C'mon now I know you have all thought about this one. There are a few buses out there which have a very small car that fits in a storage bay belowdecks. Very customized no doubt, both the bus and the car but what if? Just how small would a car have to be, and is there one that could work? (Hopefully something a little better than a King Midget)
Jim
Hi Jim, in Italy where an American fiat 500 is considered a mid size car, there are convertibles that surely would fit in the larger intercity bus bays, top to bottom, side to side however is another story. I've seen Cadillac and Mercedes of the 280SL type on a custom modified bay that you drive onto a rack that lays on the drivers side ground, then it slides under the bus and raises to a point that is the bottom of the bays, Gary Bennett had modified the original Honda to fit in his Eagle, there are pictures of that in an early FMCA magazine, lvmci...
https://www.google.com/search?q=prevost+carrying+a+smart+car&client=tablet-android-verizon&prmd=isvn&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&fir=QgSQLr3CVz851M%253A%252CmWdesHtQeLDFNM%252C_%253BA6iAZoPSqwmqFM%253A%252CWVF1Lqa92h1R3M%252C_%253BG-53mZ4jB3P0JM%253A%252Coi9jsy-M1fI64M%252C_%253Bx8KtVArdYYQAzM%253A%252CkbMiyPKstmr2vM%252C_%253BRZkyrAjcgz791M%253A%252CjcKxqzwjvRS8XM%252C_%253BT-P4ieaG_nSumM%253A%252CHKzCqw-pRs6WYM%252C_%253Bpb1gQbHVq1LeeM%253A%252CuAn0bm0wAbkh7M%252C_%253B4Z7A5brGp_s9RM%253A%252ChoQDnvkFAsF_3M%252C_%253BRod8VE_FxP-w6M%253A%252CzZV20pJLbq5GoM%252C_%253BQdQcEli0lmmSGM%253A%252C94hlHKBGNw0E3M%252C_&usg=__9nyhFnX-KUV-tlOjo4mF9k00XNE%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj27-qS2LLcAhXQneAKHe9DC2MQ7AkIVQ&biw=962&bih=601#imgrc=Sz857d7M2FF1TM:
GM 4501 Corvette carrier
The car couldn't be too "micro". It has to be able to run down the highway at 70, 75 mph to keep up to traffic. You park the bus somewhere for a few days, and use the car to see the sights, go shopping, etc. We find the Jeep Wrangler is the best for the street and off road exploring.
JC
One of the problems with that is you loose one of your storage areas.
Hey, here's a thought... I have an MGB body out in the shed, that's not anywhere near small enough but I bet it could be sectioned and shortened. With smaller wheels and tires it is probably already low enough if you take off the windshield (which is removable), which leaves the width. That would be a problem. Found Dave's A3 bay dimensions: 54"x 33" x 96", I expect the D3 would be similar. Which means the body would also have to be sectioned lengthwise as well. A Midget might be a better option, it is already 54" wide but would have to be shortened almost 40". A classic Mini would have to have the top cut off but is narrow enough. Still too long by about 20", but as a fwd would not be as hard to shorten, just lose the back seat but the windshield would have to be made to fold down.
There has to be a better choice out there somewhere.
Jim
And you could pack stuff in the car for traveling.
I don't have a full bay space to spare to carry a car.
This is my tow car, but in red with removable hardtop, auto, and 4wd.
http://auto-database.com/images/suzuki-grand-vitara-cabrio-2003-images-69837.jpg.html
That Suzuki Grand Viatera cabriolet weighs about 2700 lbs, fairly light for a cabriolet and an easy tow. The Samurai weighs in around around 2100 plus 4wd. Won't fit in a bay either but likely a better ride than anything that fits in a bay as well as loosing the bay storage.
Our toad... if it's not fast why have it lol...
Our 2001 Suzuki Vitara 2 door 4x4 4 cylinder automatic removable hardtop weights in right at 3450 pounds with a full tank of gas, tool bag, bug out bag and me. Truck scales. Even all around.
How about a Mini-bike like the Honda CT70? Two knobs on the handlebar base loosen up to fold the handlebars down, and it will roll into the bay standing up. It weighs about 150 lbs., and will go 45-50 miles an hour. Unless you chop a small car down to freakish proportions to fit in a bay, or create a flip-top door on the back of the bus with a long ramp, it's this or a toad. :D
Here's one:
https://www.miniguy.com/vehicles/69minishorty/
I didn't even know a Mini-Shorty was a thing. Way cool. Check out the shot of one sitting in a bus bay.
In Europe they have a shorty Mini-Moke:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hrubon+schmitt&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5kuid3LPcAhWiO5oKHWP6DVwQsAR6BAgEEAE&biw=1920&bih=1058
A bit more utilitarian.
Jim
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on July 22, 2018, 08:52:16 PM
Here's one:
https://www.miniguy.com/vehicles/69minishorty/
I didn't even know a Mini-Shorty was a thing. Way cool. Check out the shot of one sitting in a bus bay.
In Europe they have a shorty Mini-Moke:
https://www.google.com/search?q=hrubon+schmitt&client=firefox-b-ab&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj5kuid3LPcAhWiO5oKHWP6DVwQsAR6BAgEEAE&biw=1920&bih=1058
A bit more utilitarian.
Jim
I don't think so, how many wives can be talked into climbing into one of those? Two mini-bikes would be a lot cheaper and only a tiny bit more dangerous. ::)
Only a bit?
And what if it's raining?
I'll grant you an old Mini was not the safest transport around but they were at least a fully licensed and accepted road car. And as you can see it does fit (once modified). Sure it looks like a toy, I get that. Those minibikes don't? And for something that will fit in a bay it has the maximum of frontal area, meaning the maximum of protective sheet metal as well as a 4 cylinder engine in front of you.
Way more protection than any bike, and much more than any golf cart. Will your wife ride in a golf cart? Mine has no problem with that. OK the Mini goes faster and can get up to highway speeds. That's both a plus and a minus.
It's never going to compete with a Toad in a lot of ways. But hey, no trailer. That seems like a pretty big plus. And you can ride around in comfort in any weather. Just have to fit a top of some sort, about anything will do. Seems worth it to me, but then I have no problem with slicing out 20" and welding the remains back together, or with the paint afterwards. In fact, I might have to start Mini shopping.
Jim
My toad doesn't need a trailer btw. The mini bikes are nice for camp ground use. I can also use my toad to pull the coach off the road if necessary in an emergency,albeit low range,4wd.
Your idea is fine, but after generator, tanks , batteries, tools, etc, most of us don't wish to sacrifice a whole bay for a vehicle. I also wonder if a mini moke can be street legal here, at least in Pa. I see that idea as more of a conversation point at get togethers. But if you like it, go for it. I'll definitely come over and check it out if I come across your rig in my travels.
What make and model of coach are you going to consider this for? Don't forget some bays have a 4 to 5 inch drop that all the wiring and plumbing goes through from front to rear of coach.
Mine was done in the 70's with a 1971 Honda 600 with a tow cylinder air cooled motor cycle engine.
Jack
(https://randomoverload.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/b738c0fel-mini-tiny.jpg)
How the heck did you get that Honda in there, turned longways?
I'll admit, it's more pure speculation at this point. I haven't bought the bus yet but I do have the funds to do it if I find the right deal. The target bus is a 102D3 but a DL seems much more likely. Not sure of the actual bay measurements, still some research to do there, so this is probably more of a feasibility study. If someone does have the D3 and DL bay dimensions I'd sure like to know what they are.
I've been intrigued by this possibility ever since seeing a custom rig at Myrtle with some sort of Mercedes stowed underneath. It now seems clear that it is something that is possible. The practicality of it becomes the next thing. I agree a Mini-Moke Shorty brings inherent issues with it. The Mini-Shorty seems better to me. I haven't even begun to look at the Honda Civic 600 yet, I knew a guy back in the '70s on Guam that had one though. I think it'd benefit greatly from being re-powered. Also, it is 140" long.
Jim
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/225743000056104062/
I didn't do the work, I inherited it from my father that purchased it converted. Both the Scenic Cruiser and the Honda 600 were heavily modified and I am told Jessie James was the one that modified and engineered it getting CSP sign off. The coach had one bulkhead mostly removed (width of car) and replaced with a heavy steal beam. The honda had it's roof removed and a fold down windshield installed and a convertible top made.
The car drives up ramps onto a roller drawer that is supported by a fold down frame. It's actually pretty well designed and when on level surface the car can be put in the bay or pulled out with one hand. The car length uses the complete baggage space on the 4501 from bumper to bumper and about two thirds of the baggage space width wise. So that mean all the house stuff, 120 gallons of fresh water, 80 gallons of grey, 40 gallon black, two 10 gallon propane tanks, 6.5 kw generator, two basement AC unites, 10 gallon gas tank for the generator, and room for on 8D house battery all is snug real tight into the other one third of bay space.
I'm in the process of upgrading the house battery and Inverter/ charger setup and have come real close to moving into space used by the car to increase my amp hour capacity. Still may end up tossing the dingy concept for a standard toad.
Jack
Request and offer - anyone willing to get into one of those chopped death trap sardine cans please put mount a video. I'll pay plenty to your heirs for the video showing it flipping, skidding, and flying through air as it ends up a pile of metal not even needing a crusher. Seriously, it might be stable to about 30, for trips around the neighborhood but you'll be dead at interstate speeds. I'd take my chances with the mini bikes.
@Jim - if you plan to use the bus for any extended living, you'll want those bays for storage. Once all the equipment and tanks are mounted in the bays, what is left is really needed for your stuff.
Something like this would work very well. Good range and cruising at 30mph.
@Jim Don?t forget your helmet, those could be dangerous!
@Don not quite sure I?m following your post, but sure let?s start a trust in your name for my heirs! I?ve put thousand of miles on both the coach and Honda without issues. The only issues the coach has is rubber. If anyone has a source for 4501 rubber I.E window moldings please give me a shout.
Besides the the coach being a conversation piece anywhere it goes it?s nice to have a full cars space easily opened up for other purposes like bikes, mopeds, camping furniture when I chose not to take the car.
If I was the one converting the coach I would not incorporate a dingy car but hey it?s pretty cool that someone spent the cash to do it right.
Thanks,
Jack
Seems a little overly dramatic Don. You think it'd be more dangerous than a motorcycle? I really don't see how. Anyway, opinions can differ and until there is real proof that's all they are, just opinions and you are certainly entitled to yours.
Dinghy huh? That sounds like a proper term and very appropriate. Good one.
So... anybody have those D series bay dimensions? I can't seem to find them online.
Unless I'm mistaken this would use up most of one full bay on the D series, not an enormous handicap for a bus meant to carry 2 people.
Jim
Jack - my snarky comment was responding to Jim, conveying my opinion that a mini shortened to 7 feet is simply not safe for use on primary roads. It won't meet many automobile safety and engineering standards. A 60+ year old vehicle design meant for running errands on city streets of Europe is far from what is safe running at freeway speeds in America. IMHO driving that thing is a death trap so get your finances in order when you get run over or pushed off the road from a semi. Was not referencing your stock Honda 600 which was designed and approved to run safely on American roads.
Jim - I had two minis back in the day, great fun and nimble but tin cans, thus the very low weight. I'd run the chopped one around town, same with the Honda 70 but that's it. Neither are highway safe. But as you say each of is entitled to our own opinions, decisions, and destinies. Still friends? [size=78%] [/size] :-\
Just saw this on FB. Ready to roll Jim!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1682004755384802/
$49,500
Excelsior Springs, MO
1981 Eagle Bus - Re-manufactured and Converted to Class A motorhome in 1996 - was lengthened from 40 ft. to 45 ft. - widened from 96 in. to 102 in. and roof raised 9 in. - I purchased it in 1998 and had a complete crate re-built 8V92 Detroit Diesel installed in 2000 - I've put appx 65,000 mi. on it since then -
5 spd Allison automatic transmission
2 spd Jake Brakes
cross-flow radiator
air throttle
220 gal fuel capacity
Alcoa wheels
brand new tires on front
very good tires on rear
tilt wheel
power steering
160 gal. fresh water
Beautiful cabinets
day/night blinds
dishwasher
washer/dryer
side by side full size fridge with ice-maker
27 in. T.V. above driver's seat
large walk/thru bathroom w/whirlpool tub
Wabesto electric heating
2 roof top heat pumps
Ramco heated mirrors
four point leveling
water cooled 4 cyl Kubota powered generator
Trace invertor
2 new 12 V 8D starting batteries
10 new 6 V deep cycle house batteries
Could use - paint job, as shown
fabric for the 25 ft. awning
driver's side windshield has 3 in. crack at top
1972 Honda Z600 Baggage Bay Honda as shown available for $6000
in addition to the price of $49,500 for the bus - it can also be seen on
youtube under ray cave honda 600 - I have shortened
it so it fits in the bay - I sell Honda 600 parts on eBay under Eagle-Hd, and they are very reliable cars - cruises easily at 55 - 60 mph.
I have owned this bus since 2000 and I'm starting to slow down - the bus
should go anywhere and back with ease - we have made many trips to
Sturgis, and yearly trips to Texas, and many other places -
I've seen that one, looks like it could be a really great conversion provided the structural work was done right. (But who in their right mind slices and dices a BUS?!!)
OK, well having said that, it's just a matter of degree isn't it. Mea Culpa. Here's a thought: Mazda 3. Cheap car, 4 doors. Just remove the back seat? Worth measuring my son's car, could have been staring me in the face. Anybody driven a Smart Car on the freeway yet? Feedback would be worthwhile. I'll have to ask my sister about that.
Anyway that bus is still out of my price range. Price on the Honda seems very reasonable though.
Jim
For 6k minus some hard negotiating, this thing hardly has much of a market, it's like a DIY conversion vs an already converted. You'd have more than 6 grand all in doing a proper chop. As to SmartCar, they sure look like a death trap but it meets current US Federal safety standards which is no easy matter. Having not done any research on their structural design, one can only assume it has something like a full roll cage to absorb the minimum impact and drivability. Personal comments I've heard are all pleasantly surprised by how roomy it feels, naturally the forward cabin. Seems like an adequate crunch zone can be placed behind the seats.
Be pretty hard to shorten that to 96", got 10" too much. Even if you went clear out to the skin you'd still need another 2" on each side. Well, maybe a couple bulges could do it.
But then there's still the roof. And it's 65-1/2" wide too. That's not going to fit in a standard bay is it?
So all in all a smart car really isn't that small.
Jim
Quote from: windtrader on July 25, 2018, 10:37:37 AM
For 6k minus some hard negotiating, this thing hardly has much of a market, it's like a DIY conversion vs an already converted. You'd have more than 6 grand all in doing a proper chop. As to SmartCar, they sure look like a death trap but it meets current US Federal safety standards which is no easy matter. Having not done any research on their structural design, one can only assume it has something like a full roll cage to absorb the minimum impact and drivability. Personal comments I've heard are all pleasantly surprised by how roomy it feels, naturally the forward cabin. Seems like an adequate crunch zone can be placed behind the seats.
Smart Car uses a so-called Tridion safety cage all around its occupants; there's minimal crumple zones, so I get the impression that Smart uses the other car's crumple zone to protect its own occupants. When Top Gear crashed a Smart into another car at 70 MPH, the Smart's doors still could be opened after the dust had settled. I think they're safer (less unsafe?) than they look.
John
99 % of bus and sticks and staples motor homes use a regular car for a dinghy. Or if using a 5th wheel or bumper pull trailer, the tow vehicle is used to get around.
The reason is that you need it to get around safely at 70 mph to go shopping and sightseeing. It is not always that you are camped in a quiet little camp ground 10 minutes away from the small town on a rural road.
You might be camped on the outskirts of Houston TX and need to drive on the freeway to go see the Johnson Space Center, or near Coronado CA and take the towed to Balboa Park in San Diego. Or camped in Yuma AZ and drive on I10 back to El Centro CA to visit friends. Those are only a few examples of real life touring in the bus. At times we don't tow the Jeep, knowing we won't need it on a particular trip.
But I just don't see a micro car small enough to fit inside a bus as a practical solution to get around. No matter how cute some of them are...
JC
Quote from: Jim Blackwood on July 25, 2018, 07:34:59 AM
(But who in their right mind slices and dices a BUS?!!)
Jim
An Eagle owner who wants more room. The truss frame makes it possible. Check the books on the subject by Dave Galey.
Busnuts worrying about the stability/safety of a chopped car is pretty funny... while riding around in either a home brewed or unknown construction techniques coach conversion?
The softening of America...
Celebrate the ingenuity?
Relish the challenge?
Overcome the obstacle?
Support the individualism?
No?
Instead,
Where's my baby soother?
AMERICA!!!
(religious damnation deleted)
MAN-UP!!!
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Right On Brother!
I was just thinking, what could be more potentially unstable that a 32 ft S&S with a short wheelbase? You've all seen 'em. Turn corners really great but makes you wonder why the tail doesn't wag the dog.
Jim
Huh??
Seems pretty clear the difference between a 1200 pound sardine can and a 15 ton hulk of rolling steel. We all know our buses fair quite well when impacting something. I'll put my bank account on a crash derby between a bus and a chopped mini anyway. Where would you like the celebration party, it's on me. lol
Busnut construction methods are notoriously UN-crashworthy. That's the joke.
Those cabinets and appliances aren't staying back there...
Laugh at the contradiction/hypocrisy?
Lamenting the passing of "do yer own thing, you don't have to do what the other guy is doing, leave him be to have his fun and/or misadventure"?
This is not how the busnut hobby, nor your country, started out...
Good comedy always has the truth running thru it?
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
My fiat is a great tow and comfortable to drive, except on bad roads of course, lvmci...
Hey, I drive an MG. The key to safety is to AVOID the accident.
"Safety Fast"
Jim
For me the short answer is no way, way to many minus already posted and I like that if needed I can pack the tow with more cr..../stuff.
No-one has yet suggested the obvious answer, and I've genuinely wondered about doing this myself with a lightweight (but long-wheelbase) sandrail-type vehicle. You could theoretically make the loading into a one-man operation by having a tail-lift on the back of the bus such as are used on race-car trucks and trailers. Still lots of engineering involved though, and bridges to consider.
Jeremy
(https://c8.alamy.com/comp/AD11AY/afghanistan-road-from-kabul-to-ghazni-broken-down-bus-transporting-AD11AY.jpg)
I don't know about that. But here's an idea, maybe a couple of short ramps on the back of the bus and a winch on the roof. Just hoist the dinghey up lengthwise on the back of the bus.
Jim
Not sure about short ramps - they'd have to be very very long ramps I think. Also I find calling a car a 'dinghy' hugely confusing because my bus will actually be towing sailing dinghies or small keelboats most of the time - that's why it can't tow a car in the first place!
I have also wondered about carrying my sandrail (or the next sandrail I build - the current one isn't read legal) strapped vertyically to the back of the bus. I've never seen that done, but I have seen horseboxes carrying competition carriages / buggies (not sure of the correct term) like that
Jeremy
Why would they have to be long? All they have to do is keep the nose for the Ding away from the body of the bus. Use a curved ramp and I bet it wouldn't have to stick out more than 3 ft. Might even get by with a permanent mount.
Another thought, with a couple pillow blocks and a shaft you could drop two cables, get an even lift and a safety line. Cinch down the bottom corners and go. My biggest concern would be the engine oil, but I bet if you let it sit level for 5 minutes any modern car would be fine. Still would probably be limited to around 10-11 ft of length.
OK, so we all know a Toad is towed, right? Whereas a Ding is carried. Simple distinction there, think of a Yacht.
Jim
Ok, we were talking at cross purposes - you were talking about ramps and a winch after my post about how you could get a car up on the roof of a bus
BTW - a dinghy (ding?) is a boat without a keel - nothing to do with it being carried on a yacht. The type of dinghy I race definitely aren't carried about on yachts
Jeremy
Edit: Thinking about it, the maritime equivalent of a toad would be a tender - that's a far better analogy than 'dinghy'
Quote from: Jeremy on July 27, 2018, 08:02:27 AM... BTW - a dinghy (ding?) is a boat without a keel - nothing to do with it being carried on a yacht. The type of dinghy I race definitely aren't carried about on yachts
Jeremy
Edit: Thinking about it, the maritime equivalent of a toad would be a tender - that's a far better analogy than 'dinghy'
"The English and the Americans are two peoples divided by a common language." Same word, different usage. If you have a 100 foot yacht and there's a small boat for your cook, housekeeper, and butler to go ashore and obtain food and supplies, in the US it's a "dinghy". At least, that's what my cook, housekeeper, and butler call it.
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on July 27, 2018, 09:05:41 AM
"The English and the Americans are two peoples divided by a common language." Same word, different usage. I you have a 100 foot yacht and there's a small boat for your cook, housekeeper, and butler to go ashore and obtain food and supplies, in the US it's a "dinghy". At least, that's what my cook, housekeeper, and butler call it.
Yes that is one kind of dinghy, but only one kind. This is equally-much a dinghy (in the US too), but your cook and housekeeper probably wouldn't like it:
(https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/photos/skiff/yandy73886.jpg)
I'm not sure whether the word 'tender' is commonplace among US boaters, but it specifically means a small boat that is carried by a much larger boat (or sometimes towed behind, but that's very bad form). A tender is a dinghy, but a dinghy isn't necessarily a tender.
In fact, studying the million different ways tenders are carried by yachts throws-up some ideas about how a car could be carried by a bus. How about collapsible davits attached to the rear-end, or even a fold-away crane mounted on the roof...
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1440&bih=793&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=vUpbW8XuMKuIgAa0go64CQ&q=tender+in+davits&oq=tender+in+davits&gs_l=img.3...60920.69567.0.70190.19.19.0.0.0.0.153.1251.14j3.17.0....0...1c.1.64.img..3.2.208...0j0i30k1.0.G2WV9s5Df8w#imgdii=EflguXoJTGRGLM:&imgrc=NFR_fYle56gk3M: (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1440&bih=793&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=vUpbW8XuMKuIgAa0go64CQ&q=tender+in+davits&oq=tender+in+davits&gs_l=img.3...60920.69567.0.70190.19.19.0.0.0.0.153.1251.14j3.17.0....0...1c.1.64.img..3.2.208...0j0i30k1.0.G2WV9s5Df8w#imgdii=EflguXoJTGRGLM:&imgrc=NFR_fYle56gk3M:)
Our tenders hauled coal or fuel oil behind steam locomotives.
Quote from: chessie4905 on July 27, 2018, 10:59:25 AMOur tenders hauled coal or fuel oil behind steam locomotives.
They were driven by engineers. "The English and the Americans are two peoples divided by a common language."
I can't see "Tender" ever catching on as the name for a car carried by a bus. "Dinghy" sounds OK for that though. Not as good as "Toad" for a towed vehicle of course, that would be hard to top. But if you don't like it, call it whatever you want. One thing for sure though, it isn't a Toad.
Anyway, something like a Smart car should be really easy to winch up onto the back end of a bus. Not the roof, just lift the front end until the rear wheels and bumper clear the ground by a few inches and tie it off. It'd need wheel ramps to protect the bus bodywork, a winch on the roof, and tie down points but the wheels are so close to the ends of the car that it wouldn't need much at all for ramps.
Jim
Since this thread has gone seriously off course and into boating. Boats like Zodiac and Avon are great where portability is a requirement. Just stuff an inflatable car into the bay and all is solved.
Wouldn't surprise me if there was somewhere a fully-working car that packed away into a small space when not being used, and then had to be inflated when you wanted to drive it. All-round airbags too...
There's also the Rinspeed Presto, which gets shorter or longer depending upon whether you need two sets or four:
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.ggpht.com%2F_Tsf-t_mqSxc%2FTDT_pNyipdI%2FAAAAAAAAbbU%2FkpplKer2DsQ%2F2002%2520Rinspeed%2520Presto_02.jpg&hash=9e0c640d5d3874e7b2056e926ee4c6d6aadeb8ee)
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imcdb.org%2Fi346964.jpg&hash=e87bb44fb88663d397a30b69a961d24dee9254ca)
Don't think I'd want to be a rear seat passenger in that one.
Jim
Too cutesy to be in it or around it.
Jim,
Great idea, you have an MG? Just cut in half and install some slide so it shrinks into the bay! Pu the windshield on a hinge and good on height.
It's too wide.
The blower scoop sticks up too high.
It's too long and has no back seat so there's nothing to cut out.
http://forum.britishv8.org/read.php?2,274,page=27
look for the photos at the bottom.
BUT, if it wasn't over 13 ft long I'd consider hoisting it up on the rear of the bus.
Jim
So like that hasn't been done this is ours.
One of the many reasons I own a bus is the safety vs a sticks and staple MH. Seems stupid to spend the money to be safe to get to the campground to have the possibility of passing away from pulling out of the campground to run to the grocery store in a micro /mini /smart car. We flat tow a Hummer H2
Love it, such an obvious observation!
Safety is one thing. OTOH, a bus is way more durable than a S$S and should therefore be less prone to various types of failures. Provided it is solidly constructed of course. For instance, roof leakage should be much less of an issue. There is at least *some* basis for arguing depreciation of a bus should be less than a S&S also, whether or not that really is the case. Still, let's face it, in a major collision at speed nobody in either rig is going to fare well so the best tactic is avoidance. That tactic works equally well in smaller vehicles. For decades I have driven little British sports cars and ridden motorcycles so I know how this works. Yes, your Hummer might save you under certain circumstances but it is far better to stay out of those circumstances. Whether your bus would or not is quite a large question though. Not a whole lot there protecting the driver compared to the mass of the vehicle. So if you are a safe bus driver it means you are always aware of everything around you and drive so that not just you, but those others have a chance if something goes screwy. And if you already drive this way, a small car poses no challenge. The vulnerabilities are identical if you drive to avoid minor damage as conscientiously as you do to avoid death. After all, minor damage of a bus is really not so minor.
I really do not see this as being a valid argument at all. Do you go to a campground with the intention of spending your days there commuting through heavy city traffic? If so you have my sympathy. My use of a Toad has always been to get around on surface streets and back roads and maybe an occasional jaunt onto the freeway, preferably at any time other than during the rush. If you aren't on vacation what's the point?
I asked my sister if she felt comfortable in her smart car on the freeway and she said absolutely. They do have a rather good safety rating, much better than the older cars I tend to drive.
Jim
On the freeway?
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We love our Jeep Grand Cherokee W/O a trailer, & the 5.7L Hemi will take you (& the bus on a flat tow if need be) where you want to go... ;D
Yes, I specifically asked her how it was on the freeway and she said it was just fine, no problems at all and she liked it. I'll have to try that for myself but I have no reason to doubt, so the idea remains feasible at least. Weighs about 1800 lbs. which really isn't all that light for a car that size.
I could just imagine trying to flat tow a bus with my wife as the other driver. Ain't happening. No how, no way, under any circumstances. History proves it. Completely pointless to even consider it. Trying to put her in either vehicle would be a complete waste of time. Not that she lacks the ability mind you, she'd just be completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the challenge and the results would not be pretty. Been there before, no need to go there again.
So that logic doesn't stand either. Which makes me think, these arguments are all based on "what if". So sure a certain amount of caution and preparedness is always a good idea, but not when it begins to handicap the primary mission. "What if" we had to have an escape pod for the lunar landing? What then, eh? Life is not safe, and there's no way to make it so, but if you can recognize the dangers you can usually escape them. It's the same old Armor vs Artillery argument and there's no end in sight.
Jim