Guidance required for Newby

[Geoff]

Okay.  I've been asked to explain why I like the RTS and it is because it is a well built bus designed by GM and you can overcome all the negatives that were thrown at my favorite bus by several people above.

I have 4 storage bays with doors-- two are completely empty from one end to the other.
I have a 350HP 6V92TA, 80mph highway gears.  Cruise control.  Jakes.  8mpg.
I have wonderful stock windows that open-- two in the rear bedroom, four in the front, all with screens.  The rest have been blocked out.
150 gallon fresh water, 110 grey and black tanks.
I have a wonderful paint job with a matching trailer.
Great suspension with Shepard steering that makes the 40'er seem like you are driving a van.
Wonderful interior (oak) with ultra-leather seating.
Three 15K rooftop airs and Webasto heating.
Air leveling system with independent front suspension.

Etc. Etc.  The RTS is  joy to drive and camp in, so don't tell  me an RTS doesn't make a good bus conversion.

--Geoff

[bevans6]

You go, Geoff, good for you!  Doing it is proof that it can be done, after all.

[convert2diesel]

My intent with this thread was not to incite a urination competition but rather a sound discussion on the pros and cons of my options.  Like most things that people are passionate about, we all have our favourites.  Sort of a Chev vs Ford, Cessna vs Piper, 2 strokes vs 4 strokes, gas vs diesel.  The interesting thing about this kind of thing is no one is wrong.  Its all a matter of perspective and what our personal wants and needs are.

As I said in my first post, I am a newbie to busses.  What I'm not new to is heavy equipment and all manner of transportation related conversions, modifications and fleet maintenance programs.  I have a rather extensive network of suppliers and am very comfortable with fabrication.  I am here because I've never done a bus and was hoping for some insight into this world.

I am particularly anal about design and starting with a good mechanical base.  Nothing burns my eye teeth more than poor design, like locating an ECM immediately below an exhaust pipe!!!  Sensors belong in the engine compartment, not control modules.  This is the kind of thing that gets corrected immediately.  As good as these machines are built, it has been my experience that there are too many accountants involved in the final designs.

A cute story about the Apollo 11 space mission.  There is a lull during the countdown after the 15 second mark where all the crew does is sit and wait.  It was during that lull that the captain made the comment to the crew that "this space craft consists 2,567, 328 individual parts and pieces that all have to work flawlessly together and every last one of them was supplied by the lowest bidder"...5...4...3...2.

I did notice that my intent to do a complete overhaul was met with a certain amount of distain.  When it comes to the safety of my family, myself and the others who share the road with me, I will not start with anything that may place that safety in question.  In other words, if it rotates, brakes, is attached to the suspension or is part of the steering mechanism, then it gets replaced with new parts of the highest quality available.  For the most part, these vehicles have led a hard life and to assume that all is well when you buy it is an exercise in self delusion.  Replacing all the safety related items means you are  at least starting out with a good base.  The rest is merely a determination of what will make my life simpler and assure that my vacation is not spent wrenching under a bus or being held hostage by the local truck garage.

Geoff:  Finally someone with some experience and passion about a transit bus, and a RTS to boot!  Like you I love the look of the bus and the size is exactly what I envisioned was ideal for Carol and I.  I do not share your passion for GM strokers but would not be able to get one over the wall and get it registered here in Canada anyways. 

None of the older RTS busses were certified here in Canada.  However the Nova version was and have found a number of them up for grabs.  Have no issue with the Series 50, (actually found one with the new Mercedes 9000 engine and a B400 Allison.  Didn't last long) nor with computer controlled powertrains.  Am comfortable with them, though I would build up the 50 to the 350 HP spec. or try to shoehorn a Series 60 into it.  Gearing is not an issue.  It can be solved with either a new tranny or a gear change.  Have a guy that if he doesn't have the gears on the self, he can cut me new ones if I send him the old ones to marry up to a blank.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but the center sections of these diffs should be common to any axle of the same manufacturer and series, regardless of configuration, thus the ring and pinion combinations should be an off-the-shelf item.  These are swapped out regularly in the truck game.

Sorry for the long winded dissertation but I am taking all of it seriously.  There are pros and cons to every option and am taking all of your advice to heart.  Until I have a bus in my driveway ready to work on, everything is still on the table.  Am at least now broadening my search to include highway coaches....though I still like the looks of a RTS 

Bill

[uncle ned]

 
Geoff  Your description fits huggy to the T.  but huggy is a 4104.

She has BIG injectors and runs like a top but I have never got easy with the heating problems.
The radiator "#3# is as big as you can get in the side of a 04. Reaches from the expansion tank to below
the side of the coach.  Has a skid plate under. Also no room in front to put the charge air inter cooler in front of it that I want to try

Has a big flex fan and shroud. I have had the fan in the shroud,half in the shroud and all the way at the back of the shroud.
could not tell the diff.The fan is belt driven off the end of the crank. has a smaller pulley on the fan side

As soon as I get ready and round up all the parts a series 50 will be setting in the back of her.
If I live that long,  the list of things to do gets longer every day

I thought about replacing the large injectors but would have to pull the engine to do that might as well replace it at the same time.

"Someone" put the screws in the plate in the bulkhead in from the wrong side,have to pull the engine to get to the back head.

The cradle that we used came from a Flex I think . It sets the engine at a 15 degree angle I think not laying down like everyone else does

uncle ned

PS  i also love the rts coaches.  Looks like a race car of coaches.  wonder what one would look like with a set of super singles on the rear.

[TomC]

I'll second Geoff's RTS and explain my AMGeneral transit. It has 22" under floor space. I have three roof airs (only A/C), 10kw Powertech Diesel generator next to the front driver's seat like a front engine, 130gal water and 2-10gal elec water heaters under the rear bed, 85gal gray, 45gal black, 20gal propane, 130gal fuel, 2-31 starting batteries, 2-8D Lifeline AGM deep cycle, 99"w x 22"h x 66"L storage compartment, 24"w x 22"h x 18"L storage compartment behind right rear tire for oils. While it doesn't handle like an RTS, is a very comfortable-heavy feeling ride.
As Geoff said, don't discount high floor transits as a conversion. I've had mine for 22 years now. Good Luck, TomC

[Geoff]

Huggy

Have you tried radiator water sprayers from your fresh water tanks?  Not misters, SPAYERS.  They work great to cool your engine temp.

-- Geoff
 

Geoff  Your description fits huggy to the T.  but huggy is a 4104.

She has BIG injectors and runs like a top but I have never got easy with the heating problems.
The radiator "#3# is as big as you can get in the side of a 04. Reaches from the expansion tank to below
the side of the coach.  Has a skid plate under. Also no room in front to put the charge air inter cooler in front of it that I want to try

Has a big flex fan and shroud. I have had the fan in the shroud,half in the shroud and all the way at the back of the shroud.
could not tell the diff.The fan is belt driven off the end of the crank. has a smaller pulley on the fan side

As soon as I get ready and round up all the parts a series 50 will be setting in the back of her.
If I live that long,  the list of things to do gets longer every day

I thought about replacing the large injectors but would have to pull the engine to do that might as well replace it at the same time.

"Someone" put the screws in the plate in the bulkhead in from the wrong side,have to pull the engine to get to the back head.

The cradle that we used came from a Flex I think . It sets the engine at a 15 degree angle I think not laying down like everyone else does

uncle ned

PS  i also love the rts coaches.  Looks like a race car of coaches.  wonder what one would look like with a set of super singles on the rear.

[Geoff]

quote author=TomC link=topic=30822.msg345133#msg345133 date=1469206338]
I'll second Geoff's RTS and explain my AMGeneral transit. It has 22" under floor space. I have three roof airs (only A/C), 10kw Powertech Diesel generator next to the front driver's seat like a front engine, 130gal water and 2-10gal elec water heaters under the rear bed, 85gal gray, 45gal black, 20gal propane, 130gal fuel, 2-31 starting batteries, 2-8D Lifeline AGM deep cycle, 99"w x 22"h x 66"L storage compartment, 24"w x 22"h x 18"L storage compartment behind right rear tire for oils. While it doesn't handle like an RTS, is a very comfortable-heavy feeling ride.
As Geoff said, don't discount high floor transits as a conversion. I've had mine for 22 years now. Good Luck, TomC
[/quote]

Tom--

I have always admired your bus.  Well converted, with an attention to detail!!

-- Geoff

[luvrbus]

Goeff's RTS does look good, if I could post photos I could show you 1 ugly @$# RTS with a roof raise and bays it has to be the most ugly bus I ever saw and it's for sale

[bigred]

Go to Staley Coach's web site and look at that little thirty five ft M C I motor home .Don't know how much you are looking to spend .This one is around 100,000 dollars.It breaks my heart that I can't afford to buy this coach myself or I sure would.

[Scott & Heather]

Bill, just a thought, British Columbia gets the least amount of snow of any province in Canada. Vancouver claims to only get 33 cm in an entire winter. If that's true you might have a cleaner coach that is more rust free over there. Can't say that for sure since the ocean is so close but it's an idea. Here is a link to a couple of coaches for sale in British Columbia.
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/search/sss?query=mci%20bus&sort=rel


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[convert2diesel]

Thanks Scott:

Little old for what I'm trying to do but seeking out a bus in BC makes a bunch of sense.  Alberta and Saskatchewan vehicles also tend to be rust free or less so than ones in the rust belt.  Would circumvent all of the RIV song and dance.

Bill

[kjurkic]

Hi Bill

Since I have a 40' RTS, and I am in Canada, I think I can toss in my $0.02

I have one of the Unicorn RTS08s that was properly brought to Canada by an operator for the YVR Airporter service.

While I have banged about in all kinds of trucks, my bus driving experience was limited to a 24 passenger classic yellow shorty school bus (Bluebird/FordB600) and a total P.O.S Krystal Koach (a real example of building down to a dollar, and barely meeting minimum requirements).

My RTS  (DD 50 series with V730R auto) is presently in service as a charter bus, where I bang it down 80km of active logging road, as well as freeway with 120kmh speeds. On the highway, I have documented 12mpg (IMP) despite still being on transit gearing running pedal-to-the-metal, though I hit the limiter at 100kph.

It rides and drives like a dream; anyhow the reason I post is that the operator I bought my bus from, as far as I know, still has a couple to sell. You would have to get to the Okanagan to view/inspect/pick-up, so a long haul home. The advantage is that the west coast and Okanagan are the least damaging environments in Canada.

I have been up to my elbows in this bus, so PM me if you have more questions or want the contact info for the fellow who has the other RTS's

I might even consider selling mine, as I REALLY need a rear door version (mine only has wide front door)

cheers
Ken

[niles500]

Don't be afraid to offer Staley 50k, you might be surprised what their counter is - FWIW

[RJ]

Go to Staley Coach's web site and look at that little thirty five ft M C I motor home .

Rhet -

I poked around on Staley's website tonight and didn't find the coach you're talking about.

Could you copy/paste a link to it, please?

TIA. . .

[lvmci]

hi Ned, I too am a sprayer fan, as Goeff, took home Depot sprayers, drilled them out 1/16th", three from prefabricated HD mister parts, on each side, 1/2" pex from manifold, open valve before trip, remotely turn on water pump, and there's a 4 degree cooling effect on my 8V92T going uphill, lvmci...