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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: Lee Bradley on May 17, 2017, 06:28:52 PM

Title: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Lee Bradley on May 17, 2017, 06:28:52 PM
Not a lot of details but fun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeMT1d_L-hw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeMT1d_L-hw)
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: lostagain on May 17, 2017, 07:23:08 PM
A conversation piece!
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 18, 2017, 06:33:10 AM
    The spec list says that it's 4 meter tall.  That's about 13' 2" so it would be legal (maybe a little less than practical, but legal) in N. America, all states and provinces.  I'm not sure I trust that, many metric-sized vehicles are closer to 14' and that could give you problems.
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: uncle ned on May 18, 2017, 08:04:11 AM


They must be leagle in the US there were 2 at the Busnuts and eagles rally in Mt. Airy NC.

uncle ned
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: TomC on May 18, 2017, 08:32:19 AM
This looks like it is in Europe. And hopefully so-a Mercedes powered bus here in the U.S. will be a challenge to keep running and especially to get fixed. I have first hand experience with seeing what is involved with a Neoplan when German parts are needed here in the US to fix a bus (Sean and Louise bus). Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 18, 2017, 09:08:57 AM
Quote from: uncle ned on May 18, 2017, 08:04:11 AMThey must be leagle in the US there were 2 at the Busnuts and eagles rally in Mt. Airy NC.

uncle ned 

     The issue is height, Ned.  Many larger buses are about 14 feet tall in Europe (metric); many British buses are 14 feet, 4 inches.  About 40 eastern US states and Canadian provinces have a legal limit of 13'6"; if you're over that, you have to have permits and paperwork to move the bus on the roads.  (Of course, there's the practical issue that you're likely to be hitting stuff, too.)
     If it's not too tall, too wide, or too long, it's legal -- at least as far as dimensions go.

     The other question is "Who in their RIGHT MIND wants a two-story house that's a bus conversion?"
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: uncle ned on May 22, 2017, 08:41:12 AM

Never said I liked them but just that they must be legal in the US.

If it is bigger than a old 04 than it is to big for me.

LOL LOL

uncle ned
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 22, 2017, 08:56:31 AM
Quote from: uncle ned on May 22, 2017, 08:41:12 AMIf it is bigger than a old 04 than it is to big for me.

LOL LOL

uncle ned

    32 feet long, 92" wide (not bigger than a old 04 yet) and 13'6" tall -- that's where it's bigger and probably the most important dimension in practical terms. 
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Iceni John on May 22, 2017, 12:26:22 PM
The owner mentions the engine being a M.Benz V6 of two hundred and something HP.   That seems like not much power for something as heavy as it now is.   M.Benz also makes (made?) V8 and V10 diesels  -  maybe there wasn't space to fit a longer engine?   It looked like Dutch license plates, and if so there's no hills in almost all the Netherlands, but if he took it on the German autobahn and it slowed traffic going up hill the polizei would make him keep to smaller roads.

I'm also curious about his window tinting.   He put insulation behind some windows, then he tinted the windows so the insulation doesn't show from the outside.   Does this mean he put the tint on the outside of the glass?   How long would that last?

Otherwise, I do like the overall clean interior look.

John
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 22, 2017, 01:46:30 PM
Quote from: Iceni John on May 22, 2017, 12:26:22 PM...   Does this mean he put the tint on the outside of the glass?   How long would that last?  ...
John 

     I was thinking the same thing.  Doesn't seem like it's going to work for me.
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: chessie4905 on May 22, 2017, 04:24:31 PM
That looks like the Mega busses they run from here to NYC.

https://us.megabus.com/image-gallery.aspx
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: uncle ned on May 22, 2017, 05:53:13 PM


That lead bus in the video is longer than 32 ft.  It has a tag axel.

uncle ned
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: RJ on May 22, 2017, 11:42:17 PM
Quote from: uncle ned on May 22, 2017, 05:53:13 PM
That lead bus in the video is longer than 32 ft.  It has a tag axle.

Per the specs the owner mentioned in the video, this Neoplan is 12m (39' 4") long x 2.5m (8' 2") wide x 4m (13' 1.5") tall.

FWIW & HTH. . .

;)
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: chessie4905 on May 23, 2017, 05:56:58 AM
https://us.megabus.com/image-gallery.aspx

Daily run
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 23, 2017, 06:17:23 AM
Quote from: RJ on May 22, 2017, 11:42:17 PMPer the specs the owner mentioned in the video, this Neoplan is 12m (39' 4") long x 2.5m (8' 2") wide x 4m (13' 1.5") tall.

FWIW & HTH. . .

;) 

     I'm thinkin that there's a language barrierre here.  My bus is 13'6" and it has low ground clearance between frame and the ground, not much "wasted space" between decks, etc. and -- as I'm 6' tall -- I just barely have full stand-up room on both levels; on a Bad Hair Day, I'm brushin the overhead puck lights.  It's comfortable, but just barely.  He seems to have good interior clearance, but it's not likely that his overall height is *really* 13' 1".
     PS - the dimensions that I mentioned are my dimensions, Britain had only recently done away with a 30' long maximum length for buses when my bus was built.
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 23, 2017, 06:25:19 AM
Quote from: chessie4905 on May 23, 2017, 05:56:58 AM
https://us.megabus.com/image-gallery.aspx

Daily run 

      Yeah, those Van Hools look pretty good.   I call them "sesquideckers" since a lot of the rear of the lower deck is taken up with storage, utility compartments, engine room, etc. but -- if one were making a bus conversion with one -- it's likely that some of that could be opened out and used for living area or used like bays are on conventional single-decker buses.
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Iceni John on May 23, 2017, 07:47:19 AM
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on May 23, 2017, 06:25:19 AM
      Yeah, those Van Hools look pretty good.   I call them "sesquideckers" since a lot of the rear of the lower deck is taken up with storage, utility compartments, engine room, etc. but -- if one were making a bus conversion with one -- it's likely that some of that could be opened out and used for living area or used like bays are on conventional single-decker buses.
Nice looking bus, but probably not comfortable for long trips with the amount of seats crammed into it.   (For comparison, ETN in Mexico runs similar-size double-deck MAN/Irizar buses with only 25 seats!)   I do like the skylight roof, but wouldn't it make it hot inside?

John
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Oonrahnjay on May 23, 2017, 08:01:20 AM
Quote from: Iceni John on May 23, 2017, 07:47:19 AM... I do like the skylight roof, but wouldn't it make it hot inside?

John 

    Probably, but since these buses are modern, they probably have an excellent air conditioning system (on the other hand, one of the things that I find supremely uncomfortable in truly hot climates is sitting with air conditioning blowing on me while the sun is beating down on my head).
    My concern is that a private owner/bus conversion sees a different environment than a highway coach.  A bus that runs the interstates doesn't have to worry about tree limbs, low-hanging wires, etc.  Sure, most side roads have a enough clearance for a tractor-trailer to run down but all it takes is one obstacle to take out an expensive overhead skylight.  $$Ouch!!$$
    That (and concern about water leaks) is why my bus has a smooth, unpunctured, and strong plain roof.
Title: Re: Neoplan conversation
Post by: Jeremy on May 23, 2017, 12:05:47 PM
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on May 23, 2017, 08:01:20 AM
A bus that runs the interstates doesn't have to worry about tree limbs, low-hanging wires, etc.  Sure, most side roads have a enough clearance for a tractor-trailer to run down but all it takes is one obstacle to take out an expensive overhead skylight.  $$Ouch!!$$
    That (and concern about water leaks) is why my bus has a smooth, unpunctured, and strong plain roof.

Lots of double-deckers here have branch guards like this to protect the upper windscreen from any naughty overhanging tree limbs. You could build equivalent ones to protect stuff mounted on the roof too

(https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-a07ce0cf3f4c7afd997c7f0276d41e89-c)

Jeremy