv loud it is less annoying to me while driving!!! I am not being snooty,it just gives me a safer operating environment. If there is no room for them up front,there is not as much of a chance for a drunk musician to fall on me!!!! And it gives the wife and I privacy as we are driving and riding thru the night!!!!


Hobie
And it has taken me 25 plus years of hard work for 300 plus days a year on the road to develop the connections to have access to these type of accounts,I have sacrificed a lot of my life to this industry but have more than enjoyed every minute of it!!! I feel we are all put here for a reason and this is my calling for being on this earth.As soon as I was old enough to get my special chauffers license,I began driving charter bus in order to get coach expierence then I moved over to the entertainer coach business and have never looked back!!! It has been a long,wonderful,eventful life and I am now preparing to enter on my next to last journey of this life. The way I figure it I will use this coach for it maximum life span in the industry and build 1 more then I will probably retire from the road. And sit at home and count my memories!!!


Hobie

The reason for 6 roof A/C's is for zone control of the interior,I am not familiar with the system you are talking about So I don't know if it would work better or not.another reason for the roof a/c's is if one goes out you still have others to keep things cool until you can get it replaced!!!

Who manufactures 50' and 52 ' coaches? I haven't seen or heard of them!!!!

I am looking forward to this venture,it is moving along as planned and as soon as pictures are available I will post them!!

Please keep the ideals and comments coming I find them very informative!!!!

Robert

[Utahclaimjumper]

 H3,, you need to look onto it deeper, they are now the cutting edge.>>>Dan

[luvrbus]

Truck converters build a 52 ft they have for a couple of years now I have a friend that owns Power House Coach in Idaho Falls his 52 ft bunk house model is getting popular in the west for bands, the 52 ft inter city buses will probably follow someday the 52 transit buses are here now ,  Dan is not dreaming they are out there