Author Topic: typical conversion component costs?  (Read 42911 times)

Offline Jeremy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2295
  • 1987 Bedford Plaxton
    • Magazine Exchange
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #105 on: January 28, 2014, 05:17:40 AM »
Another idea for those with big / heavy / valuable bikes would be to buy a low-floor bus with a central door and actually keep the bike inside the bus. You could build a 'garage' inside the bus around the central door (and use the front door for personnel access), or if you had a wood or tile floor, and the bike was clean, you could forget the garage and just wheel the bike inside the bus and strap it down.


Jeremy
A shameless plug for my business - visit www.magazineexchange.co.uk for back issue magazines - thousands of titles covering cars, motorbikes, aircraft, railways, boats, modelling etc. You'll find lots of interest, although not much covering American buses sadly.

Offline robertglines1

  • steam nut
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4557
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #106 on: January 28, 2014, 07:28:40 AM »
Several years ago someone posted a picture of a transit that the whole front end swung open and a guy drove a cobra replica in it to haul it around..BK I think? 
Bob@Judy  98 XLE prevost with 3 slides --Home done---last one! SW INdiana

Offline dukegrad98

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 189
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #107 on: January 28, 2014, 12:12:14 PM »
Several years ago someone posted a picture of a transit that the whole front end swung open and a guy drove a cobra replica in it to haul it around..BK I think? 

You have to watch out for those crazy guys that drive Cobras...   8)   :o

If you're bored -- here's one I built, running a twin-turbo V12 tuned to around 600hp / 750lb-ft:

http://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-factory-five-roadsters/228016-unveiled-top-secret-ubercobra-new-vids-pg-4-a.html

Cheers, John

Offline Hard Headed Ken

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 373
  • 1988 Prevost Angola Conversion Repowered With 14L Series 60 & Eaton Ultrashift
    • Link to my engine swap
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #108 on: January 28, 2014, 12:29:06 PM »
John, incredible craftsmanship, I salute you!!!!!!!!!!

Ken
Link to my engine swap slide show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxAFFBcoTQI

Offline Iceni John

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2161
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #109 on: January 28, 2014, 12:36:43 PM »
Another idea for those with big / heavy / valuable bikes would be to buy a low-floor bus with a central door and actually keep the bike inside the bus. You could build a 'garage' inside the bus around the central door (and use the front door for personnel access), or if you had a wood or tile floor, and the bike was clean, you could forget the garage and just wheel the bike inside the bus and strap it down.
Jeremy
Bicycles or motor bikes?

If bicycles, I will have at least four of my fleet inside my bus, behind the driver's seat, partially-hanging by their front wheels from the ceiling, but at about 45-degree angle pointing back.   This way takes the least amount of real estate inside, and if they're arranged fore/aft/fore/aft their handlebars and pedals won't clash too much.   A bicycle is about 6 feet long.   For my irreplaceable custom bicycles there's no other way for me.   Forget about outside, where every crackhead will try to steal them, plus they'll get filthy, plus I don't want them to be my crumple zone.   I need to keep my bays for Other Stuff.

If motor bikes, Odyssey Sean's blog has some ideas.

John

 
1990 Crown 2R-40N-552 (the Super II):  6V92TAC / DDEC II / Jake,  HT740.     Hecho en Chino.
2kW of tiltable solar.
Behind the Orange Curtain, SoCal.

Offline Jeremy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2295
  • 1987 Bedford Plaxton
    • Magazine Exchange
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #110 on: January 28, 2014, 02:04:07 PM »
Bicycles or motor bikes?


I did mean motorbikes - I'm sure even the heaviest of Harleys or whatever could be got onboard a low-floor bus quite easily



Jeremy
A shameless plug for my business - visit www.magazineexchange.co.uk for back issue magazines - thousands of titles covering cars, motorbikes, aircraft, railways, boats, modelling etc. You'll find lots of interest, although not much covering American buses sadly.

Offline busproject

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 33
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #111 on: January 29, 2014, 09:03:21 AM »
To answer multiple questions:

I was thinking bicycles, and yes, they are nice enough that I would not leave them outside. Not motorcycles, but I did just remember that I do have thoughts of learning to ride the latter. I just never wanted to spend the full price on one in terms of bank for the buck, but now some of the great bikes I have admired are now relatively cheap on the used market. The nice thing about bikes is that they are easier to inspect, and not too difficult to find a used one in nice shape. The bike I am interested in (sport cruiser, only slightly large than a crotch rocket), I don't think the handlebars are any taller than a bicycle, however the windshield even abbreviated, would be, but backing it into the bay, I think it might fit. Would have to verify that. I would assume that if I did any serious touring, towing a toad (car) would be more important than a trailer for a motorcycle, unless that was my primary transport, which would depend on great climate and close grocery shopping.

I remember in my college days, seeing a low floor bus I thought was really cool, it had tires as large as big coaches and axles at the very ends, zero overhand front or rear. I can't recall the engine location. Those were cool but I haven't seen any on the market.

Most coaches with a wheelchair lift go for a lot more money as that is needed for a lot of fleets. I hadn't considered that for the bike as that is more trouble than I want to load/unload the bike each day. However, if it didn't cost a lot, I thought it would be nice just to be able to get things in and out easy if I set up a small workshop in the bus. (In which case a ramp would be better than the lift, but with that height, the ramp is much too long for easy deployment of a folding ramp, and no place to store a one-piece ramp that long, unlike a box truck where it goes between the box and frame.) Probably makes more sense to have the tools down in the bay with an awning and just work on things outside.

There's lots of coaches for sale. Time was a bit more critical as I thought the H3-40s I saw for sale looked like a great deal, but now not so much due to the age more than the miles due to how they are equipped. So I'm concentrating more now on finding a house, I'm still going for a place with space to work on a bus, and if not that, something else.

Wow, the bays on the double-decker are HUGE! How tall are those things? Prevost H is only 6" shy of the max interstate limit if I recall, I'm guessing the doubles are taller than that and restricted to local city travel.
"Say, that's a nice bus." -T1000

Offline busproject

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 33
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #112 on: January 29, 2014, 09:40:36 AM »
The bus I mentioned above is an Orion II, took a LOT of searching online to find an image.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/EMTA_Orion_II_0082.jpg

I wonder if that thing is front or rear drive? Definitely looks front engine, it says they were powered by DDA 8.2L. They were a lot cleaner looking without the roof air.
"Say, that's a nice bus." -T1000

Offline busproject

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 33
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #113 on: January 29, 2014, 09:53:26 AM »
Here's a better shot of the Orion II. With that width, low overhangs, and low CG, I'll bet that thing has the best vehicle dynamics of any bus ever made.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/TTC_Orion_II.JPG
"Say, that's a nice bus." -T1000

Offline luvrbus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 26049
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #114 on: January 29, 2014, 10:26:47 AM »
Valley Metro in Phoenix has a few of those Orion II still in service theirs are all Cummins engines
Life is short drink the good wine first

Offline lvmci

  • lvmci
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2361
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #115 on: January 29, 2014, 11:22:03 AM »
Hi buspj, the ad in craigslist in palmsprings, has the factory wheelchair lift, I think, which has become common on mcis in greyhound service, a few people I've helped looking for a bus, have talked about a shop on board, either in the bus compartment or in the bay, its becoming a common requirment for new busnuts. I saw a bicycle carrier cover on the common transit bike carrier off the front bumper, it looked to be hard plastic with hinges, but I think it was in Montreal or Toronto, maybe you northern guys could help out with that, lvmci...
MCI 102C3 8V92, Allison HT740
Formally MCI5A 8V71 Allison MT643
Brandon has really got it going!

Offline Iceni John

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2161
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #116 on: January 29, 2014, 12:10:25 PM »
Seizure World in Orange County CA had some buses like them, but I heard that they were being sold off.   Theirs were a front-wheel-drive super-low-floor design, quite a step down from a Prevost (so to speak), but potentially a useful toy hauler conversion candidate.   However, keeping nice bikes inside wouldn't leave too much usable space for you, and those buses have NO underfloor space for tanks etc.   For someone who wants to take his toys out just on weekends maybe they would work, but for a "serious" conversion I think not.

We've certainly explored a lot of ideas in this thread so far  -  everything from Prevosts to skoolies to old-fogey buses!   What's next?

John
1990 Crown 2R-40N-552 (the Super II):  6V92TAC / DDEC II / Jake,  HT740.     Hecho en Chino.
2kW of tiltable solar.
Behind the Orange Curtain, SoCal.

Offline Jeremy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2295
  • 1987 Bedford Plaxton
    • Magazine Exchange
Re: typical conversion component costs?
« Reply #117 on: January 29, 2014, 02:39:56 PM »
To throw another idea into the mix, this is how the professionals do it over here:-

Skiing holiday tour buses usually have these boxes (known as 'droms', as in 'dromedary' (ie, a camel with a hump)) on the back, which are classed as a 'load' and not part of the vehicle itself (so the vehicle isn't technically over-length).

It'd be a fair bit of work to build one of these from scratch, but if I had some valuable but lightweight bicycles to carry I would very strongly consider this approach:





Cycling tour buses (which seem almost as popular as the skiing buses) typically tow a trailer - overkill if you've only got a couple of bikes, but just for the sake of showing the pic:



Jeremy
A shameless plug for my business - visit www.magazineexchange.co.uk for back issue magazines - thousands of titles covering cars, motorbikes, aircraft, railways, boats, modelling etc. You'll find lots of interest, although not much covering American buses sadly.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal