Driving a big bus

[TomC]

If you do a light turboing like I did to mine using 75 injectors, you can get 280hp with 843 lb/ft torque, which is about what a 8V-71N puts out, plus having the turbo for high altitude use.  Don Fairchild did my conversion and am impressed with his know how.  He is in Bakersfield, Ca.  Number- 661-391-4520.  Good Luck, TomC

[buswarrior]

Hello WoW.

If she won't get behind the wheel now, she won't later.

Moral of the story, get the drivetrain that makes sence.

If she wants to drive, she'll figure it out, just like you.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[WorkingOnWise]

Well buswarrior, I hope you are wrong. I do like driving, but it would be nice to not "have to" drive sometimes.
I can be sure however that if i put in a manual, she will never drive it.
please be wrong, please be wrong...

Thanks
Keith

[Busted Knuckle]

WoW,
My father and I own a charter bus company, and we have several friends who do also! While we just recently just accuired our first 45'er they've owned them for some time now and we all agree that it makes a big differance in the driving/handling just between a 40'er & a 45'er! I used to laugh when they'd call an ask was I available to drive one of their 45'ers becauise all their capable drivers were busy and they didn't wanna put any of their "BUMPER CAR DRIVERS in a 45'er" LOL! But it's true, my dad just told me this week end here you drive the 45'er I'm not as comfortable with as you are! When I laughed and told him he was full of BS. He said no seriously son the extra swing/overhang at the rear makes me slightly nervous. And I've been watching you, and you just whip it around like a go-kart! FWIW! BK 
 
PS I take it as a very high compliment for my dad to tell me this as he's in my eyes the best driver I know! I'm good and I know I'm good, but sometimes that's my own problem I get a little over confident! 

[DMoedave]

Kieth, use the bus as much as you can this summer and get used to it. Youll have fun as  you do. If you love fishbowls go for it. Alot of us dont have "practical" coaches. there is a very nice one we see in Fla every winter, i know they full time during the winter for sure. There was also one for sale in National bus trader awhile back. We have had our bus for 10 years and if i had changed all the things i wanted to at first we wouldent have had as much fun and i realize later that alot of that stuff dident need to change. But we did realize as someone posted, that 60 mph on the interstate aint fast enough.  You should drive her awhile. Good Luck

[WorkingOnWise]

My reasoning for 60mph being enough is because I figure at 10 tons plus, very few people can influence my driving speed or style, for better or for worse.
When I come up on a bus or semi, I give them plenty of berth. At 10 tons plus, I will lose, no matter who is at fault. Kinda like the brass and clay pots in Aesop's Fables. If the coach driver wants to do 55 in a 70, what am I and my little pickup gonna do, push him?! No, I give them all the berth they want, and politely pass when I have room.
I'm getting the impression that I might be wrong in some of that?

[HighTechRedneck]

My reasoning for 60mph being enough is because I figure at 10 tons plus, very few people can influence my driving speed or style, for better or for worse.
When I come up on a bus or semi, I give them plenty of berth. At 10 tons plus, I will lose, no matter who is at fault. Kinda like the brass and clay pots in Aesop's Fables. If the coach driver wants to do 55 in a 70, what am I and my little pickup gonna do, push him?! No, I give them all the berth they want, and politely pass when I have room.
I'm getting the impression that I might be wrong in some of that?

Not wrong, just rare.  Most drivers are not that considerate.  My RTS has city gears and peaks at 62mph and I typically hold it at 55 and stay in the right two lanes except where left lanes are designated as slow lanes.  I have now driven it about 3000 miles, mostly on wide open Interstates, but also on Interstates through/around several moderately large cities.  I have found that it is usually the drivers of cars that show the most attitude about it.  Most trucks politely pass and I flash my lights to help them back in, they thank me, and everybody moves on down the road.

One positive note about a 6V92T with city gears is that on-ramps are not generally a problem.    Kind of like a Corvette I once had.  It was geared low and therefore didn't have the high top speed Vettes are noted for.  But it could blow away most others off the line.

[lostagain]

There are 2 buses in my life these days. My '57 MCI Courier 96 ( 35 foot, converted), and the Junior Hockey team's '95 MCI 102 D 3,40 foot), that I drive and maintain as a volunteer. We often go to Provincial, State parks, or older private campgrounds with the Courier 96 and we get in to small sites that I know I could not drive the 40 footer 102" without difficulty or scraping the sides on the trees. Lots of space in the coach for us (wife and 2 teen agers). Some people are happy in a 1500 sqare foot house, some need 4000 feet !! The 40 footer could not go some of the places we take the 35'. So you have to consider the kind of camping you want to do...

On the subject of speed, the Courier 96 tops out at 60 mph, which is fine. Slowing down up the hills on a 2 lane gets some drivers following me quite impatient, which is why I am putting a turbo on the 4-71.  60 mph on the freeway is not a problem.

It sure would be nice to be able to afford a 102D3 with the S60 for a conversion, but we would not be able to get in to some of those older camp grounds...

JC

[brojcol]

And it will be a Fishbowl, which as everyone knows, is the most beautiful coach. IM Not So HO.

To each his own.  Personally, I think the fishbowl looks like an a** on wheels.

[MedicNovo]

IF you need alot of room you should consider a Man Artic Superbus.  It is a 60' long articulating bus.  It has 2 30' sections and can be broken apart in the middle.  Ive seen people use the back half for bunks and toys. They can  be found fairly inexpensive, starting at $4500.

[Chaz]

Just for fun, where could I see one at?

[MedicNovo]

This is the first one I could find.  (I have affiliation with the company)

http://www.easterbussales.com/superbuspowers.htm

[Jeremy]

Looking at that MAN, I'm pretty sure the engine and drivetrain are in the front half, so the rear end is just a trailer - so it occurs to me you could probably make something like fairly easily (obviously still a huge job, but then so were your original proposals).

My coach is mid-engined, which would make things more straightforward than a rear-engined layout as I imagine yours is. The rear wall on mine is certainly not structural - in fact there is no metal in it at all above the floor level - so you could remove it without concern (in fact, I am removing it on mine as I am currently busy putting a slide-out there).

The reason I suggest making your existing bus articulated is that the MAN type mentioned is clearly a low-speed city-bus, whereas I guess you want something more suitable for driving long distances. There are articulated highway coaches about (eg, the type shown below, which I've posted 'photos of before), but the cost of one of those is likely to be prohibitive.


Jeremy

[Len Silva]

For those crazy enough to consider it, I think you could build a nice tandem from two Bluebird All Americans, front engine - rear drive, maybe using a stinger type hitch like on a car carrier.

Len

[Chaz]

Thanx MedicNovo. I am a newbie and had neverseen one. It would be cool, but I imagine a pain in the butt.